Camping is hot. I mean it is really, really hot. All you have to do is take a trip down any interstate and you’ll see all manner of recreation vehicles, from old and new camper vans to pop-up trailer campers to ultra-luxurious RVs with every comfort possible, heading for parts unknown. 

But just try to get a winter campsite at any state, national or even county camping park in the South in the winter. Good luck. Nearly all those campsites (many with water, electricity and sewer hookups and even some with no facilities) are booked up to a year in advance. So much for spur-of-the-moment jaunts!

After years of tent camping from the Florida Keys to the mountains of the Carolinas and all the way up into Canada, we graduated to a VW camper van that took us to the end of the road in Labrador down to the end of U.S. 1 in Key West. That little champ of a van took us all over for more than two decades of adventures. But then a few years ago we moved up to a little fiberglass “egg” of a self-contained camping trailer that we tow. It has a two-burner stove, refrigerator and even a hot shower. 

And after decades of heading off into the wild blue yonder without a whiff of a campsite reservation and no place in particular to land each day, we’ve watched the “freedom” of camping slip away as more and more discovered its joys. But recently we explored a new wrinkle in the camping scene, and what a pleasant difference it is. 

By now you are probably wondering what the heck all this talk about camping has to do with gardening. But if you knew me, you would understand that even on the road I have an eye out for gardens and gardening. Many of our travels have included stops at botanical gardens, and I have been known to travel with pots of fresh herbs to season our meals or even orchids to color up our surroundings. You can take me out of the garden, but you’ll never take the garden out of me!

When we decided to take a drive down to South Florida recently we were not too surprised to learn that there were NO campsites to be found. Then we heard about Hipcamp (hipcamp.com) where people can camp at farms, vineyards, orchards and so on — sites owned by individuals who welcome travelers to enjoy their properties. Sites vary in accommodations. Some offer electricity and water, and some offer only a picturesque place to park or pitch a tent. 

We gave it a try, and came up with a great option to camp at a certified organic farm in Palm City. Our “campground” was Shadowood Farm (shadowoodfarm.com) which has two campsites with water and electricity. There is even a marvelous wood deck on which to pitch a tent, and nearby are rows and rows of raised beds filled with all manner of organic vegetables and herbs and flowers. A pond and shaded trail complete the bucolic setting that is about a 25-minute drive from bustling Stuart and the beach. The farm is gated with a combination set for added security. 

But the attraction for gardeners does not end there. The Shadowood Farm is smack-dab in the middle of one of the most productive garden nursery areas of the state. It is literally surrounded by dozens and dozens of huge wholesale nurseries growing an astounding variety of palm trees and other ornamental plants. Many of the nurseries are open to the public. 

Not long after we set up our campsite, we headed for Tropic Stop wholesale nursery where I scored a variegated elephant ear in a 2-gallon pot for $4.79. Yeah, you know those almost-impossible-to-find variegated elephant ear plants, the ones that often command phenomenally high prices.

Expect to find plants like cordylines (ti plants) in gallon pots for less than $2 or good-sized palms like fishtail palms or huge bromeliads under $5 each. The assortment changes at each nursery and the choices are indeed dazzling.

Many of the offerings are decidedly tropical, so know what you are buying. While there are many that are hardy beyond Zone 10, not all are. Buy with care, otherwise you might be disappointed if a cold snap fries your plant to a crisp.

Plan on taking cash, because many of the nurseries do not accept credit cards. And if you go, reserve plenty of space in your vehicle — because you are bound to discover plants you cannot buy anywhere else at prices that are so attractive, and so you may want to load up.

See? I told you this was about gardening, and if you melt for tropical plants like I do, you’ll be in heaven, even while on a camping trip!

Lynette L. Walther is the GardenComm Gold medal winner for writing and a five-time recipient of the GardenComm Silver Medal of Achievement, the National Garden Bureau’s Exemplary Journalism Award and she is the author of “Florida Gardening on the Go.” She is a member of GardenComm. Her gardens are on the banks of the St. Johns River.