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Is this email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser.  Weekly News September 27, 2024 Upcoming Events and programs  Annual Quilt Show October 5, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Reminisce on beautiful pastimes while looking at beautiful quilt patterns! Dozens of quilts from the SWFL Quilters Guild will be on display, suspend- ed from clotheslines between the palms in front of the historic homes. Quilters Guild participants will also have quilts for sale. Included with admis- sion; free for Edison Ford members. Certified quilt appraiser, Lars Cain, will be on site conducting appraisals. Verbal appraisals will be offered for $25 and the fee for a written appraisal will be $35 per quilt.  Silk Scarf Painting October 6, 9 a.m. Let your character come through and express your authentic self in our Silk Scarf Painting Class with Marie Dyer! Participants will be surrounded by Edison’s gardens as they create a silk scarf that can be worn or hung as a piece of artwork. All materials are included. Advance registration is required. Click here to register online. Edison Ford members: $90; non-members: $100  Orchid Sale and Symposium October 12 and 13, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. If you love orchids, step into a land of these wonders in all colors, shapes and styles! Presentations are free (does not include tours or admission to the museum, lab or riverside). The Lee County Master Gardeners will have an advice table and several vendors will have orchids available for sale. Participating vendors to date include Bello Tropicals, Blue Pagoda Orchids, Florida Orchid House, FTE Studios, Hang- A-Pot, Jim-N-I Orchids, Jungle House Nurseries, Kreative Gardens, Krull Smith Orchids, OFE Orchid Supplies, Palm- er Orchids, Pelican Coast Orchids, Red Hawk Nursery, Sierra Madre Orchids, Smiley’s Orchids, So Orchids, Sun- land Orchids, and Tropiflora. Digital Discussion  Step into History Digital Discussion – The Menge Brothers of Fort Myers October 2, 10:30 a.m. Return to the times when two men guided the future of Fort Myers through travel during the late 19th and 20th centuries. Discover how captains Fred and Conrad Menge helped chance the geography and economy of Fort Myers and Southwest Florida forever. This program will be led by Assistant Program Manager, Tim. This is a free virtual lecture. Click here to register online. Just for Kids  Homeschool Series – Historical Engineering Marvels: Colosseum in Rome Grades 1-3: October 9 and 17, 10 a.m. Grades 4-6: October 10 and 16, 10 a.m. The subject of this session will move to the Colosseum in Rome. Be inspired by the vibrant life of historic Rome as you recreate its timeless architecture. Classes are for grades 1-6 and facilitate homeschool or virtual science education. Advance registration is required. Register online at edisonford.org. Edison Ford members: $15; non-members: $25  Creative Animation Camp October 3, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. This camp is focused on stop-motion animation and how to create motion from still images. Campers explore the 12 principles of animation as they learn how to make their ideas come to life on the page. Advance registration is re- quired. Click here to register online. Edison Ford members: $45; non-members: $50 Membership  Membership News This is your last chance to sign up for the contest! Join or renew through September and be entered into a drawing to win a Family membership and an Edison Ford cap. You can keep the membership for yourself (your membership will be extended at the family level for a year), or you can give it away as a gift! Become a MEMBER and get unlimited free visits, discounts on purchases in the Garden Shoppe, retail stores, special events and adult education classes! Join today! Ongoing Programs  Piano Performance Takes place every Wednesday 1 p.m. Timeless beauty resides where classical music is performed by Curatorial Registrar, Chet, on Mina Edison’s 1932 George Steck piano in the guest house. Included with admission.  Step into History Presentations Tuesdays and Thursdays 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. Cool off inside with our Site Historians. This program is held in the 15,000-square-foot museum. Included with admission.  Yoga by the River Mondays and Wednesdays at 10 a.m. Class will be held in the River Pavilion (weather permitting). All skill levels are welcome. This class is taught by Bonnie D’Angelo, a certified yoga instructor. Edison Ford members: $15; non-members: $20 per class. Tickets may be purchased online or at the ticket counter. Bring a yoga mat, water, and towel. Admission to the site is not included. Help restore our beautiful gardens. Donate today! What’s Blooming  Tulipwood The Tulipwood, Harpullia pendula, is accessorized with small, soft pendulous blooms that trail down its branches! This ever- green, ornamental tree typically grows up to 20 feet tall but can get as large as 78 ft in the wild. It is native to tropical and subtropical Eastern Australia. In the spring and summer, this tree will produce clusters of small light green flowers. After blooming, its yellow and red capsules will open, revealing dark and shiny seeds. Its wood provides high-quality, fine- grained, dark lumber that is perfect for designing furniture. For best growth, plant Tulipwood in areas that receive full sun or partial shade in well-draining soils. Visitors can find this tree on the main pathway, just past the fountain.  Pink Trumpet Tree The blooms of the Pink Trumpet Tree, Tabeuia heterophylla, are multiplying with a fan of flowers like the bell of a trumpet! It is native to Puerto Rico and the West Indies. In the early spr- ing or summer, this garden gem will produce clusters of long, showy pink or white trumpet-shaped flowers with yellow cen- ters that form along the tips of its branches. The tree’s com- pound leaves drop in the spring right before flowering occurs. Shortly after the blooms form, three to 12-inch long, green pod-like fruits will begin to emerge that turn brown as they mature. For best growth, trumpet trees should be planted in well-draining soils in locations that receive full sun. Visitors can find this tree next to the ramp that leads to the Edison main house. In History Thomas Edison Requests Mina Miller’s Hand in Marriage On September 30, 1885, Thomas Edison wrote to Lewis Miller, formally requesting his daughter’s hand in marriage. Thomas and Mina’s story was one of unwavering devotion, filled with perseverance, support and many endearing moments. After Thomas Edison lost his first wife, his best friend and business partner, Ezra Gilliland, and his wife, Lillian, acted as his match-makers at their home. He met Mina Miller, the daughter of a wealthy businessman and inventor, Lewis Miller. She was a finishing stu- dent at a school in Boston, where she became fluent in French and well- trained in fine and domestic arts. After meeting her, he visited Chautauqua to see Lewis Miller, who had founded the institution. The inventor learned about Lewis by reading a collection of business profiles titled “How Success is Won” and strove for an elegant appearance by buying a pair of French-made “chaussures de monsieur” shoes. He also brushed up on his inventive knowledge by delving into a series of books. Lewis took to Edison and saw that he was a man much like himself. Lewis gave off a very down-to-earth, good-na- tured spirit and laughed at Edison’s jokes. Even Mina’s mother, Mary Va- linda, recognized that Edison had a way of winning him over, flattered that he was calling at their Cottage, heart and hat in hand. Then, Edison wrote a formal letter to Lewis Miller for permission to get married, sharing his love of her gentleness, graceful manner, beauty and strength of mind. He replied promptly, inviting Edison to visit him at Oak Place, their family home. When Edison arrived, he was greeted by an ass- ortment of deer, horse and dog statues in front of the home. He liked Edi- son a lot and gave them permission to get married at the home, which was on February 24, 1886.      Copyright © 2024 Edison & Ford Winter Estates, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you signed up to be on our mailing list. Our mailing address is: Edison & Ford Winter Estates 2350 McGregor Blvd Fort Myers, FL 33901 Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? 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