The Key West Tropical Forest & Botanical Garden hosted GardenFest 2010 last weekend.  This annual plant sale featured orchids, palms, tropical exotics, native plants, and fruit trees.  Also being sold was art by local artists, including ceramics, jewelry, painting, and woodwork.  Fresh grown veggies, fruits, baked goods, and organic munchies kept festival-goers fed and happy.  Beautiful plants, fantastic art, live music performances, and good food all contributed to the festive atmosphere. 

Special seminars were held all weekend long, including ones on butterfly gardening, “green” spaces, rain barrels, and gardening in the Keys.  Demonstrations included ceramic sculpture and container gardening----always a great option in tight spaces, such as the Keys, where not too many people have yards.

The Key West Botanical Garden is the only "frost-free" botanical garden in the continental United States.  For those of you who are tired of this year’s cold winter and how it’s affecting your plants, mark Key West as a place to come..…and garden!  The forest has two of the last remaining fresh water ponds in the Keys.  Boardwalks loop around the forest and protect the habitation.  Native palms, flowers, birds, and butterflies fill the gardens. 

The Key West Tropical Forest and Botanical Garden is in the process of an expansion that includes the development of a new wetland habitat, 1.5 acres of new tropical forest and a boardwalk system with wildlife viewing areas.  

To become a member or for more info on the Key West Tropical Forest & Botanical Garden

The  Vegetable Garden

For the Garden Of Your Living...

Plant three rows of Peas:
 
1. Peace of mind
2. Peace of heart
3. Peace of soul

Plant four rows of Squash:

1. Squash gossip
2. Squash indifference
3. Squash grumbling
4. Squash selfishness

Plant four rows of Lettuce:

1. Lettuce be faithful
2. Lettuce be kind
3. Lettuce be patient
4. Lettuce really love one another

No garden is without Turnips:

1. Turnip for meetings
2. Turnip for service
3. Turnip to help one another

To conclude our garden...

We must have Thyme:

1. Thyme for each other
2. Thyme for family
3. Thyme for friends

Water freely with patience and cultivate with love.

There is much fruit in your Garden because...

You Reap, What You Sow!

Author Unknown

This photograph was taken in January when we visited Leu Gardens, Orlando, Florida.  The blooms in the Rose Garden were a pleasant surprise considering the inclement weather here in Florida this season.  

This Rosa hybrid "Fabulous' Rosaceae was noted as a Floribunda introduced in 2001 to Leu Gardens. These shrubs were 3-4 feet with blooms as seen below of creamy white, some of which were 4 inches in diameter.  The bloom was also mildly fragrant.

Rosa hybrid 'Fabulous' Rosaceae

The fragrance always remains in the hand that gives the rose.    Heda Bejar

For more Wordless Wednesday & Alphabet Wednesday 

The Tampa African Violet Society is offering an annual AVSA (African Violet Society of America) Judged Show & Sale on February 26 & 27.  Growing beautiful African violets is a challenge and our shows purpose is to stimulate interest in growing. 
    
In AVSA Standard Shows plants are merit-judged according to the appropriate AVSA Scale of Points.  AVSA Judges (except for Master Judges) take renewal examinations every three years.
    
Our judges look carefully over each plant exhibited.  They will judge African violets, gesneriads, and designs using African violet blooms or African violet plants.  After the judging is complete the public is invited to walk through the showroom and view our award winning plants and designs.
    
Our sales area is very popular and enthusiastic buyers often come in with "wish lists".  These lists are either for a specific variety or perhaps some just would like to increase their plant collection with whites, reds,etc.  Some prefer trailers, miniatures, semiminiatures, and standard varieties.  Both plants and leaves will be available as well as growing supplies.
 
We have members available to answer questions and usually have a repotting demonstration to watch.  Lots of the members sell their show plants and in this way the purchaser can pick up a gorgeous blooming African violet, to take home after the show.   

Members of the Tampa African Violet Society look forward to this annual event and invite everyone to attend and view our show at the Farm Bureau 100 South Mulrennan Road Valrico, Florida 33594.  Free admission & parking is available.

Fri, February 26, 2010 from 10am - 5am         

Sat, February 27, 2010 from 9am - 4pm           Show & Sales throughout the day

Violet - Victoria Ribbons

To whet your appetite further Violet photographs by Diane Rogers and other violet enthusiasts can be seen at Tampa AVS

A short video of some of the amazing butterflies you can see at the Butterfly Rainforest in Gainseville, FL.

For those of you who attended the South Shore Library's Master Gardener Talk on "To Prune or Not To Prune", the link that was given for what to do after a freeze is;

After The Freeze

If you didn't attend, the link above has some good information provided by the University of Florida.  The talk was great and hopefully we'll see you next time.

This  ‘Victory’ Firethorn - Pyracantha koidzumii we spied on our second visit to Leu Gardens last weekend.  The pyracantha is a genus of shrubs belonging to the rose family (Rosaceae).

Here in central Florida, the cooler weather and frosts has devasted many of our native and tropical plants that would normally have brought color to our gardens at this time of year. 

To see this blaze of color in the Wildlife Habitat Garden at Leu Gardens, certainly brought us cheer on a dull rainy day!

‘Victory’ Firethorn - Pyracantha koidzumii

More Wordless Wednesday 

Today, as you read this, I will probably be sat in my first Master Naturalist Class. In honor of this I thought I'd share with you some new pups!

I had a surprise Monday morning, when I arrived to volunteer at the Florida Aquarium.

Our largest Southern Stingray had given birth on Saturday January 31st around lunchtime to 5 pups. You can see a couple of them below in my photographs, they are barely 2 days old.

Southern Stingray (Mother)

Stingrays are a part of the Ray family of fishes.

Most fish lay their eggs in the water, but not stingrays, the mother gives birth to live pups. She can have between three and ten pups at a time. Once born they are on their own!!

Stingray Pups born 31st January 2010 around 1pm at Florida Aquarium

If you live closeby, you may wish to visit and see the pups which can be found in the Lobby Touch Tank, although the pups should only be viewed the other rays within can be touched. There is also a Cownose Ray Pup, who was born at New Year to see too!

Go have fun!

Tonight, Friday January 29th is the first full moon of 2010 and the biggest full moon this year. Other names by which it is known are Old Moon, Wolf Moon, Moon After Yule, and Ice Moon.

The moon at this time of year rises at sunset and rides high in the southern sky nearly all of the night. In fact astronomers and scientist say tonight’s moon will appear almost full both tonight and Saturday night too.

Tonight’s full moon will coincide with the moon's perigee (its closest point to Earth). So this will also be the biggest full moon of 2010. 

Orbital Explanation

According to Spaceweather.com tonight the moon will be about 14 percent wider and 30 percent brighter than lesser full Moons of the year.

Wolf Moon

In a coincidence, of what skyweather.com call celestial proportions the Moon and Mars are also having a close encounter. Mars will be at opposition—i.e., directly opposite the sun. It will rise alongside the Moon at sunset and soar overhead at midnight. The two will also spend Friday and Saturday in the sky side by side see the skymap below.

Sky Map Mars and the Moon tonight

So wrap up warm and take a peek tonight at the night sky!

Images courtesy spaceweather

Recently we have been having some unexpected chilly weather here in Central Florida.  Jack Frost has greeted us on several mornings as we've risen from our slumbers!!

Check out this photograph taken in one of our local Orange Groves!

Icicles as seen in the Orange Groves

Wikpedia definition:- An icicle is a spike of ice formed when water dripping or falling from an object freezes.

More Wordless Wednesday