The Allamanda Garden Club of North Port, Florida

Allamanda Garden Club Meeting
2022-05-27 13:00 - 16:00 UTC | McKibben Park, 5500 Trekell St, North Port, FL, 34287
Wondering how you can get land in your neighborhood protected from development? Learn about The Environmental Conservancy of North Port and their efforts to protect wild areas in our community.
Director, Barbara Lockhart will discuss the mission of the organization and the “neighborhood” approach they’re using to based on the City of North Port’s neighborhood map.
All neighborhoods in Sarasota and Charlotte Counties have been mapped and given names and/or subdivision section numbers to identify them. Learn what “neighborhood” you live in by clicking on this link: North Port Neighborhoods
Find out how you can get involved in protecting green space.
See you @ McKibben Park on Friday, May 27th @ 1:00PM

Growing Vegetables in Florida
2022-09-23 13:00 - 15:30 (America/New_York) | Shannon Staub Library, 4675 Career Lane, North Port, FL, 34289
If you grew a vegetable garden “up north,” you may have to rethink your strategy in Florida.
Phil Sollecito will speak about growing a successful, mostly organic vegetable garden in the hot, humid and sometimes frosty south.

He will share his experiences with vegetable varieties, timing your plantings, soil preparation, bugs, diseases and more.
Phil has a degree in Fishery Biology (his other passion is fishing!). He’s been vegetable gardening for eight years in North Port and over 40 years “up north.” Come hear how he met the challenges of gardening in Florida.

You’ll be able to see all the fabulous gardens at his home when he and Wendy host a Cocktails in the Garden on November 3rd.

Post-Hurricane Ian Social
2022-10-28 13:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York) | Carol Swanson’s Home, 6563 Pitomba St, North Port, FL, 34286
Please join us as we get together to talk about how Hurricane Ian has affected our lives and our gardens. We’ll discuss how we move forward with future events.
Carol Swanson has graciously offered to host our meeting at her home – address below.

What's Wrong with My Orchid?
2023-01-27 13:00 - 15:30 UTC | Shannon Staub Library, 4675 Career Lane, North Port, FL, 34289
At the next meeting of The Allamanda Garden Club, Rick Belisle, orchid expert from the Venice Area Orchid Society will give a presentation on dividing, repotting, and mounting orchids. He’ll also conduct a problem-solving “clinic”. Participants are encouraged to bring in their orchids for diagnosis and problem solving. Come learn the secrets for success with orchids on Friday, January 27, 2023 @ 1:00PM @ the Shannon Staub Library, 4675 Career Lane, North Port

Spring Has Sprung - 2023 Flower Show
2023-03-30 10:00 - 15:30 (America/New_York) | Shannon Staub Library, 4675 Career Lane, North Port, FL, 34289
Susie Cochran, our Flower Show Chair, and her crew have planned a simple horticulture and design show that will let all of you shine! Don’t be shy! Go for it!
It’s easy! There are several ways to participate.
The design theme is Spring Bouquet
If you’ve taken one of the recent workshops, you can enter your creation in one of the design categories:

Dried flower wreaths
Steppingstones
Flower Pounding Art (Tataki Zome)
Make a table arrangement meant to be viewed from one side

Please note that categories 1 and 4 must be composed of plant material – nothing artificial. If it comes from a plant, you can use it! Dried plant material can be spray painted.
To make things run smoothly on the day of the show, please pre-register your entry with Emily Panek by phone 941-786-1541 or email msemilypanek@comcast.net. Simply give her your name, phone number and/or email address and let her know what you’re entering.

For horticulture, bring any of the following:
1) Cuttings from one or more plants in your yard (shrub, tree, annual or perennial) that are healthy and attractive. This can be a flower, leaves, or branches (no longer than 30 inches). Just go out into your yard Thursday afternoon or evening and take cuttings of your favorite plants, place them in water and hold them overnight in a cool area of your house to acclimate them.
2) Container grown/potted plants that you have owned and cared for two months or more. This can be any healthy, attractive potted plant or hanging basket – foliage, flowering, or succulent plants. The only limitation is that it must be small enough to be lifted easily by the show volunteers. (Less than 20 pounds) Please do not bring big heavy floor plants.
Bring your entries and plants to the Shannon Staub Library Thursday morning, March 30th @ 9:00AM. There will be volunteers to help you identify your plant by its botanical name. Judging begins @ 11:30AM. Find out about how entries placed and see the ribbons awarded when you arrive for the Membership Meeting @1:00PM.
Here is a printable version of the schedule:
https://allamandagardenclub.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Spring-Has-Sprung.pdf

Spring Social Luncheon
2023-04-21 11:30 - 15:00 (Asia/Dubai) | FL
Our next meeting will be a social event with plenty of opportunity to socialize, get to know each other a little better and say goodbye to our “snow bird” members before they make their way back to the North!
Spring Social Luncheon at Farlow’s on the Water in Englewood, (2080 S McCall Rd) on April 21st @ 11:30AM. We’ll order off the menu. It’s always so fun to get together like this!
We need to provide a head count to the restaurant so they can prepare. Please email or text Lisa Colburn if you’d like to attend…. And, if you have a friend who’s been toying with the idea of joining our club, please bring them along too!
Our scholarship winners will be announced at this event, We hope to see everyone there for camaraderie and conversation.

Potluck & Plant Exchange
2023-05-26 12:00 - 15:00 UTC | Shannon Staub Library, 4675 Career Lane, North Port, FL, 34289
Please mark your calendar for our next meeting on May 26th @ 12:00PM at the Shannon Staub Library, 4675 Career Lane, NP. This meeting will begin with a potluck lunch. Please bring something to share that requires no heating. (Finger-foods, appetizers or desserts) and bring your own beverage.
This meeting will feature a plant exchange. Bring a potted plant from your yard to contribute to the exchange. Be prepared to talk about the plant – what it is and how to care for it.
Please note the earlier time for this meeting!

Hawaiian Luau & Growing Pineapples in Your Garden
2023-09-22 13:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York) | Shannon Staub Library, 4675 Career Lane, North Port, FL, 34289
Join the Allamanda Garden Club for a Hawaiian Luau – complete with leis!
Phil Sollecito, Master Gardener from Charlotte County, will speak about Growing Pineapples in Your Garden. Learn Phil’s secrets of success with growing everyone’s favorite tropical fruit – the pineapple! From propagation to gauging ripeness for harvest – with a little of its interesting history, too.
Phil and Wendy moved to North Port in 2014, and immediately started planting their large vegetable garden, fruit trees and pineapples. They now have over 40 fruit trees and 130 pineapple plants!

DIY Drip Irrigation
2023-10-27 13:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York) | North Port Public Library, 13800 Tamiami Trail, North Port, FL, 34287
Learn about Do-it-Yourself Drip Irrigation
Jackie Lebouitz, Program Assistant from the Sarasota County Extension Water Resources Program will present a program about how to transition from high-flow spray heads to low-flow drip irrigation, just one of the ways you can conserve water in the landscape.

Alter-Natives
2023-11-17 13:00 - 15:30 (America/New_York) | Shannon Staub Library, 4675 Career Lane, North Port, FL, 34289
What you plant in your landscape matters. Invasive plants compete with native plants for nutrients, light, water, and space. They have the potential to cause harm to the environment and economy. Learn which plants in our area are invasive and what to plant instead for a Florida-Friendly landscape that can be both beautiful and environmentally friendly.
Presentation by Sue Watts, Chair of the Master Gardener Speaker’s Bureau in Charlotte County.

Palms – Why is My Palm Sick?
2024-01-26 13:00 - 15:30 (America/New_York) | Shannon Staub Library, 4675 Career Lane, North Port, FL, 34289
It wouldn’t be a Florida landscape without a palm tree swaying in the breeze, but what can potentially make your palm tree sick? Donna Worthley, a 30-year University of Florida Master Gardener volunteer, will present a power point regarding palm nutrition needs, diseases that can infect palms in your landscapes, as well as insects that can attack your palms. Any of these issues might be why your palm is looking “under the weather” and why your palm might be sick!

The Tale of Atala and Coontie
2024-03-22 13:00 - 15:30 (America/New_York) | North Port Public Library, 13800 Tamiami Trail, North Port, FL, 34287
The Tale of Atala and Coontie: FFL Success Story, Forest Hecker, Community Educator with the University of Florida Sarasota County Extension will present a program about the Atala butterfly that is back from the brink of extinction in part due to our Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ choices. The history of the Atala’s host plant and our colonization of Florida is an interesting one. Veranda Room @ NP Public Library, 13800 Tamiami Trail, NP

Potluck and Plant Exchange
2024-05-31 12:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York) | Shannon Staub Library, 4675 Career Lane, North Port, FL, 34289
Please mark your calendar for our next meeting on May 31st @ 12:00PM at the Shannon Staub Library, 4675 Career Lane, NP. This meeting will begin with a potluck lunch. Please bring something to share that requires no heating. (Finger-foods, appetizers or desserts) and bring your own beverage.
This meeting will feature a plant exchange. Bring a potted plant from your yard to contribute to the exchange. Be prepared to talk about the plant – what it is and how to care for it.
Please note the earlier time for this meeting!

Success with Succulents in SW Florida
2024-10-04 13:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York) | North Port Public Library, 13800 Tamiami Trail, North Port, FL, 34287
Our rescheduled September program title is “Success With Succulents in SW Florida”. Florida Master Gardener Joyce Laubach will share information gained from her years of experience growing succulents in our area of SW Florida. The primary focus will be on outdoor growing – in ground and in containers, including information on optimal plant varieties, design considerations, tools and materials. Many online resources provide information most relevant to growing succulents in California and Arizona. You will learn that you CAN be successful in Florida, and Joyce will help you understand how “Right Plant – Right Place – Right Site Preparation” applies to a wide range of succulent plant types. Handouts with the information presented will be provided.

Joyce’s research into gardening in Zone 10A began even before the move. She excitedly anticipated the expanded opportunity to pursue her passion for succulents – being able to grow them outdoors as well as indoors. She arrived with a scrapbook of ideas only to receive some feedback from pro landscapers discouraging the use of many of the succulent plants that interested her. Sample comments: too rainy, too hot, property too small! But her research indicated a path forward that she pursued – of course learning more along the way based on research, trial and error.
Joyce’s home is now surrounded by a wide array of succulent plants along with many varieties of Bromeliads, which became her second love in the garden. Having identified the succulent varieties best suited to the local climate, Joyce was able to expand beyond her own home to design succulent beds at the Punta Gorda Nature Park, the Master Gardener Demonstration Gardens and the Punta Gorda History Park. She has delivered presentations that share her developed expertise with audiences sponsored by both Charlotte and Collier County Master Gardener programs as well as teaching a class online for the Succulents and Sunshine.com community.
Her presentation will concentrate on the plants and techniques that are appropriate to having success with succulents in Southwest Florida outdoor gardens. She is now able to tell those pro landscapers that their original input was inaccurate as long as optimal knowledge is applied , and she delights in sharing that knowledge with others!

Magnificent Mangoes in Your Home Garden
2024-10-25 13:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York) | North Port Public Library, 13800 Tamiami Trail, North Port, FL, 34287
Phil Sollecito, Charlotte County Master Gardener, will speak about how to grow Mangoes in your landscape. He speaks from 9 years’ experience and draws on information from far-away mango growing regions such as Australia and Ghana.
He will provide in-depth information to help you choose varieties based on time of fruit ripening, disease resistance, tree size, and fruit fiber and flavor. Also on planting and pruning the trees for best fruit production, determining stages of ripeness and when to pick the fruit.
The meeting will be held in the Veranda Room of the North Port Library.

Xeriscaping and Florida Friendly Landscaping
2024-11-22 13:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York) | Shannon Staub Library, 4675 Career Lane, North Port, FL, 34289
Justin Taylor from MRT Lawn and Garden Center will be speaking to our club about Xeriscaping and Florida Friendly Landscaping. The discussion will include information on establishing a water-efficient landscape by implementing practices to conserve water and reducing the amount of resources needed to maintain them.

Holiday Party
2024-12-10 12:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York) | Charlotte Harbor Yacht Club, 4400 Lister St, , FL, Port Charlotte, FL, 33952, United States
Allamanda Garden Club
Holiday Luncheon – 2024
Join us at the beautiful Charlotte Harbor Yacht Club for our Annual Holiday Luncheon.
Let the Gift Swapping begin…with a Deal or Steal Gift Swap. To participate in the fun, you must bring a wrapped gift preferably in an unmarked gift bag – $20 value. Please bring something you would want to receive yourself: a nice plant, beautiful garden pot, baked goods, Christmas ornament, garden tools, artwork, or something silly or quirky we can fight over. Try to be creative!
Please RSVP directly to JoJo so she can let the restaurant know how many will attend.
For more information contact JoJo Lucibello, (203) 506-3740 jlucibello@msn.com
or Terri Day, (317) 908-8699 terriday@sbcglobal.net
For a poster of the event, click here.

New Beginnings Flower Show
2025-01-24 10:00 - 15:30 (America/New_York) | Shannon Staub Library, 4675 Career Lane, North Port, FL, 34289
January 24, 2025 CRAFTS & DESIGNS
ARTISTIC CRAFTS
1. “Gnomes” – A Winter Gnome made with fresh materials. No artificial.
2. “Cracked Pots” – Plants will not be judged but should be in pristine condition. No artificial material.
DESIGN CLASSES
1. “Show what you grow” – Design may include plants, veggies, herbs, etc. grown by the exhibitor. List on
an index card: the plant by name with your name on the back. (Botanical name not needed)
2. ”Fresh Start” – Design arrangement of fresh and/or dried material. Dried material can be spray painted.
List all plant names on an index card and your name on the back. (Botanical names not needed.)
All designs will be staged on a 36” high table.
HORTICULTURE
1. Cuttings – Grower may bring whatever horticulture looks good at the time of the show, as long as it has
been in your possession for 90 days or more, 60 days in combination plantings, and weighs no more
than 20 lbs. Plants will be placed according to types, such as bromeliads, orchids, succulents, cacti,
container-grown foliage, container-grown flowering, cut foliage, cut flowering, and dish gardens.
Grower will have their name and the plants’ names (the botanical name is suggested) on an index card.
Bottles will be provided for cut specimens.
RULES
Form – Plants should be centered in the pot, well-rounded (not one-sided) Pot should fit the size of the plant.
Foliage – well-hydrated, vibrant color, healthy, lush. No damage, pests, disease, or dirt. Signs of new growth
and pups are okay.
Flowers – present if required. (no faded blooms)
Grooming – clean pots, clean plants, no debris, no dead leaves, etc. Must be in pristine condition.
To make things run smoothly on the day of the show, please pre-register your DESIGN entry with Emily Panek
by phone at 941-786-1541 or email msemilypanek@comcast.net Simply give her your name, phone number,
and email address, and let her know what you’re entering.
Bring your entries and plants to the Shannon Staub Library on Friday morning, January 24, 2025, between 9 and
10 AM. There will be volunteers to help you identify your plants by botanical name.
Judging will begin at 11 AM.
Find out about how entries are placed and see the ribbons that were awarded when you arrive for the
Membership Meeting at 1 PM.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly presented by Alice White
2025-03-28 13:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York) | North Port Public Library, 13800 Tamiami Trail, North Port, FL, 34287
Please note the change in location for this month’s meeting. We will meet in the Veranda Room at North Port Library.
Alice White’s PowerPoint presentation discusses the BEST native trees to plant in an area (the good), trees that are NOT RECOMMENDED (the bad), and the tree that are PROHIBITED/ABSOLUTELY NOT RECOMMENDED to plant (the ugly).

Potluck and Plant Exchange
2025-05-23 12:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York) | Shannon Staub Library, 4675 Career Lane, North Port, FL, 34289
Please mark your calendar for our next meeting on May 23rd @ 12:00PM at the Shannon Staub Library, 4675 Career Lane, NP. This meeting will begin with a potluck lunch. Please bring something to share that requires no heating. (Finger-foods, appetizers or desserts) and bring your own beverage.
This meeting will feature a plant exchange. Bring a potted plant from your yard to contribute to the exchange. Be prepared to talk about the plant – what it is and how to care for it.
Please note the earlier time for this meeting!

Flowering Trees and Shrubs for Southwest Florida
2025-09-26 13:00 - 15:30 (America/New_York) | Shannon Staub Library, 4675 Career Lane, North Port, FL, 34289
Sandy Miller, Charlotte County Master Gardener, will discuss and display (through photos) numerous examples of small to medium-sized flowering trees and shrubs, as well as other colorful plants that are well-suited to our growth zones. The talk will discuss growth habits, plant care, suitable/unsuitable planting locations, as well as pests and diseases.

Wildlife-Friendly Gardens
2025-10-24 13:00 - 15:30 (America/New_York) | Shannon Staub Library, 4675 Career Lane, North Port, FL, 34289
Stefan Kalev, MS, North Port Natural Resources Manager, will share ways homeowners can design landscapes that attract beneficial wildlife while maintaining ecological balance.

Bonsai Basics
2025-11-21 13:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York) | Shannon Staub Library, 4675 Career Lane, North Port, FL, 34289
Rick Johnstone and Susan Mathews of Ichiban Bonsai Kai, the Bonsai Club of Port Charlotte, will be talking on Bonsai Basics while Rick creates a bonsai from carefully selected nursery stock. The talk will cover the basics of what makes a bonsai, popular species, how to choose, style, and cultivation. The demo bonsai will be raffled. Members may bring a bonsai with specific questions. Limit 1 per person.

Growing African Violets
2026-01-23 13:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York) | North Port Public Library, 13800 Tamiami Trail, North Port, FL, 34287
Lisa Colburn will discuss how to be successful with growing African Violets, one of the most popular blooming houseplants in the world. The presentation will address propagation and division, how to deal with disease and pest problems, and grooming. Audience members are encouraged to bring in their plants for assistance. Many people walk out with a new favorite houseplant.

Desert Rose 101 by Deb Dekeulenaere
2026-03-27 13:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York) | North Port Public Library, 13800 Tamiami Trail, North Port, FL, 34287
Looking for a dramatic low-water plant?

Try a desert rose!
This sun-loving plant may be the perfect plant for you – a drought-tolerant succulent plant (Adenium obesum) with vibrant, trumpet-shaped flowers and a swollen trunk that is prized for their unique one of a kind characteristics.
Deb Dekeulenaere will demonstrate how to repot and rehab your desert rose for SW Florida. She’ll also discuss local resources, supplies, and potting mixes.

60th Anniversary Celebration
2026-04-23 12:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York) | Heron Creek Country Club, 5301 Heron Creek Blvd, North Port, FL, 34287
Mark your calendars for our 60th Anniversary Celebration on Thursday, March 23rd @ 12:00 Noon. Please note the location has been changed to the Heron Creek Country Club, 5301 Heron Creek Blvd., North Port. The meal will be a lovely salad bar. It will include a roll, soup, a nice assortment of salads, non-alcoholic beverages, and desserts.
The cost is slightly more than $25 per person, but the board voted to cover the additional cost, gratuity, and the meals for the few dignitaries and scholarship winners who may attend, possibly another 10 people, approximately $250 to $300.
We must give Heron Creek a head count, so we’re asking everyone to pay $25 for their meal at Friday’s meeting. If you can’t attend the meeting, please mail your check to JoJo Lucibello, 2924 Maximo Rd., North Port, FL 34286. We must have received your RSVP with payment by March 10, 2026.

Potluck and Plant Exchange
2026-05-22 12:00 (America/New_York) | North Port Public Library, 13800 Tamiami Trail, North Port, FL, 34287
Please mark your calendars for our next meeting on May 22nd at 12:00 PM at the North Port Library, located on Tamiami Trail. This meeting will begin with a potluck lunch. Please bring something to share that requires no heating. (Finger-foods, appetizers, or desserts). Please bring your own beverage.
This meeting will feature a plant exchange. Bring a potted plant from your yard to contribute to the exchange. Be prepared to talk about the plant – what it is and how to care for it.
Please note the earlier time for this meeting!

Growing Orchids
2026-09-25 13:00 - 15:30 (America/New_York) | Shannon Staub Library, 4675 Career Lane, North Port, FL, 34289
Master Gardener Noreen Chervinski will present a program about growing orchids.
“Are you frustrated because you find orchids “difficult” to grow and you’ve killed several…
I have killed more than you can ever imagine, but guess what? You can always buy another one!!!”
This will be a fun program filled with lots of practical tips for growing orchids. Noreen will demonstrate all the wrong things to do with her very own plants!!! You will leave with ideas to try on your own orchids as well as things NOT to do!

The Neighborhood Land Conservancy
2026-10-23 13:00 - 15:30 (America/New_York) | North Port Public Library, 13800 Tamiami Trail, North Port, FL, 34287
Barbara Lockhart will tell the story of why the Neighborhood Land Conservancy was founded – why it was necessary, its accomplishments to date, how people can help nature at home and in their lives, and how they can support the mission.

Barbara is a University of Florida Master Naturalist/Land Steward, a Florida Registered Paralegal, and is the founder of the Conservancy. She enjoys outdoor nature photography and provides much of the photographic content on their website and in their social media. She has concentrated experience in real estate law, real estate transactional work, and corporate law.

www.neighborhood-land.org/

www.facebook.com/neighborhoodlandconservancy/
www.instagram.com/neighborhoodlandconservancy/

Member Meeting
2026-11-20 13:00 - 15:30 (America/New_York) | FL
To be announced…
