Latest Postings

South Indian River Fishing Report ( Captain Charlie Conner )
Tajci Returns ( Lorie Shekailo )
211 Provides Outlets for Troubled Teens ( Tara Martin )
Festival of Trees to Raise Money for Local Kids ( Lauren Espitia )
Explorer Wing LAUNCH a Success at Anchors Aweigh! ( Kendall Clifford, The Firefly Group )

share a story | more postings »

YourHub.com \\ Jensen Beach \\ Stories \\ Gardening

National Horticulturists Visit Rio Garden

e-mail to a friend | print this | link to this

Contributed by: Karinluise Calasant on 1/25/2007

National Horticulturists Visit Rio Garden

"La maison Fleurie" Tropical Botanical Garden in Rio/Jensen Beach was visited recently by several leading horticulturists in the United States.

Mr. Bosh Bruening, one of the Nation's top landscape plant producers; Dr. Norman Lownd, Director of Michigan State University's Children's Garden--the top-rated Children's Garden in the USA; Dr. Mark Miller, American Horticulture Society Board Member ( www.learn2grow.com); and Felder Rushing, author, radio host, TV personality, and southern garden expert visited the garden in November. They were part of a group of many garden experts including national botanical garden directors, who have been coming to the garden since May.

"These people were in no small way responsible for 'la maison Fleurie' becoming an accredited botanical garden," said Karinluise Calasant, who created the garden as a "private pleasure" in 1985. "Their enthusiasm for what we have done is very gratifying, and they all felt strongly that we share this garden with the public." Karinluise and her partner Al "Frog" Kreinbring maintain the garden which is also their private residence.

"La maison Fleurie" actually began its debut with the public on Stuart Garden Club's "Secret Garden Tour" in April 2006. "We were a favorite on the tour, and I knew we were unique," adds Karinluise. "But I didn't realize how impressed the directors of some of the largest public botanical gardens in the Country would be with us. We may have only 8,000 square feet of garden space, but we offer very extensive collections of tropicals not usually seen--even in much larger tropical botanicalgardens.Plus we are all organic. We don't use any toxic chemicals or commercial fertilizers and promote environmentally friendly gardening. Add to the fact that we do everything ourselves--and pay for it ourselves, makes us stand out from other gardens."

"La maison Fleurie" is a member of the American Public Garden Association (APGA) and is open to the public the first Saturday and Sunday of every month from 1 to 3 p.m., and also by appointment. Call (772) 334-1094 for more information.

[Report this as objectionable content.]

SUBMIT COMMENT

Rate the above story