Palm Beach County Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society to Host Annual NATIVE GARDEN TOUR
Sunday, November 5, from 9 am to 3 pm
Visit Five Private Gardens and One Public Garden Landscaped with Florida Native Plants in Jupiter,
North Palm Beach, and Palm Beach Gardens
(West Palm Beach, FL – October 26, 2023) The Palm Beach County Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society, today reiterated that it would be hosting its Annual Native Plant Garden Tour, November 5.
From 9 am to 3 pm on Sunday, November 5, participants can visit five unique private gardens and one public garden, all landscaped with Florida native plants: two in North Palm Beach, three in Jupiter, and one in Palm Beach Gardens. There will be docents at each property to answer questions, informational plant lists and labels on most of the plants will be available, with native plant literature at the welcome tables.
The cost for the day is $10 for non-members and free for FNPS members and children under 13. Tickets are now available online at https://checkout.square.site/merchant/ML0X58QJMNJKR/checkout/AIC5YXDN6JU7LODL4LVZ2O4W, or they can be purchased with cash or check at any of the gardens on the day of the tour. For more information, please call 561.285.7213 or visit http://www.palmbeach.fnpschapters.org.
The six gardens on this year’s Native Plant Garden Tour include:
The Kesharvarz Garden
66 Saint James Drive
Palm Beach Gardens 33418
According to Lucy Keshavarz, the key to making her garden work in her golf course community was having the right plant in the right place. She credits the Florida Native Plant Society, and our PBC Chapter’s annual native garden tour, for providing the vision and knowledge needed to make it happen. “After many fun meetings, hikes and talks with native experts I now have a garden that is an oasis of sustainability and beauty.”
The Walter Garden
436 Gulf Road
North Palm Beach 33408
Karla & Steve Walter purchased their home in North Palm Beach in 1999 with the goal of transforming the landscape to create a native backyard. She met that goal and has shared her expertise and enthusiasm with her neighborhood as well. “We’ve enjoyed sharing our little space with nature and having a life full of butterflies and bees,” she says.
The Shoemake Garden
517 Kingfish Rd
North Palm Beach 33408
This garden started out as a typical Florida garden lacking native diversity, but things changed after Margaret & Wayne Shoemake planted a few natives about four years ago. They were amazed at how a few native plants in their landscape brought life to their property. Daily visitors included butterflies, painted buntings, cardinals, blue jays, doves, an occasional hawk, and a few black racers. They have added many more natives since then and continue to welcome new visitors. “Wayne and I are avid photographers, and we will be enjoying and photographing our front yard for years to come,” says Margaret Shoemake.
The Thayer Garden
16846 123rd Terrace North
Jupiter Farms 334478
The Thayer Family has lived in Jupiter Farms for 35 years during which time have created a natural wonder on their 1.25 acre lot. Starting with a base of Florida flatwood plant species, Dan Thayer, a South Florida native working in the field of natural resource management, “saw this as perfect opportunity to create a landscape that looked like natural Jupiter.” This unique garden was featured in a previous year’s tour and has been brought back by popular demand.
The McKee Garden (pictured above)
18699 127th Drive North
Jupiter 33478
The McKees have added to a “really fantastic foundation of mature trees and shrubs” to create an even more fantastic native landscape and wildlife habitat. Kelley McKee invites FNPS members and friends to “come visit our yard and see how worthwhile it is to plant native, no matter the size of your property. It pays dividends by inviting an abundance of wildlife, and it’s a simple way to do something positive for local ecosystems as well.”
Busch Wildlife Sanctuary
17855 Rocky Pines Rd
Jupiter 33478
FNPS is especially proud of the Native Neighbors Wild Bird Garden which is directly outside the Welcome Center. This project was funded by Palm Beach County’s Neighborhood Engagement and Transformation grant and was a partnership between Audubon Everglades, the Palm Beach County Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society and Busch Wildlife Sanctuary. This garden was planted in August 2023 and showcases many of the native plants that are beneficial to Florida wildlife. The intention is to demonstrate to homeowners that native plants can be used in formal landscapes and have the same visual appeal as conventional, non-native landscaping species. The project’s goal is for people to appreciate the beauty and functionality of this garden and use it as inspiration for transforming their own yards.
Note:
The Palm Beach County Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society—in partnership with Audubon Everglades and Atala Chapter of the North American Butterfly Association—will be giving away two native plants at one of the gardens while supplies last.
About The Palm Beach County Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society:
The Palm Beach County Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to promoting the preservation, conservation and restoration of native plants and native plant communities of Florida.
Educational meetings are the third Tuesday of each month at 7 pm at Mounts Botanical Garden. Each meeting has an educational program related to Florida native plants, a native plant raffle and refreshments For more information, call 561.285.7213 or visit http://www.palmbeach.fnpschapters.org.