The Gardens Gate - March 2020

The March 2020 Gardens Gate Port St. Lucie Botanical Gardens

Botanica 2020 in Pictures

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Horticulture Happenings

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Orchid Jungle Book

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MOONRAKER & Other Upcoming Events

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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:

Michelle Peterson Heather Furnari Claire Clark Brenda Gustafson Jeff Chambers John Erickson Melinda DeMarco Dale Johnson Judy Nash-Wade Mary Petrone Tim Sutton

Standing Committee Chairs...

Election Committee:

Stephanie Alessandrini-Giarraffa Brenda Gustafson Claire Clark Brenda Gustafson

Finance Committee: Gift Shop Committee: Horticulture Committee: Membership & Volunteer Committee: Judy Nash-Wade Resource Development Committee: Heather Furnari 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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As our current Board of Directors kicks off a second decade of service to the Port St. Lucie Botanical Gardens, I want to take this opportunity to honor the many who came before us. Thanks to the dedication and hard work of all those who served the Gardens in the past, we have this beautiful botanical oasis in the heart of Port St. Lucie. We owe a special debt of gratitude to our Immediate Past President, Joleen King, who has moved the Gardens forward over her past six years on the Board. The Gardens accomplished a great deal under her guidance and leadership.

Over the past 10 years, the Gardens has been blessed with consistent growth and improvement. In early February, our two-day Botanica Garden Festival and Plant Sale grew in size and boasted the best attendance ever. Our Garden Center and Plant Nursery has increased in volume and plant diversity. Our Gift Shop appears to have a new look with the wide variety of fun and exciting items you just can’t resist.

Last, but never least, our garden areas look better than ever. Plant inventory continues to increase and plants continue to flourish. Thanks to a grant from the Stanley Smith Horticultural Trust, our plant collection will soon feature “Smart” identification signs that will provide a wealth of information with the simple scan of a QR code. So we move forward, offering a techno-savvy way for our visitors to learn more and discover the beauty of our Botanical Gardens.

Michelle Peterson, President

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Crosstown Chapel Sunday Service Community Drum Circle with Kevin Beatkeeper Master Naturalists: When Manatees Were Sea Cows Intermediate Spanish Class Ft. Pierce Jazz & Blues Jazz Jams City of Port St. Lucie Parks & Recreation Dept.

10-Year Botanical Gardens Celebration Crosstown Chapel Sunday Service Rio Lindo Club Board Meeting FPSLBG Board of Directors Meeting Community Drum Circle with Kevin Beatkeeper River Vista HOA Meeting Intermediate Spanish Class Master Gardeners General Meeting PSL Angler’s Meeting Wacky Weeders Crosstown Chapel Sunday Service Community Drum Circle with Kevin Beatkeeper Sandpiper Bay Community Member Meeting Korean War Veterans TCC106 Meeting Intermediate Spanish Class Ft. Pierce Jazz & Blues Jazz Jams Treasure Coast Rare Fruit Club Meeting Crosstown Chapel Sunday Service Volunteer Orientation and Meet & Greet Rio Lindo Garden Club Monthly Meeting Community Drum Circle with Kevin Beatkeeper Strategic Planning Committee Meeting Intermediate Spanish Class Tarpon Bay Moorings Board Meeting MOONRAKER 2020 GALA Crosstown Chapel Sunday Service PSL City Council Strategic Planning Session Community Drum Circle with Kevin Beatkeeper PSL City Council Strategic Planning Session PSL Historical Society Board Meeting

9:30 - 11:45 am 6:30 - 8:30 pm 7:00 - 9:00 pm 10:00 - 11:30 am 6:30 - 9:30 pm

All Welcome All Welcome All Welcome - Free All Welcome $7 Donation, $6 Members

11:00 am - 3:00 pm

All Welcome

9:30 - 11:45 am 10:30 am - 12:00 pm 4:30 - 6:30 pm 6:30 - 8:30 pm 7:00 - 9:00 pm 10:00 - 11:30 am 10:30 am - 12:00 pm 5:30 - 9:30 pm 8:00 am - 12:00 pm 9:30 - 11:45 am 6:30 - 8:30 pm 6:30 - 9:00 pm 10:00 am - 2:00 pm 10:00 - 11:30 am 6:30 - 9:30 pm 7:00 - 9:00 pm 9:30 - 11:45 am 3:00 - 4:30 pm 12:30 - 4:00 pm 6:30 - 8:30 pm 6:00 - 7:30 pm 10:00 - 11:30 am 6:30 - 9:30 pm 6:00 - 10:00 pm 9:30 - 11:45 am 8:30 am - 5:00 pm 6:30 - 8:30 pm 8:30 am - 5:00 pm 4:00 pm - 5:30 pm

All Welcome Members Welcome Members Welcome All Welcome HOA Members Welcome All Welcome Members Welcome All Welcome All Welcome All Welcome All Welcome Members Welcome Members Welcome All Welcome $10 Cover All Welcome All Welcome All Welcome All Welcome All Welcome Members Welcome All Welcome HOA Members Welcome Ticketed Event All Welcome Public Welcome All Welcome Public Welcome Members Welcome

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We’re all dressed up for the Botanica Sale! What a great success for the Gardens! Thank you to all our volunteers throughout the Gardens

The Garden Center Team: ( l to r bottom), Laura Brady Brenda Gustafson and Laura Mehr, (l to r, top Sherri Catalina, Tony Joneck, Ben Woodruff and Dale Johnson

VOLUNTEERS Helping to Make to the Garden Grow 10

LUCIE... Horticulture’s new Mascot

Horticulture Happenings, Busy, Busy, Busy ! Volunteers Rock! you can change this - Help!

Sampson Tree removing a pine tree in the Propagation area.

What a great job!

Volunteer, Laura Brady removing the last of the epiphytes. Good day for the Gardens.

Our Favorite Fix it and Build it Duo!

Tony Joneck, Volunteer and Chair of the Cactus and Succulent Gardens shows his fantastic talents refreshing the Pavilion Walkway.

Be sure to take a walk through the Cactus and Succulent Garden maintained by Tony and John Erickson.

It is one of our favorite gardens.

Merv Yearwood and Gene Kovacs installing posts and shade covers with Laura Mehr, Laura Brady and Dale Johnson below who assisted in digging the holes for the new sign.

Merv built the frame for the new sign.

WISH LIST Volunteer, Goldie Steele, showing off her talents creating beautiful planters for Botanica.

The Garden Center is asking for donations of clay and ceramic pots as well as yard art (in pretty good condition).

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Julianne from New York with Lucie

Visitors from Belgium

John Springer (Enchanted Walkabouts), creating fantasies in the Fairy Forest

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Visitors from Scotland enjoying the Gardens

Joleen King receives donation from the Treasure Coast Vintage Car Club.

Al & Marie strolling through the Garden with Smokey there African Gray

Thanks to Michelle Peterson for the donation of all the decorative pots.

Al & Marie together with their son from New York

Wow Playground Charrette

Laura A Kaplan a friend of the Gardens graciously donated some informational gardening books to our reference library.

Ma & Ma Kettle

A Hawk visiting in the Gardens

More animals seen around the Gardens

Weddings in the Garden 2020 Annual Meeting

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Individual membership fees are going up to $35 effective April 1, 2020.

Take advantage of the current rate and join or renew today.

Get an extra 3months added to your membership with our “March Membership Madness” Special.

Friends of PSLBG March Membership Madness Join or Renew Today!!!

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

 Individual $25 / $35 (as of 4.1.20)  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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Visit JOIN OUR TEAM:

We have availability in the Gift Shop, Welcome Center, Propagation, Garden Maintenance, Event Planning

for a selection of fine gifts and those one of a kind items.

VOLUNTEER AS LITTLE AS 3 HOURS A WEEK., MEET SOME GREAT PEOPLE, AND HELP YOUR COMMUNITY. Stop by or call Judy Nash-Wade or Angie Reese at 772-337-1959.

Volunteer Orientation Sunday, March 22 • 3:00pm - 4:30pm Learn about volunteering at the Gardens, meet other volunteers and offer Suggestions.

Prospective and current volunteers welcome!

VISIT WWW.PSLBG.ORG FOR MORE INFORMATION

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CLICK HERE TO BUY YOUR TICKETS TODAY - THEY’RE GOING FAST

VISIT WWW.PSLBG.ORG FOR MORE INFORMATION

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VISIT WWW.PSLBG.ORG FOR MORE INFORMATION