Revving Up for Car Show Season
The first car show of the season is quickly approaching, and staff are preparing for a busy season for antique vehicle lovers!
The largest of all Edison Ford car shows, this one will feature dozens of antique cars from local car clubs and classic car owners. The cars will be exhibited on Henry Ford’s lawn, along the Caloosahatchee River. This family-friendly event offers something for everyone. Car owners will be on hand to answer questions about their cars, a DJ will provide entertainment and food will be available for purchase. Come on out and see the antique cars, get something to eat, enjoy some great music – and see what’s new in the museum and gardens! A portion of the proceeds will benefit the restoration of the antique car collection at Edison Ford.
Vehicle owners can register here.
Halloween Colors in the Garden
Orange and black are the traditional colors associated with Halloween. While black flowers are hard to come by, the gardens at Edison Ford have a few orange flowers in bloom to mark the season. If you walk the grounds, you’ll come across orange in the Tree Jasmine, Radermachera ignea, with its tubular flowers and the Bahama Strongbark, Bourreria succulenta, with tiny pumpkin-colored fruits, for example. And in our Garden Shoppe, we have the orange-flowered shrub Cape Honeysuckle, Tecoma capensis, as well as groundcovers like lantana and mums in orange.
While there aren’t traditional gifts for Halloween, why not give some color of the season and buy flowers for your next thank you gift or birthday present this month? Our Garden Shoppe also carries Halloween lawn art to help you decorate your yard for the holiday.
Installation of the Brand New DC Vs. AC Exhibit is Underway
Curatorial staff are hard at work installing the new exhibit, Edison, Tesla, Westinghouse, and the Race to Electrify America, in the Edison Caretaker’s House. This electrifying new exhibit sheds light on the War of the Currents, which decided the electrical standard that would illuminate the world.
To create this original exhibit, curatorial staff painstakingly researched how the lives of these three famous innovators intersected during this incredibly popular period of American history. The science of electricity and the ramifications of the War of the Currents are also explored. Several original artifacts will round out the exhibit.
Don’t miss the opening of this exciting new exhibit, featuring a gallery talk and refreshments!
Hanging exhibit panels in the historic Edison Caretakers House presents several challenges. Notably, the building was constructed without the use of a lumber mill, so boards are rarely cut at precise 90 degree angles, making hanging level exhibit panels particularly challenging.
Orchids, Barbecue and Gelato: What a Combo!
Join us for two days of free classes on orchid care and shop several vendor booths selling orchids and supplies. And come hungry, because we’ll have Tag’s Whiskey Bent BBQ and Belgian Yummies on hand for you to enjoy between seminars.
The inaugural Orchid Sale & Symposium is organized by Edison Ford and the Southwest Florida Orchid Society. The orchid sale will run 9 am – 5 pm on October 12 and 13, 2019 outside the ticket office at Edison Ford. Debbie Hughes, our Senior Horticulturist, and the Society’s members will teach the free classes which include everything from basic orchid care, great orchids for Florida, to a repotting demonstration. For the full schedule of classes, click here. Classes will be held outside on our museum porch which is covered but not air conditioned, so dress for the weather.
Event admission and parking are free. Tours of the homes, laboratory and museum are not included. If you can’t make it to the sale, you’re always welcome to stop by our Garden Shoppe, open daily 9-5:30, and browse our huge selection of orchids and other native and ornamental plants and trees. And if you’re looking for additional gardening classes, check out upcoming classes and workshops here.
