Georgia
Gardens - An Historical Vignette
The coming of camellias to Georgia is deeply inter-woven
into the rich history of Southern horticulture. Early
settlers in new lands understandably wanted reminders
of their homeland. A popular way to preserve these memories
was to collect seeds before leaving their homeland and
plant them carefully on arrival in the new land. The first
such attempt in Georgia began over two hundred and sixteen
years ago when seeds of Camellia sinensis were brought
over directly from the East Indies.
In 1773, John and William
Bartram, the renowned botanists, visited Georgia and discovered
an unusual new plant, one of the very rare trees found
in Georgia, in the Altamah River swamps. They identified
it as a member of the genus Gordonia and named it Gordonia
altamaha or FrankZinia altamaha. This plant is very closely
related to the camellia. Unfortunately, shortly afterward
the Franklinia altamaha vanished entirely from that area.
The theory is that it was lost in forest fires. This plant
is now referred to as the "Lost Gordonia." At
the original location where Bartram found this rare plant,
a memorial bridge was erected across the river.
The historic Ladies Garden
Club of Athens, the first garden club in America, was
started in 1891. There are now almost 10,000 garden clubs
across the country. The two-acre garden commemorating
the founding is located on the campus of the University
of Georgia. Of course, seasonal color includes a winter
display of camellias.
Bibliography
and Acknowledgments
Shown: Cherokee Rose (Rosa
laevigata)
