VERO BEACH- – For the seventh consecutive year, McKee Botanical Garden’s ponds and waterways will be overtaken by hundreds of vibrant blooms during its annual Waterlily Celebration on Saturday, June 18.
The Celebration runs from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and features more than 90 varieties and 200 individual waterlilies, along with scheduled demonstrations and activities.
“McKee has one of the nation’s largest outdoor collections of waterlilies, and this is the time of year they really put on a show,” explained McKee Executive Director Christine Hobart. “Even if you don’t consider yourself a ‘plant person,’ you won’t want to miss this display.”
Scheduled activities for the Waterlily Celebration include:
8:30 a.m. – Garden opens early for self-guided stroll of night-blooming lilies
9 a.m. – “Photographing Waterlilies” class with Pat Rice, Indian River Photo Club
9 a.m. – Outdoor painting by artists Rick Kelly, Marlene Putnam, Sean and Sharon Sexton and Emily Tremml
9 a.m. to noon – Waterlily Photo Contest display and voting
9 a.m. to 2 p.m. – Aquatic plant and koi sales
10 a.m. – Origami folding demonstration and instruction
10 a.m. and 11 a.m. – Waterlily Q&A and repotting demonstration
10:30 a.m. – “Koi vs. Goldfish: Two very different kinds of Ponds” with Pat Faehnle, Aquatic Systems & Resources, Inc.
The Garden Café will be open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. serving continental breakfast, cold beverages, light lunch fare and frozen treats.
Photos from the Garden’s second annual Waterlily Photo Contest will be on display throughout the event. Photographers interested in entering the contest can obtain an entry form and complete list of rules by visiting http://www.mckeegarden.org/events/110618.php.
For more information, call 772-794-0601 or visit www.mckeegarden.org.