When Barry Carter arrived at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden on Saturday, he was equipped with an empty red wagon, hoping to fill it with herbs and vegetables.

By noon, his mission was complete.

``I got a bunch of stuff: basil, tomatoes, cilantro,'' Carter, 55, of Key Largo said.

Carter, who has been gardening for 25 years, was shopping the Edible Garden Festival.

While rain may deter many outdoor events in South Florida, not even the showers and humidity could derail hundreds of gardeners from this one.

Vendors from local restaurants and stores sold food, crafts, seeds and other items -- everything from organic pizza to hats -- in a farmers market-like atmosphere.

``It's a very pleasant event,'' said Lori Pick, 48, of Coconut Grove. ``I'm talking to people about gardening and getting ideas.''

The festival included lectures from local farmers, along with cooking and gardening demonstrations for those who wanted to learn more about growing.

Jill Kamilar, 57, of Miami Shores said she liked the setup.

``I've gone to the cooking classes, and I've learned some things I can apply,'' Kamilar said. ``I'll be in the garden tomorrow.''

One of the classes Kamilar attended was taught by Gabriele Marewski of Paradise Farms.

In her Edible Landscaping in Paradise class, she taught about the different kinds of plants that can be grown in South Florida and how to take care of them.

``Everything you need is in your garden,'' Marewski said. ``It's your medicine, food church and social network.''

She shared some tricks of organic gardening, reading plants symbols to tell if additional care is required, and told those who came to her lecture not to fret if they see some pests in the garden.

All of the advice was well-taken by Ana Raney, who is starting an organic garden.

``I had a garden years ago and starting a new one now,'' said Raney, 55 of Pinecrest. ``We're going to grow a lot of vegetables and herbs.''

Sean Bernal, head chef of Oceanaire, was among the chefs who did a demonstration.

``I love coming to Fairchild. I come whenever I have the chance,'' said Bernal, who taught a class on how to make ranch dressing from scratch.

In addition to the food-related activities, there was a scarecrow-judging contest. The scarecrows were made by local schools and companies.

``I helped make the head, and I put the bird on,'' said Anthony Delcuadro, 7, of Kendall.

Carl Lewis, director of Fairchild, said he was impressed by the turnout and hopes it will become an annual event.

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