Category: FNGLA
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Florida Flower Trials 2017
What sort of person goes to Epcot, only takes pictures of plants, then leaves with a smile on his face? Any attendee at the Florida Flower Trials last month in Orlando, Florida.
This annual gardening exhibit is sponsored by the Florida Nursery Grower Landscape Association (FNGLA) Floriculture Division. The purpose is to encourage plant breeders and growers to bring to the table some of their new introductions for us in the horticulture business to admire and evaluate.
There were three locations in Orlando where these various plants were grown: Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival, Walt Disney World’s nursery, and Harry P. Leu Gardens. Here are some of the outstanding sights and plants, by location.
Leave it to Disney to make flowers out of flowers.
Inside the butterfly exhibit.
Donald and boys enjoying gardening.
Pollinator plants were predominant:
Succulents made Pigletts form.
Gotta have fruits: Pineapple ground cover.
You don’t need hanging plants in hanging baskets: Caladiums and ferns for a shady spot.
Got a dry spot? Hang succulents out to dry.
Can they build a snowman in 94 degree weather? Sure. Sturdy frames hold sphagnum moss that are plugged with various plants.
Topiary worker putting the finishing touches on Mickey.
Note the slots at the bottom where they can pick up this 1800 pound topiary with a fork lift.
All American Selection trial site. Melissa Shepherd does an excellent job growing and maintaining these plantings.
The Food and Wine festival is next week. Time to bring out the hops.
Soiree Vinca ‘Kawaii’ means cute in Japanese. These little flowers are abundant. And last year they did not get any fungal disease in summer!
Portulaca ‘Campino Vanilla Cherry’.
In the AAS garden Celosia ‘Asian Garden’.
Also in the AAS garden.
A mass of marigolds.
Deep purple foliage on ‘Midnight Fire’ pepper.
Drought tolerant Ptilotus ‘Joey’.
Light lavender Ptilotus ‘Joey.
Bicolor zinnia ‘Queen Red Lime’.
Armed and dangerous trunk of Silk Floss tree.
Fragrant roses at Leu Gardens.
Tradescantia zanonia ‘Variegata’ happy in the shade.
These beds are dedicated to growing the trial plants.
Vibrant pink bed of petunias ‘Color Rush Pink’ at the Orange County Extension gardens.
Common Queen Anne’s Lace.
A new color of Ammi magus ‘Dara’ or chocolate False Queen Anne’s Lace.
Dwarf Bottle Brush shrubs in bloom.
Perfect watermelon.
Flies pollinate this desert-blooming succulent “Carrion Flower” or Stapelia.
For more on this festival: http://www.FloridaFlowerTrials.org
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TPIE 2017
The Tropical Plant Industry Exhibit in Ft. Lauderdale had much to brag about. Here is a braided sansevieria floating in mid-air. How about a box of bugs? These green lacewings will devour other plant eating insects. Does your hanging basket twirl? These new dwarf bougainvilleas do.
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Awesome Award
Thank you to FNGLA for this incredible honor.
The Wendell E. Butler Award is recognized as FNGLA’s most prestigious prize. This award recognizes an individual who serves the association and the industry by providing leadership, service, contributions and has shown a sincere interest in the advancement of the association and the industry.
Here is a video they made for the presentation at the annual meeting of 2016. https://vimeo.com/171630194
And my acceptance speech:
“First, I thank God for making me a gardener and giving me the passion for plants. I am closest to my Creator when I am on my knees in the dirt.
I thank my wife Cheryl. She tolerates my passion for plants and the trail of compost through the house. She is my encouragement, the woman of my dreams, the answer to my prayers.
We are grateful for our son John. He is often in the trenches with me, learning skilled labor. I don’t expect him to follow in my fertile footsteps but pray that he also finds a career that he loves with people he admires.
My parents get full credit for doing their best by steering me in the right direction. Mom was wise to send me outside to play. My father taught me the benefits of hard work.
Thanks to my previous employers who gave me opportunities, training, and priceless experiences.
I am grateful for my current employer, J.C. Diem of Southern Ag. who took a chance on hiring me 10 years ago. We share the same values of faith, family and service.
I thank the members of the Royal Palm chapter of FNGLA for even considering me as a nominee me for this highest honor.
Speaking of FNGLA, I have read the textbook for the Certified Horticulture Professional at least twenty times from cover to cover over the years. And there is one word that appears only once: Love.
“Knowledge of the product comes with love of the job, study, observation and seasoned experience.”
In another book, first Corinthians it says “If I speak the eloquence of men, but have no love, I become no more than a crashing cymbal…I achieve precisely nothing.”
My desire is not to be famous, to make followers or accumulate friends. When you visit my website and blogs you won’t find a bunch of selfies, but a lot of vivid color photos of beautiful plants.
I hope that my delight in plants is contagious.”
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Honoring Helen Hendry
She was a plant pioneer. The first woman landscape architect in Florida (license #3), the first female president of the Royal Palm Chapter of FNGA (1965-1966), grower, landscaper, designer with the largest palm growing nursery in Florida (Everglades Nursery) and namesake to one of the most popular blooming vines in the world: ‘Helen Johnson’ bougainvillea.
Helen Johnson Hendry’s life and accomplishments were on display at the Edison Ford Winter Estates last night as friends and family gathered to honor our home town historic hero. The highlight of the evening was watching a movie of an interview of Helen Hendry, recorded five years ago.
Brady Vogt and Chris Pendelton giving tribute.
Thanks to the staff of Edison Ford Winter Estates for creating these informative posters.
Friends, family and members of the horticulture industry witness dedication of a shade tree in her memory.
Robert Olinger (Forestry Resources and FNGLA member) and Debbie Hughes (Horticulturist, Edison) dedicate the Live Oak donated by Fish Branch Tree Farms, Arcadia.
Beautiful cake.
Today I was invited to San Carlos Park Elementary to see the progress the children made this year on the gardens. I was surprised by the number of excited kids, the great work they had done and the quality of their produce.
The surprise continued with their appreciation for the work we did to make the beds for them to plant in. I got choked up with their ceremony of card giving and sharing the harvest.
I applauded them for their efforts and complimented them at how good everything looked.
We did more than build a garden, we built a fun classroom.
Before. May, 2015. Sand, grass and weeds.
After construction. Thanks to donations from FNGLA Royal Palm Chapter and many volunteer’s labor.
One year after: May 6, 2016.
Students from after school program planted, watered, weeded and harvested tomatoes, peppers, egg plants and many flowers.
Perfect pollinator attractors: Zinnias.
The students made thank you cards and gave me a copper pot full of bell peppers, cherry tomatoes and green beans.
Gardening brought out the artist in several students.
Kind, personal sentiments and garden designs…from fourth graders!
Mrs. Williams and Mrs. Pavese said the children love coming out and working in the gardens, and learning too.
Inside their cards the children wrote; “Thank you for your hard work…Thank you for making our school garden. It looks really pretty when I go by the garden…we really appreciate it…We all love our garden its beautiful…”
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Royal Palm Recognitions
Tuesday, April 12th. The Royal Palm chapter of FNGLA met at the Iona House at the Caloosa Nature Center in Ft. Myers. I am very grateful to the members for nominating me for the Wendell Butler award. The official ceremony will be in Orlando this June. 
My talk was on local people and places worthy of our recognition over the years. Since 1964 we have been blessed by the contribution of so many talented and generous people. These men and women of our first generation formed the foundation of our industry and our chapter. It’s encouraging to know that so many continue today: the Kelley’s, the Kinzies, the Renfroe’s, the Pottingers, the Walsh’s and Ms. Hendry. 
The second generation (1980’s) spawned many other leaders. Here is a “plant finder” booklet published in 1985. Members include Clark’s Nursery, Square’s Landscaping, Albert O’Donnell, Inc., Pelican Nursery, Schuetz Briarcliff Nursery and more. Do you remember Glades Tree Farm and Szabo’s?
Before: A lawn.
After: A garden space.
Last March, this garden was just an idea. San Carlos Park Elementary Resource Teacher, Mrs. Williams wanted an activity for the after-school kids. Then, members of nearby Parkway Baptist Church wanted to benefit the school with volunteers and talent and the idea took shape. Then came the issue of funding. We asked the Board of Directors of the Royal Palm Chapter (Florida Nursery Grower Landscape Association) for grant money and they obliged.
The funds bought lumber, hardware, paint, soil, mulch, tools, and more. This fall there will be money for seeds, fruit trees, fertilizer, and pots. The investment will benefit the students and teachers for years. We are grateful to the Royal Palm Chapter for their generosity and their commitment to horticultural education.
Thank you Spring 2015 FCHP class for the memorable gift. Horticulturist Bob Anderson was kind enough to arrange for fellow students to sign this t-shirt to conclude our 14 weeks together.
Comments include “I dug your class. I learned so much from your goofy memory tricks!” and more. It’s my pleasure to spend time with people eager to learn more about the craft and business of plants. Thank you for listening and learning.
Main building, Harry P. Leu gardens.
It felt strange taking a picture of a picture of flowers. Nice horticultural art gallery.
“Flowering” cabbage. In colder temperatures the leaves would have more vivid color.
Simple white roses.
David Austin English rose.
‘Brigadoon’ rose.
‘Don Juan’ climbing rose.
Amorphophallus in bloom with new leaves breaking through the soil.
‘Red Flash’ one of the largest, showiest of the shade-loving fancy leaf caladiums.
‘Limelight’ caladium.
‘Mayan Blue’ new sterile (non-seeding) Mexican Petunia from the University of Florida breeding program.
‘Stars and Stripes’ variegated pentas.
