Spring Obsession

Spring doesn't officially begin until March 20th,

but that doesn't mean that we can't enjoy 

a little ole' Spring Obsession festival.

 This event takes place each spring in Lakeland.

It seems to attract more people every year.

Vibrant colors greeted us at every booth.

It was good to see a nice selection 

of Florida-friendly plants available.

 Couldn't you just see some zinnias and black-eyed Susan vines growing around this lovely structure?

 Herbs were reasonably priced.

Look how cheery this beauty is.

 Miniature herb gardens are a great solution

for those who are limited on space.

These unusual bird feeders and yard art were fascinating.

Folks are so very creative!

A few booths were selling a variety of gorgeous orchids.

 The gentleman who fashions these sculptures

has attended the last couple of years.

The mouth of this spoonbill is a repurposed potato ricer.

Can you imagine the smiles on your neighbors' faces

when they spot this animated figure?

Remember how I mentioned that the throngs of folks flocking 

to this event keep increasing?  

 Well, the crowds and the loud music are pretty challenging 

for Lil' Guy, so we didn't stay long.

The only thing I came home with this year were the two plants

that the sponsors gave out to attendees.

They were passed on to two friends who enjoy gardening.

All in all, it was a wonderful event, and I'm glad we could visit.

It was a beautiful day.

I hope spring shows up early on your doorstep!

Spring Obsession 2012 

Spring Obsession 2011

Tuesday Tidings-Spring Obsession Festival

It was a beautiful day for a garden festival.

Spring Obsession is held once a year in the town of Lakeland,

about 30 minutes from where we are.

I've been looking forward to this for a while now.

Wanna see the sights?

There seem to be more vendors each time we visit.

Beauty as far as the eye can see.

There was a variety of plants, garden art and information

for all interested in greening up their thumb a bit.

Kumquats

One booth hosted some of the most unusual plants

I've ever seen.

This is called a snake cactus.

It does flower,

but the foliage is a real show-stopper!

There were quite a few containers that caught my eye.

I decided against making a purchase this time 'round,

as I am trying not to acquire new things before moving.

I believe someone called this a desert cactus.

Haas avocados, which usually come from California,

 can now be grown in Central Florida!

More local food!

These sculptures were so clever and inventive!

As someone who appreciates repurposing,

I marveled at the creativity of this artist.

Gotta remember to put this at the top of my list

when I'm buying things for the farm.

They are so doggone cute,

I may be inspired to take up sculpting!

I was looking for blue daze and mondo grass,

but didn't find any.

Here's what we brought home.

Dwarf Fakahatchee grass

was obtained from a native nursery,

Ridge Plants.

Leslie at TakaNapa Farm offered up these native

Blue-eyed grass plants.

We have bought from both of these vendors before,

as we enjoy supporting the native local nurseries.

Not sure what this is,

but it was one of the free plants being given away

to all attendees.

Hope you find some sunshine in your day!

Are You Obsessed?

Spring Obsession is coming to Lakeland this weekend. 

Here's our post from last year's event:

http://mymaplehillfarm.blogspot.com/2011/03/let-obsession-begin.html

The desire to plant more natives is stronger than ever.
The focus is on low maintenance and Florida-friendly plants
that provide food and shelter for local wildlife.

These are some of the plants I'll be looking for:

Beautyberry

(birds loves these berries!)

Mondo grass

(doesn't get more low maintenance than this!)

Native Salvia

(friend to butterflies)

Blue Daze

(part of the "blue garden" makeover)

Native blue-eyed grass

(easy grower with no muss, no fuss)

African Iris

(blooms like nobody's business)

Guess where some of my paycheck this week
is gladly going?
;0)

Got Heat? No Problem!

I picked up these beauties at the recent

Spring Obsession last month.

What a wonderful idea that turned out to be!

These Florida-friendly plants are thriving in the heat.

With minimal watering and almost full-day sun,

they have already grown three times

the size they were when I bought them a few weeks back.

These will most likely get divided once they stop blooming.

I would love to pair them with something

in the purple or blue family.

Maybe salvia?

The tall spikes of bright yellow blooms

pour out of thick tufts of green foliage.

I'd call them spires of sunshine.

http://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/giam/plants_and_grasses/flowering_plants/bulbine.html

"Characteristics

Bulbine has become a popular plant in Florida because it is drought tolerant, grows well in poor soils, and blooms repeatedly with cheerful flowers that are yellow or orange, depending on the variety. It is suited for gardens in USDA Zones 9-11 and is hardy to the low 20s.

It makes a great ground cover since each plant will grow over time to form a clump that can reach up to four feet wide. This clumping habit also makes bulbine
a great passalong plant.

The succulent, grass-like foliage grows to about a foot tall, while the flower stalks typically reach two feet, dancing above the leaves throughout the summer months."

http://floridafriendlyplants.com/Blog/post/2009/07/31/Bulbine-Popularity-Soars.aspx

The foliage alone is amazing.

It reminds me of green pasta.

Maybe it's the Italian in me.

How sweet are those flowers?

We presently only water twice per week,

so I've been checking on these

to see if they needed any supplemental water.

Nope.

When everything else in the garden is sweltering,

these glorious wonders of nature

just keep on blooming and growing.

I'll be looking for more of these at an upcoming garden event.

Next to natives, Florida-friendly is the way to go.

They leave a gardener feeling very satisfied.

Let the Obsession Begin!

The Spring Obsession Festival was lovely. 

The weather was absolutely perfect for an outdoor event. 

  We got a late start and I had to get back home for work,

so I didn't have as much time to amble through

as I would have liked.

It was wonderful to spend time among

so much grace and beauty.

The best part of the adventure was that

I met a local native gardener

who does her own propagating for resale! 

The first stop at the festival was the free sample table!

I picked up two small starters of pansies for the garden.

It felt so good to know that I was surrounded by

folks who love gardening as much as I do.

Some real bargains were to be had!

Several decorated rain barrels on display

were also for purchase.

Booths carried everything from ferns to orchids

to Florida-friendly to artistic container arrangements.

Wouldn't these be a treat to have not only to

irrigate plants, but for kids to play in

on a hot summer day!

Not too water-wise though...

These glass orbs caught my eye as the light

reflected through their mottled colors.

This yard art was simply amazing! 

I could see having a few of these pieces some time in the future!

I'm a sucker for an old wash tub.

Wish I had gone back for one of these.

This piece seemed unusual to me.

I wonder what its original use was?

What a great plant stand or rain barrel it could make.

The only native plants I found were here.

I spoke with Leslie Zambito, the owner,

who was very knowledgeable

and equally supportive about my wanting

to plant mostly natives.

She is a master gardener who promotes

the use of natives and Florida-friendly plants.

She is presently working on her website,

but you can reach her at

plzambito@verizon.net

A new alliance was made and we will be

visiting her very soon.

Don't cha just love the name?

Here's what came home.

I am looking forward to seeing

how they look in the backyard.

A coontie was finally acquired.  It's one

of the plants I remember first learning about

when the decision to go native occurred.

Everything purchased was based

on the desire to support wildlife

and the need to grow in full sun.

The bamboo tepee was just too cool not to get!