A Phalaenopsis orchid. CATHY DUNN

On April 7 and 8, Edison and Ford Winter Estates is holding it’s annual “Grow Fort Myers” Plant Sale and Workshops event, combined with the Orchid Symposium that was cancelled last fall.

Plant Sale Only on Friday, April 7 (noon to 4 p.m.)

Plant vendors will set up their booths Friday morning and have plants available for sale starting at noon. There is no charge to attend the plant sale or the Garden Shoppe area. Tours or admission to the museum and lab or riverside of the property are not included. No workshops are taking place on Friday.

The following vendors will have orchids and other plants available for sale: Bello Tropicals, Florida Orchid House, Hang-a-Pot, Jim-N-I Orchids, Krull/Smith Orchids, OFE Orchid Supplies, Orchids Amore, Sierra Madre, SO Orchids, Sunland Orchids, and Tropiflora. Plus, the Garden Shoppe will be open and stocked with a large selection of plants and trees, and wildflower seeds will also be available.

Workshops and Plant Sale on Saturday, April 8 (9 a.m. to 4 p.m.)

Then on Saturday, April 8, the plant sale continues, along with workshops and guests can learn about the new wildflower garden. There is no charge to attend the plant sale; however, a ticket is required to attend the workshops. The ticket cost for the entire day of workshops is $25 for non-members or $20 for Edison Ford members. Tours or admission to the museum and lab or riverside of the property are not included.

Schedule for Saturday’s Workshops (ticket required):

• 10-10:45 a.m. — Growing Orchids as Houseplants; Michael Spelta, Orchid Specialist

• 11-11:45 a.m. — Unraveling the Mysteries of Orchid Potting; Stan Grigiski, Southwest Florida Orchid Society

• 12-1 p.m. — Wildflower Talk & Stroll; Debbie Hughes, Edison and Ford Winter Estates

• 1-1:45 p.m. — Introduction to Orchids; Mickey Carnell, Blue Pagoda Orchids

• 2-2:45 p.m. — Growing Orchids from Seedlings; Jim Davison, Jim-N-I Orchids

• 3-3:45 p.m. — Benign Neglect of Orchids; Robert Riefer, University of Florida

Visitors can also enter to win a rare and endangered, native Vanilla dilloniana orchid. The suggested donation for each raffle ticket is $5. The winner will be drawn at the end of the event on Saturday.

“With the help of a grant from the Florida Wildflower Foundation, we started a wildflower garden behind the laboratory, where Thomas Edison once grew rows and rows of Goldenrod,” said Debbie Hughes, horticulture director. “Visitors will be able to stroll through the wildflower garden and learn about the native plants.”

Tickets to attend the workshops may be purchased online at EdisonFord.org. Food and beverage vendors will have refreshments available for purchase on Saturday. Guests are encouraged to bring their own garden cart, as only a limited number will be available.

Edison and Ford Winter Estates

Edison and Ford Winter Estates is the internationally known winter home site of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford. More than 220,000 visitors walk through the location each year from all around the globe. The organization has received many awards, including the National Stewardship Award from the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the National Garden Clubs’ Historic Preservation Award. The property is an official project of “Save America’s Treasures,” a Florida Historic Landmark and a National Register Historic Site. The Edison Botanic Laboratory is a National Historic Chemical Landmark. The site is open every day except Thanksgiving and Christmas from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and until 9 p.m. during the month of December for Holiday Nights.