The Old Appearances page, which I've kept so you could see where I've been.
![]() |
At dawn leaving for a multi-event trip on a previous #FloweredShirtTour |
Thanks to all the hosting organizations!
![]() |
![]() |
Sue Reed and I did not debate climate change, but provided 100s of practical actions that you can take right now in your yard and in your community. Published by New Society Press in 2018, it lists for $29.99, but I'll be selling it for $20 at my events. You may order a copy directly from our website www.climatewiselandscaping.com | This book walks you through the process of nativizing a small Florida yard. Written with Marjorie Shropshire it was published in 2018 and lists for 21.95. I'll be selling it for $20 at my events. Order a copy on Amazon |
Past events on the 2018 #FloweredShirtTour listed by date:

(I apologize for not taking a group photo for this event.)
![]() |
We had a great time at a green facility. |

A good turn out filled up the room and people were surprised at how much they learned. They also went home with boxes full of native plants to get a good start.


7pm at Land O'Lakes Heritage Park 5401 Land O'Lakes Blvd, Land O'Lakes, FL 34639


10am outside in the garden, so bring a chair and wear a hat. 430 W 18th St, Sanford, FL 32771
![]() |
![]() |
There were more than 20 gardeners that hot morning. | I brought crops and harvests to share. |
![]() |
We had more than 30 people at this event! Sometimes they're camera shy. |




in Fort Myers, FL 33912.

More people joined us as we got going and there was even a group of people who were listening from the balcony.

![]() |
![]() |
Lake Beautyberry members setting up the plant sale. | Workshop attendees bought plenty of plants to get started with their nativizing projects. |

It was a good group with lots of good questions, but the only photo I got was this beautiful Echo Moth behind the Steinhatchee Community Center.

Here are some of the group. >>

![]() |
![]()
in DeLand, FL So many gardeners in one room and with so much enthusiasm!
![]() ![]() 6:30pm in Stuart, FL 34997 It was a great evening and an enthusiastic group. Thanks everyone! ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() was cancelled due to Hurricane Michael heading toward the Big Bend Area of the state. |


![]() |
Marion County Master Gardeners: what an active group! Event #26 of my #FloweredShirtTour |

(Yes, I wore the same flowered shirt all day, so there was a back-to-back repeat.)



6:30pm Vero Beach Community Center, 2266 14th Ave, Vero Beach 32960

at Audubon House, inVero Beach 32962

at Hillsborough Co. Extension Service , Seffner, FL 33584

Bradenton Area Convention Center. What a wonderful event.

![]() |
One of the best landscape plans... |

![]() |
Thanks to the Broward FNPS Chapter for being such a good host. |



7pm at The Enchanted Forest Sanctuary, 444 Columbia Blvd, Titusville, FL 32780

![]() |
More than 50 people attended my presentation on Native Plants. |

at the Crystal River state park. We filled the room with about 50 people.

in the haunted house room at Belleview Public Library because early voting was in the main meeting room.









for Central Florida Sierra Club was fun group. When we talked about how important food is, I gave out some of my harvest including 2 Seminole pumpkins.


at the Monroe County Government Center (Gato Building) 1100 Simonton Street Key West, FL 33040 This was a bonus event that was added just a few weeks prior to the date. This was actually the first stop on a cruise where I was a lecturer that was headed to Cuba.
I'll be covering topics from my two (2!) new books "A Step-by-Step Guide to a Florida Native Yard" and "Climate-Wise Landscaping: Practical Actions for a Sustainable Future."
Normally, I give presentations only during book tours, so now is the time to contact me to make a date for your organization.
So follow this blog or follow me or the Sustainable Gardening for Florida page on Facebook. where I'll be announcing the next tour. I'm presently working a few more book projects for University Press of Florida, so more tours will be coming.
Previous events:
Two special events in May 2016

![]() |
Thanks to Keren Giovengo (left front) for organizing this great event. |
![]() |
Anne Cox presented me with a Silver Palmetto Award. |

I gave a presentation on Rain Gardens in Florida as part of the 2016 Florida Native Plant Society conference in Daytona Beach, I'd guess about 100 people attended my presentation, but I did not get a photo of the group. Here's a link to my post on Rain Gardens on the FNPS blog.
Also, I was honored to accept a very special Silver Palmetto Award for service. Part of the reason given for this award was all the presentations that I gave for FNPS chapters at their meetings and other special events. I'd like to thank those chapters for all their hard work on behalf of Florida and her native ecosystems.
Also, I was honored to accept a very special Silver Palmetto Award for service. Part of the reason given for this award was all the presentations that I gave for FNPS chapters at their meetings and other special events. I'd like to thank those chapters for all their hard work on behalf of Florida and her native ecosystems.
![]() |
The Art of Maintaining a Florida Native Landscape |
~ ~ ~
The fall 2015 book tour (Aug. 31st through Nov.10th) was wonderful. Thanks to everyone who organized these events.
The #FloweredShirtTour was in celebration of the release of The Art of Maintaining a Florida Native Landscape, I made myself available for speaking engagements for 11 weeks. I scheduled 35 events in that time. Whew!!Some of the events are listed here.
FNPS = Florida Native Plant Society)


Speaker at Paynes Prairie FNPS Chapter. This presentation covers topics from The Art of Maintaining a Florida Native Landscape. Free and open to the public. This was a great event, 50 people came, they asked good questions, and they bought a lot of books. Thanks to the Paynes Prairie Chapter for organizing it and doing great things.

Speaker at Coccoloba FNPS Chapter. This presentation covers topics from The Art of Maintaining a Florida Native Landscape.
![]() |
Another great FNPS group.. Yay! |

Leading a 3-hour native plant workshop "The Art of Maintaining a Florida Native Landscape" sponsored by the of Bonita Springs in Lee County. Another great group learned some stuff about native landscaping. 3 hours allows for more in-depth immersion.
![]() |
A few people also attended the FNPS chapter meeting the previous evening, but mostly this group was new. |

Speaker at the Conservation Lands Workshop. This is an all-day event, which is organized by Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program. www.CHNEP.org
![]() |
About 70 people, mostly land managers attended this workshop. |

Speaker at the Lyonia Environmental Center. This presentation covered landscaping for birds and pollinators with native plants and sustainable gardening methods.
![]() |
In addition to the public event, which was well-attended, I'd also organized an all day workshop for the FNPS council of chapters. There were lots of great ideas. |

Speaker at the Sarracenia FNPS Chapter meeting. This presentation covered topics from "The Art of Maintaining a Florida Native Landscape"in Crawfordville, FL 32326. This was the farthest west event in this tour.
![]() |
Another great group on the #floweredshirttour |

Speaker at the Florida Local Food Summit organized by FOG (Florida Organic Growers). My topic was 101: Intro to Organic Farming. I summarized this fabulous event here.

Speaker at The Villages FNPS Chapter.
![]() |
We had a great crowd of more than 50 people (I was adjusting the wearable mic.) |

Speaker at the Wildflower Symposium at Leu Gardens.
![]() |
Registration was limited to 40 people and we did fill the Garden Cottage. More came in after the photo was taken. |

Speaker at an event at Crystal River Preserve State Park organized by the Citrus FNPS Chapter and others. The presentation celebrated the beginning of Native Plant Month in Florida.
![]() |
More than 40 people came on a Thursday afternoon, most had never been to a native plant society function before. |

Signing books at the Working on the Green Sustainability Summit. This event gave people from schools, government, businesses, and communities a chance to network about green issues.

- I participated in the author signing at Lakeside Inn on Friday evening.
- I gave 2 presentations on Saturday at the Wings & Wildflower Festival at Venetian Gardens.
![]() |
This was the afternoon session on butterfly gardens, a last minute request because the original presenter had had a family emergency. |

Speaker at the Hernando FNPS Chapter meeting in Brooksville, FL.

I led a 3-hour native plant workshop "The Art of Maintaining a Florida Native Landscape" sponsored by the Cocoplum FNPS Chapter at Morgade Library in Stuart.
![]() |
70+ people came to this great workshop... |

I gave a presentation at Vero Beach Book Center And Maple Tree Natives sold plants to lots of the attendees as they left the store..
![]() |
It was a pretty good crowd for a Sunday afternoon. Again more than 70 came. What fun. |

I was the speaker at the Pawpaw FNPS Chapter meeting in South Daytona, FL
![]() |
This was another fun group. |

I led a 2-hour class on native gardening in St. Augustine organized by Renee Stambaugh of Native Plant Consulting.
![]() |
Renee hosts monthly classes on native plants, so it was fun to lead this one. She also brought some beautiful fall blooming plants, which sold like hotcakes. I sold a lot of books as well. |

I was the speaker at the Ixia FNPS Chapter meeting in Jacksonville.
![]() |
While this may look like just another stop on my #FloweredShirtTour, Ixia is my home chapter, so it was nice to see everyone. |

I gave a presentation at a plant sale event sponsored by the Nature Coast FNPS Chapter.
![]() |
At Land O'Lakes Community Center. |

Presentation, "Inviting Birds to your yard with Native Plants" at the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary.
![]() |
We had a nice group at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary |

I signed books at the statewide Master Gardeners conference in Kissimmee. Master Gardeners volunteer their time for many projects and events. Lots of important stuff is accomplished by these dedicated folks.
![]() |
This was my post at the Master Gardener Conference. I wrote about it here. |

My presentation at the Sea Oats FNPS Chapter meeting in St. Augustine Beach, was well received.
![]() |
And they offered wonderful snacks made from native plants, a dollarweed & dill dip and a monarda & lemon cookie. |

I was a speaker & vendor at Backyard Biodiversity Day at Mead Gardens in Winter Park, FL 32789
October 26
Speaker at the Marion Big Scrub FNPS Chapter meeting at the Belleview Public Library in Belleview, FL.
![]() |
It was a beautiful day at Mead Gardens. We ended up with 30 or so people coming to my presentation at the barn. It was hard to drag people away from the plants and all the wonderful vendors. |

Speaker at the Marion Big Scrub FNPS Chapter meeting at the Belleview Public Library in Belleview, FL.

I was a vendor at the Orange Park Farmers Market. It was a beautiful day, I talked with many people, handed out brochures for the Florida Native Plant Society with the message that we think that Florida should look like Florida and not Hawaii, and I sold some books. For people who bought books, I handed out native meadow garlic (Allium canadense) and garlic chives (A. tuberosum) for their herb gardens.
A last minute event on the #FloweredShirtTour.

I was the speaker at the Tarflower FNPS Chapter meeting.
![]() |
There was a good crowd in Orlando. |

I was a speaker at a special event organized by the Lake Beautyberry FNPS Chapter. This presentation was, "The Role of Native Plants in your Sustainable Garden."
![]() |
This diverse crowd included Master Gardeners, young farmers, Native Plant Society members and others. |

I was a speaker & exhibitor at Forest Festival at the Enchanted Forest Sanctuary. in Titusville
![]() |
A small group came inside to hear my talk. There were lots & lots of activities for kids, demonstrations, and guided nature walks. Fun! |

I was a speaker at The Sparkleberry FNPS Chapter meeting at Hatch Park Community Center in Branford in Suwanee County.
![]() |
This chapter serves several rural counties, but we had a pretty good crowd. I had one last flowered shirt for this event. |
No comments:
New comments are not allowed.