Orchid Sale and Symposium at Edison and Ford Winter Estates

September 23, 2020

Orchid Sale and Symposium at Edison and Ford Winter Estates

FORT MYERS, Fla. (September 23, 2020) — On October 10, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Edison and Ford Winter Estates will hold it’s annual Orchid Sale and Symposium. The sale will take place outdoors, in the Garden Shoppe and surrounding areas. Horticulturists will staff a “Garden Guidance” table and answer guests’ gardening questions. Admission to the orchid sale is free (does not include tours or admission to the museum, lab or riverside of the property).

Orchid growers will have plants available for sale at the Edison and Ford Winter Estates Orchid Symposium.

Additional vendors will be on site, including Blue Pagoda, Jim & I Orchids, OFE Orchid Supplies, OrchidsAmore, Orchid Jewels, Red Hawk Nursery, RF Orchids, So Orchids, Sunland Orchids and Tropiflora. Vendors will be available to answer questions at their booths about orchids. Hard-to-find varieties and Florida natives will be offered. The Southwest Florida Orchid Society is sponsoring the event, and will be available to answer orchid-related questions. Members from the society will offer a raffle with an opportunity for guests to win orchids.

A limited number of garden carts will be available; guests are encouraged to bring their own. Members will receive a 15% discount off plants in the Edison Garden Shoppe and vendors will offer special discounts as well. Visitors can join during the event to get the discount. Red Roc Cravings food truck and Coastal Dayz Brewery will have refreshments available for purchase.

The Garden Shoppe offers a unique place for gardeners to shop for quality plants. A large selection of orchids will be available, along with flowering and 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, along with wind chimes, fountains, ceramic flower pots and garden art.

Orchids were Mina Edison’s favorite plants and she displayed many of them in her garden. She attached them 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.

Following guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control, the organization is undertaking the following safety measures. All visitors will be required to wear masks at the event, staff are wearing protective masks, surfaces are cleaned and sanitized daily, protective shields have been installed at the ticket counter, visitors are also required to wear masks in indoor spaces and on guided tours, signs are posted throughout the site alerting visitors to practice social distancing, and hand sanitizer stations are available.