Gardening enthusiasts celebrate native plantings
A ribbon cutting ceremony signaled the official completion of a total landscape makeover at the Pine Island Public Library. Attending the ceremony were dozens of members of the Native Plant Society, members of the Pine Island Garden Club, island residents and library staff. Welcoming visitors to the event, Sheldon Kaye, president of the Lee County Library System, expressed his gratitude to the Coccoloba Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society and all those involved in the project.
“This was a very lengthy and work intensive project. Just the removal of the large java plumbs was an enormous feat in itself,” said Kaye. “This was all possible thanks to the help and cooperation of the Native Plant Society as well as South Florida Water Management and, of course, Tonya Player and Randy Briggs with the Pine Island branch.”
According to Player, who serves the library as a youth activity supervisor, she has already begun utilizing the new native landscape in some of her programs.
“As a life-long resident of Pine Island, I remember climbing those java plumbs as a child, and while it was a little sad to see them go, I do realize that they are an invasive, exotic known to destroy habitat. I am, however, very pleased with the cypress hammock that is taking the place of the trees as well as the addition of the bird and butterfly gardens,” Player said. “I have already brought some of the children out here to explore the grounds, identifying the plants and looking for butterflies. We had such a good time I am planning other visits out in the library yard for the future.’
Also contributing to the new landscape was the Friends of the Library, which provided funding for the installation of a stairway to the rear of the building as well as shell paths to allow for handicap access.
Over the period of several weeks, volunteers from the Coccoloba Chapter as well as those from the Garden Club, removed exotic plants and replaced them with hundreds of native species, many of which are self-sustaining species that require little to no maintenance.
The first of a county-wide effort, Pine Island was selected to serve as a model for other landscape projects that will take place throughout the Lee Count Library System. As a result of this effort, the grounds at the Pine Island Library have met the qualifications to be considered a “Florida Friendly Landscape.” This designation is only given after a property meets certain requirements established by the University of Florida IFAS Extension’s Florida Yards and Neighborhoods. Plantings are rated in nine categories which include, planting the right plant in the right place, water efficiency, fertilizing appropriately, mulch, the ability to attract wildlife, recycling, reduced stormwater runoff and waterfront protection.
The Florida Native Plant Society was established in 1980 and has built a coalition of educators, naturalists, botanists, landscapers and home gardeners from throughout the state. In addition to the Coccoloba Chapter, the FNPS has 25 other active chapters from Alachua to Volusia County.
For more information about native plants or the Florida Native Plant Society, visit fnps.org