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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)
Page 1
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.
Page 2
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
Page 3
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)
Page 5