Sara Oliver Camellia Garden - Valdosta, Georgia

Sara Oliver Camellia Garden - Valdosta, Georgia

 

About the Garden
Sara Oliver Camellia Garden
Dedicated in Memory of Hulyn and Janet Smith



Hulyn Smith is well known in the camellia world.  He served as president of the American Camellia Society from 2005 – 2007 and worked on numerous ACS committees before and after his time as president.  He also served in countless positions at regional, state, and local camellia associations.  Hulyn was known and respected as Head Judge for years at camellia shows held in the southeast.  Many camellia judges remember his many clever sayings such as “Hurry up – we’re judging them not growing them.”  Hulyn was one of a kind and the camellia world sure misses him.
In addition to his valuable service in leadership positions he was just a mighty fine camellia grower and was known to bring the best blooms (often new varieties never seen by most folks) to camellia shows all over the southeast.  He ran a camellia scion business called “Valdosta Camellias” for many years and was proud to have all of the latest and greatest varieties being originated by folks all over the world.  Hulyn was also a great hybridizer and registered 30 plus new varieties.  I say 30 plus because many of his hybrid crosses are still being registered so the total continues to grow.  A great example of one of Hulyn’s camellia introductions is the amazing “Ray Gentry” camellia.  This variety won the 2009 Charlotte C. Knox Reticulata Award given by ACS to the best new reticulata or retic/hybrid seedling. 
Hulyn was always accompanied and helped by his wife Janet who if the truth be known actually liked hydrangeas more than camellias but was a great gardener herself and a dear friend to many.   It was a sad day for the camellia world when Hulyn passed away on March 22, 2011 and Janet passed away just a few months later on August 15, 2011 the exact date of their 57 year anniversary.  Their children and grandchildren are convinced that they just wanted to be back together for their anniversary.
Hulyn was a camellia mentor to many people in the camellia world.  He was the “go to guy” for advice and camellia knowledge.  Just as Hulyn served as a mentor to many camellia folks he also had a mentor of his own.  Let me tell you about her.   Mrs. Sara Oliver moved to Valdosta, GA in 1921 and she along with her husband (Hollis) bought a nice two story brick house located at 1501 North Patterson Street.  This location was directly across the street from the main entrance to the campus of what is now Valdosta State University and also adjacent to Christ Episcopal Church.  The house had a large backyard and about a two acre vacant lot between the house and the Episcopal Church. 
In 1933 Miss Sara, as Hulyn called her, began growing camellias as a hobby and she just never slowed down.  She soon had a collection of more than 200 camellias.  In the 1977 ACS Camellia Yearbook Hulyn stated that Mrs. Sara Oliver was “an authority on camellias and probably the best outdoor camellia grower in the southeast.”  Wow, that is pretty high praise coming from a man that knew a thing or two about camellias himself.  Hulyn tells that in 1977 at the age of 80 years old that Miss Sara still did all her own fertilizing, spraying, and grafting – in fact, he said that in that year alone she put in at least 50 grafts, most of which were reticulata’s. 
I remember Hulyn telling me that for many years he would meet every Sunday afternoon after church at Miss Sara’s house and they would work in the camellia garden and talk about camellias on her porch.  Oh, by the way, Hulyn and Janet attended the Christ Episcopal Church located right next door to Miss Sara’s house and camellias.  And, when I say they attended Church I mean that they attended every single Sunday.  Hulyn and Janet loved their church and their fellow church members that included Miss Sara and I am sure having a nice camellia garden next to the church made it even more enjoyable.  He said he learned more about camellias from Miss Sara than anybody.  He said she was just an amazing gardener and could root and grow anything.  He told me that if she dropped a wooden pencil in the dirt that it would grow a new tree.  
After Mrs. Sara Oliver passed away the Christ Episcopal Church bought both her house and the camellia garden.  The house has for the past 20 plus years been used as a residence for the church minister(s) but the adjacent camellia garden had been totally neglected during this time.  Vines, trashy trees, and weeds of all kinds had totally swallowed up this once fine camellia garden.   About two years ago the Christ Episcopal Church added on an Educational Wing to their campus and this structure sat right up next to the old abandoned camellia garden.  Something had to be done – either the entire garden needed to be bush hogged or bulldozed down (it was truly an eyesore) or some kind of restoration project had to take place.  This just happened to be around the same time that members of the Valdosta Camellia and Garden Club decided that some type of camellia garden should exist in Valdosta to recognize all the accomplishments and work that Hulyn and Janet have contributed to the camellia world.  Well, it did not take a rocket scientist to know that the best location would be the old Sara Oliver Camellia Garden.  Members of the Valdosta Camellia and Garden Club met with members of the Christ Episcopal Church and the decision to restore the Sara Oliver Camellia Garden and dedicate it to the Memory of Hulyn and Janet Smith has been a wonderful blessing to all involved.
Very generous donations have been made by many camellia clubs and societies around the nation as well as by friends, family, and church members.  There has been several work days devoted first to just removing all the old vines, brush, and trash trees.  Then, more work days to prune and shape existing old camellias and plant 30 new camellias either registered by Hulyn Smith or named for him, Janet, his children, and Mrs. Sara Oliver.   Monetary donations have been used to purchase benches, irrigation, lighting, and the dedication stone and plaque.  There is still work to be done and future camellias to be planted but so far everyone involved is very proud of the progress. 
The Valdosta Camellia and Garden Club, Christ Episcopal Church of Valdosta, GA, Master Gardeners of Valdosta, family and friends of Hulyn and Janet Smith and Mrs. Sara Oliver, and members of the American Camellia Society proudly dedicated the Sara Oliver Camellia Garden in Memory of Hulyn and Janet Smith on January 29, 2015 during the 2015 American Camellia Society National Convention.  It was a beautiful morning and the camellias were blooming all over the garden.   Approximately 160 people attended the dedication and many stated that it was one of the highlights of the entire convention.  The various speakers shared how Hulyn, Janet, and Miss Sara loved camellias and plants of all kinds but how they loved people even more and how they had served as mentors to so many people.  As the cool breeze swept through the garden and folks admired the various camellias it was like Miss Sara, Hulyn, and Janet were walking along the paths with everyone.  There seemed to be a smile on everyone’s face and one could not help but think that Hulyn, Janet, and Miss Sara were smiling the biggest of all. Written by J. D. Thomerson





About the Camellia Collection
Total number of camellia plants: 100
Number of distinct camellia cultivars or species: 75