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!