Trips

Twenty-one Garden Club members enjoyed a breakfast of pancakes, eggs, bacon and sausage at the Old Sugar Mill, De Leon Springs. We sat around hot plates and created our own pancakes, filling them with banana, blueberries or chocolate chips and then smothering them with maple syrup.  After breakfast, we all embarked on a wonderful boat tour with a very informative guide. We saw various sizes of alligators, osprey, kingfishers, and lots of other wading birds. The guide told us about the history of the area and the inhabitants of the island. It was an excellent tour.

[cmsms_row][cmsms_column data_width=”1/1″][cmsms_text] Twenty Garden Club members enjoyed a buggy ride through Disney Wildlife Preserve near Poinciana. Our guide gave us amazing facts about the burn policy to protect the environment and the different stages of growth of the various plants. This was a 1.5hr conducted tour through the Preserve. Our guide Cody illustrated the benefits of controlled burns which occur every three years cyclically throughout the area. She detailed the wildlife in the Preserve, it was a fascinating tour. Unfortunately, towards the end it poured with rain, but we were able to shelter and eat our lunch in their teaching rooms. [/cmsms_text][/cmsms_column][/cmsms_row]

[cmsms_row][cmsms_column data_width=”1/1″][cmsms_text] Following our talk from Robert, ten Garden Club members visited Classic Caladiums farm near Bradenton. We toured the fields in a buggy and had an informative talk from a member of staff. We were then asked to rate 15 new varieties of Caladium which the company are trialling. It was interesting to learn how new varieties are chosen and named. They are also growing cannas, and it was interesting to see one stem bearing flowers of two different colors. [/cmsms_text][/cmsms_column][/cmsms_row]

Eight Garden Club members visited Smiley Orchids in Clermont. Smiley is from Thailand and specialises in rare scented which she imports from Thailand and propagates. It was a fascinating nursery with orchids smelling of chocolate, banana, vanilla, coconut, pineapple and other scents.  We then had lunch at Ovation Bistro in Posner Park, great food and great company!

Ten Garden Club members visited five gardens on the annual Lakes and Hills Garden Club tour. This tour celebrated 70 years of the Club. The gardens were varied, colourful and interesting in a variety of locations in Mount Dora. We then had lunch at The Goblin restaurant in Mount Dora, always a favourite.

Fourteen intrepid Garden Club members made the journey to Sarasota to visit Marie Selby Botanical gardens. We had a guided tour of the 15 acre botanical garden located in the grounds of the former home of Marie and William Selby of the Texaco Oil Company. The gardens contain banyans, bamboo, mangroves, succulents, cycads, bromeliads, a butterfly garden, dry garden, edible garden and a koi pond on a site bordering Sarasota Bay. It was a fascinating tour and we enjoyed a lovely lunch together in a restaurant on St Armands Circle.

A group of 24 Garden Club members travelled to Lakeland, we enjoyed lunch at Frescos in Lakeland and had a conducted tour of buildings designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. There are 13 buildings at Florida Southern College, the largest collection of his buildings in one location. It was a two and a half hour tour and the guide was incredible, full of facts and anecdotes   about the buildings and the architect himself. We toured inside some of the buildings and marvelled at the architect’s vision.