About FNGLA

Annual Convention

June 23 - 26, 2011 ~ La Playa Resort ~ Naples, Florida

FNGLA's Annual Convention is a time each year for FNGLA members and industry friends to celebrate the past year of success while welcoming FNGLA's new leadership taking office. It is also the venue for FNGLA's Annual Meeting and the platform for presenting FNGLA's Industry Award Winners. For more information, contact Linda Adams or call 800-375-3642.

Imagine stepping from your private oceanfront Florida resort accommodations to be greeted by cloudless skies, sparkling turquoise waters and white sandy beaches stretching to infinity. As a guest of LaPlaya Beach & Golf Resort, this image of paradise becomes your daily reality. One of Florida's finest resort hotels, LaPlaya restsbetween the Gulf of Mexico and picturesque Vanderbilt Bay, offering guests a rare chance to experience South Florida's subtropical beauty from front-row seats.

Naples Estate & Garden Tour

Friday, June 24, 8:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Join FNGLA friends and colleagues to take in what you love best: plants and gardens, Naples-style! This tour features retail, landscape and garden. Transportation and lunch provided

Driftwood Garden Center is one of the area's leading independent garden centers. It has been owned and operated by the Hazlett family since 1984. The store offers many garden areas, beginning with more than an acre of shade houses boasting thousands of green and colorful interior and outdoor plants.

The store also possesses the area's largest selection of pottery with over 10,000 containers to choose from. Water gardening is one of their passions. They are the largest retailer in the area of domestic and imported Japanese Koi. There is also an extraordinary selection of fountains with more than 1,000 gallons of ponds on display.

The store is multi-faceted including master floral designers in the florist department and a large selection of home and garden accents. You'll see creative ideas with outdoor displays and furniture arrangements. There will be time for shopping so bring your garden shopping list.

Pine Ridge Estates is a private estate residence in Port Royal, one of the exclusive areas in Naples. As you enter the property, you are met with a canopy of oak trees reminiscent of old Florida. As you walk the estate, you will wind your way through a tropical oasis that includes bald cypress, a vast array of color, and a bromeliad and orchid collection of no less than 30 varieties. This property is maintained by O'Donnell Landscape, an award-winning FNGLA member who is highly regarded for its work in landscape design, installation and maintenance.

Naples Botanical Garden is an evolving world-class paradise that combines delightful cultivated tropical gardens with beautifully restored natural habitats.The Garden connects people and plants through display, education, conservation and science.

In 1993, a group of eight Naples residents founded the Garden with nothing more than the dream of creating a world-class botanical garden. In 2000, a gift from the Kapnick Family enabled the purchase of an extraordinary 170-acre site with seven different habitats just south of Old Naples. An existing strip mall and parking lot were transformed into a garden experience to introduce the community to what was to come. In June 2008, the Garden closed to general visitors to begin a transformation and reopened in November 2009 as 70 acres of cultivated areas and 90 acres of restored natural habitats.

Enjoy spending time in one of Florida's newest and most exciting botanical retreats!

Cost: $45 | Pre-register now!

Membership Luncheon

Saturday, June 25, 12:00-1:00 p.m.

FNGLA's membership luncheon provides a unique opportunity to learn from one of Florida agriculture's most influential leaders.

While his boss, Commissioner of Agriculture Adam Putnam, is leading the department in a very public style, Mike Joyner, is behind-the-scenes making things happen as the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services' Assistant Commissioner/Chief of Staff.

He has more than 25 years' experience building partnerships between the private and public sectors to advance common-sense business, natural resource and environmental policies. He joined the department from the private sector after having previously served as Chief of Staff at the Department of Environmental Protection and stints at the Florida Farm Bureau and Florida Forestry Association.

Mike is a graduate of Class I of the Wedgworth Leadership Institute (WLI) and he will share his lessons on leadership with FNGLA members during the membership luncheon.

"This is one of best presentations on leadership I've heard," noted Dr. Hannah Carter, Director of the Wedgworth Leadership Institute, when she described a similar presentation Mike gave to members of WLI Class VIII while they were in Tallahassee recently.

Take advantage of meeting one of Florida's significant leaders and increasing your leadership know-how!

Cost: $40 | Pre-register now!

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