PHILANTHROPY & OUTREACH

Our Garden Club has a history of giving.  In 1995, the Club decided to seek opportunities to support the greater community beyond our gate.

This 2020-21 Garden Club year, we are pleased to announce the following awards:

Our contribution will provide window boxes and plants for a Johns Island resident moving into her soon-to-be-completed new home.

We will contribute financial assistance to a student studying horticulture.

Our contribution will be funds-matched by Mike Gorski & Friends 2021 to provide weekend food supplementation for children, and weekly grocery bags for nearby food-insecure households.

We join the ongoing effort to help fund the installation of wells and water filtration systems desperately needed for clean, healthy water for in-need residents of Johns and Wadmalaw Islands.

        We are grateful for the efforts of our Philanthropy & Outreach Co-Chairs, Christine Dennis and Anne Bavier, for their dedication to researching candidates, recommendations to the Club's Executive Board, and follow up coordination.  The work of Chris and Anne has required patience and commitment in working with recipient organizations during this unusual year.  They continue their interactions with the contacts they've made, and will no doubt present the Club with worthy candidate matches in the Garden Club season ahead.

        We likewise acknowledge our members who, when surveyed at the beginning of this season, told us of their interest in Outreach initiatives with other Seabrook community-sponsored organizations.  With that in mind, we chose to expand our awards this year beyond traditional candidates.  As a result of our members' support and generosity, we are pleased to announce these awards on the Club's behalf. 

 

"White by the Gate" . . . 

known as one of the purest white flowers grown in gardens, Club member Amelie Geiger has a spectacular specimen of this evergreen camellia.  After reading about Camellia Bowls in last month's blog post, Amelie clipped some of her blooms and shared the photo.  

The flowers are so perfect, they don't seem quite real.  But, real they are and Amelie invites our members who are interested in these seasonal blooms to stop by and walk onto her driveway to view them close up.  More tree than bush, it's on the right, just before you reach her front steps.  She has been told that it might be the only white camellia plant growing on Seabrook.

By way of research, the closest match to Amelie's plant is named "White by the Gate" Camellia.  Its primary characteristics are pure, formal white blossoms, blooms in winter and early spring, grows well in partial shade, and remains dense and neat without pruning, once established.  This plant typically grows to about 6 to 15 feet tall, and 6 to 8 feet across (although 2 feet on the smaller side and up to 20 feet on the larger, depending on the environment).  With our March meeting speaker (who guided our recent camellia garden tour at Magnolia Plantation & Gardens) coming up, what a nice invitation to see this specimen up close.  Thank you, Amelie.  

You will find Amelie's address in our Club member directory.

Research source:  The Tree Center