The Gardens Gate – February 2022

The February 2022 Gardens Gate Port St. Lucie Botanical Gardens

3rd Annual Art Show in The Gardens

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Out and About with The Gardens

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Greg Hold & The Faerie Forrest

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Upcoming Events

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2410 SE Westmoreland Blvd.

Port St. Lucie, FL 34952 Phone: 772.337.1959 Fax: 772.237.5952 Email: info@pslbg.org Web: www.pslbg.org

Pavilion, Gift Shop & Garden Center Hours:

Wednesday - Saturday 10:00am - 4:00pm Sunday 12:00pm - 4:00pm FURRY FRIENDS ARE WELCOMED ACCOMPANIED BY RESPONSIBLE OWNERS. PLEASE DO NOT ALLOW YOUR PET TO RELIEVE THEMSELVES IN OUR GARDEN ROOMS. PET STATIONS ARE LOCATED AROUND THE GARDENS FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE. SKATES, BOARDS & BICYCLES ARE NOT PERMITTED ON THE WALKWAYS IN THE GARDENS

Suggested Donations: Adults $5 • Students $2 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:

Jeff Chambers Heather Furnari Mary Petrone Brenda Gustafson Mark A. Barnes Valerie Davis-Bailey John Erickson Laura Mehr Judy Nash-Wade Arthur Pearlstein Tim Sutton

Standing Committee Chairs...

Election Committee:

Stephanie Alessandrini-Giarraffa Brenda Gustafson Laura Mehr Brenda Gustafson

Finance Committee: Gift Shop Committee: Horticulture Committee: Membership & Volunteer Committee: Mark A. Barnes Resource Development Committee: Heather Furnari Strategic Planning Committee: Arthur Pearlstein

Newsletter...

Editor & Design:

Mark A. 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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Dear Friends, Greetings one and all!

We have successfully ended another year with excellent numbers. We had over 137,000 visitors from April until the end of December. There are still too many people out there that don’t know we are here. With your help we can change that... word of mouth goes a long way.

As I write this we are getting ready to have our annual membership meeting and another election. The next phase of the Port Project should begin in late March, the Serenity Garden should be moving forward and the Secret Garden hopefully will get the pavers installed.

We have achieved this level because of all the original planning and thought that was given many years ago when the concept of a Botanical Garden was first brought up. It was with the triumphs and some failures that we have become a destination point for the City. So thank you to all the previous Board members and volunteers who have made today possible. Thank you for your hard work.

I would like to again urge everyone to please volunteer, if only for an hour. With the increase in people coming into The Gardens, it takes a lot of work to keep things up and running. We especially need docents (individuals who would give tours). The Education group is another area in need. You would not only be helping The Gardens, but you would be helping to educating the young people of today; teaching about nature and how our earth needs nurturing and safe guarding.

As always I thank each and every one of you for your support and your time you give.

Jeff Chambers, President

Friends of the Port St. Lucie Botanical Gardens

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Available NOW!!!

Available Wednesdays & Saturday’s

Are You Looking for Fun and Educational Children’s Activities?

The Gardens is the Perfect learning environment!!!

Our NEW Discovery Back Packs are available to the public inside the Pavilion, free of charge, for parents and kids to take an exciting adventure and learning experience through the Gardens.

Adults may sign-out backpacks each Wednesday & Saturday between the hours of 10:30am & 2:30pm, with a Valid State ID, for use within our Gardens.

Scheduled Lessons are available to public and Private schools. Inquire at our front desk or email education@pslbg.org.

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February 12 & 13, 2022

Be Sure to Stop by the PSLBG Garden Center during the Botanica and Orchid Village Plant Sale We have lots of specials and plants plus a Thrift Table with all kinds of secondhand Garden Treasures Follow the Plant Sale Signs to the Garden Center Receive $5.00 off on the purchase of $25.00+ during the sale All proceeds go to the benefit of the Friends of the Port St. Lucie Botanical Gardens. 501c (3)

Hours: Wednesday thru Saturday 10am - 4pm & Sunday 12pm - 4pm. Closed Mondays & Tuesdays 8

compost, long before I ever heard of the science behind it.

What’s your favorite tree or plant, and why?

I was raised to be a gardener in the north, and loved daylilies. At one time, I had well over 100 varieties in my garden. I also love vegetable gardening. But I enjoy and appreciate the unique beauty of all types of plants!

Why did you choose to volunteer at the PSL Botanical Gardens?

I chose to volunteer because I was excited to be a part of helping the garden develop and improve. It is such a valuable community resource, I hear friends and neighbors always talking about how they enjoyed their visit and how beautiful it was. I am proud to be a very small part of creating that!

Do you have any goals for your time here as a volunteer?

To help make the garden center more organized, and get ID labels on everything throughout the gardens.

What do you find most rewarding about volunteering at The Gardens?

I find it most rewarding to hear feedback from the public about how we helped with their plant selections and how beautiful the gardens look.

What do you like to do when you’re at the Gardens?

I have been helping in the propagation area, but enjoy all aspects of gardening, as well as educating the public. I love it all!

Who was the most instrumental person who influenced your love of gardening?

My grandmother was the most instrumental in fostering my love of gardening. As a young child, she taught me how to plant, and encouraged me to create my very own gardens alongside her own. She was legendary with friends and family for being able to grow anything. She also taught me to

Outside of the Gardens, what do you enjoy doing in your free time?

Outside the garden, I enjoy hiking, swimming, crocheting, and artwork.

Tell us a little bit about your family.

My husband, Bob and I are seasonal residents here. We relish our winters in the South, and have been coming to Florida for many years. My husband is a retired golf professional, so you can guess what he does while I am playing in the garden! We live on a lake in NW PA in the summers, and enjoy boating and swimming without two labs as well.

We have two adult children, Kelli and Tim, both married and living in the Pittsburgh area.

Kelli has two boys, ages 2 1/2 and 7 months, so we relish every minute of time with all of them. Life is good!

Tell us something about you that’s interesting, or that not many people know about you.

I am also a Master Gardener both in PA and in St Lucie County. As you can imagine, gardening is quite different in our zone 5a PA climate, than it is here. I just love the varied and diverse opportunities that each program offers. From working at the county fairs, to cleaning out community gardens, working plant sales, and speaking to garden clubs, we have done it all!

What’s your favorite quote or saying?

"Be the change you wish to see in the world."

Mahatma Gandhi A close second- " Kiss the cook!"

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GREAT PLANTS FOR BUTTERFLIES IN FLORIDA PENTAS

Phlox are low-maintenance and full of color. They enjoy full sun and grow up to 4 ft tall. The small, five-petal flowers come in red, pink, blue or white, and their enticing scent attracts butterflies near and far. Depending on your need, you can choose either the spring-blooming creeping phlox, which acts as a great ground cover, or the summer-blooming tall phlox.

BUTTERFLY WEED(MILKWEED)

If you love monarch butterflies, then don’t skip this plant. Although called a weed, don’t let that deter you. The bright orange flowers are actually quite stunning, and can act as a great accent color. The butterfly weed normally grows about 3 ft tall and is great as a border plant in your landscape designs. If you do not want the plant to spread, be sure to deadhead the old blossoms before they seed.

PURPLE CONEFLOWER

These sun-loving plants grow to 4 ft tall, depending on the variety, and bloom from June to October. The striking flowers, with purple petals and orange center, attract a whole variety of butterflies. The purple coneflower, also known to some as Echinacea, is also well regarded for its medicinal purposes.

SALVIA

Salvia plants come in a wide variety of sizes and colors, so take your time choosing which variety will fit your landscape design best –the butterflies will love them all! Another sun-loving plant, the salvia comes in blue purple, red, orange or pink blossoms.

ASTER

Asters are known for blooming in the late summer and fall. Their star-like, bright flowers come in various shades of purple, blue, pink, red and white.

These plants provide both nectar for butterflies and nutrients in their leaves for caterpillars.

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ANISE HYSSOP

The anise hyssop is a very drought-tolerant plant that is a favorite among butterflies and bees alike. It is also an edible plant, with the leaves perfectly fine for consumption, whether it be in a salad or dried and used for tea. The stems end in flower spikes that are a few inches long and whose petals are a blue-violet color.

SOUTH AMERICAN VERBENA

This slender-stemmed plant grows up to 6 ft. tall with scarce leaves on the stems and purple, quarter inch, clustered flowers. Blossoming all summer, the verbena doesn’t mind being cut back, as this will actually help it continue bursting with blooms.

BLACK EYED SUSAN

Growing over 3 ft tall, these sunshine-filled yellow blossoms with dark brown centers make great additions in your butterfly garden as well as perfect for a wildflower bouquet. Pair with the purple coneflower for a great color mix! An excellent nectar source for butterflies. Look for larger butterflies like swallowtails and monarchs on these yellow flowers

COREOPSIS

Another bright yellow flower, the coreopsis grows to a little less than 2 ft tall and has a delicate, ferny foliage. When blossoms begin to fade, cut them back and the plant will jump right back into blossoming. Use in containers, beds, and borders. The yellow blossoms attract smaller butterflies such as skippers and whites.

BUTTERFLY BUSH

There are over 100 species of the butterfly bush, most of which are shrubs.

They can grow up to 10 feet tall, so make sure you think about location before planting them. The butterfly bush enjoys full sun and well-drained soil, and is best planted in the spring or fall. The blooms are a compact cluster of small flowers, often in purple, red, pink, yellow or white colors. These fruity scented blossoms attract a gorgeous array of butterflies.

COONTIE

The coontie is the only plant that attracts that Atala butterfly. The Florida atala butterfly (Eumaeurs atala Poey) is a rare hairstreak butterfly characterized by satiny black wings featuring an iridescent turquois shimmer. It was thought to be extinct due to overharvest of its host, Zamia integrifolia (a.k.a. coontie) These butterflies were rediscovered and are found in highly localized populations in Coastal Central and South Florida. They have been seen at the Port St. Lucie Botanical Gardens.

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With the Friends of the Port St Lucie Botanical Gardens successful partnership with the UF/IFAS Extension and the Florida Master Gardener Volunteer Program we are pleased to introduce to you an important resource to assist you with your Gardening Solutions.

Simply ASKIFAS in your browser and it will bring you to a wealth of information. Also, watch the YouTube video below by clicking on the link. We will be sponsoring a “HelpDesk”/Meet and Greet Workshop with Kate Rotindo, Urban Horticulture Extension Agent, UF/IFAS St. Lucie County Extension on Wednesday, March 2nd 12PM – 2PM. at the Garden. More information to follow.

Brenda Gustafson, Horticulture Chair https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQOrR1uczYM

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Plein-Air Artist painting in the Garden

Our Resident Lucie with her new doo

President Jeff Chambers accepting donation from the TCVCC Fishing’s Future spends a morning fishing at The Gardens

A little shopper in the Garden Center

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That’s not rain on the radar screen....that's millions of Monarch Butterflies, riding the front south on their annual migration.

Arbor Day in The Gardens - Hospitality provided by Rio Lindo Garden Club. Thank You/

The 2022 Arbor Day Tree: Weeping Bottlebrush

Girl Scout Troop 42030 provided the Color Guard and extra goodies and hospitality for our 2022 Arbor Day in the Gardens. Thank You.

Friends President Jeff Chambers deliver the opening remarks at the 2022 Arbor Day in the Gardens.

City Manager, Russ Blackburn delivers the greeting for our 2022 Arbor Day in The Gardens.

Vice Mayor Jolien Caraballo assists with the ceremonial planting of the Arbor Day Tree.

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VISIT THE GARDEN CENTER FOR OUR SPECIALS & NEW PLANTS Pentas, Blue My Mind, Geraniums, Vinca, Firespike, Milkweed, Thunbergia Sky Vine-White, Night Blooming Jasmine and much more.

50% OFF ALL AMARLYLLIS

GREAT PRICES! The Garden Center will be open February 12th & 13th for the Botanica Garden Festival Plant Sale and Orchid Village Show & Sale.

BE SURE TO STOP BY. We are open Wednesday - Saturday • 9AM-4PM and Sunday • Noon -4PM

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GREG HOLD & THE FAERIE FORREST Trunk’ quarterly garage sale at the Port St. Lucie Botanical Gardens, where he displayed his burgeoning collection of artistic sculptures.

Greg Hold, spun aluminum wire artist extraordinaire, is the FAERIE FORREST creator for the Port St Lucie Botanical Gardens. His gathering of faeries has charmed and entranced thousands of visitors since the inception of the Faerie Forrest in May of 2018.

Greg began his career as an entrepreneur and inventor, owning many businesses including an RV Sales Center in Maine in the 1980’s, and later owning an earth moving operation and a TV Satellite company. His love of art followed him throughout his working life, and as he sketched and drew his ideas, trying his hand at painting and airbrushing, it proved artistically unsatisfying. He always “dabbled” with welding, and loved engineering spun aluminum wire into both artistic and functional forms, dreaming of retiring to an artistic life.

After breaking his back and neck in two separate accidents he and his wife, Shirley, did retire. He began his ‘Second Lyfe’ and his dreams of becoming ‘a true artist’ led him serendipitously to the ‘Junk in the 30

The president of the Gardens board at the time, Joleen King, saw his real potential, and immediately launched the Faery Forrest campaign to display his work. Greg, on the other hand was flabbergasted that anyone would be so enthralled with his work that they would want to display it! And publicly, in a park, for all to see, and to actually pay money for it! He said he was beyond surprised, amazed and grateful, and even now, cannot quite believe this has happened to him.

The Faerie Forrest at The Gardens now

includes 6 of his meticulously crafted Faeries, with 2 more being installed before the end of the year. The faeries and his other sculptures are made of spun aluminum wire, stainless steel, and recycled materials.

His ‘Second Lyfe’ refers not only to his retirement and the commencement of his artistic endeavors, but also to the use of recycled parts in his work.

Since the founding of the Faerie Forrest, Greg has produced another sculpture of a ballplayer for the City of Port St. Lucie which is located at the Jessica Clinton Park on Southbend Blvd.

Greg has also began taking his work to regional art shows, most recently winning Best in Show at the Art Show in The Gardens at the Port St. Lucie Botanical Gardens in January 2021. He displayed his latest work at last months 2022 Art Show in The Gardens. Greg also displayed his work at the Expo in Jupiter this past December, and at the Holiday Expo in Vero Beach last November. While demand for his work certainly outstrips supply, he continues to be inspired by his customers desire for custom pieces.

Greg and Shirley live their ‘Second Lyfe’ in Port St. Lucie and have 4 children, 17 grandchildren and one crazy mutt.

Visit their Facebook Page for more information.

by Laura Mehr

We welcome you to visit the Faerie Forrest at the Port St. Lucie Botanical Gardens.

Can you find all the Faeries?

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Port St. Lucie Botanical Gardens

New Golf Cart One Gallon Pots and Smaller. Drop them off on one of the back tables.

We currently have plenty of 2 and 3 gallons.

New Sweet Almond Bush New Tropical Sage Plant

All Donations Tax Deductible

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