Massee Lane Gardens celebrates the 2024 Festival of Camellias and the 79th Anniversary of the American Camellia Society for the entire month of February 2024. Although camellias bloom from late fall through early spring, February is the peak of the camellia blooming season. Visitors can stroll pathways through nine acres of specialty gardens full of blooming heirloom, modern, and species camellia plants. Professionally guided tours and box lunches are available throughout the season for groups of ten or more. Tour lunches are available on a first come, first served basis. Boxed lunch tours are $25 each and will be served between 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Lunches are provided by the Railroad Cafe in Fort Valley, Georgia. Tours may be scheduled before or after lunch.

• Each lunch includes pickle spear, bag of chips, fruit cup,  chocolate chip cookie, a bottle of water, mayo and mustard on the side, and utensils, napkin, salt & pepper.

• Choices include ham, turkey or chicken salad or club sandwich or a fresh garden salad. Please advise of any dietary restrictions when making reservations and placing an order for your group and accomodations can be made.

• Download a lunch menu and then call toll free (877) 422-6355 to select the date of your choice and make reservations. Payment must be received two weeks in advance for luncheon tours. (Cancellations require a week’s advance notice.) Phone payments by credit card are accepted.

Camellia plants will be on sale throughout the season and during each event. The Garden Gift Shop will also be open with an eclectic collection of camellia and garden-themed gifts ranging from home decor to jewelry and accessories.

Spending time outdoors is proven to improve physical and mental health and strengthen the immune system. Over the past year we have all been subject to the stress of the recent health crisis. In appreciation of the important role gardens play in healing our mind and body, come join us! A schedule of fun activities will add to the joy of seeing so many different colors, sizes and forms of camellias, and educational presentations and workshops will offer information on developing, caring for, and enjoying camellias. You may also just take a stroll through the gardens.

Admission will be free on February 3, 2024 to kick off the month of camellia fun. Activities include self-guided tours, complimentary nature scavenger hunts with prizes, inflatable house & slide and fun art activities for children. The PCHS Jazz Band will be here to dazzle you with a musical performance. You will also enjoy the beautiful Ikebana Exhibit. Bullard's BBQ Food Truck will be here to serve you!
Enjoy the beautiful botanical artwork of Atlanta, GA artist, Linda Fraser. Mrs. Fraser is a botanical illustrator of native plants in the southeastern United States.  Over eighty-five of her watercolor and colored pencil paintings travel as the exhibit, A Walk Through the Seasons.  The paintings are hung in chronological order, showing plants found blooming side by side in specific environments.  Although her paintings can be a means of identification, they are also enjoyed simply for the beauty of the flowers and the fun of finding the colorful insects and other critters hiding or chewing on the plants. Mrs. Fraser will also give a presentation on Southeastern Native Plants, “Growing Wild Things in a Polite Neighborhood” and discusses the plants and insects featured in her artwork.

Super Sod employee and composting expert, Nestor Vela, will give a presentation on composting. He will discuss and explain three different composting methods, their benefits and how you can apply these methods successfully in your home garden.

Families will enjoy Little Buds Day on Saturday February 10, 2024. The event and activities are free for children 12 and under.Activities include scavenger hunt  with prizes, DIY arts & crafts tables, inflatable house & slide & a Wildlife Program!!!

The Macon Museum of Arts & Sciences will be conducting a "The Classics" wildlife program, featuring owls, for kids and adults alike. Young guests will also enjoy scavenger hunts, art activities, and pretending to sail around the world in an 18-foot inflatable slide ship. Complimentary nutritious snacks will be offered to each registered young guest.

The event is free with advance reservations by February 1, 2024.

                    Composting for Kids Workshop: Saturday,
                                February 17, 2024   11:00 a.m. 

       Workshop Day: Saturday, February 17, 2024
                              10:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

                                     Camellia Waxing

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 (open to all growers and the public) will be accepted from 7:30 A.M. until 10:30 A.M. on Saturday, February 24, 2024. Experts will be on hand to assist the public with preparing blooms from your home garden to enter in the show. The show will be open for public viewing, Saturday, around noon until 4:30 p.m. and Sunday, 1:00-4:00 p.m.
Show Contact: Tommy Martin
massee.lane.camellia.show@gmail.com
(478) 235-0096

To celebrate the contributions of the tea plant and its health benefits, complimentary tea will be served each Monday in February. Visitors will taste a different variety of Biron Tea, which is carried in the Massee Lane Gardens gift shop. Biron teas use traditional Western, Chinese, and Ayurvedic herbs. The teas are 100 percent  natural and specially blended for taste and aroma, giving them exceptional flavor. The tea tasting is free with garden admission.
 

Ikebana Exhibit will be displayed for viewing by the Middle Georgia Chapter of the International Ikebana Society. Ikebana is the art of flower arranging

Call now for Box Lunch and Guided Tour Reservations! Don’t delay in making your advanced, pre-paid reservations today. Tours and lunches are available on a first come, first served basis.

Professionally guided tours can be scheduled for groups of ten or more Tuesday through Friday in October 2023 - January 2024, and Monday through Friday in February 2024.

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.

Deluxe boxed luncheon tours are also available for groups of ten or more with reservations two weeks in advance for $25. Lunches and guided tours are available now through April 2024. Click here to download and print the menu and box lunch order form.

Be sure to call  (877) 422-6355 to make or confirm reservations for your group's preferred date as well as note the scheduled date on the lunch order form. Please return the form by attaching it to an email addressed to giftshop@americancamellias.org or faxing it to (478) 967-2083. Payment must be received two weeks in advance for luncheon tours. Cancellations require a week’s advance notice. Phone payments by credit card are accepted.

Boxed lunches will be served between 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. in the Annabelle Lundy Fetterman Gallery and Museum among breathtaking Boehm porcelain masterpieces. Tours can be scheduled either before or after the meal. Make your reservations early for the best scheduling options. Be sure to save time to visit our newly renovated gift shop and plant sale tent!

Massee Lane Gardens Festival of Camellias Hours and Admission

• 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 dollar off the regular admission fee (please show membership card at Gift Shop to receive the discount.) (Admission discounts are not available for guided tours.)

• Massee Lane Gardens is located at 100 Massee Lane, Ft. Valley, Georgia. Click here for driving instructions and information on the gardens.

• Call toll free at (877) 422-6355 to schedule a guided tour or to reserve a boxed luncheon. For more information, email ask@americancamellias.org.