Calendar of Events: Charleston Camellia Expo

What exactly is this expo all about? Well, I am glad you asked!
The organizer of this event is none other than Darren Sheriff, a.k.a. The Citrus Guy and CEO of The Citrus Guy Horticultural Consulting Group.
Darren is currently the American Camellia Society's South Carolina State Director and the current president of the Coastal Carolina Camellia Society in Charleston. One of the main jobs of a state director is to assist camellia societies throughout the state to increase their membership numbers, this was one of his goals for the CCCS before the state directorship was even on the plate. He started concocting this type of thing over the course of a year or more and this is the result!
To begin, this expo is not aimed at the already established camellia grower, though they are more than welcome to attend. No, this is for the novice, not even sure what a camellia really is, type of grower. The people that come to the annual flower shows and "ooh" and "aah" over the beautiful blooms, then state that they could never grow something so pretty. We want to fix that!
SO, what can you expect from this expo?
To start, and this is not in order of the day's events, we will have a very in depth presentation of how to grow camellias. The types of fertilizers to use, how and when to prune them, what kind of pest and diseases there are and how to control them. You will learn the difference between a sasanqua, a japonica, a reticulata and Camellia sinensis. Just as a side note and tease, you have been drinking Camellia sinensis here in the South for many, many years!
There will be displays from many of the different camellia societies from around the state, so you will be able to join one or as many as you like. The American Camellia Society will be on hand to accept membership in the national organization, as well as possibly the Regional and International Camellia Societies.
What would a camellia expo be if you couldn't buy plants? After all, you will be learning how to grow them, you may as well pick some up to start trying your hand at it, right? We will have vendors selling all kinds of camellias, in every imaginable color and size of flowers. There will be other vendors there too, selling soil additives, books, and who knows what else.
One of the main reasons, other than their beauty, that people get so wound up in growing camellias is the flower show circuit. There are shows literally around the entire lower half of the country, from Maryland, down through the Carolinas and Georgia into Florida, out towards Louisiana and Mississippi, looping on out to California and Oregon. I am sure there will be a show near you. This expo, being of a learning environment, will be putting on a much smaller, unsanctioned show to give you the feel for how it all works. From the prepping of blooms, to the displaying of the blooms, judging, awards and so on. Check out the flower show tab above for how to enter.
Did somebody say they might get hungry during all of this activity? We will have that covered as well! The Camellia Garden Club of Greater Charleston will be on hand serving lunch for a very minimal cost. The last event that these folks did the lunch for was a huge success and we are sure they will duplicate it. Just as a side note, there are a few fast food restaurants within 5-10 minutes of the venue, you will most definitely have to drive to them.
The demonstrations will keep you busy as well. There will be grafting demos, air layering demos, classes on seed planting and scion rooting. Scion is a fancy word for cutting. Once you learn all of these procedures, you will quickly be able to increase your own collection, with the help of friends. A larger collection means more flowers, which means more chances of winning at shows.
For all those history buffs, there will be a talk on the camellias out at Magnolia Gardens. It is always nice to hear how something came to be and the scope of what is out there.
"Magnolia Gardens offers America's oldest and largest collection of camellias and azaleas."
As stated by Miles Beach, Secretary of the American Camellia Society, 2011
Sound good so far? Well, let's see if we forgot anything.....hhmmm, oh yea! Door prizes! We will have some great ones! Freebies galore, and if you haven't figured it out yet.....information overload!