Covid-19 Brought Fundraising to a Halt:
Private donations allow vital projects to proceed:
During the closure of the gardens, we have managed to complete a number of necessary and timely projects thanks to our members’ financial support and the help of the County.
The garden with its many historic statues, urns and pots is better fortified with the addition of a new security fence installed along Cove Way.
Displayed in the buildings at VRG are early 19th century artifacts that are now better protected. The County sponsored new roofs on the Servant Quarters and Pool Pavilion.
The most historic trees in the garden, now over 100 years old, received attention in the form of corrective pruning and size reduction to protect them from wind damage. (Coral Tree)
The Friends supplemented the County gardening staff to combat spring weeds in the garden by bringing in a professional landscape maintenance crew. They helped grub out weeds – most importantly, before they went to seed. As gardeners like to say, one-year seed is seven years of weed – meaning, if you let your weeds go to seed, it takes seven years to eradicate the weed seeds generated from just that one unwanted plant!
The ongoing restoration of the King Palm Forest continues with the addition of unique subtropical understory plantings. (Pineapple Plant)
The new bold colorful foliage plants add a visual complement to the newly procured green and yellow parakeets. These marvelously vocal birds occupy the Robinsons’ aviary.
When visitors return to VRG, they will be pleasantly surprised with a newly acquired teak bench. It’s thoughtfully positioned at the base of the waterfall located in the King Palm Forest. Visitors who sit and listen to the calming sound of the waterfall will undoubtedly find it restorative.
In this uncertain time, the beautifully designed spaces at VRG are more vital than ever. The gardens will always provide a place of solace, hope and regeneration. We are extremely grateful for our steadfast stewards who continue to share their financial resources with VRG during its closure.
If you would like to help support the Gardens, please consider donating via the button below.
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