Community Outreach

Garden of the Month

Gary and Michele Block: owners of the NSBGC March Garden of the Month

Lincoln Avenue New Smyrna Beach

Gary and Michele Brock have resided in the historic Flagler Ave. area on Lincoln Avenue for the past 5 years. Utilizing their own landscape design, manpower, muscle and architectural skills, they transformed their property into well-defined and unique outdoor spaces. They used basic categories of landscape design as a guide: the public area, the family area and the service area.

The public area or front yard became more private by constructing an entrance into a courtyard framed by a beautiful pergola style gateway and fence. This entrance sets a peaceful mood as you walk under the canopy of a massive old live oak tree. This majestic tree was truly their inspiration to enhance the outdoor spaces. The area gained more interest by updating a path using hardscapes of rock, pebbles and paver stones to create narrow paths bordered by shuttered fences with hanging plants to provide privacy.

The family area became a trio of 3 rooms: a sitting room, a dining area, and a fire pit area. It is shaded by a massive live Oak, bamboo, air ferns and Christmas palms. The focal point of the entry walkway is a blue porcelain fish fountain set in a wood frame filled with dark grey river stone. The fire pit area is positioned to provide a cozy entertainment and conversation “room” with a paver floor, colorful adirondack chairs, a couple of “farm trough” planters filled with sea grapes and festive lighting.

This beautiful property is illuminated with hanging string lights and ground lighting to provide ambience and evening enjoyment. Some of the plantings include Pepperonia, Christmas palm, clumped bamboo, clusia, hibiscus, croton, sea grapes, 3 staghorn ferns, pencil cactus, air plants, resurrection ferns, night blooming jasmine, light candle plant, variegated umbrella plant and much more.

The Brock’s have certainly enhanced both their home and the historic Flagler area with their landscaping efforts!

Garden of the Month Co-Chairs Sharon Wills and JoAnn Anderson

The purpose of our Garden of the Month is to honor local residents who exhibit the principles of Florida Friendly Gardening and display an aesthetically pleasing personal touch to their property. Our committee locates deserving gardens and features them for members and the public to appreciate.

Monarch Butterfly Sanctuaries

In 2018 New Smyrna Beach joined the ranks of cities in America that are designated as a Monarch City USA. In support of this, in 2019, the NSB Garden Club, implemented a program to give our residents and businesses an opportunity to become a Certified Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary Garden.

All residents and businesses in New Smyrna Beach, Port Orange, Edgewater and Oak Hill are eligible to participate.

Participants must have a minimum of 20 plants, which includes host/larval and nectar plants, and at least 5 Milkweed plants, the host plants for Monarch butterflies. To apply, contact either a member of our club, or one of the Co-Chairs of the Committee:
Mary Heasley at heasleyhome@aol.com or
Hope Jenkins at hopejenkins45@gmail.com

In addition, interested gardeners can download an application using the button at the bottom of this page.

The Monarch butterfly population is declining worldwide due to loss of habitat, weather, urban sprawl, use of pesticides and other factors. Participation in this conservation effort is invaluable to help both the Monarch and other endemic butterfly species and pollinators. Thank you for helping save Monarch butterflies in Volusia County.

Application for Certified Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary Garden

Thank you for your interest in our Monarch Butterfly Program. A Garden Club Member will contact you to set up a date and time to certify your garden. A donation of $25 to the New Smyrna Beach Garden Club will be collected when your garden is certified. In addition, you will receive a certificate and sign identifying your garden as a Certified Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary Garden. See the other side of the application for further information on host/larval and nectar plant requirements. (Revised 9/2022)

Name of Applicant

Address of Applicant

Phone Number

Date

Plant Requirements
Garden must contain a minimum of 20 plants, in the following 2 Categories:

1) Host/Larval Food Plants: At least 5 Milkweed plants plus 2 additional host/ larval plants. Examples include (but not limited to): Passion Vine, Cassia, Parsley, Fennel, Dill, Citrus, Bay Tree, etc. Please list.

List Host Plants:

2) Nectar Plants: minimum of 5 different plants. Examples include (but not limited to): Penta, Salvia, Porterweed, Jasmine, Plumbago, Buddleia, Beach Sunflower, Hydrangea, Lantana, Bottlebrush, Firebush, Honeysuckle, Mexican Sunflower, etc. Please list the nectar plants.

List Nectar Plants:

The above plants are recommendations for the New Smyrna Beach area. There may be other plants in your garden that also qualify as host or nectar plants. If possible, select Florida native plants. Please email or send this application to Mary Heasley, Hope Jenkins, the NSB Garden Club, or give to a NSB Garden Club member.

Date Application Received

Date Garden Certified

Garden Certified by

Date Donation Collected

For additional questions on pollinator and larval plants, please contact: Sookie Smith: sookies3@gmail.com or Jim West: westj3@gmail.com