The Redland International Orchid Show will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 14, 15 and 16, 2010, in the Fruit & Spice Park, 24801 SW 187th Avenue, Homestead, Florida. Admission is $7. It’s an American Orchid Society judged event showcasing various types of orchids, plants, and supplies for sale, as well as lectures by experts, raffles, and international food. Said to be the largest annual orchid show in the United States, it features more than 50 booths of educational exhibits and orchid vendors.

If summer fruits are more to your liking, Road Trips Gardeners, think about passing through Miami during the Redland Summer Fruit Festival in Fruit & Spice Park. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 19 and 20, 2010. Admission is $8. This annual event showcases local agriculture and tropical fruit plants. Vendor booths featuring local wines and foods plus samplings of rare fruits (that’s durian, on the right).

The Fruit & Spice Park is a 37-acre public facility is owned and operated by the Miami-Dade County Park and Recreation Department in south Florida. The Park hosts over 500 varieties of fruits, vegetables, spices, herbs, and nuts, and other commercially -important plant specimens from around the world. The Park showcases 150 varieties of mango, 75 varieties of bananas, 70 bamboo varieties, and numerous other exotic edibles. Visitors are invited to snack and sample at the tasting counter inside our Park Store or enjoy lunch at the Mango Café.

For more information on traveling in the Miami area, go online.