We just returned from beautiful Punta Gorda where we participated at a local show in beautiful Ghilcrest Park and we had a great time. This is the same park where we participate in their yearly "Hibiscus Festival" in June. It's right on the water and the town and people of PG are expecially welcoming.
One of the special plants we had was the "Nun's Cap Orchid" as seen in the pic here. This is a great ground orchid that is EZ to grow and also makes a great indoor plant! The spikes start forming at the end of Winter and it evolves over the Spring into the Summer. The blooms are long-lasting and fragrant. After the blooms are spent, you can propagate by cutting the spent stem into sections, then coat the ends with rooting hormone and place in sphagnum moss. You will have new babies growing within a month. You can also propagate by separating the bulb base. Nun's does best in shade or filtered light and doesn't need extreme watering or fertilizing and it's pretty cold tolerant.
We also had a few of these at the St. Pete Market and they sold quickly!
This coming weekend, besides holding court at St. Pete Market, Mitch and I are off to our 2nd big plant show of the new year up in Ocala at the Marion County Master Gardeners Event. This 2-day event is a great favorite with the locals as well as gardening enthusiasts that travel from far and wide for it. We will be bringing our new crop of pink Tropical Hollyhocks plus a few surprises! After Ocala this weekend, we are really looking forward to participating at the Leu Gardens Plant Gala in Orlando, one of our favorites and worth the drive for plant nuts!! Look for us behind the Rose Garden.
Note, unfortunately, due to issues beyond our control, we are currently unable to participate in the renewed Bradenton Farmers Market for a bit since we have so many out of town shows coming up. We are looking for someone local that has a truck/trailer or large van and is knowledgeable about plants, that can help staff the Bradenton Market for us. If you know someone that might fill the bill, please email us!
Lastly, the weather is warming up and this is a great time to start TLC'ing the garden. You can start trimming, weeding and fertilizing to give everything a great Spring start. Don't forget to follow local watering guidelines (one of our neighbors was recently cited $200 for watering outside the time limits...note: the city does NOT give any warnings..just the bill), so please be observant and water conscious.
Watch for our next post about a very special plant, the "Joey" !
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