Don’t miss our annual Orchid Sale and Symposium! Horticulturists, orchid growers and representatives from the Southwest Florida Orchid Society will give presentations on growing and caring for orchids. Several orchid growers will have orchids available for sale, including rare and native species. The presentations will take place outdoors, under the oak trees:
Saturday, October 9
• 9:30-10:30 a.m. — Little Known Orchids and Why You Should be Growing Them; Debbie Hughes, Horticulture Director at Edison Ford
• 11 a.m.-12 p.m. — My Favorite Orchids for Southwest Florida; John Hampton, Past President of the Southwest Florida Orchid Society
• 12-1 p.m. — Lunch break
• 1-2 p.m. — Orchid Mounting Demonstration; Gary Murza, President of the Southwest Florida Orchid Society
• 2-3:30 p.m. — Orchid Pests & Diseases and What to Scout for During the Year; Gary Murza, President of the Southwest Florida Orchid Society
Sunday, October 10
• 11 a.m.-12 p.m. — Intro to Orchids; Mickey Carnell, Owner of Blue Pagoda Orchids
• 12-1 p.m. — Lunch break
• 1-2 p.m. — Putting Orchids in the Trees; Debbie Hughes, Horticulture Director at Edison Ford
• 2:15-3:15 p.m. — How to Grow and Re-flower the Orchid I Just Bought; John Hampton, Past President of the Southwest Florida Orchid Society
Daily admission for the presentations is $15 for non-members or $10 for Edison Ford members (does not include tours or admission to the museum, lab or riverside of the property). Click here to register. Guests should redeem their e-ticket for a wristband at the welcome booth on the day of the event. There is no charge to enter the Garden Shoppe.
The authors of the book, Compendium of Orchid Genera (available for sale in the Museum Store) will be on site and signing books (Wesley Higgins will be signing on Saturday and Peggy Alrich on Sunday). Representatives from the Southwest Florida Orchid Society will be available to answer orchid-related questions.
Additional vendors, including Blue Pagoda Orchids, Jim & I Orchids, OFE Orchid Supplies, OrchidsAmore, Orchid Jewels, Red Hawk Nursery, RF Orchids, So Orchids, Sunland Orchids and Tropiflora will be selling orchids and orchid supplies. A limited number of garden carts will be available; guests are encouraged to bring their own. Food and beverage vendors will have refreshments available for purchase, and live music will be provided.
The Garden Shoppe will also be open and offers a unique place for gardeners to shop for quality plants. A large selection of ornamental plants and orchids will be available, along with fruit trees, butterfly plants, herbs, succulents, rare exotics and Florida natives. Many of the flowering trees and shrubs in the botanical gardens are available for purchase. Wind chimes, fountains, ceramic flower pots and garden art are also available.
Orchids have a long history with the Estates. They were Mina Edison’s favorite plants and she displayed many of them in her garden, attached to trees so they could grow as she saw them in the Everglades. Today, visitors can view many orchid species throughout the 20 acres of botanical gardens. Following in Mina’s footsteps, horticulturists continue to attach orchids to trees all around the site.
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