(West Palm Beach, FL – January 23, 2025) – Mounts Botanical Garden’s annual Winter Plant-a-Palooza is just around the corner and promises to be a fun-filled weekend of highly sought-after plant growers and artisans from throughout the region and beyond, as well as a full line-up of presentations by experts on frogs, orchid care, and sustainable gardening.

 

“Whether you are an avid gardener, plant curious, or looking for an outdoor day of discovery with your family, we are excited to provide visitors of all ages the opportunity to be inspired by the natural world’s beauty while exploring our 20-acre tropical oasis during Plant-a-Palooza,” says Mounts Botanical Garden’s Executive Director Jim May.

 

Purchase your tickets in advance before 4:00 pm on Fri., Feb. 7 and save.

 

EVENT DETAILS:

• Date:  Sat., Feb. 8 and Sun., Feb. 9
• Location:  Mounts Botanical Garden of Palm Beach County | 531 N. Military Trail, West Palm Beach, FL 33415
• Cost:
  • Purchase tickets in advance before 4 pm on Fri., Feb. 7 & save!
  • FREE for Mounts Members, AHS Reciprocal Program Members, Children under 6
  • $18 advance purchase | $20 at gate – adults
  • $16 advance purchase | $18 at gate – seniors 65+, college students, military with ID
  • $11 advance purchase | $13 at gate – ages 6-17
• Registration:
  • Event is rain or shine; tickets are nonrefundable.
  • To purchase tickets, visit https://www.mounts.org/event/plant-a-palooza-winter-plant-sale-rain-or-shine/2025-02-08/.
  • No registration required for special guest speaker presentations. However, space is limited to first-come basis.

 

EVENT OVERVIEW

Mounts Botanical Garden’s two-day Plant-a-Palooza Winter Plant Sale features the finest plant growers, artisans, and experts from throughout the region and beyond. Visitors have the opportunity to fully engage in the world of plants, learn new gardening techniques, discover what’s trending, be inspired by expert speakers, and enjoy Mounts Botanical’s tranquil tropical oasis all at the same time.

 

• 50+ highly sought-after top growers and artisan vendors.
• Shop a wide variety of rare, exotic, and hard-to-find orchids, plants, trees, herbs, ornamentals, succulents, cactus, bonsai, butterfly/native plants, shrubs, and fruit trees, as well as garden accessories, baskets, fine crafts, and more.
• Learn about South Florida’s plant culture by speaking directly with growers.
• Fun and informative presentations by speakers and authors who are experts in their respective fields.
• Plus, additional horticultural ‘must-haves’ and unique treasures for your home and garden are available in the Garden’s Gift Shop, Nursery, and Vintage Garden Thrift Shop.
• Food and dessert trucks will also be at the Garden throughout both days.

 

PLANT-A-PALOOZA DAILY SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

 

SAT, FEB 8: 

 

8 am – 9 am | members-only preview

 

9 am – 4 pm | open to public 9 am – 4 pm; last entry 3:30 pm

 

9:30 am

Frog Specimen Display and Q&A with Dr. Steve Johnson, Tenured UF Professor in the Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation

 

Discover fascinating frog species, including invasive Cuban Tree Frogs and BUFO toads, and get all your frog and reptile questions answered!

 

About Steve A. Johnson, Ph.D.

Dr. Steve Johnson is a tenured faculty member in the Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation. Before joining the University of Florida, he worked as the State Sea Turtle Program Coordinator in North Carolina, and as a research wildlife biologist with the US Geological Survey (USGS). At the USGS, he coordinated efforts for the national Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative (ARMI) in the southeastern United States. Dr. Johnson’s area of expertise is natural history and conservation of amphibians and reptiles, and he has worked extensively with imperiled species. He is a member of several professional societies, including the Society for Conservation Biology, Herpetologists League, and The Wildlife Society.

 

11:00 am

The Fascinating World of Frogs and Their Habitats with Dr. Steve Johnson, Tenured UF Professor in the Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation

 

Dr. Steve Johnson, a distinguished researcher and expert in amphibian ecology and conservation, will share insights into the fascinating world of frogs and their habitats. Yes, Dr. Johnson brings with him live and preserved specimens for an engaging show-and-tell experience. Attendees will also learn about the PVC pipe method for capturing invasive Cuban tree frogs, a practical demonstration that highlights his commitment to managing invasive species. Dr. Johnson will provide educational literature to deepen your understanding of these remarkable creatures and their environments.

 

1:00 pm

Chemical Care for Your Orchids with Mike Sands

 

Owner of Tangled Roots Orchid Nursery, certified horticulturist, and Master Naturalist, Mike Sands is an experienced orchid specialist with a passion for helping growers succeed. Mike will cover essential chemical care for orchids, addressing common challenges such as pests and fungal issues. He’ll discuss the use of both organic and synthetic chemicals, as well as best practices for fertilization, highlighting important dos and don’ts. Whether you’re a novice or an experienced orchid enthusiast, Mike’s expertise will help you nurture healthy, thriving plants.

 

SUN, FEB 9: 

 

9 am – 3 pm | open to public; last entry 2:30 pm

 

9:30 am

Frog Specimen Display and Q&A with Dr. Steve Johnson, Tenured UF Professor in the Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation

 

Discover fascinating frog species, including invasive Cuban Tree Frogs and BUFO toads, and get all your frog and reptile questions answered!

 

11:00 am

The Fascinating World of Frogs and Their Habitats with Dr. Steve Johnson, Tenured UF Professor in the Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation

 

Dr. Steve Johnson, a distinguished researcher and expert in amphibian ecology and conservation, will share insights into the fascinating world of frogs and their habitats. Yes, Dr. Johnson brings with him live and preserved specimens for an engaging show-and-tell experience. Attendees will also learn about the PVC pipe method for capturing invasive Cuban tree frogs, a practical demonstration that highlights his commitment to managing invasive species. Dr. Johnson will provide educational literature to deepen your understanding of these remarkable creatures and their environments.

 

1:00 pm

Beyond Landscaping – Transforming Landscapes for a Sustainable Future with Environmental Steward & Master Gardener CJ McCartney

CJ McCartney will share her knowledge on how to create sustainable native landscapes with Florida Keystone native plants. There will be a special focus on endangered and threatened plants and how they will create wildflower and pollinator welcoming habitats.

 

After moving to South Florida from Chicago in the late 90s, CJ McCartney underwent a shift in interests. Unfettered from her company, and now living in a subtropical climate, she began cycling and hiking natural habitats and started noticing all the wildlife that lived in and depended upon them for survival. Along with a changing philosophy from “Somebody ought to do something about that, to one day realizing that she could do something,” she started learning how to be a knowledgeable and effective Environmental Steward. Along with training to become a Master Gardener, she started taking a variety of botanical and horticulture classes and seminars to supplement her formal education from Harvard University in public policy and urban management. Today, she works with PBC Environmental Resource Management vouchering plants and leading outreach activities, serves as the Master Gardner in Residence at Ann Norton Sculpture Garden, and serves on several Boards and gardening committees. Two decades later, that budding interest takes many forms — photographing nature, speaking to community groups as well as designing/installing pollinator and wildflower gardens are just some of the ways it shows up today. She approaches all her community service with an underlying belief that – together – we can mitigate the loss of natural habitats by creating a patch or a plot of wildlife friendly yards to offer our homeless wildlife and native plants a safe and welcoming haven.

 

PLANT-A-PALOOZA VENDORS

 

• Backyard Blooms FL - exotic plants, plant supplies
• Bactra - orchid benches, plant stands
• Barefoot Orchids - orchids
• Bromeliad Society of the Palm Beaches - bromeliads
• Broward Orchid Supply & Services - gardening supplies, plants, jewelry, crystals
• D.R. Bates Liners & Gallons - Florida natives, exotics, herbs
• Dan & Margie Orchids - orchids and related material
• Dee Vine Candles - luxury candles, diffusers with flower and bamboo sticks, hanging car diffusers, wax melts, jewelry
• Direct Floral - air plants, succulents, bromeliads, violets, ferns, blooming seasonal plants, gardenias
• Fantastic Ferns, LLC - ferns, tree fern products
• Freund Flowering Trees - flowering trees, shrubs, vines, natives, butterfly plants, fragrant plants, rare plants, citrus
• FTEstudios - ceramic and metal garden décor
• Gardino Nursery - rare and unusual tropical plants, flowering trees, fragrant and butterfly plants, unusual succulents
• Go Tropicals - tropical plants and fruit trees
• Grand LUX Flowers & Trees LLC - flowering ornamentals, foliage, rare plants
• Green Vibes - handmade concrete pots with plants
• Greenhouse Orchids - orchids, hanging orchid plants, handmade bamboo planters, coconut planters, mounting kits
• Growing Things - bananas
• HoyaPlants.com - hoya plants
• J.G.’s Tropicals - heliconia, ginger plants
• Jesse Durko’s Nursery - exotic aroids, landscape plants
• John Fendley / Ryan Ludwig aroids (monster, epipremnum, philodendron), orchids (vanda, cattleya, cattleya hybrids)
• Kreative Gardens - plants on the root orb plant system, flowering bushes, metal sculpture
• Life is a Koconut - hand-painted coconut shell planters, orchid arrangements in coconut shells, kokedamas, macrame plant hangers, hand-painted pots, coconut shell pendants/necklaces, coconut shell candles, natural stone bracelets
• Liquid Gold Honey - local raw honey, bee pollen, bee products
• Lisette Cedano - orchid pots, orchids, vases
• Lucky Bamboo 4 U Florida and Plants - carnivorous plants, pitcher plants, venus fly traps, lipsticks, African violets, episia, shade plants
• Magic Nursery - variety of plants
• Mounts Botanical Garden Nursery - natives, herbs, butterfly plants, ornamentals, ground covers, succulents, cactus, small trees, unusual shrubs
• Olena's Design             - crochet toys, kitchen scrubbies, organic moisture bars
• Orchid Society of the Palm Beaches - orchids
• Palm Beach Chapter of the Rare Fruit Council International - informational booth
• Revival Gardening - worm castings, organic potting soils, natural soil amendments, heirloom seeds, medicinal plant starts, organic gardening supplies
• Riverside Palms and Tropical Design - specialty palms
• Rooted by Two Sisters              - cactus, succulents, strings, ferns, hoys, philodendron, monstera, misc. accessories
• Sierra Madre Orchids & Bromeliads - orchids, tropical plants, aroids
• Spencer's Jupiter Farms Road Nursery, LLC - palms, edibles, ornamentals
• Tangled Roots Orchid Nursery - orchids and 4D pots
• Tropical Oils & Incense - essential oils, perfume body oils, fragrance oils, aroma lamps
• Tropical Orchid Society - informational booth
• UF/IFAS Master Gardener - informational booth
• Vina Planters - recycled plastic orchid baskets
• Xain's World - unusual fruit and edible plants, variegated and unusual aroids, gingers and halliconias, variegated monstera
• Yellow Green Exotic Garden - succulents including cacti, desert rose, yoya plants, dishgardens, tropical foliage

               

Food Trucks 

• Inspir-Asian Food Truck - Asian-inspired menu
• Kool Treats by Mama Dukes - Italian ice, popsicles, acai bowls, pretzels
• OMG That's Good Food Truck - sandwiches, kabobs, beverages, deserts

 

CURRENTLY ON EXHIBIT: THE FROGTASTIC RIBBIT THE EXHIBIT II BY ARTIST ANDY COBB

Back by popular demand, this collection of 18 larger-than-life, whimsical frog sculptures is on display throughout the Garden. Handcrafted by artist Andy Cobb, these sculptures create playful and imaginative explorations of amphibians while offering engaging programming about real frogs and their vital role in the ecosystem.

 

EXPLORE MOUNTS ANYTIME, FROM ANYWHERE WITH FREE MOBILE GARDEN GUIDE

Can’t visit in person? Explore Mounts Botanical Garden from anywhere in the world with the Mobile Garden Guide, available free via Bloomberg Connects. This multimedia app features interactive maps, exhibition highlights, and exclusive photo, audio, and video content to enhance the visitor experience. Learn more and download: www.mounts.org/mobile-garden-guide.

 

ABOUT MOUNTS BOTANICAL GARDEN OF PALM BEACH COUNTY

With a mission to inspire and educate through nature, Mounts Botanical Garden is Palm Beach County’s oldest and largest botanical garden. Spanning 20 acres, the Garden features an acclaimed collection of 25 unique garden areas with more than 7,000 species of tropical and sub-tropical plants, including Florida natives, exotic fruit trees, palms, and bromeliads. Mounts Botanical Garden is part of the Palm Beach County Cooperative Extension Department, in partnership with the University of Florida and the non-profit Friends of Mounts Botanical Garden.

 

This project is sponsored in part by:

• The Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners
• The Tourist Development Council
• The Cultural Council for Palm Beach County

 

ATTACHED IMAGE:

• Mounts Botanical Garden Plant-a-Palooza (phot credit: Mounts Botanical Garden)
• Steve A. Johnson, Ph.D. (photo credit: courtesy of Steve Johnson, Ph.D.)
• CJ McCartney (photo credit: courtesy of CJ McCartney)
• Mike Sands (phot credit: courtesy of Mike Sands)

 

AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEW:

Misty Stoller – Director of Marketing & Communications, Mounts Botanical Garden
954.292.8169

[email protected]

 

MEDIA CONTACT:

Gary Schweikhart – PR-BS

561.756.4298

[email protected]