Current News

Camellias Illawarra Inc. resumed the year’s activities in February with a well attended meeting. At that time the Illawarra had experienced some good rainfall over previous months and along with no hot winds and mild temperatures there was considerable optimism in the Illawarra camp. Our bushes were lush and the well filled buds held considerable promise. But as the year progressed we again turned our eyes heavenward in a vain search for rain clouds as the ground became dry and dusty. Parts of Northern Illawarra were favoured with patchy rain but elsewhere we are still waiting for that down pour of moisture. Despite the need for rain, many of our bushes have been loaded with blooms, but this in turn has led many to express the feeling – will there be any blooms left for our various annual shows? Perhaps we have been worrying too much as to how we fare at show time rather than standing back from or garden and admiring each day the wonderful colours and forms that nature has provided for our enjoyment. But then again once a member we experience that friendly competitive urge!

Our March meeting saw our first competitive monthly benching and it was very pleasing to see the quantity and quality of the blooms on show. We enjoyed very much a slice of botanical history as Robyn Shead shared with us her family’s horticultural history through the establishment of their nurseries in Sydney and Wollongong. She reminded us that the nature of gardening has changed dramatically as house plots today have room only for a house and a pool, and the hours that once upon a time was spent in gardening, are now employed in other pursuits and responsibilities. Consequently we have seen the demise of a number of nurseries as well as wholesale outlets for plants. Nurseries tend now to cater for the general populous rather than the specialised gardeners such as those who are interested in Camellias. Membership in a society such as Camellias Illawarra can assist greatly in the provision of camellia plants (including the hard to get reticulates) as knowledge of sources are shared and activities such as grafting are taught to fellow members.

The International Camellia Congress was held this year during March in Cornwall (U.K.). We were honoured to have one of our members attend the Congress and then share his experience with us during our April meeting. Over the past few years a good number of estates in the U. K. have had their ‘gardens’ restored after many years of neglect, but the names of many species have been lost – hence a guessing game among the touring members of Congress often took place as to ‘what camellia is that?’. Thank you Joe and it is a lesson to us that although our camellia patch may be very, very small in comparison, it is profitable to have our plants clearly identified.

In May we gained valuable insight into the work of another of our members, as he demonstrated for us his grafting techniques and his method of cross pollinating. It is interesting to see the resultant blooms on show and we look forward to our own experimentation as well as the results of Andrew’s activities.

In our bloom competitions we enter the flower according to the category of name or the bloom “form”. In the past some confusion has existed in identifying one such form (out of a number of different forms) which we have called a “Semi Double” bloom. A Semi Double bloom is defined as one with two or more rows of petals and an uninterrupted cluster of stamens. However nature often throws a spanner in the works and we end up with a bloom with the distinguishing marks of a Semi Double but the tight ring of stamens is in itself interrupted by petaloids (somewhat like a wayward petal). Where do we put this bloom… in the semi double class or informal double? In an effort to end this confusion Camellias Australia has adopted another class of form now known as Irregular Semi Double. This class allows the cluster of stamens to be broken by petaloids. Once we become accustomed to this new classification, benching according to the form of the bloom should be much easier.

With only a few weeks in effect to go before the first of the annual shows, our thoughts naturally turn to the preparation of our blooms for competition. Camellias Illawarra will present its 56th Annual Show on 19th and 20th July 2008. This show will again be held in the TAFE FUNCTION CENTRE adjacent to the TAFE (Illawarra Institute of Technology) at North Wollongong. Follow the blue TAFE signs or refer to the map at the end of this news section. Turn left off Foley’s Road into Northfield’s Avenue just before the entrance to the TAFE grounds, and the Function Centre and parking area is located at the end of this avenue. Benching of blooms will take place from 8.30am to 11.00am. A copy of the schedule and show conditions can be obtained from the Secretary of Camellias Illawarra Inc. It is said to be the largest Camellia Show in Australia and well worth your attendance.

The only Reticulata Show in Australia is hosted by Camellias Illawarra Inc. and will be staged on 16th and 17th August 2008 at Legacy House, Market Street, Wollongong. This is smaller than the Annual Show but the impressive Reticulata will bring delight to the viewer. Last year the society changed the date of this show to coincide with our August monthly meeting (on the Saturday afternoon) and consequently we will have a separate showing of Camellia Japonica and Hybrid blooms as is our custom.