CFPACS Fall Meeting

[Bob Johnson]

It is my pleasure to announce the CFPACS Fall Meeting on October 16th in Orlando. All are invited - you do not need to be a CFPACS member to attend.

Schedule for CFPACS Fall Meeting, October 16

9:30-10:30 am: CFPACS Board meeting

10:30 am - noon: Garden tour of Dave Witt's

Dave Witt began growing palms at his Dr. Phillips property in 1993. As of 2008 he had over 130 palm species planted in the ground. All of these are planted on a typical subdivision lot, including a Corypha utan (it is damaged every time we have a freeze, but it still survives). Dave has served as CFPACS president (2001-2) and has compiled copious information on central Florida freezes. See Dave's web site ( http://bizmark.8m.com/) for a wealth of information on growing palms in central Florida.

Address: 7026 Burnway Dr., Orlando, FL 32819

Noon-1 pm: Lunch (on your own)

1:00 pm: Historical presentation (short video), garden tour and plant sale, Henry Nehrling Palm Cottage Gardens

Palm Cottage Gardens is the former home of famed horticulturalist Henry Nehrling, who purchased the property to establish a garden where he could experiment with tropical and subtropical plants year round. It is located in Gotha, Florida, a small community near Orlando that was founded by German Americans in the 1870s. The 1880s frame vernacular style home and semi-detached kitchen were moved by ox-cart to the site in the early 1900s.

Palm Cottage Gardens was Florida's first experimental botanical garden where Dr. Nehrling tested over 3,000 new and rare plants for the USDA. By the early 1900s it was a popular destination for thousands of tourists, nature lovers, and new Florida settlers. Many prominent people of the era, such as Theodore Roosevelt, Thomas Edison, Liberty Hyde Bailey, Theodore Mead and Dr. David Fairchild, marveled at the garden and celebrated Nehrling's extraordinary work.

Of the 60 plus acres purchased by Henry Nehrling between 1885 and 1897, only the 6-acre homestead site remains; a portion of this extends into Lake Nally. Remnants of the original 100-year old tree canopy and many of his plantings still exist, and the house is a charming and authentic example of pioneer Florida life. Please note: the property is in the process of being restored, and affords some rugged terrain. For this reason it is recommended that long pants and close-toed shoes be worn. One of the reasons for visiting at this time is to give CFPACS members a chance to see the property in its "before restoration" state. As the grounds are restored, CFPACS would like to play a role in bringing back some of the palm and cycad species that once grew at Palm Cottage Gardens.

Nehrling Gardens web site: http://www.nehrlinggardens.org/

Address: 2267 Hempel Ave., Gotha, FL 34734 - Please park across the street on the grassy area under the power lines in front of the Gymnasium.

For further information please see the CFPACS web site or the CFPACS Facebook page.

[SubTropicRay]

I'm looking forward to seeing Henry Nehrling's century old estate. Even if most of the original plantings are gone, the historical aspect is enough of a draw.

[Bob Johnson]

I'm looking forward to seeing Henry Nehrling's century old estate. Even if most of the original plantings are gone, the historical aspect is enough of a draw.

Yes, it is something special to set foot on ground with so much historical significance for horticulture in Florida. Hopefully CFPACS will be able to help them plant some of the species that were there in the past, once their restoration is underway. See you tomorrow.

[Bob Johnson]

Here is the latest info, schedule and directions:

CFPACS 2010 Fall Meeting

[Central Floridave]

I posted photos here:

http://www.palmtalk.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=25681