Dreams of a Flower Fantasy in Fort Valley

FORT VALLEY, Ga. – The Magnolia Garden Club hosted not one, not two, but three days of their Pineola Farms’ Flower Fantasy. The first day was on the evening of Friday, April 21, from 5 to 7 p.m. in which dignitaries from the community toured the house and made chit-chat with the members of the Magnolia Garden Club. The next two days were for the full event, Saturday, April 22 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, April 23 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. with everyone welcome to attend.

The Flower Fantasy is held at Pineola Farms by the Magnolia Garden Club. The designs are by Delise Knight – she and her husband Paul Knight own the property – and Roy Lamb.

According to Pineola Farms’ website, the theme for this year’s Flower Fantasy was Dreams.

“To dream is a series of thoughts, images, and sensations occurring in a person’s mind during sleep. A dreamer is one who believes in a world of fantasy and imagination. Dreams can be stories and images that our minds create while we sleep. They can be fun, entertaining, romantic, and sometimes bizarre. A dream is also a thought, or desire that someone hopes to achieve. Daydreaming is getting lost in the thought of another place another time. As you tour the flower fantasy today, we hope that you are transported in the dreams of what we’ve created. It is our dream that you are inspired, intrigued, confused, and motivated all at the same time… Dreams are as unique as the people that have them.”

When entering from the front of the Bassett House, attendees are greeted with a foyer with a tree decorated in orange flowers with two animatronic morpho blue butterflies fluttering on the branches. Under the tree is a large bouquet of fragrant and colorful flowers. To the right is a parlor with flowers bursting from cabinets and a closet. To the left is a dining room with a large sculpture made from green vegetables and fruit, all of which are real flora. There was no plastic in the sculpture. Further down the hall, to the right is the main bedroom with white branches attached to a four-poster bed. Upon those branches were dozens and dozens of fabric monarch butterflies. Around the bottom of the bed were bouquets of hydrangeas. The bedroom to the left had a large bed with peacock feathers and flowers hanging from atop the headboard. Further down the foyer is the twin bedroom which had a large bamboo dream catcher hanging from the ceiling with flowers hanging from it as well. In the kitchen sat a large flower arrangement on the main table. The last room was the den and it featured a wild woods theme with branches and feathers. More information on the rooms can be found here.

After touring through the house, attendees could shop in the Pineola Farms gift shop and with local vendors such as Peach County High’s FFA, Joe Dallas Pottery, Everyday Farm and Garden, Heather Mason Jewelry, and Miss Molly Cottage. There were also three speakers, two on Saturday and one on Sunday. On Saturday, at 11 a.m. Everyday Farm and Garden spoke on thoughtful gardening and at 2 p.m. Mary Ann Johnson from Growing Old spoke on pollinators, the benefits they bring, and how to care for them. On Sunday, at 2 p.m. Terry Johnson spoke on hummingbirds and how to attract them to a garden.

When entering through the ticket pavilion, attendees could purchase raffle tickets for a large quilt with the winner being picked on Sunday, towards the end of the event. The winner was Warner Robins resident, John Simonton, a retired Lieutenant Colonel of the Air Force. He and his wife were in attendance on Sunday and had purchased three tickets.

Knight was ecstatic with the turnout and spent all three days greeting and speaking with the numerous attendees of the event.

“I am absolutely amazed. We’ve had people that have come as far away as Atlanta, Florida, all surrounding counties. At one point today, they were out into the road trying to get into the driveway. So, we are just blown away with the support that we are getting, it’s remarkable,” Knight said. “I am hoping that the Flower Fantasy makes people think. I’m hoping that the designs we’ve put in will inspire people, that they will intrigue people, and maybe even confuse people. I think the biggest thing, of course, is that the money goes to the scholarship. That it goes to something that our county has been so prominent in doing, which is horticulture, and just to keep that alive. We hope the people that donate with those tickets, the money that they bought those tickets with, realize that they got to see something really unique.”

Peach County Highschool Agriculture Teacher and FFA Advisor, Luz Morales was thoroughly impressed with this year’s Flower Fantasy. Morales and her students in the FFA were at Pineola Farms selling succulents.

“So, the Flower Fantasy – this is the second year they’ve done it – and it’s impressed me more this year than it has last year. Just the art and the thought of it, and the fact that there’s still people in the horticulture industry taking the time to do part of the aesthetics industry. It just amazes me. Like I said at the board [of education] meeting, I wish I could be like them when I grow up. Because it takes a lot of thought, a lot of knowledge, and just the fact that they know what to do and how to make it pretty. That takes industry-certified level knowledge, that is out of this world. So, kind of what I try to do in my short time with horticulture class, I try to get the kids interested in just a little cusp of it. Because horticulture is so grand and through AG classes at Peach County High and through the FFA Chapter, these students get the chance to have hands-on knowledge of the horticulture industry. I just want to thank Delise and the Magnolia Garden Club for inviting us again. Because I have students now that are interested in horticulture and love being here,” said Morales.

Morales was happy about how involved the FFA students were able to be in the community and the involvement from younger members of the community.

“Honestly, this is a great way for Peach County FFA to be more involved and get to know more of the community. A lot of times, we don’t really get to see who all owns these beautiful gardens and their front lawns or who all is interested in gardening and what-not,” said Morales. “So, these students get to make connections with a different generation and we’ve had wonderful conversations already about how their experience with the FFA. They get to learn a little bit more about us and see more or less what the future is gonna be. What the future of horticulture, the future of agriculture is gonna be. So, this connection with the Magnolia Garden Club, at this event, is more valuable than what we sell here today.”

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