April showers brought over 2,300 plant donations and thousands of excited plant lovers for Blooms Galore & More during the April 5-6 weekend! The Green Market featured over 30 vendors in the Ballroom and Courtyard, selling plants, honey, soap, bird accessories, artwork, jewelry, and more.
More than 80 guests attended the Preview Party on April 5, which gave them the first pick of plants and vendor offerings, along with a free beverage, live music by keyboardist David Kurzweg, a spread of small bites, and food truck offerings from Village Bread Café Food Truck and Frios Duval. The raffle was a hit with beautiful items donated from 11 vendors.
The fun continued on April 6 when Blooms Galore & More opened to the public with more vendors, family fun activities at the Budding Gardeners zone, and delicious food by Village Bread Cafe, Frios Duval, and The Herban Bee’s lemonade truck. #GardenClubJax upgraded the Garden Club Academy in the Club Room from previously recorded programs to live, educational mini-presentations.
Garden Club Academy Presenters included:
- Connie Gladding, North Florida Daylily Society
- Rhonda Gracie, UNF Botanical Garden
- JoAnne Krestul, Tower Gardens
- Mika Hardison, The Herban Bee
- John Peterson, Wild Birds Unlimited
- Marilyn Young, Lark Native Plants
- Mindy Harrigan, Wash Your Worries
- Khiantia Brinkley, Little Earth Wigglers
Green Market
The 2024 Blooms Galore & More Green Market had more vendors than ever this year! The Ballroom and Courtyard were filled with excited shoppers and unique items featuring locally made art, jewelry, honey, gardening crafts, soaps, and skincare.
Raffle and Sprout Sale
Eleven vendors contributed to the raffle with items such as an antique glass candy dish, a number of special treats, unique plants, selected jewelry pieces, and a custom wooden tray featuring the Garden Club’s logo. Spruce brought their plant van to join the Sprout Sale in the parking lot, and Lark Native Plants was in the Courtyard.
Blooms Galore, and Budding Gardeners Fun
Bebette’s Bunny Rescue brought adorable ambassador bunnies to educate kids about bunny adoptions, and how to properly care for these companions. The Garden Club porch along Riverside Avenue was the Budding Gardeners area where kids painted rocks in bright spring designs to take home.
