Happy Holidays from The Orlando Garden Club
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Safe and Sustainable Fertilizer
Sam Baker, a recent graduate of UCF, is the founder of the environmental startup WriggleBrew. Sam’s company produces a fertilizer that is safe and sustainable, and his startup’s work has been funded by the NSF, the USDA, and the City of Orlando to make gardening greener, cleaner, and easier for everyone. Sam leads a team of researchers focused on developing new and more efficient fertilizers, methods of composting, and technologies related to sustainability. Sam will be talking about new breakthroughs in composting materials previously thought un-compostable, and will be sharing insights into tips and tricks for improving soil health.
Spring Surrounds the Clubhouse by Karmie Sheppard
The Bonsai Society of Florida State Convention
May Memorial Day Weekend
The Bonsai Society of Florida is celebrating 50 years at their state convention which will be in Orlando. Their convention will be held at the Florida Hotel in Florida Mall during the Memorial Day weekend. You can visit and enjoy the display of Bonsai from all over the state.
Arbor Day Tree Planting
Arbor Day
The Orlando Garden Club Commemorated Arbor Day in many different ways this year. Approximately 150 Florida Garden Clubs held their tree planting event at 11:00 am!!
Kathy Hall, arborist from the City of Orlando spoke on planting new trees. Her team planted a Bluff Oak on club grounds. This tree does not have aggressive roots, its canopy is rounded and upright, and it may get up to 60 feet tall. Ms. Hall shared some of her tree knowledge during a brief presentation to our members after our ceremony.
Hall is an arborist and landscape inspector for the City of Orlando.
Horticulture Show & Tell
HORTICULTURE
During the month of January Bonnie Hansen presented on the Billbergia as our horticulture of the month. She presented two varieties. Queen’s Tears and Theodore Mead.
Billbergia Queen’s Tears was hybridized to have a larger flower by Dr. Theodore Mead of Mead Gardens fame. This plant grows well in a pot and pups readily. It doesn’t need a lot of soil and can grow in a tree as an epiphyte. Bonnie distributed pups for members to grow.
Photo: Billbergia Theodore Mead, photo by Wes Schilling.