The Mid–Carolina Camellia Society held the annual winter show February 13 and 14 at Midtown at Forest Acres in the promenade. The camellia show was a gallery of the finest blossoms resulting from a delicate balance of nature and nurture.

Blossoms looked like debutantes at the Cotillion Ball. If you only admired camellias from afar before viewing the show, the vast variety of colors, flower forms and fragrances coaxed even the brown thumbs to debut a few cold hardy beauties in their gardens.

Members of the Mid- Carolina Camellia Society welcome newcomers to monthly meetings that are held at Lizard’s Thicket on Beltline the first Tuesday of the month. Dinner starts at 6 pm, and the hour long education program starts at 7 pm.

Programs include such topics as care, culture, diseases and pests, pruning, fertilizing, propagation, hybridizing, showing among others. Experts are on hand to identify unknown specimens from your backyard. Bring blossoms and leaves.

Heirloom Camellia “Miss Charleston Variegated” Camellias are one of the most favorable ornamental shrubs to grow in the acidic soil of the Midlands. The genus Camellia is native to China where they have been used as ornamentals for a thousand years. While there are over 400 camellia species, three are familiar to southern gardens: Camellia sasanqua, C. japonica, and C. reticulata.
“Sea Foam”
“Peggy’s Blush”
“Pink Perfection”
“Amer icano”
“Elaine’s Betty”
“Mrs. D.W. Davis”
“Melissa Anne”
“Grace Albritton”
“Golden Gate”
“Junior Prom”
“Big Dipper”
“Frank Houser Variegated”