The 43rd annual Brookhaven Camellia Show will go into full bloomthis weekend at the Brookhaven Recreation Department.

“I expect we’ll have over a thousand blooms,” said HomerRichardson, who shares show chairmanship with his wife Lynn, forthe Brookhaven Camellia Society. “It’s one of the few times peoplecan see such a variety of blooms in one place.”

The Camellia Society will receive blooms for judging from 7:30to 11 a.m. Saturday at the recreation department. The event willopen to the public at 2 p.m. until 5 p.m. Saturday and from noon to4 p.m. Sunday.

Fifty-five judges from Camellia societies throughout the Southwill make their decisions on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

There are two categories of special interest to area residents,Richardson said. The first is limited to only Lincoln Countygrowers while the second category is limited to growers who haveless than 25 plants.

“We created that category because some small growers might beintimidated to compete against larger growers,” Richardson said.”This category levels the field.”

The show is open to all growers and there is no fee to enter abloom or to attend the viewing, he said.

“It’s really an event for people who enjoy beautiful plants andCamellias,” Richardson said.

A vendor will be at the event Saturday selling potted Camellias,he said.

Last year’s event featured 50 judges and nearly 1,200 blooms,Richardson said. He did not have an accurate count on the number ofguests, but estimated there were “several hundred visitors.”

This year’s event should be far larger, Richardson said, becausesome of the earlier Camellia shows had to be canceled because ofthe damage wrought by Hurricane Katrina, which leveled manygrowers’ greenhouses.

“The plants in those areas also seem to be having a hard timecoming back,” he said.

The cancellation of the earlier shows adds more prominence tothe Brookhaven show, Richardson said, and may draw moreparticipants and spectators.