The Gardens' Gate - May 2023

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, Garden Center and Gift Shop Hours:

Tuesday - Saturday | 9 AM - 5 PM

Sunday | Noon - 5 PM

Skates, boards & bicycles are not permitted on the walkways in the gardens.

Suggested Donations:

Adults $5 • Students $2 Free for PSLBG 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.

Office & Directors

President: Heather Furnari

Vice President: Jeanette Kostival

Secretary: Judy Nash-Wade

Treasurer: Cheri Mabry

Directors: John Erickson, Dale Johnson, Mary Petrone, Pam Scholey, Tim Sutton, Moses Hill, Joleen King

Standing Committee Chairs

Election Committee: Stephanie Alessandrini Giarraffa

Finance Committee: -

Gift Shop Committee: Pam Scholey

Horticulture Committee: Tim Sutton, Dale Johnson

Membership & Volunteer Committee: Jeanette Kostival

Resource Development Committee: Heather Furnari

Strategic Planning Committee: Tim Dutton

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.

CONTENTS

Monthly Calendar pg. 4

What’s Blooming Now? pg. 8

Volunteer Spotlights pg. 16

Health & Wellbeing pg. 20

Photographer Sessions pg. 22

Ladybug Launch pg. 24

Guest Photos pg. 30

*Reminder

Friends Monthly Board Meeting

Monday, May 8, 2023 | 4:30PM

Members are welcome to attend meetings.

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

April showers bring May flowers. The garden is starting to burst, the confederate Jasmine and other spring bloomers are showing off their scents and colors. We have also spung into our spring events. The Junk in the Trunk on April 8th with many wonderful vendors and visitors. The Lady Bug Launch is always a huge hit as the education committee taught the benefits of Lady Bugs in the garden. The children were also invited to hold and release some into the butterfly garden. We celebrated World Tai chi Day on April 29th. Many came to join in. The Hibiscus Garden mosaic, created by Anita Prentice is standing tall and is the first step in the transformation of the Hibiscus Garden. May will bring the Hats in the Garden event again this year sponsored by the Port St. Lucie Orchid society and the Friends, the opening celebration of the Serenity Garden and Secret Garden and new Yoga programs for healthy ageing and our veterans and first responders.

With the new Gates and the new hours at the Garden we always want to thank our volunteers. These are individuals who tirelessly help welcome guests, help them pick out that special item in the gift shop, create our education programs and those who make us shine in the garden rooms and garden center. We couldn’t do it without them!

If you love our beautiful garden and like interacting with people, we need you to volunteer. Whether you’re a people person, an avid gardener, enjoy doing events, selling retail, creating things or fixing things, there are numerous areas we can use your talents.

We can’t forget all the visitors and volunteers who have become members! Thank you for your support and we hope you keep encouraging your friends and neighbors to become members! Your support of us each year with membership renewal helps supports our mission at the Gardens. We invite all our members to attend the monthly board meetings and see how the board is working to make things happen. Get to know the board you have voted for. Meetings are the Second Monday of the Month at 4:30pm. We have a seat waiting for you.

Respectfully,

Heather Furnari

President Friends of the Port St. Lucie Botanical Gardens

If you’re interested in discussing opportunities to join any committees at The Gardens, please email: volunteer@pslbg.org

May 2023

HAPPENING AT THE PORT ST. LUCIE BOTANICAL GARDENS

Meeting BONSAI

Saturday, April 22 10 AM - Noon

What’s Blooming Now?

The Easy Spirit Rose was hybridized and introduced between 2016 - 2018 by American Rose breeder Tom Carruth. It is a Floribunda Rose which is a type of modern garden rose that was created by crossing hybrid teas with polyantha roses.

Floribunda roses are typically smaller than hybrid tea roses and grow in clusters, producing many flowers on each stem. They are known for their hardiness, disease resistance, and prolific blooming, which makes them a popular choice for home gardeners and landscapers. They are also well-suited for use in garden beds, borders, and are perfect for bouquets!

East Spirit Rose

Rose de Rescht is a highly fragrant, old garden rose that has been cultivated for over a century. It is believed to have originated in Persia (modern-day Iran) and was introduced to Europe in the mid1800s. The rose has been used as a parent for many other hybrid varieties.

Rose de Rescht is a damask rose, which is a group of roses that are known for their intense fragrance. The flowers are medium-sized, double, and cupped, with a rich, deep pink color that can appear almost purple in certain light conditions. They bloom in clusters throughout the summer and have a strong, sweet fragrance that is often described as spicy or clove-like.

The Julia Child Rose is a beautiful yellow-gold floribunda rose named in honor of the famous chef Julia Child. It was introduced in 2004 by the American rose breeder Tom Carruth.

The Julia Child Rose has large, full, cup-shaped flowers with a diameter of 3-4 inches and a strong, spicy fragrance. The flowers bloom in clusters on sturdy stems and are held on a compact, bushy plant that grows up to 3-4 feet tall and wide.

Julia Child Rose

Rose de Rescht

PSL ANGLERS

KIDS FISHING TOURNAMENT

Thank you to everyone who attended, participated, and volunteered at the PSL Anglers Kids Fishing Tournament! It was a great event with beautiful weather where local anglers taught children all about the basic of fishing! We look forward to more fishing tournaments in the future!

Grand Opening

OF THE SECRET GARDEN & SERENITY GARDEN

The Grand Opening of Serenity Garden & Secret Garden will take place on Sunday, May 7, 2023, from 10:30 AM to 12 PM. This event is free for everyone to join. There will be refreshments, wedding vendors, and an opportunity to purchase commemorative bricks to honor loved ones.

The Serenity Garden is a peaceful garden for contemplation. This beautiful site affords an opportunity to commemorate an occasion or loved one through an inscribed celebratory brick.

Every Brick Has a Story to Tell.

To see all of the brick options and costs, click on the link here: www.pslbg.org/celebratory-bricks.html

Spotlights

by LAURA MEHR

Darlene Mayhew

On or our May 2023 ACE Volunteer of the Month is Darlene Mayhew, nominated by board member Mary Petrone. Darlene has been an integral part of the Butterfly Garden’s operations for the past four plus years.

Darlene works hard and tirelessly to help Phyllis make the Butterfly Garden the one of the many lovely gardens. She even brings in her own personal lawn care equipment every week, to weed whack, rake and clean. This helps to keep the Butterfly Garden in excellent shape. Even during the hottest months of the year, you can find Darlene making things better in the Butterfly Garden.

She is never afraid to take on the hardest and dirtiest jobs; from loading mulch into a wheelbarrow and spreading it where it needs to go, to constantly weeding and digging holes and planting needed butterfly plants. Her can-do attitude, along with her fun and kind demeanor, make her such a great fit in the Butterfly Garden.

When she is not making things great at The Gardens, Darlene enjoys spending time with her son, grandchild, and her furry friend, Stumpy.

For these reasons and so many more, Darlene is the outstanding nominee for our May, ACE Volunteer of the Month award.

Merv Yearwood

Merv Yearwood is one of our May 2023 ACE Volunteer of the Month, nominated by board members and horticultural cochairs Tim Sutton and Dale Johnson.

Merv has been The Gardens go to guy for all things construction since 2015, when he became a master gardener. In his previous working life he had been a civil engineer in his native homeland, Trinidad.

He has designed and built numerous projects around The Garden. For example, he designed and built the Secret Garden arbor that holds the hand carved gate that was designed and constructed by Gene Kovacs. He also installed: the bamboo fence in the Serenity Garden, the Garden Center fence, Garden Center pergolas, and our cash register station ‘The Hut’. Merv is always willing to fix anything that needs fixing, and his co-operative attitude makes him a delight to work with.

Whatever the Garden Center volunteers can conceive, of Merv is able to make sense of it and bring it to fruition. The most important construction project that he has done for us is the 25 Garden Center tables. They are so necessary to the Garden Center operations! Recently, along with Eric Catalina, he has been refurbishing and upgrading them, as after eight years of hard use, they certainly were in need of an upcycle.

Merv has told me that he is a project person and loves to do whatever is needed around The Gardens. In his time away from The Gardens he is conceiving and building his own projects, either here or in his native Trinidad. He said if he doesn’t have a personal project going at his home workshop, he seeks us out to see what we need. He is an amazing and incredible part of The Gardens and more than worthy of this award.

Every Brick Has a Story to Tell.

3RD THURSDAY OF EACH MONTH AT 7PM - 9PM

Port St. Lucie Botanical Gardens

Our mission is to promote tropical and subtropical fruits; to introduce and distribute new and improved varieties; to inform the public of the merits of tropical fruit; to collect and disseminate information on cultural requirements and propagating techniques; and much more!

Come join us and bring a friend or neighbor. First meeting is always free!

MONTHLY PROGRAM, DELICIOUS TASTING TABLE, SEED EXCHANGE, PLANT AUCTION, PLANT RAFFLE

Visit our website to learn more: www.tcrarefruitclub.org

2410 SE Westmoreland Blvd. Port St. Lucie, FL 34952

Health Wellbeing &

AT THE PORT ST. LUCIE BOTANICAL GARDENS

The new Health and Wellbeing committee at the Port Saint Lucie Botanical Garden is the brainchild of Dale Johnson. Dale, recently elected to the Board of Directors, is a yoga instructor and a volunteer at the Gardens.

Dale has been volunteering at the garden since he first moved to Port Saint Lucie. Watching the Botanical Garden grow, Dale saw the potential for combining health and wellbeing with the beauty of the Garden. To make this happen, he stepped up and offered to spearhead a new Health and Wellbeing division. As a new board member, Dale’s first step for Health and Wellbeing includes creating a core set of fitness individuals to help him design a program that brings fitness and nature together. While there are currently Tai Chi and Yoga offerings at the Gardens, Dale wants to be instrumental in growing both the number and type of offerings. The future will likely include Yoga for Better Balance, Yoga for Veterans and First Responders, Chair Yoga, and Meditation. As a new program, it will evolve over time to meet the needs of Garden members and Port St Lucie residents.

With over a decade of experience teaching yoga, Dale understands the need to seek peace and tranquility. He sees the connection between health and this beautiful nature setting. It’s hard to feel stressed when there are ibis and cranes, flowers and trees. The Secret Garden, the deck overlooking the water, the trees and flowers all afford spaces for people to relax and reconnect with nature. Health and Wellbeing in the Garden affords benefits that can’t be found inside a studio.

Check out the current Health and Wellbeing offerings under the Events tab on the Port Saint Lucie Botanical Garden website https://www.pslbg.org/home.html. Stay on the lookout for additional classes and events in the future.

Photographer SESSIONS

AT THE GARDENS

Due to the new fence being installed, photographers that are members will now be able to enter the grounds for 1-2 evenings a month for a fee to bring their client to take photos.

Cost is $15/Session

Business Membership is Required www.pslbg.org/membership.html

Upcoming Photography Night

Thursday, May 18, 2023

4 PM - 8 PM

Register Prior to the Event:

portstluciebotanicalgardens.app.neoncrm.com/np/clients/portstluciebotanicalgardens/eventRegistration.jsp?event=3177&

Saturday, April 15, 2023

Ladybug Launch

by MARY PETRONE

DIRECTOR AND

CHAIR OF CHILDREN’S EDUCATION

The dust has settled. All the equipment, signs, hats, headbands, and games are in containers in hopes of repeating this event. It is time to express our gratitude and appreciation to the volunteers who helped make the 2023 Lady Bug Launch a delight. Judging from the smiles and giggles heard from the children, families, and volunteers, we believe this was a successful activity. Next year’s Lady Bug Launch is scheduled for April 13, 2024.

Kudos to our Committee Members!

A new team is being developed! Help plan and carryout outreach activities throughout our local community. Options include, but are not limited to: public speaking, outreach event planning, writing articles, etc.

www.pslbg.org/become-a-volunteer.html

be our GUEST

PHOTOGRAPHS FROM OUR GUESTS AT THE GARDENS

@_intergalactic_pancakes_

Daisey Buckmuse

Anthony Martucci

Marcos Photography