Win This Native Plant Yard Tour!
A big THANK YOU to our followers here and to our Facebook fans, where we just got the 1000 fans mark! To celebrate this event, the Jolly Bloggers are giving away a field trip of YOUR CHOICE at the upcoming Florida Native Plant Society's 31st Annual Conference. To enter your name in the RANDOM DRAWING, leave a comment telling briefly why you would choose whichever field trip you would like.
Field trips are available in many categories: beautiful natural areas, water conservation sites, rivers, wildlife management areas, and many more. Click the link below to go to the field trip page and read in detail what each trip offers. Trips are led by experts who know the sites well.
One of the trips will be a tour of nine native yards. This trip will be in an air conditioned vehicle, lead by Phyllis Gray, who is acquainted with all the gardens. Owners will be present to answer questions, and there will be a handout provided to help you remember all that you have noticed and want to try at home.
Nine gardens will be visited, encompassing a wide variety of types and settings. Several of these gardens were also on the tour back in 2004, and one is a previous Landscape Award recipient.
Two gardens focus on wildlife habitat, one of these sometimes has a photo cam in a nested birdhouse. This garden borders a community pathway, and the owners have generously “spilled over” a bit with their plantings .
Two gardens are on small, urban lots close to town, with perhaps only as much as 10 feet between house and side border. These gardens are almost 90% native, and both planted by designers.
One garden surrounds a home in a gated community that is located surrounding a spring, which used to be public. These owners have planted with water conservation and restoring native ecosystems in mind.
One house is on a golf course. Here the owner has adapted parts of her long skinny site to different habitats that stretch the envelopes of regional types. Part is dedicated to the trees and woody forbs found in northern parts of the states, and part to plants that thrive in the central and southern regions. Although the owner has not planted exclusively natives, she is a talented gardener and a successful plant propagator.
One garden sits on two acres adjacent to woods. The owners have created and enhanced their walking paths. Because the house is in a rural area, they have stuck to the 30- ft no-plant zone to prevent fire. They have many separate planting areas.
One house abuts a conservation area, has several pond areas, and includes beautiful scrub in front, as well as wetland and shade areas that include “rescued” plants.
There is nothing like seeing a plant in place in a real garden setting to understand how it might look at your own place, and the chance to see so many types of gardens and to talk with others who have first hand knowledge to share is really unbeatable.
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| Landscape award yard in urban site |
Nine gardens will be visited, encompassing a wide variety of types and settings. Several of these gardens were also on the tour back in 2004, and one is a previous Landscape Award recipient.
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| Nest with photo cam |
Two gardens are on small, urban lots close to town, with perhaps only as much as 10 feet between house and side border. These gardens are almost 90% native, and both planted by designers.
One garden surrounds a home in a gated community that is located surrounding a spring, which used to be public. These owners have planted with water conservation and restoring native ecosystems in mind.
One house is on a golf course. Here the owner has adapted parts of her long skinny site to different habitats that stretch the envelopes of regional types. Part is dedicated to the trees and woody forbs found in northern parts of the states, and part to plants that thrive in the central and southern regions. Although the owner has not planted exclusively natives, she is a talented gardener and a successful plant propagator.
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| Passiflora incarnata in wildlife garden |
One house abuts a conservation area, has several pond areas, and includes beautiful scrub in front, as well as wetland and shade areas that include “rescued” plants.
There is nothing like seeing a plant in place in a real garden setting to understand how it might look at your own place, and the chance to see so many types of gardens and to talk with others who have first hand knowledge to share is really unbeatable.
Check out all the fantastic trips available, then go to our Facebook page, link below, to enter your comment to win the trip. Remember, the drawing is random, we will pick a lucky winner Wednesday night. You CAN just go on a field trip without attending the conference, but if you can possibly attend, you will be glad you did.
http://www.facebook.com/FNPSfans
Not on Facebook? You can leave a comment for the drawing here on the blog, too.
Not on Facebook? You can leave a comment for the drawing here on the blog, too.
sue dingwell
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