The Gardens Gate - February 2020

The February 2020 Gardens Gate Port St. Lucie Botanical Gardens

2410 SE Westmoreland Blvd.

Port St. Lucie, FL 34952 Phone: 772.337.1959 Fax: 772.237.5952 E-mail: info@pslbg.org Web: www.pslbg.org Hours: Wednesday - Saturday 10am - 4pm Sunday Noon - 4pm Closed Monday, Tuesday & Some Holidays Suggested Donations: Adults $5 Students $2 Children 12 & Under Welcome Free for FPSLBG Members and Active Military with family (IDs required)

Mission Statement...

Friends’ mission is to create and maintain a beautiful, serene sanctuary in the center of Port St. Lucie that is environmentally sound and naturally diverse and to provide educational, cultural and recreational opportunities for all who visit.

Officers & Directors...

President: Vice President: Secretary: Treasurer: Directors:

Joleen King Heather Furnari Claire Clark Brenda Gustafson Brett Ashley John Erickson Melinda DeMarco Judy Nash-Wade Michelle Peterson Tim Sutton Mary Thomas

Standing Committee Chairs...

Election Committee:

Stephanie Alessandrini-Giarraffa Brenda Gustafson Claire Clark Brenda Gustafson

Finance Committee: Gift Shop Committee: Horticulture Committee: Membership & Volunteer Committee: Mary Thomas Resource Development Committee: Melinda DeMarco Strategic Planning Committee: Michelle Peterson

Newsletter...

Editor & Design:

Mark Barnes

The Gardens is managed and operated by Friends of the Port St. Lucie Botanical Gardens, Inc., a non-profit 501(c)(3) public charity organization, that was founded to help support the daily operations of The Gardens. Friends volunteers provide hands-on daily oversight of the facility, including staffing to handle the many visitors year round. Please consider becoming a member of Friends. Friends' is a 100% volunteer organization. In all cases, donations are deductible to the extent allowed by law.

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1st

How-To Seminar: Growing Roses in FL

10:00 - 11:30 am

Members Free Non Members $25

2nd

Crosstown Chapel Sunday Service

9:30 - 11:45 am

All Welcome

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Community Drum Circle

6:30 - 8:30 pm

All Welcome

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Intermediate Spanish Class

10:00 - 11:30 am

All Welcome

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Ft. Pierce Jazz & Blues Jazz Jams

6:30 - 9:30 pm

$7 Donation, $6 Members

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Botanica Garden Festival Plant Sale

9:00 am - 4:00 pm

All Welcome

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Botanica Garden Festival Plant Sale

9:00 am - 4:00 pm

All Welcome

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Crosstown Chapel Sunday Service

9:30 - 11:45 am

All Welcome

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Rio Lindo Club Board Meeting

10:30 am - 12:00 pm

Members Welcome

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FPSLBG Board of Directors Meeting

4:30 - 6:30 pm

Members Welcome

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10th

Community Drum Circle

6:30 - 8:30 pm

All Welcome

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th

River Vista HOA Meeting

7:00 - 9:00 pm

HOA Members Welcome

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Intermediate Spanish Class

10:00 - 11:30 am

All Welcome

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th

PSL Angler’s Meeting

5:30 - 9:30 pm

All Welcome

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Joe Clark - County Clerk Weddings

9:00 - 4:00 pm

Public & Guests Welcome

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PSL Orchid Society Orchid Show

10:00 am - 5:00 pm

All Welcome

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th

Crosstown Chapel Sunday Service

9:30 - 11:45 am

All Welcome

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PSL Orchid Society Orchid Show

10:00 am - 4:00 pm

All Welcome

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th

Sandpiper Community Board Meeting

6:00 - 9:00 pm

Members Welcome

18th

Korean War Veterans TCC106 Meeting

10:00 am - 2:00 pm

Members Welcome

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Intermediate Spanish Class

10:00 - 11:30 am

All Welcome

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th

Ft. Pierce Jazz & Blues Jazz Jams

6:30 - 9:30 pm

$10 Cover

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th

Treasure Coast Rare Fruit Club Meeting

7:00 - 9:00 pm

All Welcome

rd

Crosstown Chapel Sunday Service

9:30 - 11:45 am

All Welcome

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th

Rio Lindo Garden Club Bus Tour

12:30 - 4:00 pm

All Welcome

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th

Community Drum Circle

6:30 - 8:30 pm

All Welcome

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Master Gardeners Training Class

10:00 am - 4:00 pm

Members Welcome

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PSL Historical Society Board Meeting

4:00 pm - 5:30 pm

Members Welcome

Intermediate Spanish Class

10:00 - 11:30 am

All Welcome

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26th

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The European Olive originated in the Eastern Mediterranean basin and has been cultivated for over 7,000 years, making it the oldest cultivated tree in history. The Olive tree has an average life span of 300-600 years, although several trees have been known to live over 2,000 years.

Due to the generous financial support from GL Homes, this particular tree came to the Port St. Lucie Botanical Gardens from the U.S. west coast and was reclaimed from an Olive farm that was phased out production. Additional financial donations were graciously provided by the Port St. Lucie Downtown Lions Club, Sampson Tree Service, and Port St. Lucie Historical Society.

The donated Olive tree is estimated to be 70 to 80 years old and will grow to 20 or 30 feet. Olive Trees prefers arid, warm climates, cool but not frigid weather. They Love full sun, like sand, have few pests and fruit for 2-3 weeks.

The olive branch is recognized as a symbol of peace or victory, allegedly deriving from the customs of ancient Greece, particularly regarding supplication to both the gods and persons in power, and is found in most cultures of the Mediterranean basin. It became associated with peace in modern Europe and is also used in the Arab world. Despite claims of Ancient Greek origins, the symbol first appears in Ancient Egypt as a 6

symbol of peace many centuries before appearing in ancient Greek mythology. In ancient time, Olympic wreaths were made from them, representing the ultimate symbol of peace and fairness. Van Gogh loved them, and frequently painted them. And now The Gardens share in this passion, and “paint� our landscape with this incredibly beautiful and majestic tree.

Arbor Day in Florida is a solemn tradition at The Gardens, and each year we stop to gather and plant another life giving tree for our community, as well as take time to memorialize and remember those family, friends and loved ones who are no longer with us. This year’s Arbor Day tree honored the late Mayor Robert Minsky in addition to our traditional memorials.

Arbor Day in the United States holds a long tradition and place in the hearts of many citizens, remembering the Arbor Day celebrations of their youth and school years. Because of its subtropical growing climate, Florida celebrates a different Arbor Day date than that of the majority of northern states; the third Friday of each January is officially Florida Arbor Day. We invite you to stop by The Gardens soon and preview this magnificent tree and the reimagined Pavilion entry, designed by Andrew Overmeyer of Parker Yannette Design Group and GL Homes.

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We are looking for Volunteers that are interested in joining our Horticulture team and to work and learn in our Gardens (hours flexible).

Volunteers very friendly! Areas: Education, Grounds Maintenance, Propagation, Landscape and Design, and ALL THINGS HORTICULTURE!

The Horticulture Team, l. to r. Tim Sutton, Laura Brady, Goldie Steel Valarie Bailey, Brenda Gustafson, Laura Mehr, Sherry, Catalina, Dale Johnson and Mary Petrone.

Thank you to all of our Horticulture Volunteers who have dedicated so much time and effort to “The Gardens” throughout the years’

(From the right) Ben Woodruff, Gene Kovacs, John Erickson, Merv Yearwood and Emily Roman (not pictured)

Brenda Gustafson Horticulture Chair

Call 772-337-1959 or come in and fill out a Volunteer Application.

We have volunteers in the propagation area almost every day if you want more information stop by to see us.

Did you know?

Many of our signs now have a QR Code. (upper right corner). You can get a free QR Code app on your phone. Once installed you can open the app, scan the QR code, and it will bring you to the Port St Lucie Botanical Gardens Website and give you details on the plant you’re viewing. Thanks to a grant from the Stanley Smith Horticultural Trust for a “Smart” Interactive Plant Identification Program, we’re working on a year long project to identify all of our plants in the garden. Additional information available will include: More photos and information about the plants, as well as fun and informational facts via voice recording.

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How to Series - Bromeliad Workshop was a great success! Thank you to Carolyn Luxion, Bromeliad expert who provided the attendees with lots of bromeliad information. Be sure to attend our Rose Workshop on February 1st.

ARBOR DAY GOES TO SCHOOL‌ Port Saint Lucie Botanical Gardens (Joleen King, Judy Nash-Wade & Illona Christie) and the Keep Port Saint Lucie Beautiful branch of the City of Port Saint Lucie (Georgette Beck) brought all kinds of information about Arbor Day to the students at Northport K-8. The Arbor Day message was for students to engage citizens and students, and talk about the environment, recycling, re-purposing & beautification.

Each student was given a pine tree sapling with directions on how to plant and care for the growing tree.

Georgette Beck from Keep Port St. Lucie Beautiful

Joleen King,

Judy Nash-Wade

Illona Christie and Georgette Beck

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Tomasa Antonia from Guatemala

Board Member, Judy Wade, far right, giving a Garden Tour to the Port St. Lucie Red Hat Ladies

Rio Lindo Garden Club members under the beautiful Moongate covered with the Trumpet honeysuckle vine.

The Michaud’s from New Brunswick, Canada

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Friends of PSLBG Membership Renewal Special Primary Member Name: Email Address: Secondary Member Name (Family & Friends Only): Annual Membership Type:

 Individual $25

 Family & Friends $50

 Student $15

 Business $75

Additional Donation $_________________ Total Check Enclosed: $_________ or  Master Card  Visa  AMEX Card # ________________________________________Exp. Date __________ Code _________ Billing Address: ___________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ Signature: __________________________________

15 Month Membership Special Offer Expires March 31, 2020.

The Friends of Port St. Lucie Botanical Gardens is a Florida non-profit corporation, and is recognized by the Internal Revenue Service, as a public charitable tax-exempt non-profit organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue code. All donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent permitted by law.

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The inaugural Art Show in The Gardens was a qualified success with over 8,200 visitors coming by to check out our 55 artists and vendors, while enjoying 2 days of food, music, dance and more.

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Art Show continued from Pg19

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Mother Earth continued from Pg23

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VISIT WWW.PSLBG.ORG FOR MORE INFORMATION

VISIT WWW.PSLBG.ORG FOR MORE INFORMATION

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CLICK HERE TO BUY YOUR TICKETS TODAY - THEY WILL SELL OUT FAST