Garden Fund Newsletter 2011

The Community Garden Charitable Fund was formed in the spring of 2007 by a group of local citizens who recognize the importance of preserving the horticultural beauty of our public green spaces, particularly at Pinecrest Gardens. The Garden Fund is a grass roots organization that works closely with Village of Pinecrest government in their efforts to maintain and improve this diverse and rare property. Since its inception, the Garden Fund has attracted a wide range of supporters, has raised significant funds, and has used those funds for specific improvement projects in Pinecrest Gardens. The Garden is an oasis, a 14-acre historic site with a distinct and dramatic natural topography which houses limestone outcroppings, ponds, cypress sloughs, a piece of Snapper Creek, and a tremendous variety of rare plant life. The preservation and enhancement of this garden will ensure its continuation as an enchanting destination for many generations to come.

A WALK THROUGH THE GARDENS

A walking tour with Craig Morrel, resident horticulturist at Pinecrest Gardens, reveals vast botanical improvements to this historical 14 acre jewel of our community, thanks in part to the work of the Garden Fund. Several projects which contributed to this upturn have been underwritten by the Fund, and were chosen in collaboration with Craig.

THE COLONNADE

From the main entrance we head west through the colonnade, which, in 2007 was one of the initial projects that was tackled by the Fund. The area, now past the initial phase of repair, is well into the phase of refinement. It is largely planted with groupings of Lavender Firespike (Odontonema callistach-yum), Aglaonema “Peacock”, Cardinal’s guard (Aphelandra coccinea), Monstera and other types of Philodendron that spread in layers under the shade of Leopard trees (Caesalpinia ferrea), Cabada palms (Dypsis cabadae) and Caribbean thatch palms (Coccothrinax barbadensis), and in the same area, if you happened to have visited this year’s Backyard Paradise, Angel trumpets (Brugmansia arborea “Charles Grimaldi‟) stunningly flowered on Mother Nature’s queue, permeating the air with intoxicating perfume, borne on hundreds of foot-long apricot hued flowers.

THE MEADOW AND DESERT GARDEN

We move on to the meadow paths, the area where the fifth annual Garden Soiree was hosted this past February 25, 2011. (If you missed it this year, mark your calendars for 2012!) It is our most significant fund raising event, and a magical evening not to be missed. In the meadow, Craig identifies mass plantings of the commonly grown type from the 1970s, the “firecracker flower” (Crossandra infundibuliformis) which he calls a “no problem” plant for our subtropical climate (gardeners, make a note of that!) Many of the plants funded for this project are coming into bloom, including a fabulous white pinwheel flower with a rich clove-cinnamon-jasmine fra-grance…Tabernaemontana holstii. In the southeast corner we stroll by “Bromeliad Hill”, a compact area layered with exquisite Bromeliads of more than twenty varieties. We continue walking up through the southern desert garden, where Craig points out the diversity within the succulent groups. Several varieties cohabitate in this exceptional environmental sampler which has been optimized to oomph degree. The desert garden sections are due for new plantings and some cosmetic renovations within the next year.

THE TERRACE

Zone 12, as the Pinecrest Garden “insiders” call it, is another area that was targeted by the Garden Fund. Improvements to this area include massive plantings of Bromeliads atop Oolite rock walls, which flank the inclined promenade, as well as the addition of Epiphytes to the mature live Oak canopy. Staggeringly large Philodendron and Australian Tree Fern plantings will eventually be shaded by three rare species of Ficus, which are rapidly adapting to this microclimate: Ficus pseudopalma, Ficus philippinensis, and Ficus dammaropsis. There are hundreds of Orchids and other Epiphytes in the large live Oak trees in this section of the Garden, as well as an array of Cycads, Aroids, Gegonia, and Rattlesnake Calathea plants. The Terrace’s new plantings emerged unscathed by recent cold temperatures, and continue to grow and flourish.

THE HIDDEN GARDEN

We meander northeast along the stream, and stop intermittently for stunners like Heliconia “Pedro Ortiz” Licuala grandis, giant Alocasias, and towering Ravenala madagascariensis, each one of which can take one’s breath away. We soon find ourselves walking on a winding path that suddenly merges into the Hidden Garden. This garden, realized through the efforts of the Garden Fund’s board of directors has seasoned into a favorite destination for visitors who are amazed by the majestic canopy of ancient trees, laden with Orchids and other Epiphytes, from the vantage of beautiful painted tile benches. Craig elaborates that this area is being expanded in layers, as more and more invasive plants are removed, and plants housed in the Garden’s nursery await their chance to shine.

A WELCOMING HOME

Pinecrest Gardens is like a welcoming home for all who visit. With its doors and windows flung wide open, it beckons us to step through the threshold, inviting us to explore its many wondrous rooms, each distinctive, unique and functional. From the exotic to the sublime, the Gardens serves our community as a venue for cultural events, children‟ entertainment, as a tourist attraction, for social gatherings, and as a destination for exercise and learning. This is a spe-cial place to be savored, cherished, and respected by us all. We are the stewards of this small paradise for subsequent generations, and this is an open invitation to join the Garden Fund in our efforts to raise funds that will help provide the means by which Pinecrest Gardens will continue to thrive.

THE FIFTH ANNUAL SOIREE

There are times when elements come together in near perfect harmony, and months of planning and endless details align. Friday, February 25, 2011 was just such an evening when we hosted our fifth annual Soiree in Pinecrest Gardens.

For the past few years, February weather in South Florida has been unpredictable at best, but this night was picture perfect. From the entrance to the Terrace to the Meadow, and finally into the Banyan Bowl, the Garden had been preened for this special occasion, and the new lighting helped to illuminate its very best features.

Nearly 300 attendees were greeted in the early evening by Pat Kyle Lawrence’s spectacular decorating work at the entrance, and after check-in and a complimentary glass of wine, they encountered the beautiful music that emanated from Deborah Fleisher’s harp. Photos were taken along the way, and the pathway to the Terrace led them to the silent auction and the cocktail hour. Jimmy B’s piano accompanied, and drinks, courtesy of Bacardi, USA, and passed hors d’oeurves were enjoyed as people studied the many bid sheets, which included a Jamaican vacation, a vast display of beautiful baubles from Maurice’s Jewelers, a week’s stay at a townhouse in Beaufort, South Carolina, artwork, exotic plants and much more. Guests strolled under the long overhang and marveled at magnificent Swan Lake as it glistened in the waning sunlight.

Dinner in the meadow was a choice of an island chicken or fish entree, along with fresh vegees and two choices of rice that had been prepared fresh on site. The tables had been decorated with glowing tangerine cloths topped with sparkling glass containers that had been carefully put together by the Fund’s board members and volunteers that after-noon. People lingered over their meals, and conversation flowed along with the wine that had been donated by Whole Foods of Pinecrest.

For the first time the Soiree’s entertainment took place in the newly refurbished Banyan Bowl, and dinner guests chose their seats while concert only attendees waited patiently to see international star Julian Marley and his band per-form. They were not disappointed. The 530 seat auditorium rocked as Julian and his band played original and classic Marley reggae tunes. The extraordinary acoustics had people on their feet and dancing in the aisles until late in the evening.

Feedback has been outstanding, and many of the guests who purchased single tickets vowed to buy full tables next year. None of this would have been possible without the tireless volunteers who worked long hours and attended many meetings in order to ensure that the event would run flawlessly. Thank you to committee members Judy Parker, JoAnn Parns, Patsy Rodriguez, Ines Mander, Urzula Dudek, Eilene Huber, Barbara Pareira, Helen Claire Matthews, Cecilia Best, Karen Ross, Cindy David, Arianne Sasso, Daniel Berger, Sharon Kudjwa, Monica Rodriguez, Ron VonPaulus, and to board members Ellen Book, Paul Sasso, Christian Armstrong, Annette Bonnier, Candy McDonald, Ricardo Garbati, Betty McCarthy, Stella McLaughlan, and to co-chairs Pat Vandenberg and Lynn Wille Fichman.

The Soiree is the Garden Fund’s main fundraiser of the year, and the board is extremely grateful for the generosity of sponsors and donors who helped to contribute to the bottom line. They include the Village of Pinecrest, NCL Cruise Line, Whole Foods of Pinecrest, Bacardi USA, the Corradino Group, Maurice’s Jewelers, Susan and Bill Randall, Lisa Remeny, Evan Shapiro, Dennis Finneran, Dr. Frederick Brandt, Urzula Dudek, and Jane Issa, among others.

The evening netted significant funds which will be used for further botanical improvement projects in the Garden.

THE RAINFOREST GROTTO

After the completion of the Fund‟s most recent project in the Garden, which was the refurbishing and replanting of a vast section adjacent to the terrace referred to as “area 12”, the Fund’s board of directors began searching for the next tract in need of assistance. After careful consideration, and with the help of horticulturist Craig Morrel, it was decided that three “pits” in the lower garden that were once home to the alligators who were housed there during Parrot Jungle days held the potential to become lush wet gardens that would form a rainforest grotto consisting of Ferns, Alocasias, and aquatic plants. It was a rather barren site with no cohesive plant life or design, but with the generous help of Jim Lawrence of Galloway Farm Nursery, a design plan was conceived which pulled the three adjacent sections together, creating a wide vista that draws the eye beyond its present borders. It is also to be outfitted with drip irrigation in order to maintain moisture which will help to cre-ate microclimates within each of the three grottos. The plan calls for clothing the rocks with Begonias and Ferns to simulate authentic rainforest lagoons.

The plan was presented to the Botanical Committee where it was enthusiastically embraced, next the Village Council agreed, and finally it was sent to the Historic Review Board, where it was approved.

Many months have passed since it was first envisioned, but the “Rainforest Grotto” is now a reality. The project did not require any removal of plants, no removal of rock, and no structural changes whatsoever, but it copies the design of oth-er parts of the Garden where Pinnacle rock and plants intermingle.

As in all past projects, the Garden Fund underwrote the cost of all plants, materials, and labor, as well as future maintenance of the site. Once its growth cycle is completed, the area promises to be one of the most attractive and complimentary improvements that the Fund has enacted. The lower garden is a lush compilation of winding path-ways, water features, rock walls and waterfalls. It houses rare Palms and plants from all over the world, and it is one of the most beautiful examples of what a tropical rainforest can become with the assistance of those who nurture it. We are gratified to have the opportunity to contribute to its continuous blossoming.

MEMBERSHIP

Our membership program has been a popular way for people to endorse the work that the Garden Fund does. Last year board member Paul Sasso hatched the idea to thank our yearly supporters with an orchid or bromeliad which will be distributed on a bi-annual basis. That program will once again be enacted, and for a yearly membership fee of $65 for individuals, and $150 at the corporate level, a beautiful blooming plant will be distributed from our office at the Whilden-Carrier cottage adjacent to the Pinecrest Community Center on a first come, first served basis in October and in April. Please join our dynamic expanding base in our continuing efforts to beautify Pinecrest Gardens, and enjoy the many benefits of membership in the Garden Fund.

We will be holding a reception / membership drive in the early fall for all of our new, old, and perspective members. Notices will be sent out in advance, and all friends of the Garden Fund are encouraged to attend this special evening.

The Community Garden Charitable Fund is a not for profit 501c (3) organization, and all donations are tax deductible. For information about volunteer opportunities, membership, upcoming events, or to make a donation, contact our office at 305-669-1028, email us at [email protected], or visit our website at gardenfund.org.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Karen Mashburn, President
Lynn Wille Fichman, Vice President
Pat Vandenberg, Secretary
Ricardo Garbati, Treasurer
Paul Sasso, Esquire
Candy McDonald
Stella McLaughlin
Ellen Book
Christian Armstrong
Cedella Marley
Betty McCarthy
Annette Bonnier

NEWSLETTER CREDITS

Written by Lynn Wille Fichman & Christian Armstrong
Photographs by Robert Filkins
Soiree Photos can be purchased by going to:
[email protected]