The Garden Club of Indian River County gets two green thumbs up for its hugely successful 16th annual Gardenfest gardening extravaganza last weekend at Riverside Park. An estimated 20,000 garden enthusiasts came from all over the state to attend the two-day celebration of floriculture.
Gardenfest co-chair Barbara Russell noted that the event has doubled from an initial 40 vendors when it first began, to 85 vendors this year. Russell added, “That first year we sent out more than 200 invitations, now we have to turn people away. Participation is by invitation only.”
“The event has grown so popular, people come from as far away as Jacksonville, Miami and Tampa,” shared club President Kathie Althoff. “We’ve even had busloads from as far away as St. Petersburg before.”
Visitors strolling through the park saw an explosion of color emanating from the huge variety of plants for sale, including vast selections of ferns, succulents, bromeliads, Florida native plants, herbs, orchids, bamboo, roses and African violets, as well as fruit, flowering and palm trees.
“This is a green show,” explained co-chair Karen Vatland. “We only include things that have to do with gardening. No jewelry. No apparel.”
There were some non-plant items, though, such as bee and bat boxes, bird houses, planters, pottery, furniture, fire pits, lighting, statuary and other garden accessories.
Some visitors came and made a day of it, shopping for new plants and garden accessories, picking the brains of Indian River County Master Gardeners, lunching at the food court and entertaining the little ones at the children’s activities tent.
The “Ask an Expert” workshops were standing room only, as respected professionals shared their knowledge on how to be successful with tower gardens, orchids, shade gardening, caladiums, fairy gardens, tropical plants, gardening for wildlife and epiphytes.
To help spread the seeds of garden-related knowledge, several nonprofit organizations that share the Garden Club’s mission of keeping the world green were also on hand to answer questions, including Keep Indian River Beautiful, the Shining Light Garden Foundation and the Vero Beach Orchid Society.
Two other popular services were kept particularly busy throughout the day – the plant-holding area where buyers could leave their purchases, and the Boys and Girls Club volunteers who helped transport goods to cars via wagons.
The Garden Club was organized in 1928 and has grown to include nine circles and a membership of 220 garden lovers. Proceeds from the event are used for the protection and conservation of native plants and natural resources, for civic beautification projects and scholarships.
Althoff said that this year the club has renewed its commitments to Main Street Vero Beach, McKee Botanical Garden’s Children’s Garden and scholarships.
The Bougainvillea Circle will host its 19th annual Antique and Vintage Show and Sale on Feb. 11 and 12, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day; admission is $2. Merchandise will include jewelry, decorative arts, paintings, Oriental rugs and mid-century memorabilia. Plants and gourmet lunch will also be available. The club is located at 2526 17th Ave.
