The bounty of Judge Arthur Solomon's travels

The glorious deep purple Judge Solomon Southern Indica hybrid azalea graces many Southern gardens and the drive into our prized national treasure Brookgreen Gardens. Judge Arthur Solomon was a county commissioner in Savannah, and as a plant lover, especially, camellias, oversaw the beautification of that city’s roadways and downtown squares. He transplanted small live oaks that now give restful shade in many areas of that city. Wanting camellias not available, he traveled to France and he and over two hundred camellias sailed back to America on the Queen Mary. He nurtured these plants and then had to wash off all soil before disembarking, packing roots in peat moss. His wife gave him down the country for walking around the ship in dirty clothes, but he said, “A camellia fancier will do almost anything, wife or no wife.”