Semmes Camellia Reflections

01/01/2024

11/09/2022

Tom Dodd Jr. and his wife Elizabeth Dodd were very dear friends of my parents. As a child, I can remember being fascinated by Aunt Lib's "English style" ornamental garden surrounding their family home built in the 1920s. In this garden, there were plants, trees, and flowers I had never seen before surrounded by lush, well-manicured green lawns. I had no idea at the time that Uncle Tom was one of the leading horticulturalists in the country, introducing plants to America from Southeast Asia and other far-flung corners of the earth.

It was said by many in the past that Tom Dodd Jr. could "root a pencil" if he wanted to. That was evident then and is still on display now in this secret garden tucked away in the heart of Semmes. A recent morning walk caught a glimpse of his propagating genius and Aunt Lib's master gardening skills. Sasanqua camellias bursting into bloom in their garden amidst the buzzing of bees and the fluttering of many butterflies, their beauty providing a distraction to the noisy sounds of construction from the new City Hall being built directly behind this horticulturally diverse oasis.

Many of the sasanqua varieties in their garden are as yet unnamed, but that only enhances the mystique of this wonderful garden that is and shall remain a rich part of our Semmes agricultural heritage.

11/09/2022

This video was created in 2019 for the National Camellia Show held in Mobile at the Convention Center. The City of Semmes participated in this national show with historical exhibits of our city's rich agricultural history.

11/09/2022

The beauty of camellias is all around us here in our community of Semmes, in our yards, in our parks, and in the surrounding forests.