Plant and Garden Festival Happens Saturday

A green display of orchids, succulents, flowering plants and garden art offered by 26 vendors from across Florida will give area residents a great opportunity to up their gardening game during the free Plant and Garden Festival.

Fifty-five different vendor spaces will be filled with fruit trees, house plants, bamboo, and native species to entice visitors.

In addition to the 55 outdoor vendor spaces, seven different expert speakers will take the indoor stage to share information and know-how. They include Mike Roberts, vice president of BH Griffin Fertilizer division, who will speak about nurturing citrus in the face of greening, along with Richard Neale, who will share tips on getting kids involved in farming and agriculture.

Other speakers include Karyn Thompson of Lake Wales Heritage, who will present a video about the City in a Garden, Master Gardener Kay Owen, who will speak about invasive species, Angie Goldberg of Heart Village who will discuss sustainable agriculture, and Brendan Huggins, Bok Tower horticulturist, will discuss the importance of prescribed fires and their importance to native plants and animals. Richard Miller will represent the Tropical Bonsai Association.

The show will take place on the spacious lakeside grounds of the Lake Wales Woman's Club at 275 East Park Avenue in Lake Wales, adjacent to the Lake Wales Public Library. Five food trucks will offer a wide range of tasty meals and treats.

The event, hosted by the Woman's Club, will take place this Saturday, October 21st, from 9:00 am until 5:00 pm. Food trucks will offer a variety of meal and snack options.

Woman's Club members will be displaying raffle baskets filled with an array of prizes, with proceeds benefiting more than 20 community service programs and projects.