Key West Garden Club Plant Sale and Artist Market Supports Local Gardens

The Key West Garden Club staged its annual plant sale and artist market at Fort West Martello on November 21 and 22, with the weekend program opening each day at 10 a.m. Visitors found tables of orchids and native plants alongside an artist market featuring jewelry crafts and other creative goods. Proceeds from the sale support the Garden Club's work preserving local gardens and funding horticultural education.

Organizers presented the event as both a shopping opportunity and a community gathering. The selection of native plant species highlights efforts to sustain local biodiversity and support pollinators, while orchids and ornamental plants appealed to collectors and home gardeners. The artist market offered a direct economic opportunity for local makers and added a gift shopping element for the busy pre holiday season.

Beyond commerce, the event carries public health and social value for Monroe County. Access to green space and gardening opportunities is connected to improved mental health and social cohesion, and community investments in green infrastructure can reduce heat exposure and enhance neighborhood resilience. By promoting native plants, the Garden Club also contributes to ecological practices that help maintain healthy local ecosystems which are important for long term community wellbeing.

The sale reinforced the Garden Club's education mission by raising awareness about plant stewardship and practical horticulture skills. Monroe County residents who lack regular access to gardens or environmental education may find such programs an accessible entry point to learn about native species and sustainable gardening techniques. Expanding access to these resources is one avenue for addressing environmental equity in a community where outdoor spaces vary widely in availability.

Local artisans benefited from exposure to visitors and potential sales, an economic boost for small scale makers in Key West. The market model connects cultural production with environmental stewardship, creating cross sector benefits for artists gardeners and shoppers. For residents, the event provided affordable opportunities to start or expand home gardens while supporting organizations that maintain public and private green spaces.

The Key West Garden Club has long emphasized preservation and education as core goals. This weekend event continued that tradition, mobilizing community interest in plants and hands on learning while generating funds for future projects. As the season turns, the club's work in horticultural outreach and garden preservation remains a local asset for health, ecological resilience and community well being.