Diggin' Florida Dirt: Plant festival season is upon us

Plant festival season, my hands-down favorite Florida season, begins this month and continues through April with a lineup of great excuses to get outside.

While gardeners delight in the candy store-style array of plant varieties and yard art, plant fest organizers know we have friends and family who roll their eyes at the first mention of soil amendments. So many include live entertainment, kids' activities, fun foods and other attractions to entice those who don't think they're gardeners.

My experience? The non-gardeners almost always go home happily clutching a new plant pet, which (if they don't kill it) soon makes them one of us.

If you haven't visited a plant festival, here's why you should:

• Garden centers and nurseries stock many great plants but practical issues, like space, limit them. Plant festivals, on the other hand, invite dozens of vendors, many of whom specialize in growing and/or buying wholesale a specific group of plants, such as orchids, butterfly plants or fruit trees. Bring them together and we see far more varieties than a shop can hold, including many touted by experts as great for Florida.

• Discover new-to-you ornamental and edible plants that thrive in the Tampa Bay area but — again — can be hard to find at brick-and-mortar shops.

• Get growing advice from the people who actually grow the plants. (Caveat: Some vendors don't grow all of their own plants, but they should be able to tell you eveything you want to know about growing what they sell.)

• Find plants that have been grown locally, often from local seeds and cuttings, so they are acclimated to our conditions. They tend to be happier in your garden, with less maintenance, than, say, a plant shipped from Missouri.

Before you pack up family or friends to head out, prepare yourself for a great day. Mitch Armstrong and Annie Sprague of Mitch Armstrong Nurseries in St. Petersburg have been selling at plant fairs for years and offer their tips for getting the most out of your visit.

• Slather on the sunblock, slap on a hat and, if you don't like dirty feet, wear comfortable closed-toe shoes. Bring a wagon or cart. Some fests offer rental carts, while others have a place to drop off your purchases for pickup when you're ready to leave. When in doubt, it's best to bring more than your two hands.

• If you see something you love, buy it. Chances are, it won't be there when you circle back an hour later. The popular stuff sells out quickly.

• Go early for the best selection; go late for the best bargains.

• Vendors usually set up displays in conditions their plants like. Look for shade/indoor plants under tents or umbrellas and sun-bathers basking in rays.

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• If you're looking for unusual or rare plants, sniff around the check-out area. That's where most vendors keep merchandise they want to keep their eyes on.

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Plant festivals give us a great excuse to get outdoors and have fun on the cheap; offer teachable moments for kids, spouses and friends; and help us perk up our homes or landscapes with a pet that doesn't need housebreaking.

But, like most Florida seasons, plant fest season is fleeting. Grab it while you can!

Contact Penny Carnathan at pcarnathan49@gmail.com; visit her blog, digginfloridadirt.com; join in the chat on Facebook, Diggin Florida Dirt; and follow @DigginPenny.