Shopping Trip to Rockledge Gardens

By Linda Adams
Early in May I encouraged my friends, Linda and Billy Butterfield, FCLC, and Katy Moss Warner to meet me in Cocoa Beach on a Friday evening for the Brevard Fiesta. My sister, Mary was competing in a salsa competition (the food, not the dance) and they agreed to come over and add their support.
We made it an overnight trip and on Saturday morning headed to one of the best independent garden centers in Florida – Rockledge Gardens, owned by FNGLA members Theresa and Kevin Riley, FCHP. Theresa and Kevin are both active in FNGLA. Theresa is a member of the TPIE Planning Committee and Kevin serves on the FNGLA Short Course Committee.
Although it was a very warm day, the parking lot at Rockledge Gardens was full. There were plenty of customers picking out colorful plants, trees, mulch, and more at this inviting garden center. Rockledge Gardens is 12 beautiful acres of tropical and hardy trees, shrubs, annuals and perennials; a sprawling greenhouse full of house and patio plants, orchids, and bromeliads; a huge selection of garden gifts, accessories, tools, and supplies and very friendly helpful staff in every area of the garden center.

There are brightly painted buildings and facades which are reminiscent of the beachside look of Key West. Scattered throughout the garden center are miniature gardens which provide ideas and inspiration on ways to use the specific plants in a home landscape. My favorite was a full-size, brightly painted door used as a prop in one of the mini-garden.
I’ve had the good fortune to work with Kevin Riley on several FNGLA projects and consider him one of the truly gifted McGyvers in the industry. He is very clever and creative, using basic materials to create cool settings throughout the garden center.

I was on a hunt for a yellow tabebuia tree for my home landscape. As it happens, Rockledge Gardens has a tabebuia expert on staff, Bernie Peterson, FCHP. Bernie is involved with producing hybrid tabebuia varieties and was able to show us some of the interesting results. From the conversation, I learned Tabebuia umbellata is the variety which will do best where I live and provides the bright yellow flowers I love. Unfortunately, when the trees were in flower a few weeks prior, they were hot sellers and only 3 gallon sized trees remained, so I left Rockledge Gardens without a tabebuia tree.

But I did find a gorgeous nun’s orchid in bloom to take as a gift to a friend. The Butterfields and Katy loaded up their wagons with a variety of plants for container gardens and patio plantings. I think Billy also found some fruit trees to try. Even my sister found a blue delphinium she couldn’t resist, even though its season was near its end.

We had a great time taking in the beauty of Rockledge Gardens. I felt especially fortunate to not only have the knowledgeable Rockledge Gardens staff to provide plant info, but also 2 of the industry’s best horticulturists (Billy and Katy) to provide insight and guidance about all the plants and trees we were seeing. We even had a few customers come over and ask Billy and Katy’s advice about certain plants!

Special thanks to Kevin and Theresa for taking time to give us a tour, especially the Saturday before Mother’s Day – one of the busiest days of the season!

If you are near Rockledge, you should definitely take the time to visit Rockledge
Gardens. It makes you feel proud to be in the nursery and landscape industry! Rockledge Gardens will be one of the stops on the Garden Centers of America (GCA) tour at the end of June. Complete details at http://www.gardencentersofamerica.org/.

By the way, my sister did win the salsa competition – Voted the People’s Favorite for 2nd consecutive year. Ole!

Broward Chapter Tailgate Trade Show Takes Off

By Linda Adams, FNGLA COO
FNGLA Broward Chapter isn't sitting on the sidelines waiting for the economy to recover. Chapter President Tony Burzo, FCLC, and his leadership team, decided to be proactive, creating a new marketplace event for buyers and sellers to meet and learn. The Broward event is unique as far as trade shows goes - the displays were created with trucks, not pipe and drape. Each vendor backed his truck (all shapes and sizes) into his assigned space, opened the back door or put down the tailgate to display the plants and products, hung his banner, and the show was on!

The event took place the afternoon of Friday, April 9 at the Howard C. Foreman Health Park in Pembroke Pines. This is a great location as far as available space
and serves multi purposes for FNGLA. The park is one of the permanent test sites for the FNGLA Landscape Certification Exams. Broward Chapter has made a strong committment to the FNGLA Landscape Certification program and took advantage of having the trade show at the test site. Tony and Rob Shoelson, FCLC, gave presentations at each of the exam stations to help potential applicants be well prepared for future exams.

Did you know the the station which seems to create the greatest challenge to people is grading and drainage? All these are timed stations, so not only do you have to do things correctly, but also timely. That's why going through the study guide in advance is so important - gives you a head start on some of the calculations needed.

In addition to the local industry members, 3 local high school hort classes were also in attendance at the Tailgate Trade Show. Their teachers had arranged it as a field day. They arrived early enough to give Tony a hand with set up and then had the opportunity to hear the presentations related to the certification exam. Apparently, some of the students will be taking the exam at their schools later in the term, so the day provided useful tips.

As a person who works on trade shows, I know how many details are involved in putting on an event. Broward Chapter did a great job organizing things. There were students to direct from the highway, signs to the site, nice id signs, a central info area and best of all, free food! Hamburgers and hot dogs right off the grill were available all afternoon, as well as cold water and sodas. It was a very warm afternoon so the cold drinks were greatly appreciated!

As always, it's a treat to spend time with FNGLA friends and members. It sounds like people are having a good spring - sales are up, finally. Here's a photo of my buddies Vickie Parrish with a Searle Brother on either side, Larry, FCLC and Jeff. Special thanks to Wes Parrish who helped me with the FNGLA banners. It helps to be more than 6' tall to pull those banners all the way to their full height.

I saw something new at the Tailgate Trade Show - a motorized cooler with an additional pull behind cooler. I guess this is the ultimate tailgate party equipment, so the perfect raffle prize for a Tailgate Trade Show. Tony did a terrific job describing all the attributes of this unique equipment - the ticket sales jumped after his sales job. He may want to consider a second career on the Home Shopping Network! Can't remember who won the cooler ride, but I know who didn't win - Bryan Mitchell. As a serious tailgater, he was very disappointed. He could already see the Gator logos on that cooler as it rolled down the road! Better luck next time, Bryan.


The raffle ended the afternoon of business and fun. Everyone repacked their trucks, secured the doors and the trade show rolled apart - literally. This was a great beginning for what the chapter plans to be an annual event. I'm looking forward to being there again next year!

FNGLA Pinellas Chapter Palm Palette Tour

By Linda Adams, FNGLA COO

Somehow I had missed the notice about the March Pinellas Chapter meeting, but thanks to Facebook, I saw a last-minute reminder Debra Butler, FCHP, Golden Rain Nursery had posted and signed up. My 2 chapter-visiting companions, Billy Butterfield, FCLC, Ameriscapes Landscape Management Services and Amy DiBella, FNGLA staff, signed up for the fun as well, and Monday afternoon we headed west to St. Pete.

The meeting was at the Gizella Kopsick Palm Arboretum in St. Petersburg. I have been to this area before and never knew this palm garden exists. It's a hidden treasure in plain site, as it is so nicely incorporate into the overall landscape of the waterfront park you don't realize its an arboretum until you see the sign.

About 40 chapter members were in attendance on a surprisingly chilly Spring night. I was very glad I had brought a jacket! Volunteer palm experts with the arboretum were on hand to give us a tour with lots of details about the various palms and cycads in the arboretum. Amy, Billy and I were in the group led by Rick Nale, aka Palm Boy. He has been involved with the arboretum for several years and was able to share the history of the various palms and cycads we were viewing. Several palms were showing cold damage with brown and burned fronds, but overall everything came through a very cold winter with out serious damage.

There are approximately 500 palms and cycads in the arboretum, several were varieties the group had never seen before. My new favorite palm is the Cuban Petticoat Palm. I like the way the fronds fall down around the base and form a petticoat - must be a girl thing. If you get a chance to visit the Gizella Kopsick Palm Arboretum it is well worth seeing. If you have a passion for palms you need to add this to your bucket list of places to visit. Kudos to the City of St. Petersburg for providing such a nice collection of palms and cycads. You can get more info at http://www.stpete.org/parks/palm.asp.

Once we completed the tour we gathered informally to share a meal of subs and side dishes and desserts brought by chapter members. Loved the chocolate dipped strawberries (with sprinkles) that Angela Strain, FCLD, Brava Tropicals, brought! Chapter President Patrick Dugan had a quick business meeting while we were all gathered. I was impressed that Pinellas Chapter already has its slate of nominations for the various postions for the new year! Lots of announcements of upcoming activities - this might be a small chapter, but it's a very busy group!

I was happy to make sure everyone knew Bonnie Desmond, FCLD, from Pinellas Chapter is receiving a Special Award of Recognition at the FNGLA Convention in June for her tireless work related to FNGLA's certification programs and chapter activities. And with the final announcements the meeting ended right on time (9 pm). We grabbed another chocolate strawberry and some brownies for the road, and headed back to Orlando.

Thanks FNGLA Pinellas Chapter for an informative and beautiful evening beneath the palms trees and starry skies with Tampa Bay as the backdrop. Perfect setting! Thanks Billy for driving and thanks to Amy for remembering the camera and being our photographer.

Traveling On Tour With FNGLA Dade Chapter

By Linda Adams, FNGLA COO

Twice a year the FNGLA Dade Chapter puts together a nursery tour for landscape architects. It's intended to increase the dialouge between growers and landscape architects for everyone's greater success.

Sandy Stein, The Jungle Nursery and a member of the tour planning committee invited Joy Dorst, FCLD and me to participate on the tour and spread the FNGLA message, hopefully resulting in a few new FNGLA memberships.

Of course, we said yes, and on Friday, February 5 we joined about 35 landscape architects, designers and contractors to visit 3 nurseries, one stone company and take in 3 CEU sessions. It was a full schedule and we were ready with FNGLA membership recruitment packets in hand!

For those who may not know, Joy Dorst is FNGLA's "green" consultant. She is a landscape designer who is also an educator. Her focus for the past few years has been with sustainable and green-related programs such as LEED through the USGBC (US Green Building Council), Water Star with the St. John's Water Management District and Florida Friendly Landscaping through UF/IFAS. In fact, she is a LEED AP certified instructor and has a great sense for the potential connections and current disconnections between these popular sustainability programs and the original green industry - horticulture! Sustainable landscapes is an emerging hot topic for landscape professionals so Joy served as a resource on this topic throughout the day.

Being the non-sports people we are, neither Joy or I realized it was Super Bowl week end in Miami until we drove by the staidum - talk about being out of the zone! The tour was departing from Coral Gables and lucky for us, Coral Gables was not crowded with Super Bowl fans. Apparently, they were all at South Beach. So we found a charming, old-world themed hotel in downtown Coral Gables at a very reasonable price which Sandy Stein had recommended. It's called St. Michel's Hotel and I give it 2 thumbs up!

Allyson Humphries with Larry's Cap Rock & Stone and the head of the Dade chapter tour planning committee had things well in hand when we arrived at the bus. Badges were distributed, names were checked off the list and we left right on time! One fun thing - The owner of the Peterbrooke chocolate store across the street came over to the bus with a platter of chocolate covered pretzels and popcorn and a handful of business cards. She gave us the platter and encouraged us to stop at the store on our return. The platter of sweet and salty treats was placed on the 2nd seat of the bus so everytime we got on and off the bus we were taking "just one more" piece of the chocolate. No surprise, the platter was nearly empty by the end of the day. Two thumbs up for Peterbrooke Chocolatier !

First stop - Manuel Diaz Farms. We were at their headquarters in Homestead which has as a central feature a very large reclaimed quarry lake. They have added landscaping which gives it a park-like setting and offers an impressive showcase for their various palms and trees. In addition to the horticulture, there is a menagerie of animals, from goats, pigs, horses, birds in aviaries and chickens. If I understood correctly, some of the pigs ended up at the company Christmas party, but not as guests! With the recent freezes on everyone's mind, the focus was on the cold-hardy palms which Manuel Diaz grows.

Second stop - Vila & Son Nursery. Vila & Son's friendly staff greeted us with food, drinks and a walking tour of a portion of the nursery. After riding on the bus most of the morning, it felt good to get the legs moving. Joy and I had a great conversation here with one of the landscape designers on the tour. He specializes in high-end residential work and said his company is very busy with jobs in Miami and the Keys. Good to hear! He is very intersted in becoming a FNGLA certified landscape designer, so we made sure he had all the details to take advantage of that program.

Third stop - Larry's Cap Rock & Stone (LCRS). We spent most of the afternoon here, as Larry's (LCRS) has a great space for classes and also an upstairs room that was perfect for lunch. There were 3 very interesting presentations provided. The first related to sustainable architectural and lansdcape lighting, provided by Jessica Stanley, SESCO Lighting. I didn't realize how critical the small details are for outdoor lighting, especially as it relates to aesthetics and safety.
It was nice to have members of the FNGLA Dade Chapter board join us for a delicious paella lunch sponsored by Luxe magazine. Following lunch Allyson Humpheries
discussed the fundamentals of rock and stone for landscape use. I thought I was back in geology class when Allyson showed the different types of rock and how they are mined. We were able to see the huge saws LCRS use to slice the rock. By the way, those sawblades don't come cheap! It was all fascinating.

And the final presentation was by landscape architect Phil Maddux who showcased many of the landscapes he and his partner have designed for Palm Beach estates. What a great treat it was to hear the personal stories and insights from Phil about these unique homes and the landscapes which frame them.
Here's a quote Phil used in his presentation which addresses the native/non-native plant question. "All the plants we use are native to planet Earth." A new book written by Bradford McKee features the various landscapes of Sanchez & Maddux. It's entitled "The Civilized Jungle:Residential Landscape of Sanchez & Maddux." Allyson made sure there were books on hand for those who wished to purchase them (at a discounted price) and have Phil autograph them. Not an opportunity you get everyday and one which several on our tour took advantage.

Back to Luxe Magazine who sponsored the lunch. I asked John Gallo, associate publisher, why Luxe was involved with the tour. If you're not familiar with Luxe magazine, as its name implies, it is geared to those who enjoy luxury lifestyles in south Florida. John is on a search for people who can provide content as it relates to the gardens and landscapes which are part of a luxury lifestyle. He was very pleased at the end of the day with the great resources he found among the landscape architects and designers on the tour. Sounds like Luxe will be a new promoter of the value of well planned and executed landscapes and gardens to an appreciative audience.

Final Stop - The Jungle Nursery. The Jungle has made major changes in crops and production as owner Sandy Stein and team respond to an ever-changing marketplace. Going with the theory that "it's 5 o'clock somewhere," the group was greeted with wonderfully refreshing lychee cocktails. As you can imagine, these were a BIG hit!
And, actually, it was almost 5 pm when we arrived at the nursery. Although people were welcome to walk through the nursery, Sandy's crew had made it easy for everyone to see the plants being showcased, by creating beautiful groupings of the plants near the entrance area. It was nice to see Sandy point out the FNGLA Florida Garden Select plants he is growing. The almond bush smells wonderful.

After a jam-packed educational day, we were back on the bus and inching along in Miami/Coral Gables Friday evening rush hour. But with the help of our lychee cocktails and the good company of many new friends, it was all good!

Thanks Sandy and Allyson and FNGLA Dade chapter for inviting us along. Great day, great tour, great people!

P.S. I won a prize on the bus for knowing what SSI stands for: Sustainable Sites Initiative. Lots of good tour quiz questions, lots of prizes, lots of fun.

Final Notes On FNGLA Chapter 2009 Holiday Party Adventure

By Linda Adams, FNGLA COO

When I first came up with the idea to visit as many FNGLA Chapter Holiday parties as possible, some people questioned my sanity. It is a lot of travel in a short period of time, and a time that is already very busy with all the normal holiday preparation and commitments, as well as a very busy time at work getting ready for TPIE. The enthusiasm that came from Billy Butterfield to do this kept me inspired. I need to thank him, not only for being the designated driver on every trip and always having snacks, but keeping the spirit of the adventure high and making the whole thing as much fun and educational as possible. Thanks also to his wife, Linda, who not only supported our adventure, but also joined in when she could.

Billy and I were not the only FNGLA people who like to party hop. I saw some of the same folks at more than one chapter party. I think Larry Walker made it to 3 or 4. He's a very busy partier! Others I know who attended more than one were Carolan and Dennis Mahr, Joe and Lenore Cialone, Bryan Mitchell, Dr. Wayne McKay and Jesse Oliver. Who else out there is a multi-FNGLA chapter partier?

I also wish to give attaboys and attagirls to the IFAS folks. At each of the parties we attended there was at least one, and often several IFAS people in attendance, particularly the extension folks. The close connection between FNGLA and IFAS, both at the state and local level, is a very important one and its nice to see there is genuine fellowship between the people wearing the orange and blue, and the people who make their living with the green.

And, of course, thanks to the 9 chapters (Action, Broward, Coastal Springs, Dade, Lake Region, Manasota, Palm Beach, Tampa Bay and Treasure Coast) who so generously welcomed us to their Holiday events. For several of the chapters these holiday parties are as traditional and closeknit as family holiday events, so thanks to each of you for so warmly including us in your holiday fun.

This was my first holiday season without my husband who died in Feb. of 2009. This holiday adventure served as healing medicine to keep my own holiday melancholy to a minimum. The welcomes, handshakes and smiles, the hugs, sharing of food and drink, the attention and care; the inclusion with the gifts and games - all the many ways FNGLA people make a person feel part of the family - I experienced. What an awesome Christmas gift to receive from my FNGLA family of friends!

There is already talk of a FNGLA chapter party adventure for the 2010 holiday season. People have asked about joining the chapter party league. Billy's talking about chartering a bus! Let's us know if you want to join! Ho! Ho! Ho! Happy New Year! And look, it's time already to say Happy Valentine's Day!

Coasting To The End Of The FNGLA Christmas Parties At Coastal Springs

It was only two weeks into December and Billy Butterfield, FCLC, and I had already been to 7 FNGLA Chapter Christmas Parties! The Coastal Springs and Tampa chapters had combined their meetings and this would be our 8th and final Chapter party of the season. We were happy to have my colleague, Marilyn Sileven, join us for this trip. Marilyn works on FNGLA’s certification programs, including keeping track of everyone’s FNGLA CEU’s.

The meeting was at Rapscallions restaurant in Land O’ Lakes, a community I had never visited and was curious about. Okay, this is a dumb question, but is this where Land O’ Lakes butter comes from or is that in another state?

The FNGLA group had a private room at the restaurant which was already filled when we arrived. Chapter Secretary Rebecca Grillo, Land O’ Lakes Tree Farm and Chapter President Bill Sellers, Farm Credit of Central Florida, had things well organized, registering people and selling raffle tickets at the same time. Billy bought lots of raffle tickets and generously shared them with Marilyn and me. No doubt at least one of us would go home with a prize from this meeting!

Bill got the meeting started with introductions. At most meetings, introductions are limited to speakers and guests, but everyone in attendance introduced themselves. The group was large enough that we didn’t all know each other, and small enough that it didn’t take too long for the introductions to be completed, so it was a great way to get started and know who you're hanging out with.
As with all the other chapter parties, the meal was extra-special fare. We enjoyed a Cuban buffet complete with pulled pork and great desserts. The chafing dishes seemed bottomless as the staff continued to refill them so much that guests were encouraged to get to-go boxes and take the leftovers home!

Paul Rauch, FCLC, and Billy have served together as field exam judges for FNGLA's Landscape Certified Professional program for the Pinellas test. Apparently, they enjoy vieing for bragging rights on who is the best judge. Not that they are competitive or anything! Paul is the President of the Tampa Bay Chapter this year.


The program for the evening was presented by Christine Collins, FCHP, Wildrose Lawn Care. She and her family have established Pay It Forward Farm in Spring Hill which offers a place for single mothers and children to receive education and training, as well as emotional support. The farm will provide organic food for single mom’s in need, as well as offering horticulture classes and training. It’s a neat connection between gardening and horticulture and improving the lives of others.

These two chapters really know how to throw a raffle! There were soooo many raffle prizes that it was hard not to have a winning ticket for something. I won several great prizes, including 2 rain gauges, some landscape tools and a shirt.
As you would expect from a group of nursery and landscape professionals, the plants being raffled were the highlight. Randy Jacobs with Flowerwood had brought a couple of new azaleas in bloom which were showstoppers!
P. J. Klinger is one of the industry’s most respected horticulturist so when he told about the selection of plants he brought, including an agapanthus from South Africa, people were paying close attention.

As the evening came to a close, the generosity of this industry showed its face once again. As I mentioned earlier, there were more prizes given out at this meeting than any of the others we had attended. And truly showing how to “pay it forward,” almost to a person, the prize winners gave their winnings (plants, fertilizer, landscape tools) to Christine Collins to use at her new Pay It Forward Farm. It was a fitting finale to the FNGLA Christmas Party Road Trip, as their actions reflected the nature of the season - giving, sharing and enjoying the fellowship of friends. Another wonderful evening with our FNGLA family of friends!

Palm Beach Chapter Party Has Style!

Palm Beach is famous for its high society lifestyle. While I didn’t see Donald Trump or Paris Hilton at the FNGLA Palm Beach Chapter Christmas party, the party and the Palm Beach members have plenty of their own style! Dress for this event was “up” as in black tie optional and the setting was the Palm Beach National Golf & Country Club.
Palm Beach mixes fun with business at its Holiday Party. While everyone has plenty of opportunity to eat, drink, dance and mix and mingle, there is also serious fundraising going on for the chapter and its causes. Raffle tickets are sold throughout the evening with a small room dedicated to the raffle prizes. Numbers were called throughout the night so people had a chance to flaunt their prizes and encourage others to buy tickets.
In the center of the room was a fabulous array of creative and fun gift baskets which were being sold in a silent auction format.
I didn’t count how many there were, but I’m guessing at least 40. I think Lyn Cacella was the organizer of the baskets and she and her crew deserve a big "Atta Girl" for a very diverse collection of enticing gifts. Everything from sports themes to plants and gift certificates. I went around the table 3 times trying to decide on which to bid. It felt just like being on a shopping trip. As it turns out, I bid on 3 of them and went home empty handed. I think I need more practice on this silent auction bidding routine. I’ve decided, like a lot of things in life, timing is the key to winning the prize!

One of the best benefits of going to so many chapters is catching up with FNGLA friends who I don’t get to see as often as I’d like. The Palm Beach party was no exception. I was honored to sit at the President’s table, which means I sat with 2 of my Wedgworth alum buds, Mike and Susie Graham. Mike is Palm Beach Chapter president this year. He and I were classmates in Class IV of the Wedgworth Leadership Institute. Susie and I became friends during those 2 years as well. Mike was well prepared to lead the evening’s program as he had kept his notes and reminders close to his plate and Susie helped him keep things moving.

The festivities started with a champagne toast by Fred Marrero with Atlas Peat. Very classy, but then I’m biased. I happen to love champagne, so any champagne toast is a good one as far as I’m concerned.

Just as dinner was drawing to a close, President Mike (tall guy on the right in the photo) was back at the microphone to give a surprise award to Joe Mulvehill for his long time coordination of the holiday party. It is quite an endeavor to put these events together year after year!
Then Mike announced the winner of the chapter’s highest award, the James J. Lulfs Industry Service Award for 2009 went to Dave Self. His long list of services covered not only chapter activities, but also the many roles he has had on the state level, including serving as state FNGLA President in 2007-08. This was followed by one of the traditional highlights of the party, the live auctioning of the original painting used for the cover of the Palm Beach Locator. The proceeds from this go to Hoskins McDougal Horticulture Scholarship Fund. This year the bidding reached $1000 with Joe Mulvehill (or maybe his wife) going home with a new painting for his walls.

Billy and Linda Butterfield, my central Florida travelling cohorts, and their new best friends, Joe and Lenore Cialone were seated together. They had spent the day touring the grand homes of Palm Beach, while my FNGLA trade show colleague, Jessica Oliver and I took care of some TPIE business in Ft. Lauderdale during the day. Jesse stayed for the Palm Beach party (her 2nd FNGLA Christmas party of the season) and she was sitting at the “troublemakers” table with Deb Joneck and Matt Antos. My guess is Jesse was the ringleader of the troublemakers.
When we were told to look under our chairs for a sticker to claim the centerpieces on the table, Jesse tore off the actual chair tag under her seat and tried to use it to win the centerpiece. I think the group took pity on her and let her take the plant home!

Although this party had lots of activities going on, there was plenty of time left for dancing. One of my favorite moments was watching Syd and Suzanne Spears slow dancing, still a couple of love birds with a lot of style! As the dancing continued, my travel party (Billy, Linda and Jesse) and I said our goodbyes. We had decided to do an “all-nighter” and drive back to Orlando that night. We piled in Billy’s truck and headed north with our prizes, plants and good memories of a stylish and swinging group of FNGLA members!

FNGLA Broward Party Hits "Home" Run!

It was obvious why Vickie and Wes Parrish’s home is the favorite for the Broward Chapter holiday party. Vickie had their home beautifully decorated for Christmas, complete with a Christmas tree so tall even 6’3” Wes had to use a tall ladder to decorate the tree top.

Wes is a very serious plantsman and has some very unique palms and orchids in his home landscape. Although it was dark, we all grabbed flashlights and Wes gave us a personal tour of his garden. Linda Butterfield and I felt like we were listening to another language as Billy and Wes talked in botanical names. You’d think after 25 years at FNGLA I would be fluent in Latin plant names.

I was happy to see two of my long-time FNGLA friends, Roger and Janice Brooks, at the party. Roger shared they are officially retiring in early 2010. Although they’ve been RV travelling across the country for the past few years, now they can go all year instead of only a few months. I did tell them I expected to see them at The Landscape Show whether they are retired or not!

The Broward Chapter has such a great mix of members. There were people from IFAS, college and high school ag educators, nursery people, landscape contractors, municipality people and suppliers. And, hanger ons, like me. Add to that mix, a combination of family and friends, as several parties were made up of moms, dads, husbands, wives, sisters. I think the Levin’s had the biggest family turnout – Mom and Dad, 3 daughters and a son-in-law. They should have won a prize!

Vickie and her chef elves had a wonderful array of homemade appetizers and desserts, with a wonderful selection of Italian-style entrees. A bar was available by the pool with lots of tables set up poolside. Another beautiful night to dine under the stars of south Florida.

While we didn’t rush through dinner, I could tell the veteran Broward Christmas party people were anxious to get the gift exchange going. This group takes this crazy gift giving (and taking) very seriously, counting exactly how many times a gift is passed and even bringing back gag gifts from previous years. Wes served as master of ceremonies, with his daughter, Jennifer Parrish, keeping count of the “taking” of the gifts. Gifts could not be taken more than 3 times. I started out with an early gift of a chocolate fondue kit. Lenore Cialone told me I wouldn’t have it very long and she was right!
And who would have thought Snuggies would be so popular! Good thing there were 2 of them in the stack of presents or there may have been some serious Snuggie fights! Rob Shoelson, FCLC, said he wanted the Snuggie for his son, but it didn’t take him long to get it out of the box and model it for everyone.

We had been warned that the gift exchange would last late into the evening, and it did. It was nearly midnight before we left the party – Billy and Linda headed for their hotel and I had the distinct honor of being the house guest of Joe and Lenore Cialone. Like Billy, Linda and me, they were chapter party hopping and we would all be attending the Palm Beach party the following night.

Having its holiday party in a home setting seemed just right for the Broward Chapter. It’s obvious they are a close knit group and the intimacy and comfort of the Parrish home certainly matched the personality of these friends and FNGLA members.

Side Trip On The FNGLA Party Trip

Our next FNGLA Chapter Party was Broward Chapter. It is a tradition for the party to take place at the home of Wes and Vickie Parrish with Parrish Nursery. In fact, I had heard such great things about the Broward Christmas Party over the years that it was this party which was my original incentive to do the FNGLA Christmas Party Road Trip.
Billy and I had the day to spend visiting more members and nurseries. We started the day meeting Broward Chapter president Tony Bruzo, FCLC, for breakfast at Crackle Barrel. Tony filled us in on a new event the chapter is hosting. It’s called the Broward Tailgate Trade Show and takes place March 5 at the FNGLA Certification Exam Site in Pembroke Pines. They’re tying in training for the April landscape certification exam with the tail gate party as well as free barbecue so it should be a very popular event.
Tony took us to the Howard C. Forman Health Park to show off the stations of the exam site. The chapter and certified professionals in the area have done a great job setting up permanent stations. This is a HUGE benefit as one of the most challenging parts of the field exams are getting the test stations put together. Billy was really pleased to see what the chapter has done. As a judge for the landscape exam he was impressed and even volunteered to come down and help with the training on March 5th.
We ran out of time the day prior when it came to visiting nurseries, so we headed south again and went to see Sandy Stein at The Jungle.
Sandy is a graduate of the Wedgworth Leadership Institute, as are Billy and I, so we wanted to bond with our fellow WLI Alum. I had been to Sandy’s place in 2007 and knew he was redoing things, but I was surprised to see how different things are there. In response to the changing marketplace, Sandy has done a complete makeover of his crops and is offering a diversity of very cool landscape plants. He is definitely not doing business the same old way. Even in construction mode, The Jungle is one of the cleanest nurseries around.


From Sandy’s we headed to Suzanne and Don Broyle’s nurseries, Sunshine Tropical Foliage. Like Sandy, the Broyles are expanding on their crops. Well known for their dracaenas for interior spaces, they now have an intriguing selection of succulents. Don had a few different experiments going with plants he had found in the landscape. He has the perfect natural laboratory as he and Suzanne have created a botanical garden next to the nursery and their home. It has all types of wonderful species from balboa trees to giant staghorn ferns. What a treat to get to visit this private sanctuary!
Speaking of treats, when we left Sunshine Tropical Foliage, Billy and I treated ourselves to a stop at Knaus Berry Farm & Bakery. This small shop in the Redlands specializes in local produce, fabulous baked goods and homemade ice cream. I couldn’t resist buying a dozen “world famous cinnamon sticky buns” still warm from the oven. Billy loaded up on brownies and a homemade milk shake. Yes, we definitely fell off the diet wagon that day, but it was worth it!
We headed back to Ft. Lauderdale where we were picking up Billy’s wife (another Linda), at the airport. Linda was a trooper and actually attended 3 of the 8 Christmas parties with us! We had just enough time to stop by to see Rob Shoelson, FCLC, owner of Getting Green Plant Service, a company which rewholesales trees, plants and all kind of landscape supplies to landscape professionals in southeast Florida. It was good to hear from Rob that business is picking up with new work for landscape contractors in the area. Rob gave us tips on the gift exchange game at the Broward chapter party and then we were off to pick up Linda and buy party gifts to exchange.

Christmas Southern Style

The next 3 chapter Christmas parties called for a Road Trip to South Florida! Dade, Broward and Palm Beach chapters had scheduled their parties over 3 consecutive days: Dec. 10, 11, and 12. Perfect scheduling for those of us attending from afar!
Billy Butterfield, FLCL, stayed true to his commitment to the FNGLA Christmas party schedule, and was particularly pleased as we had added nursery and FNGLA member visits to our 3 days of travels.
Our first stop was Homestead where we visited some of my longtime FNGLA member friends. First on the list was Kerry Herndon at Kerry’s Nursery, past chairman of TPIE and one my favorite columnists in the Ball Publications. I hadn’t seen his place since H. Wilma so it was past time for a visit. It is always impressive to see those acres and acres of bromeliads and orchids and the smart technology being used. Kerry introduced us to one of the favorite local restaurants. It goes by the name of Las Vegas, although I don’t know why. Food was wonderful – awesome bread!
More nursery stops – we saw Bill Lyden and his family at work at Farm Life Tropical Foliage. Bill’s another past chairman of TPIE and has totally rebuilt his place since H. Wilma with very strong structures! As is his standard, the nursery was perfectly clean and well organized with very cool specimens ready for interior settings. We were intrigued by the large plots of vegetables being grown as one drives onto the property. At first I thought Bill was following First Lady Michelle Obama’s example of growing his own vegetable garden, but he explained it’s actually a third party growing the veggies to sell. Those eggplants looked very tempting.
From Farm Life we made a quick jog down to Charlie Martin’s place, HB Martin. Charlie is the vice chair of the TPIE Committee so I guess our nursery visits had a TPIE committee theme going. Charlie grows colorful landscape plants and had a very diverse collection for us to see.

The Dade Chapter Holiday Party had a truly beautiful setting as it took place at R. F. Orchids. Although this is a retail store, R. F. Orchids is also a botanical garden and is truly a tropical paradise. The chapter members gathered under the chickee complete with bar. Like other FNGLA chapters, Dade was collecting toys for a local charity group. To provide even greater incentive to bring donations, anyone who arrived with a toy received $5 off the chapter meeting fee.
It was great to see many of my long-time south Florida FNGLA friends at the meeting. If I start listing names, I know I will forget people, so I’ll just say it was great to see everyone!
To make sure people had plenty of time to visit and catch up, Dade Chapter president Steve Leonard kept the speeches to a minimum – in fact, he welcomed everyone and then we were directed to move to the lawn for dinner. I was very pleased to see our buffet had a great selection of Cuban food. For those of us from central Florida and beyond, Cuban food is a treat we don’t get too often.
It was a beautiful evening with a clear sky and warm breeze. What a treat to enjoy a delicious dinner and great company sitting in a tropical garden under the stars…in December! Now that's what I call a memorable Chapter party!