Middle Georgia Camellia Society Calendar & Comments

Volume 3 Issue 4 April/May 2015

Festival of Camellias Flower Show

The Massee Lane Gardens Camellia Show sponsored by Flint Energies was held on February 28-March 1, 2015.

Total number of blooms exhibited was 605. Approximate number of attendees was 300. We enlisted four

memberships for ACS and five for MGCS. Chuck and Bev Ritter of Melrose, Florida, won “Gold” Sweepstakes

with 69 blue ribbon blooms while Fred and Sandra Jones of Moultrie, Georgia, took the “Silver” with 53. Best

Bloom in Show--Unprotected was ‘Black Magic’ entered by Fred and Sandra Jones while the Best Bloom--

Protected was ‘Veiled Beauty’ entered by John Newsome of Atlanta. A complete list of winners can be found

on the ACS website americancamellias.com.

WORK DAY SET

AT MASSEE LANE GARDENS

SATURDAY, APRIL 4TH

9 AM—11:30 AM (or until finished!)

9:00 AM Coffee & Donuts

9:30 AM Pick your Project

SPRING CLEANING OF SUN TRIAL GARDEN

(Bring gloves, rakes, wheelbarrow, etc.)

LEARN PROPER PRUNING TECHNIQUES

(Bring pruning shears)

CLEAN & PAINT ACS ENTRANCE SIGN ON Hwy 49

(Bring step ladder, paint brushes, etc.)

Saturday, May 16th

At the Freshwater Home, 215 W. Church St., Fort Valley

5:00 p.m. Social ~ 6:00 p.m. Auction ~ 7:00 p.m. Meal

WHAT TO BRING?

Picnic Food—Meat & Side Dish

Plants and other items you think someone else wants!

Lots of Money to Bid on Lots of Stuff!!

A Fun-loving Spirit

YOUR NAME BADGE!

(Call Brenda if you have questions 825-1406)

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Annual

Picnic & Auction

‘Black Magic’ ‘Veiled Beauty’ Oliver Bowman Entering Blooms Class A, Japonicas, unprotected

Message from the President………….All Work and No Play

Throughout the camellia year the Middle Georgia Camellia Society

provides a number of opportunities for its members. The last two

scheduled activities for this year involve both work and play, and

you won’t want to miss either one.

I hope you are gathering tools and other supplies, have your work

gloves handy, and will join us for the April service project at Massee

Lane. While its major purpose is to be of service to Massee Lane

Gardens, it also provides learning opportunities through hands-on

activities, and it meets one of our MGCS purposes by bringing

members together in friendship and fellowship. What a day!

To end the year on a really fun note, you must attend the annual

picnic and auction at the beautiful home of Connie and Frank

Freshwater in Fort Valley on Saturday, May 16 beginning at 5:00

PM. It’s a time to visit with camellia friends and guests, enjoy

delicious food (the MGCS has the best cooks!), and raise funds to

help support our shows and special projects throughout the year.

You may also be the high bidder and go home with beautiful new

plants or other treasures from the auction, so don’t forget your

checkbook.

Come join us as we work and play.

Sandra Williams

MIRIAM

NEEDS

HELP!

From a home in North Carolina that's

around 100 years old and still

thriving; can you help us identify?

GREAT TO HAVE WILBUR & MARY WITH US

FOR THE MARCH MEETING!

Congratulations!

Katie Dunn, is the winner of our People’s

Choice Award at our February Show. Katie &

her husband, Paul, won a year’s membership in

MGCS as well as a camellia from County Line

Nursery!

C. Reticulata ‘Frank Houser’

Katie selected ‘Frank

Houser’ as her favorite.

This flower also won

“Best Tray of Three” in

the protected division.

The blooms were grown

and entered by John

Newsome of Atlanta.

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BOARD MEETING

SUNDAY, JUNE 7th, 2:00 PM

The Fetterman Gallery

Massee Lane Gardens

April 4 Service Project

May 16 Picnic/Auction

June 7 Board Meeting

Welcome New Members!

Norman Race & Susan Beger

Bob & Patricia Bennett

Don & Sara Boyd

Paul & Katie Dunn

Dale & Regi Polk

Dan & Tess Rebman

From the past…………..

Prune plants that have now stopped blooming.

Fertilize with 16-4-8. For a large plant (6’ or

higher), sprinkle 1 cup of fertilizer at the drip

line. Water in the fertilizer after applying. If

scale or insect problems are observed, spray

with dormant oil. Now and through the

summer water if two weeks pass without rain.

Mulch plants with pine straw 2-4 inches. If you

want to root cuttings, May through August is

the best time to do so. Now is also an excellent

time to put in practice the techniques we

learned at our “Show & Grow” Workshop in

January.

Potluck Favorites……..Troublemaker Toffee 1 cup butter (no substitute will do!) 1 cup sugar

1/4 cup water ½ teaspoon salt

½ cup chocolate chips

1 cup finely chopped pecans (or almonds, but we’re from

Georgia!)

In a heavy saucepan, combine butter, sugar, water and

salt. Sprinkle ½ of pecans on bottom of an ungreased 13”x9” pan.

Cook butter, sugar, water and salt over medium heat to hard-

crack stage (302°) stirring constantly and watching carefully.

Pour hot mixture (it will be VERY HOT) into pan over pecans.

Sprinkle chocolate chips on top of hot mixture and allow them to

melt. When the chocolate is melted, use a spatula to spread it

into an even coating. While the chocolate is still melted, sprinkle

remaining pecans on top. Let stand for 2-3 hours to set, or chill

for 30 minutes. Break into bite-size pieces and store in airtight

container.

Thanks for sharing, Tommy Martin (a/k/a “Troublemaker”)

C. Japonica ‘Petite Rosine’ hybridized by Mrs. M. J. Witman, Macon, Ga.,

1972. Blush Pink. Miniature, formal double. Vigorous, upright growth.

NOTE: Just discovered I had this one among my collection of miniatures. Tommy

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MR. & MRS. M. J. WITMAN

Macon, Georgia

This story begins in 1918. Twenty-seven year old, Macon native, Mangus ‘Mike’ Witman was a captain in the U.S. Army,

stationed in France during World War I. On July 15-16, 1918, he was awarded a “Silver Star” for gallantry in action while

serving with the 7th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Division, American Expeditionary Forces in Fossoy, France, and by his brilliant

leadership of his company. But the “Silver Star” was not the only thing Mike brought back from France. While there he

met twenty year old Emilie Jarasse, who had been born in Correze, France, in 1898. Emilie was known by all her friends

as “Lilette” and for the next 50 plus years, she was also known as Mrs. M. J. Witman.

Following the war, Mike and Lilette returned to the U.S. where he practiced law in New York City for a number of years

before returning to his hometown of Macon, Georgia. The Witmans purchased a farm in what is now the Rivoli area of

Macon and built their home. Besides practicing law and various civic duties, including serving as chairman of the local

hospital authority, Mike raised cattle. Bill Fickling told me he remembers when the local grocery store, Bateman & Wade,

would advertise “Witman Black Angus steaks” for sale. Lilette, who had a talent for garden design, began to transform the

twenty acres of grounds surrounding their home. The Witman gardens consisted of several formal gardens, a Japanese

garden, a stone lined water feature that required water to be pumped uphill some distance away from a lake on their property

and lots of camellias, azaleas and other shrubs. The most visible feature was probably the large (30’x50’) Lord & Burham

glass greenhouse. Terry Johnson, Johnson’s Nursery, says he can remember seeing it when he was a young boy full of

blooming camellias including some of the new camellia reticulata varieties with huge blooms. Both Mike and Lilette were

involved with camellias and were among the founders of the American Camellia Society when it was formed at the

Dempsey Hotel in Macon in 1945. He served as president of the Middle Georgia Camellia Society in 1951. With the

greenhouse, Lilette was able to pursue her interest in hybridizing camellias. She regularly exchanged camellia pollen with

other hybridizers in California and even New Zealand. She had a real fondness for miniatures and received scions from

camellia friends worldwide.

Lilette and Mike traveled extensively to visit other camellia growers. In 1958, they spent several weeks on the west coast,

visiting such notable camellia dignitaries as hybridizer David Feathers, Harold Paige and Dr. Ralph Peer. They also visited

the city of Victoria on Vancouver Island in Canada, where they saw camellias growing profusely in that Canadian “micro-

climate”. Lilette was not only an excellent gardener, but she was also an excellent garden writer and her articles could be

found in a number of Camellia Society Newsletters and Journals.

Sadly, Mike passed away in 1970, but Lilette continued to pursue her hybridizing efforts releasing five new varieties in

1971, five more in 1972 and four in 1973. Lilette died in 1977 at the age of 79.

The Witman Estate eventually was sold to attorney Carl Reynolds who lived there for twenty years. Reynolds must not

have had much interest in gardening as the gardens were not kept up. About five years ago, the property was purchased by

Roy Fickling, son of Bill Fickling. Bill told me that there are still 100 or more large camellias on the property, but they are

about to be swallowed up by bamboo which has escaped from its original planting and spread over much of the property.

Remnants of the original gardens, stone benches and water features still remain to remind one of what once was the love of

a remarkable couple—Mike and Lilette Witman. (From a program presented by Tommy Alden at our March meeting.)

Follow-up for Grafting Workshop

Graft growth buds should be starting to swell, if not don't

worry even if leaves have dropped. Graft will keep

trying to grow as long as the scion is still alive. Keep

enough water on the plant to keep moisture in tinted

graft cup. Over watering will make the leaves drop.

When new leaves start to grow, (probably within the

next month) you will vent the tinted cup on and off to

toughen up new leaf growth. When new leaves darken

and get tougher you may remove graft cups. If leaves

start to look distressed put the cups back on and try to

remove a few days later. Be sure to leave grafts in

shade until they adjust. At this time start normal

watering, but don't apply fertilizer till next spring. Good

luck with your grafts and let me know how they do. I

grafted 97 within 3 weeks of our class and so far have

had only one to die. Remember, if the graft does die,

remove cups and start watering plant. It will be good for

another graft next year.

You should be finishing up your pruning as soon as

possible. Time to apply first fertilizer, it will give plants

encouragement to grow. You must have new growth to

have blooms. Fertilize again early summer and then

late summer for larger blooms. Keep plants watered but

not too wet or roots will die. Watch for insects and spray

if needed. Be sure to attend meetings and purchase

Gibb to treat buds, then if you are lucky you will have

blooms for October and November shows. Buds should

be treated a few days apart starting around the first of

September. We have members that will be glad to show

you how.

Looking forward to having all of our new friends and

members to come be a part of our club and participate

in our shows.

Your Camellia Friend,

Grady Stokes

Prune plants that have now stopped blooming.

Fertilize with 16-4-8. For a large plant (6’ or

higher), sprinkle 1 cup of fertilizer at the drip line.

Water in the fertilizer after applying. If scale or

insect problems are observed, spray with dormant

oil. Now and through the summer water if two

weeks pass without rain. Mulch plants with pine

straw 2-4 inches. If you want to root cuttings, May

through August is the best time to do so. Now is

also an excellent time to put in practice the

techniques we learned at our “Show & Grow”

Workshop in January.

Page 4

Potluck Favorites……

‘Troublemaker’ Toffee

1 cup butter (only real butter can be used)

1 cup sugar

¼ cup water

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup chocolate chips

1 cup finely chopped pecans (or almonds but we’re from

Georgia)

In a heavy sauce pan, combine butter, sugar, water, and salt.

Sprinkle ½ of pecans on bottom of an ungreased 13”X9” pan.

Cook butter, sugar, water, and salt over medium heat to

hard-crack stage (302°) stirring constantly and watching

carefully. Pour hot mixture (it will be VERY HOT) into pan

over pecans. Sprinkle chocolate chips on top of hot mixture

and allow them to melt. When the chocolate is melted, use

a spatula to spread it into an even coating. While chocolate

is still melted, sprinkle remaining pecans on top. Let stand

for 2-3 hours to set, or chill for 30 minutes. Break into bite-

size pieces and store in airtight container.

Submitted by Tommy Martin

Executive Committee President: Sandra Williams

Vice-President: Tommy Alden

Secretary: Brenda Alden

Treasurer: John Gamble

Board of Directors

Class of 2015 Tommy Couch

Connie Rainey-Freshwater

David Williams

Preston Phillips

Grady Stokes

Bonnie Wirsing

Class of 2016 William Khoury

Debbie Liipfert

Tommy Martin

Warren Thompson

Liane Trieman

Middle Georgia Camellia Society (MGCS):

The MGCS is a non-profit, education organization, chartered on

January 10, 1948, primarily to stimulate and promote interest in

the camellia.

Its purpose is to:

Stimulate and extend the appreciation of camellias and to promote the science of camellia culture in Middle Georgia and to encourage private and public planting of camellias.

Bring together in friendship and fellowship camellia growers and those interested in camellias in Middle Georgia.

Organize and conduct camellia shows within the area.

Assist local growers through discussions and dissemination of information on the general culture of camellias.

March Annual Meeting

Special thanks to our hospitality committee who gathered on Thursday morning

to make our annual membership meeting truly special. The tables were adorned

with beautiful spring arrangements and pastel napkins.

Special guests for the evening were Burke & Pat Murph, son and daughter-in-law

of Elizabeth Scheibert and Gary Stickler, friend of Debbie Liipfert. Also attending

were three new members Sara Boyd, Sue Humphreys and Lucy Jarrett.

Following an hour of visiting and socializing, a delicious meal was served by Donna

Matthews. After our meal, we went into our business session. Of particular

interest was a decision to redo the entrance sign on Highway 49 for the American

Camellia Society at Massee Lane Gardens.

Following our business session, Tommy Alden presented a

program on Middle Georgia Hybridizers. He pointed out that

about 25 people from the Middle Georgia area are

responsible for registering over 200 blooms with ACS.

Tommy chose to feature two of these hybridizers. Dr. Frank

Wilson of Leslie, former member of MGCS, registered

‘Adalyn’, ‘Drama Girl Tison’, ‘Springhead Gem’ and

‘Whoopee’. Mr. & Mrs. M. J. Witman of Macon were

instrumental in helping form ACS. Mrs. Witman hybridized

several varieties and Mr. Witman was a past president of

Middle Georgia Camellia Society. (See p. 3 for more)

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