February 26, 2024
Art in Bloom Art Show at Edison and Ford Winter Estates
FORT MYERS, Fla. (February 26, 2024) — On March 3 from noon to 4 p.m., Edison and Ford Winter Estates will host the Art in Bloom floral art show in partnership with the Fort Myers-Lee County Garden Council. This unique one-day art show features floral designs and works of art from the Rebirth and Renewal exhibit that is currently on display in Thomas Edison’s caretaker’s house.
Suzy Valentine (top) and Winnie Stone (bottom), of the Fort Myers-Lee County Garden Council, stand with their floral designs during a previous Art in Bloom art show.
“It only happens here once every two years; we host Art in Bloom – a floral interpretation of an art exhibit showcased in the oldest home in Fort Myers – Edison’s caretaker’s house,” said Karen Maxwell, horticulture programs coordinator at Edison and Ford Winter Estates.
The concept of Art in Bloom originated at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, and it has become a ritual of spring throughout the country. Unlike other locations, Art in Bloom-Fort Myers is open to any member of a garden club associated with the Garden Council with or without formal training, and the winner is determined by people’s choice voting. The local show does not require conformance to National Garden Club (NGC) standards – i.e., the dying of flowers is permitted here.
Partnering with the Fort Myers-Lee County Garden Council, the local umbrella organization for 14 garden clubs and eight garden groups, this year’s event will also serve as a tribute, honoring two floral designers who participated in every Art in Bloom-Fort Myers event since its inception. Sadly, both passed away in September of 2023. These eclectic designers were frequent winners, acknowledged for extraordinary talent with seemingly uncomplicated executions of arrangements that belied the novelty and complex use of pedestrian materials in their floral interpretations.
September of 2023 saw the passing of Winnie Stone, just two weeks shy of her 101st birthday and Suzy Valentine, who would probably decline sharing her age. Stone, originally from Boca Raton moved to Fort Myers after Hurricane Andrew and was a long-time member of the Royal Palm Garden Club and a mentor to Fort Myers’ floral design group known as Potpourri. She applied her critical eye and demonstrated how to make it better, often employing the “Winnie Twist” to a flower or element in the design. She was a national judge and a great friend of Marty Ward who started the Cape Coral Garden Club. Together they tutored many to become sanctioned National Garden Club judges, including Paula Novander, one of this year’s designers.
As bold as her beloved Stifftia chrysantha blooms, Suzy Valentine never shied away from choosing the biggest, brightest art pieces and she tutored students to choose materials from their own garden or borrow from a friend’s garden. Also, an NGC judge and a member of Gulf Coast Garden Club in Bonita Springs, she spent many years in South America and with her late husband David Southall (a noted botanist and nurseryman) she never tired of sharing her horticulture expertise with any willing learner. She believed that good floral design must reflect good horticulture – the understanding of how plants grow, and a Valentine design celebrated good horticulture with the economy of readily sourced garden materials, both alive and dried in a vibrant manner.
Over the years, Art in Bloom-Fort Myers has produced stunning arrangements in themes such as Ford’s Garage, Edison’s Jungle, and Berne Davis’ 100th Birthday. This year, all designers are encouraged to incorporate the style and essence of Winnie Stone and Suzy Valentine in their floral arrangements. Visitors may vote for their favorite floral design and winners will be announced at the end of the show.
Held in many cities across the country, Art in Bloom is a nationally sanctioned event through the National Garden Clubs and the Florida Federation of Garden Clubs. The local Fort Myers-Lee County Garden Council was organized in 1957 and is affiliated with both organizations. Edison Ford has a long history with garden clubs, as Mina Edison was a founding member of the Periwinkle Garden Club — the first garden club in Fort Myers. Today, the Periwinkle Garden Club is a member of the Garden Council.
Art in Bloom is included with admission; tickets may be purchased online at EdisonFord.org (self-guided tour). Daytime admission is free for Edison Ford members.
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