Thank you ...

OH, WHAT A BEAUTIFUL DAY

Every leaf was polished, every flower nodded, the sun shone brightly , and a gentle breeze
stirred the temperate air for our celebration,  “ 30 Years of Blooms, ” the 30th Anniversary of the Mandarin Demonstration Garden and our partnership with Duval County Extension IFAS. It was a beautiful day on Saturday, October 13th when  200 + visitors graced our grounds.

A  special thank you to the following for being part of the day:  Mary Howe and Terry DelValle,
founders of the garden; Jacksonville Fire Department Firetruck 42 and the crew of firefighters, who  were on hand;  North Florida Bonsai Association, Jacksonville Herb Society, the Men’s Garden Club of  Jacksonville, and Florida Yards and Neighborhoods, who set up  displays and  provided information;  Master Gardeners and Club - member Gardeners, who prepared the grounds and answered questions from the visitors; Mary Forester who led tours full of inquisitive people; Vic Groner,  Master Gardener with Duval County Extension, who entertained us while demonstrating Tool  Care & Sharpening; City Councilmen Sam Newby and Matt Schellenberg, who supported us, read Mayor Lenny Curry’s Letter of  Congratulations, and presented a Certificate of Recognition from the Jacksonville City Council;  Donna Crosby, who created fantastic items for our drawing; our giant Monarch Butterfly ( Candace Gerding ) and George DeMarino,  Monarch Milkweed Initiative, who  spent the afternoon informing a steady stream of people about saving native milkweed;  Jim Montgomery, who donated much appreciated water for  the volunteers;  our neighbors, Masonic Lodge 343, who loaned their property for parking; and Dom Colanero, who creates labels for every single plant in the gardens. 

Before the celebration and behind the scenes of the day our Mandarin Garden Club members worked for months to bring this First Public Garden Day to the Community.  Some even rallied their spouses, children, and grandchildren into volunteering their time and talent! Not only that, but they are excited about the next  Public Garden Days in February 2019 and are eagerly beginning to plan for them.  Thank you  all for making this beautiful day!

Thank you to the Community for supporting us, and for attending our celebration. We hope you
enjoyed the program and learned something new and helpful to you. Remember: Master Gardeners are on the property every 1st and 3rd Wednesday Mornings! They are here to learn and  to maintain the Garden, but they are  also here  to  be available to the community.  Stop by !

Sandie Ingram
President
Mandarin Garden Club