Massee Lane Gardens prepares for upcoming Festival of Camellias in February

FORT VALLEY, Ga. – February is almost upon us, and with it comes the peak blooming season of the camellia. Massee Lane Gardens will celebrate the 2026 Festival of Camellias and the 80th Anniversary of the American Camellia Society for the entire month of February 2026. 

Matthew Israel, the executive director of the American Camellia Society, sat down with The Leader Tribune to discuss the upcoming month of celebration. Israel is hoping this year’s festivities will provide an opportunity to raise awareness about Massee Lane Gardens as well as recognize and thank local leaders for their dedication and hard work to the Peach County community.

“My hopes [for the Festival of Camellias] are that people come out and see what we have going on at Massee Lane. I hope that people who haven’t heard of us, take a day to come visit us,” Israel said. “It’s a chance to get us back in the public awareness.” 

Each Saturday, there will be a host of events and activities for the community to take part in; the “Kick Off Celebration” on Feb. 7, “It’s a Valentine Kid’s Day” on Feb. 14, and the “Master Gardener’s Workshop” on Feb. 21. For the last weekend, the main event will take place on Saturday and Sunday – the Middle Georgia Camellia Society and Flint Energies Camellia Show! 

The “Kick Off Celebration” will have various local leaders from Peach County, Fort Valley, and Byron present for the community to meet with and recognize.  There will also be a host of activities for children, including a scavenger hunt and the Lozano Farms Mobile Petting Zoo.

The first Saturday will feature an Ikebana art exhibit and will give visitors a chance to see beautiful and unique flower arrangements. Ikebana is the traditional Japanese art of flower arrangement, which dates back over 600 years, originating from Buddhist floral offerings.

The second Saturday is “It’s a Valentine Kid’s Day,” and there will be a workshop with Nancy Dyes from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m., a saving money workshop – Money Talks –  with Synovus Bank, and the Lozano Farms Mobile Petting Zoo.

The third weekend, the “Master Gardener’s Workshop” will have a waxing camellias workshop with Jonanne Beckman from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. “Camellia waxing” refers to an old-fashioned Southern method for preserving camellia blossoms by dipping them in melted wax. 

The final weekend, which will take place on Saturday, Feb. 28, and Sunday, March 1, will be the Camellia Flower Show. The show will take place from noon to 4:00 p.m. on Saturday and from 1 to 4 p.m. on Sunday. The Middle Georgia Camellia Society will showcase hundreds of camellia blooms, showing the diversity of sizes, shapes, and colors that make camellias such a prized addition to any garden.

Entries to the show, which are open to all growers & the public, will be accepted from 7:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. on Saturday. The show itself will be open for public viewing. Those interested in participating in the show can contact Tommy Martin at (478) 235-0096 or by email at massee.lane.camellia.show@gmail.com.

Israel took a moment to thank the community for their continued support over the years.

“We thank you. We’ve gotten so much support from local people. We want to continue that relationship. We want you to come visit!” Israel said.

Israel also provided an interesting fact about the camelia plant. Camelia sinensis, more commonly known as the tea plant, is where white tea, yellow tea, green tea, oolong, dark tea, and black tea come from. The leaves are processed differently to attain varying levels of oxidation, with black tea being the most oxidized and white being the least

Massee Lane Garden will be open Monday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. and Sundays from 1:00 p.m. until 4:30 p.m. General Admission is $10, $8 for seniors, military (with ID), and free for children under 12 and American Camellia Society members. Flint Energies Co-Op Connection members are eligible for $2 dollars off the regular admission fee.

From Monday through Friday, Massee Lane will have guided tours with a boxed lunch, which can be reserved early as tours and lunches are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Those interested can call (877) 422-6355 to schedule a guided tour or to reserve a boxed luncheon.

The tours are $10 per person, and feature admission to the Massee Lane Gardens; a video presentation on the history of Massee Lane Gardens, the American Camellia Society, and camellia species and cultivars; a short informative speech by a Horticultural Expert; and a professionally guided tour of Massee Lane Gardens. The boxed lunches will be served between 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. in the Annabelle Lundy Fetterman Gallery and Museum.

In addition, Massee Lane Gardens will be hosting tea time on Mondays as a way to celebrate the contributions of the tea plant and its health benefits. The tea tasting is free with garden admission.

Throughout February, camellia plants will be available for purchase. There will also be a camellia plant raffle every Saturday, with tickets costing $5.