Camellia festival begins

The American Camellia Society celebrated the opening of the Festival of Camellias at Massee Lane Gardens on Feb. 7 with a free admission day, a special commemoration ceremony and guided tours. Executive Director Celeste Richard welcomed the large audience in the auditorium of the Annabelle Lundy Fetterman Building to the opening ceremony of the celebration of the peak of the camellia blooming season.

“Masse Lane Gardens is the historic headquarters of the national plant society, the American Camellia Society. We are actually very lucky. We are only one of only two societies that have a physical garden. The other one is the Rose Society. We are lucky to have the headquarters of a national plant society right here in Middle Georgia.”

Richard explained that for this year’s opening ceremony, “We wanted to highlight some of our very wonderful community leaders that we have lost over the past year. That would be William Brown of Montezuma, Dr. Delores Felder of Marshallville and Duke Lane Sr. of Ft. Valley.”

Representative Patty J. Bentley presented the families of Felder and Brown with a resolution. Lane’s resolution will be presented at the Peach Blossom Festival. She explained that bridges would also soon be dedicated to Brown, Felder and Lane.

Montezuma Mayor Willie J. Larry, Marshallville Mayor William Massee, and Duke Lane Jr. each gave overviews about the honorees’ dedication to the community. Richard presented each family with a ‘Massee Lane Variegated’ camellia plant.

The gardens are open seven days a week for the entire month of February, from 10 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 1 p.m. until 4:30 p.m. on Sundays. For more information and directions, visit www.americancamellias.org or call 478-967-2358.

HHJ News