Annual Holiday Horticulture Garden Class
Grab a friend or make a new one in this fun gathering, which includes holiday music and light refreshments. In this make-&-take class, participants will make a live cone and tillandsia ornament to be enjoyed for the holidays. We’ll teach you how to keep it growing after the season. All materials will be provided, including an assortment of decorations to encourage your creativity.
NOTE: Most classes will be held in the Fort Myers-Lee County Garden Council Building (at the Berne Davis Gardens). The space is accessible and air-conditioned. Directions to the classroom and check-in instructions will be emailed to all registered participants 24 hours before the program. If the program includes a garden tour, be prepared with sun protection, comfortable walking shoes and water. Each participant will receive a complete set of the written course materials and a 20% Discount Coupon for plant purchases in our Garden Shoppe. Class fee does not include access to the houses and museum. Pre-registration is required as space is limited. Free parking.
Members:$45 and Non-Members:$60
Registration coming soon.
Garden Class: Palm Reading
The iconic “tree” that identifies the tropics, is undoubtedly the palm. If you already have palms or wish to choose the best palm(s) for your landscape, don’t miss this class. We will cover the importance of understanding native versus exotic palms, their needs and care. We have nearly 150 species of palms at the Estates and once you know the importance of identification characteristics, you will gain confidence in beginning or adding to your collection. Our comprehensive palm discussion will include choosing for height, sun or shade, pruning issues, disease susceptibility and compatibility with other plants and trees. Following our classroom work, we will tour the property to see many palms for further discussion and questions.
NOTE: Most classes will be held in the Fort Myers-Lee County Garden Council Building (at the Berne Davis Gardens). The space is accessible and air-conditioned. Directions to the classroom and check-in instructions will be emailed to all registered participants 24 hours before the program. If the program includes a garden tour, be prepared with sun protection, comfortable walking shoes and water. Each participant will receive a complete set of the written course materials and a 20% Discount Coupon for plant purchases in our Garden Shoppe. Class fee does not include access to the houses and museum. Pre-registration is required as space is limited. Free parking.
Cost: Members: $45; Non-Members: $60
Registration coming soon
Garden Class: Shade Gardening
Even in the Sunshine State, don’t underestimate the beauty and value of creating a shade garden. In the tropics, there is a fascinating selection of herbaceous plants and shrubs that actually prefer to grow in the shade. This program will cover adding color, highlighting specimens and improving an existing shady corner with compatible plants. Shade gardens can produce spectacular flowers, fragrance and stunning foliage. Following the classroom portion, we will tour several shady corners of the Estates for further discussion and questions.
NOTE: Most classes will be held in the Fort Myers-Lee County Garden Council Building (at the Berne Davis Gardens). The space is accessible and air-conditioned. Directions to the classroom and check-in instructions will be emailed to all registered participants 24 hours before the program. If the program includes a garden tour, be prepared with sun protection, comfortable walking shoes and water. Each participant will receive a complete set of the written course materials and a 20% Discount Coupon for plant purchases in our Garden Shoppe. Class fee does not include access to the houses and museum. Pre-registration is required as space is limited. Free parking.
Cost: Members: $45; Non-Members: $60
Registration coming soon
Garden Class: Introduction to Orchid Growing
Available on either Tuesday afternoon or Saturday morning, we will explore the fascinating world of growing orchids. We will de-mystify repotting, feeding, and watering. Learn to identify the parts of an orchid and recognize some genera of this enormous plant world. Choosing the ideal orchids for tree mounting is included, as well as choosing the correct container. This class is a great springboard for attending our annual Orchid Symposium to be held in April, where vendors will be offering thousands of orchids for sale. Following the classroom presentation, we will take an orchid tour at the Estates.
NOTE: Most classes will be held in the Fort Myers-Lee County Garden Council Building (at the Berne Davis Gardens). The space is accessible and air-conditioned. Directions to the classroom and check-in instructions will be emailed to all registered participants 24 hours before the program. If the program includes a garden tour, be prepared with sun protection, comfortable walking shoes and water. Each participant will receive a complete set of the written course materials and a 20% Discount Coupon for plant purchases in our Garden Shoppe. Class fee does not include access to the houses and museum. Pre-registration is required as space is limited. Free parking.
Cost: Members: $45; Non-Members: $60
Registration coming soon
Garden Class: Introduction to Florida Gardening, Part II
Gardeners new to Florida gardening will enjoy a comprehensive overview of the challenges to our sub-tropical gardens. Though not required, this is a great add-on to the topics introduced in part one. Choose either a Tuesday afternoon or a Saturday morning session where we cover additional gardening topics such as Florida Friendly gardening, fertilizers and amendments, pests, diseases and their treatment, weed identification, introduction to growing tropical fruits, best herbs, growing grass (turf) and selecting plants for your landscape. Following the classroom portion, participants will be given a tour of the Moonlight Garden.
NOTE: Most classes will be held in the Fort Myers-Lee County Garden Council Building (at the Berne Davis Gardens). The space is accessible and air-conditioned. Directions to the classroom and check-in instructions will be emailed to all registered participants 24 hours before the program. If the program includes a garden tour, be prepared with sun protection, comfortable walking shoes and water. Each participant will receive a complete set of the written course materials and a 20% Discount Coupon for plant purchases in our Garden Shoppe. Class fee does not include access to the houses and museum. Pre-registration is required as space is limited. Free parking.
Cost: Members: $45; Non-Members: $60
Registration coming soon
Gardening Class: Fall for Fresh Vegetable Gardening
Autumn is the ideal time to start your vegetable and herb gardens here in Southwest Florida. This class will cover choosing ideal vegetables and disease resistant varieties, tips for dealing with pests, as well as soil and nutrition. All participants will receive a 20% discount coupon good for live plant purchases in our Garden Shoppe. Come prepared with a notebook, sun protection and water.
Anyone taking this class will have the first opportunity to rent a community garden at a 20% discount for the season (November 1 – April 30); subject to availability and completion of signed agreement.
Members: $45, Non-members: $60
Click here for registration page, and then click on the “Garden Classes” link.
Bromeliad Show & Sale
In partnership with the Caloosahatchee Bromeliad Society, there will be hundreds of different specimens of Bromeliads for sale, including rare species. The public will also be able to view the Society members’ rare specimens on display during the two-day show. Experts from the society will be on hand to answer questions about Bromeliads. Parking and admission to the event is free (does not include tours or admission to the museum and laboratory). A limited number of garden carts will be available; guests are encouraged to bring their own.
In addition, the Garden Shoppe will be open and stocked with trees, plants and edibles.
Autumn Garden Festival
Our annual Autumn Garden Festival will feature garden vendors with exotic and native plants and trees for sale, in addition to food trucks and live music.
Vendors will have many types of plants and trees, including air plants, bromeliads, butterfly plants, cacti, fruit trees, herbs, hibiscus, orchids, palms, succulents, and many hard-to-find species. The Garden Shoppe will be open and have unusual tropical and Florida native plants that thrive in Southwest Florida. Ceramic flowerpots, vegetable and flower seeds, garden art, and gardening gift items will also be available for purchase.
A limited number of garden carts will be available, so guests are encouraged to bring a cart or wagon for transporting plants. A designated plant holding tent and loading spot will be offered for anyone needing assistance.
Parking and admission to the festival is free (tours, museum and lab are not included).
Sponsored by Humana
Breakfast with the Birds
Join our plant curator and an experienced Audubon birding guide on an easy walk through our grounds.
Afterward, enjoy a drink and pastry from the on-site Banyan Café while you chat with fellow birders and the guides. This tour is outdoors and subject to cancellation due to weather. Registration is limited. Tour includes a beverage and sweet treat afterward from the Banyan Café. Does not include admission to the museum, laboratory or homes. It is recommended that participants bring binoculars and drinking water, and wear closed-toe shoes. Park and meet in the parking area directly across from 2153 Larchmont Avenue (Estates overflow parking).
Cost: Edison Ford members: $15; non-members: $20
Registration is required– click here to register.
