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Over the past several months, I have focused this column on updated you, our supporters, on several aspects of improvements being made to infrastructure, utilities, and our equipment. I wouldn’t be surprised, therefore, to learn if any of you have wondered when, or if, I would be writing about plants. (Those who know me really well are truly laughing right now, as I’ve been known to never stop talking about plants!) Anyhow, … I figured it’s time to return to plants, and at this time of the year, there is no finer group of plants to discuss than camellias.
When people think of the history of Bellingrath Gardens & Home, most think about the period of time when the gardens were created and constructed, and when they were shepherded by Walter and Bessie Bellingrath. And why shouldn’t we think about this period of time, eh?! Well, another period of great importance for Bellingrath Gardens & Home are the years immediately following the death of Walter Bellingrath in 1955 – specifically 1956 through the early 1960s. Y’see, many a great addition to Bellingrath Gardens occurred during this period: a) the Bellingrath Home was opened (changing our name to Bellingrath Gardens and Home), b) the building now known as the Café/Gift Shop Building was constructed, c) the Overlook Bridge by the Rose Garden was constructed, d) the Brick Patio was built at the southwest corner of the Great Lawn, e) the Lodge was torn down and replaced by the South Terrace, f) the “Oriental Garden” (now called the “Asian-American Garden”) was built, and g) last, but not least, the Camellia Arboretum was developed.
In 1957, over 800 cultivars of camellias were planted on seven acres located to the west of the Summer House. As the historic photo shows, grassy paths meandered through a mature pine forest studded with specimen camellias planted on 12-foot centers, each plant representing a unique cultivar (“variety”). This garden would stand, at the time, as one of the finest collections of camellias in the Gulf Coast region until 1978! Sadly, Hurricane Frederic had other plans, and in 1979, the Camellia Arboretum was destroyed. With the valiant efforts of long-time Bellingrath Director of Horticulture Pat Ryan, many of these plants were salvaged from the former arboretum and replanted into the gardens. Despite the passage of 45 years since Frederic, a surprising number of camellias still persist to this day in the old arboretum, happily growing as a testament to their durability and hardiness. Our aim is to rescue these old plants and to redevelop the space into a restored Camellia Arboretum!
On December 7, 2024, Bellingrath Gardens & Home embarked on the first efforts to begin the process of reclaiming this important part of our heritage and history. With the assistance of three volunteers – George Davis, Forrest Latta, and Donavan Ballard – BGH staff of myself, Jeremy Schmidt, and Sarah Brecher worked to begin clearing brushy growth, unwanted vines, seedling weedy trees, and even various seeded-in camellia volunteers. In the span of four hours, a huge amount of progress was made, such that some camellias were no longer covered by trumpet creeper vines, dead limbs and trees were moved away from existing plants, and low-hanging limbs of taller trees were removed so that sunlight could reach the light-starved camellias.
Where will this lead? When will we get there? I’ll write again in the coming months on our progress, all of this tied to an exciting new master plan for BGH that we will be unveiling in the future!
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