GARDENING in FLORIDA Celebrating Earth Day Week & Green Thumb Festival

In this extended episode of Gardening in Florida, host Nanette Wiser is in the Planting Pinellas podcast studio near Chester Oaks 4-H Garden in Largo with PP hosts and Master Gardeners Alan Shapiro and Charlotte Vaughn,  host Theresa Badurek (Urban Horticulture Agent/Master Gardener Program Leader, Certified Arborist FL-1307A
UF/IFAS Extension, Pinellas County) plus community gardeners Pat & Amanda McGovern and Manu Keita.  With the Green Thumb Festival April 25 and 26, the IF/FAS and Pinellas County Extension folks will have a tent next to the entrance to answer your questions. We chatted about sustainable gardening, garden and vegetable growing tips for spring and why garden is both community building and good for your soul!
GREEN THUMB FESTIVAL St. Petersburg's annual Arbor Day Celebration, the Green Thumb Festival, brings together plant and flower lovers, as well as, individuals and families looking for a fun weekend activity. With more than 120 garden, plant and flower vendors and exhibitors, the annual event brings the community together for a weekend of fun.
Festival Activities & Information

Garden Wagon Rentals are available for $5. A driver's license is required to rent. 
CIty Environmental Resources Tent City Departments and Office under the City Environmental Resources Tent

Youth Activities & Adult Workshops  Spots are limited. Registration is required. View the list of workshops below and register online:
Saturday, April 25 11 AM: Birds of Prey Presentation - Participants will experience an up-close encounter with live birds of prey while also learning why these beautiful avian ambassadors call Boyd Hill Nature Preserve their home. Discussions will include each bird species’ natural histories and the importance of conserving their habitat to protect the birds still in the wild.
12 PM: Beneficial Bugs Spotlight: The Lovely Ladybug Workshop - In this lively and interactive seminar, Mr. H will guide youth to discover why ladybugs are considered one of nature’s most helpful garden heroes. Through fun, hands‑on exploration, participants will learn how ladybugs protect plants, what they eat, where they live, and why farmers and gardeners love them. Each youth will have the opportunity to examine a live ladybug up close in a magnifying bug box. Using simple observation prompts, participants will look for body parts, colors, spots, legs, and wings—making real scientific observations just like entomologists. Ages 5-12
1 PM: In Your Backyard: Animal Tracks & Identification - Have you found tracks in your back yard, but not sure what species could make
them? Learn how to identify the tracks you may find out in your yard or nature areas. Create your own track identification guide for local species.

Sunday, April 26 11 AM: Build a Butterfly Garden - Join rangers to learn about butterfly gardens and how they help local pollinators!
After our talk, you will build your own butterfly garden in an egg carton. We will have a variety of native flowers for planting. It’s your garden, so you get to choose the flowers!
1 PM: Flower Pot Decorating - Join rangers to learn about pollinators, native plants, and why they are important! After our talk, you will decorate a flower pot and plant a native plant to grow for your garden. We will have supplies for pot decorating and a native seed for planting.
Adult Workshops Saturday, April 25
10 AM: Planting Herb Seed Snails Workshop - Attendees will use potting soil and recycled plastic to create a roll to propagate herb seeds
2 PM: Catch the Rain Seminar - Are you interested in watering your plants from your own water source – a rain barrel? Join Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ educators as they present how to set up your own rain barrel and making use of rainwater in the landscape. Learn about practical approaches to harness our most precious resource - water, while reducing stormwater runoff. We will also discuss how to prepare for and manage your landscape during the dry season.
Sunday, April 26 10 AM: Flowers Workshop - Attendees will repot flowering plants into mini flower boxes.
2 PM: Orchids 101 Seminar - Mike Pollen will demonstrate repotting an orchid and talk about tips for growing a healthy beautiful plant.
Flower Show  The Garden Club of St. Petersburg displays their creativity through juried floral designs and crafts representing gardens from around the world. Exhibits are designed with a new theme each year.  The public is invited to vote for the best of show in both the horticulture and floral design category. Judging occurs the Friday before the festival and awards are given to the winners at the festival on Sunday at 3 p.m. inside Walter Fuller Recreation Center. All judges are from clubs within the Florida Federation of Garden Clubs District VIII and use standards set by the National Garden Clubs, Inc. and use standards set by the National Garden Clubs, Inc. For more information on the Garden Club, visit www.gardenclubstpetersburg.org.

UPCOMING Pinellas County IF/FAS EVENTS
Salt-Tolerant Plants for Pinellas County, Apr 21, 2026, 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM, Palm Harbor Library. Coastal living is a breeze, but gardening near the coast can be a challenge. Come and learn about plants that can tolerate salt water and storms here in Pinellas County. Class taught by Urban Horticulture Extension Agent Theresa Badurek. Free, to register:  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/salt-tolerant-plants-for-pinellas-county-tickets-1985072637696?aff=oddtdtcreator 
FL Fruit, Alternatives to Citrus, Apr 24, 2026, 11:00 AM to 12:00 Noon. McGough Nature Park, Largo, FL. Discover delicious Florida fruit alternatives to citrus that will tantalize your taste buds! Come Learn about the many tropical, subtropical, and hardy fruits that thrive in Florida as alternatives to citrus including mangoes, peaches, blueberries & starfruit. Free, to register:  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/fl-fruit-alternatives-to-citrus-tickets-1981948639734?aff=oddtdtcreator 
Catch the Rain, Saturday, April 25th, 2:00-3:00pm, Green Thumb Festival @ Walter Fuller Park: 7891 26th Ave N, St. Petersburg, FL 33710. Are you interested in watering your plants from your own water source – a rain barrel? Join Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ educators as they present how to set up your own rain barrel and making use of rainwater in the landscape. Learn about practical approaches to harness our most precious resource - water, while reducing stormwater runoff. We will also discuss how to prepare for and manage your landscape during the dry season. (Registration for class will be opening soon on the Green Thumb Website: here)
Orchids 101 - Presentation and Sale, Sat. May 2nd, 2026, 10am - 11am. Love orchids but a little afraid of them?? Join Michael Pollen from Art Stone to learn all about orchids! Learn how to care for orchids, repot them, mount them on wood and fertilize with this informational workshop. Orchids and care materials will also be available for purchase. Bring your mom for a special Mother’s Day gift! 
$5 for non-members, $2 for members. Registration required: www.flbgfoundation.org. Go to Events-Event Calendar-May-Orchids 101, Building C "patio" at the Florida Botanical Gardens (Outside the “Lighthouse”). Best to park at 12211 Walsingham Rd., Largo, FL  33778.
Trees and Hurricanes, May 14, 11:30 AM to 12:30 Noon, Boyd Hill Nature Preserve. Hurricanes damaged many trees in Pinellas County, but we can take steps to protect those that survived – and plant more! We’ll discuss basics of caring for trees and preparing them for the next hurricane season, as well as what trees are the most wind resistant and what trees will survive some coastal flooding. Free, to register:  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/trees-and-hurricanes-tickets-1980407438961?aff=oddtdtcreator

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