2015 Fruitmania GS

The new year is here and with it, new classes, new crops, and hopefully new blogs!! I wanted to start 2015 off with a really exciting item coming back to Charleston. After our success last year with Fruitmania and the constant barrage of...you have GOT to do this again!!
WE ARE!!
Fruitmania GS 2015
January 17th
9am-4:30pm at Cypress Gardens
There are a few changes this year that are VERY important.
The first one is:
There will not be any tickets available at the door. Due to the remoteness of Cypress Gardens, we were having a tough time with internet connections and processing credit cards. So this year, we are doing all pre-registration. The link to go to and purchase tickets is HERE

You will also notice a slight increase in price. This year, lunch is included....it will not be separate as it was last year.
Of course there will be door prizes and vendors selling fruiting plants of all kinds.

And MORE plants!!

And what would an all day garden school be without classes?
We have a great line up:
Class 1: 9am-9:50am- Containing your Fruit Enthusiasm-Growing Fruit in Containers-Darren Sheriff

Class 2: 10am-10:50am- Bees and Lesser Known Pollinators-Dr. Merle Shepard
Class 3: 11am-11:50am- Strawberries-Kathy Woolsey
LUNCH: 12noon-1:20pm- Time to check out vendors and other exhibits. Lunch is included.
Class 4: 1:30pm-2:20pm-Blueberries-Lou Denaro
Class 5: 2:30pm -3:20pm-Citrus- Kathy Woolsey and Darren Sheriff

Class Q&A: 3:30pm-4:20pm- Our panel of experts will answer any and all questions

At 4:30 we will have the results to our "new and improved" Jam and Jelly contest.

 

The rules for the Jam and Jelly Contest go something like this:

Bring entries to Dean Hall, Cypress Gardens between 9am to 10 am. 

Entries must be in by 10am on January 17, 2015

All types of Homemade Jams, Jellies and Marmalade will be accepted and subdivided into 4 classes.

This is a peoples choice award, each Fruitmania student will be given 4 colored tickets to vote in each class.

Class 1.  Best Tree Fruits (apple, pear, peach and others) red ticket

Class 2. Best Brambles and berries (strawberry, blueberry, grape and others) blue ticket

Class 3. Best Vegetables (pepper, tomato, and others) green ticket

Class 4. Best Odd balls and mixed fruit (cactus, daylily, guava and others) yellow ticket

The Best of the Best Trophy- selected from the top winner in each class. Members of the Camellia Garden club will pick the Best of the Best award at 2 pm. 

Prizes:

All winners get 2 free passes to Cypress Gardens

First Place in each class gets a trophy and $15 Walmart money card.

Second Place in each class gets a certificate and 2 free passes to Cypress Gardens

Best of the Best gets a trophy and a $25 money card. (plus they get the $15 card too)

As a secondary contest, we are having a baked goods contest too. This will encompass all things fruity and baked. It will also be a peoples choice award. A first and second place trophy will be up for grabs here. Pies, cakes, cookies, fruit bars...whatever you want to bring. Divide it into as many pieces as feasible so that you get as many people to try it as you can.

Sounds like fun so far, right!?

There is even more!!

Master Gardeners will be available to take soil samples. The cost is $6. All you need to do is bring in approx. 2 cups of dry soil that you want tested. If you are unsure on how to take a sample, go to this Clemson HGIC website HERE

We had a packed house last year and fully expect to do it again.

Did I mention you also get access to Cypress Gardens all day!!

Don't let any bad weather influence your decision to come out, the classes are entirely indoors.

Cypress Gardens and the Lowcountry Fruit Growers Society are the sponsors of this event. You can visit both of these fantastic entities on Facebook by clicking CYPRESS GARDENS or LOWCOUNTRY FRUIT GROWERS SOCIETY

Please don't hesitate to pre-order your tickets, we can only hold 125 or so and after that we have to close all ticket sales. Go to TICKETS or call Cypress Gardens at (843) 553-0515

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask....my e-mail is still: TheCitrusGuy@netzero.com

I look forward to seeing you there!!

Happy Growing!

Darren