The Yellow Jessamine Garden Club hosted a tree planting ceremony at J.P. Camp Roadside Park on Friday, December 1st to commemorate Arbor Day. Mr. Burt Rogers and the city of Dillon so graciously provided a beautiful Glowing Embers Japanese Maple tree for the occasion. Ms. Mary Ricks, President of the Yellow Jessamine Garden Club, welcomed everyone who came out to support the event. Rev. Chris Alderman gave an insighIul and inspirational talk about trees referencing various passages from the Bible. He then followed by giving a prayer of thanksgiving to our God for trees and all they provide.
President Mary Ricks offered a few opening remarks about how J.P. Camp Roadside Park originated. The roadside park materialized in 1990 when the Yellow Jessamine Garden Club voted to establish the park in its current location. It was named aPer Mr. J.P. Camp, a former director of the Dillon Vocational School, who pledged his support and secured use of the site. The Dillon City Council contributed funds and resources for the implementation of this project, and the YJGC continues to maintain it on a regular basis.
Mrs. Terry Hayes, project and liTer chair of the YJGC, presented a short history of Arbor Day. Arbor Day was first started in Nebraska in 1872 by J. Sterling Morton, who advocated for planting trees.
Today Arbor Day in celebrated in all fifty states at various times throughout the year due to versatile weather conditions.
Mrs. Hayes additionally presented a wonderful description of the Glowing Embers Japanese Maple tree. She remarked that this tree provides a kaleidoscope of color in the fall as the leaves fade from green to purple, fluorescent orange or yellow, much like the ever-changing and mesmerizing embers of a wood fire. The color sequence of each leaf varies as autumn deepens. A single branch may display four distinctly different colors at the same time, hence the name Glowing Embers. The Japanese Maple was chosen for its vigorous growth rate, brilliant fall color and adaptability to a range of Southern landscape conditions and unlike many Japanese maples that require shade and moist, organic soils,
Glowing Embers thrives in full sun. It is hardy in zones 5 to 8 and tolerates drought better than most trees in its class, which is the reason for its rise in popularity in recent years.
The Glowing Embers was planted behind the fence at J.P Camp Roadside Park by Mr. Rogers and his team of assistants. The ceremony concluded with a benediction given by Rev. Alderman. Our hope is that the citizens of Dillon County as well as visitors to this area will enjoy the park and celebrate God’s beautiful creation.