Florida Flowers and Gardens: 2015

The 7th Annual Art in the Gardens returns to the Edison and Ford Winter Estates from April 12 - May 15, 2015. The theme this year is “Flowers in the Garden" Each art piece must be made with recycled materials, and the artwork must be sturdy enough to withstand Florida weather. More than 20 Lee County Schools have their artwork on display for visitors to enjoy in the Heritage Garden. The student installations of garden art are incorporated into a background of flowers, plants and trees which are a permanent part of the truck garden. There is also a large collection of plants for sale, including butterfly garden plants. On the day I visited the garden, there were countless butterflies flitting around the area--more than I’ve ever seen flying around without being in an enclosure, drawn by the plants in bloom.

This year I think that the artwork exhibits done by the elementary school students outshone their older counterparts. The younger students came up with fun, creative, whimsical designs; while the exhibits of older students were more polished and professional-looking, they didn’t have the playfulness that the elementary students’ artwork displayed. But keep looking, and judge for yourself.

The Opening Reception for the exhibit was on April 12.

Fan-paddle flowers by Pine Island Elementary

Art teacher Gloria Van Duzer

A huge CD-flower behind Mina Edison

The flower made of many, many compact disks is by South Fort Myers High.

Art teachers Jeanne Dozier and Tina Miller

Maypole with streamers by Varsity Lakes Middle School.

On a windy day, the streamers got tangled up, or the effect would have been prettier.

Art teacher Marjorie Resler

Hubcap flowers by Lehigh Senior High

Art teacher Betsy H

Roses, LED light bulb flowers and mop-head flowers

Tribute to Mina and Hilda, A Swynnerton Rose

A rose garden in Staffordshire, England, commemorates the “Swynnerton Roses,” women who worked in an ammunition factory during World War II--a very dangerous job at the time because of the explosive ingredients of the munitions, such as TNT, and of bombing raids targeting the factory. (That’s all I learned about these roses. I’m not sure if this reference is correct, but it is an interesting story, anyway.)