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Highlands Today

Festival Visitors Travel Long Distances To Stock Up

Kathy Waters/Highlands Today

Tammy Carter of Hernando, Fla. makes room for an additional caladium potted plant she and her friends bought Friday at the 18th annual Caladium Festival in downtown Lake Placid. She and two friends bought 100 potted plants and 200 tubers.

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By BILL RETTEW JR.

Highlands Today

Published: August 23, 2008

LAKE PLACID - It might be a cliche that soccer moms transport kids around in minivans, but it was no joke when three women from Citrus County left town with a vehicle crammed full of caladiums.

These ladies are serious caladium lovers.

Not an inch of open space remained in the van after Lita Mitchell, Patty McCoy and Tammy Carter loaded 100 potted plants and 200 tubers into the van for the three-hour trip home.
McCoy is a member of the local garden club and the ladies were buying for four other friends and the club.
McCoy will plant much of her two acres of property with caladiums. She loves what she referred to as the colorful and hardy caladium.

This was the first time that the three Citrus County residents visited the festival and they promised it wouldn't be their last visit. They raved about the prices set by local Lake Placid growers at the festival they first heard about from a neighbor.

"The plants are in fantastic shape and the price is great," said Carter.

Mitchell is fond of caladiums because the tubers (don't call them bulbs) shoot skyward annually, add much color to the landscape and are very adaptable.
McCoy sat in the backseat of the van with colorful leaves surrounding her.

"I'm very comfortable, and thanks to the plants it's softer," said McCoy.

All the tubers sold at the festival were donated by the Phypers Family of Happiness Farms and every potted plant for sale was donated by Bates Sons & Daughters.

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