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Special to the Democrat

BROOKHAVEN — Whether you are a flower expert or simply an admirer, the Brookhaven Camellia Society’s annual camelia show and plant sale provide something for all.

The organization will host its 69th annual show on Saturday, Feb.19, at the Homestead Whittington Farm at 946 US 51 South, the former Brookhaven Nurseries.

In this event, camellia blooms may be submitted for judging to win one of more than 80 prizes awarded during the show. Entries may be submitted from 8 a.m. until 10:30 a.m.

There will also be a plant sale by Mizell’s Camellia Hill Nurseries of Folsom at 8:30 a.m., giving attendees an opportunity to find more plants to fill their gardens.

The show and the plant sale will be at the event center behind the home.

The camelia is an evergreen plant that blooms during the cooler months, adding bursts of color when most plants are dormant.

Each year the Brookhaven Camellia Society organizes a show in Brookhaven where these colorful blooms may be entered in a competition.

It’s a very user-friendly event, making all blooms welcome.

Should you know the variety of the bloom, those can be entered accordingly in the competition. However, to encourage more participation, those who don’t know the bloom’s variety may place entries at the Novice Table.

This table has categories for red, pink, white, striped and others. Like in the general competition, there will be prizes for these also, so anyone may win.

There are also youth categories for students in kindergarten through 12^th-grade to encourage future flower enthusiasts.

Viewing of approximately 1000 blooms will be open to the public after judging from 2 p.m. until 5 p.m. Participation in the show and the public viewing is free, thanks to the generosity of sponsors.

This is an opportunity to share the blooms from your garden, see many other blooms brought from around the region and add plants to your landscaping at the plant sale that you won’t want to miss.

There are also raffles for a camellia painting by a local artist and member of the Brookhaven Camellia Society and camellia plants provided by the Mizell Camellia Hill Nursery.

For more information, please contact Bill Perkins, BCS President, at 601-757-4502.