Excellence in horticulture, the Pineola Farms’ Flower Fantasy

FORT VALLEY, Ga. – Peach County has been known as a horticulture center for as long as most can remember. Fort Valley’s very own Magnolia Garden Club has been a pinnacle of horticulture in the area and that will be showcased at their upcoming Flower Fantasy at Pineola Farms.

Flower Fantasy is a walkthrough of the historic Bassett Homeplace on Pineola farms. Designers Delise Knight – she and her husband Paul Knight own the property – and Roy Lamb, have created seven floral installations inside the home. Guests will have the opportunity to walk through the house, tour the many gardens on Pineola Farms, shop local vendors, have a picnic and listen to speakers on gardening topics.

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This year’s Flower Fantasy will be taking place on Saturday, April 22 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Sunday, April 23 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets for the event are $20 and the tickets can either be purchased in person or bought online on Pineola Farms’ website. One ticket can be used for both Saturday and Sunday. The proceeds from the ticket sales go towards scholarship funds with the Garden Clubs of Georgia.

There will also be an invitation-only preview party for dignitaries of the community, such as members from the Board of Education and the Board of Commissioners, on Friday, April 21 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

On April 22 and 23, there will be three speakers – two on Saturday and one on Sunday. On Saturday, at 11 a.m. Everyday Farm and Garden will be speaking about thoughtful gardening. At 2 p.m. Mary Ann Johnson from Growing Old will speak about pollinators, the benefits they bring to the garden, what to plant in the garden and how to care for them. On Sunday, at 2 p.m. Terry Johnson will speak on hummingbirds and how to attract them to a garden.

In addition to Knight’s gift shop inside the Homeplace, there will be multiple vendors for guests to browse. These vendors include Everyday Farm and Garden, Heather Mason Jewelry, Miss Molly Cottage, and Peach County High School FFA to name a few.

For food, there will be a food truck from Essential Bowls which focuses more on healthy, plant-based options such as smoothies, fruit bowls, chicken salad and more.

Last year, at Pineola’s 2022 Flower Fantasy, the Magnolia Garden Club sold 340 tickets, with over $5,200 in proceeds and donations and – after expenses were calculated – around $3,800 was donated towards the scholarship fund for the State Horticulture Scholarship with the Garden Clubs of Georgia.

During the event, there will be a raffle for a large quilt, with the going price being $10 for a single raffle ticket. Guests will be able to purchase multiple tickets and will be asked to provide their name and phone number on the ticket stub. The drawing of the raffle will take place on Sunday at 4 p.m. and the guest will be notified either in person or over the phone. The Magnolia Garden Club stated that they will cover the shipping costs if the guest cannot receive the quilt in person. The Peach County Sheriff’s Department has approved the raffle, as required by Georgia State Law.

Both Knight and Sandra Haga, President of the Magnolia Club Garden, have been hard at work promoting the event. They’ve stopped by and spoken to the Fort Valley Kiwanis Club, the Peach County Board of Education, the Peach County Board of Commissioners and more about the Flower Fantasy. Knight and Haga are excited and could not be more proud of the accomplishments of the Magnolia Garden Club.

“What I am most excited about is to showcase our county. I said at the County Commissioners’ office yesterday that only 10% of the people that attended the show were from our county. If you think about that, that lets other people know, that don’t know anything about our county. That’s what I love, I love – I don’t want to call it showing off – but, just what a little community can do,” Knight said. “In design, I am very excited about the bedroom with the butterflies. But, I think what I am most excited about is how all the members have kicked in to make it happen. If that be the truth be known, I’m just excited that it’s come together like it has. That everybody has jumped in to help.”

“I enjoy seeing people when they walk in that front door and their mouth will just drop,” Haga said. “I’m proud of what this small group of ladies can do. We’re a small group, an older group of ladies. We get a lot, a lot, accomplished. It’s satisfying to know that we’re contributing to the youth and encouraging them. This is an agricultural, horticultural area. This county has always been known for that. We see it in our own club that there aren’t as many young people interested in gardening, yards and landscaping as there used to be. I think it’s just encouraging to see, particularly with the FFA, how many young people are in that organization. So, it’s just wonderful to know that we have some type of influence or impact.”

For more information on Pineola Farms or the Flower Fantasy, Pineola Farms can be found on their website or their Facebook page.