Camellia grower takes out national award

Nearly three years after the Christmas Day bushfires devastated his camellia garden, Helensburgh grower Jim Powell (pictured right) has gone on to win two out of five national awards at the recent Australian Camellia Society show in Wollongong.

Jim said it was only the second time in 27 years that a grower had won two awards.

“There were more than 2000 blooms on show,” he said.

His camellia “Glorious Gift” won the Champion Reticulata and, because it was an Australian-bred camellia, it won the Albury-Wodonga National Trophy for the best Australian-bred reticular cultivar.

“Nicky Crisp” won the champion non-reticulata hybrid as well as the New Zealand Society’s National Trophy for the best raised New Zealand-bred cultivar.

Jim lost more than 600 of his 1000-strong collection of camellias during the 2001 bushfires.

“It was a terrible loss,” he said. “A lot of the plants were some 30 years old and contained some rare species from China.”

Before the fires, Jim had the second largest private collection in Australia.

His camellia garden is just starting to regenerate however the experience has shown him how some species come back quicker than others. He gave a presentation at the national congress on the progress of the regeneration of his camellias.

He also discussed the value of having camellias in the garden as fire retardants as, in his case, they took the heat of the fire, saving his house and property from further damage.

Jim has been growing and exhibiting camellias for more than 30 years and has taken out many awards with his plants. His enthusiasm to rebirth his collection has never faltered and winning further awards is the proof of his dedication.