Vero Beach Gardenfest

I had a wonderful time this weekend going to the Gardenfest. I went with plant loving friends. I brought my little red wagon so I could pick up plants. I was looking for a hibiscus and some milkweed.

There were so many beautiful plants. There were orchids that smelled like chocolate and pitcher plants. I did buy a pitcher plant but no orchids. I have plenty of orchids. I got a Gerber daisy too. We went out to lunch after the show. It was wonderful.

Jam and Jelly making

I went to a UF Extension class on making jam and jelly. We made apple jelly and strawberry jam. It was nice to learn how it is done. At the end of class I was able to take home the strawberry tops for the chickens and ducks. They liked them, especially Daphne the Pekin duck. I liked the aprons they had at class that said “I eat local because I can.”

Birding festival

I don’t really do birding. I have a bird friendly yard and we get lots of feathered visitors. I enjoyed the festival. The Florida Wildlife Hospital had an ambassador owl, who could not be released due to a blind eye.

It was great to drive to the Raddison in Cocoa Beach. I had worked for the NASA Shuttle Logistics Depot that was just down the road a little. I enjoyed seeing how things changed since 2006 when I worked there. At the festival I purchased a new bird house. I’ve been seeing a lot of wrens and thought a nesting house for them might be nice. I put it outside my kitchen window.

Mentor Appreciation Day

National Mentoring Month is January. I was invited to a mentor appreciation breakfast. It was a good event that highlighted the work of Take Stock in Children here in Brevard County. I am mentoring two high school students who are a freshman and a sophomore. It is wonderful to see them grow.

Botanical Fest 2023

I have enjoyed the Melbourne Botanical Fest for many years. This year was very nice. There was local honey dealers and lots of native flowers. The bromeliads were amazing. I really like them and have many in my yard.

Botanical Fest

Open the New Year with flowers

I needed to get supplies for my chickens and ducks at Tractor Supply. They had Amaryllis, Hyacinth on sale. The bulbs were sprouting in a sealed bag, so I rescued them. I stopped at Lowes on the way home and found more in need of rescue. It is the first time I tried Tulips, Daffodils and Hyacinth. I hope they grow.

Rescued Flowers