Submitted By: Sara Wolf
Calusa Garden Club of Marco Island – Publicity Chairperson
Calusa Garden Club of Marco Island celebrated National Garden Week June 6-12. Club members shared plants with each other and made floral designs to display in public spaces in Marco Island along with a placard about National Garden Week. Susan Neustadt, President of Calusa Garden Club, is pictured with her floral design containing peach alstromeria and mums accented with sunflowers and Bruce Neustadt at Cache Cleaners. At the Marco library, Opi DeFalco is pictured with librarian Brenda Rasch and DeFalco’s floral design of green spider mums, ixora flowers and sunflowers. Club member Marianne Foley’s floral design in a green urn with stargazer lilies, mums, accented with red ti leaves, was displayed in City Hall. The photo shows Foley, City Hall receptionist Marcia Pinter, and the beautiful floral design.
Garden Club member Linda Schwoeppe met with Susan Neustadt and Sara Wolf during National Garden Week to show her vegetable garden and some trees that she had grown from cuttings. The photo shows Schwoeppe and Neustadt looking at Schwoeppe’s watermelon plant that is climbing over a trellis. Schwoeppe also gave Neustadt two trees she had cultivated: an orange geiger tree and a variegated maho tree. The photo shows Schwoeppe holding the maho tree and Neustadt holding the geiger tree. The geiger tree is believed to be native to the Florida keys and grows well in our Marco Island environment.
On May 26, at the Awards Night of Marco Island Academy, Calusa Garden Club awarded two college scholarships. The recipients were Spencer Siems and Tyler Chute. Marianne Foley, Calusa Garden Club Scholarship Chairperson, made the awards to Siems and Chute at the Awards night. Siems plans to major in bioengineering at Florida Gulf Coast University and Chute plans to major in either marine science or ocean engineering at Florida Atlantic University.
Calusa Garden Club of Marco Island is a member of the Florida Federation of Garden Clubs. Membership is open to persons interested in horticulture, floral design and environmental matters residing 5 months or more in Collier County.
Calusa Garden Club of Marco Island meets the second Monday of each month, October through April. If you are interested in membership, please contact the Garden Club at calusagardenclub@aol.com. For updates and information, please visit the Garden Club’s website, calusa.org, or visit the Club’s Facebook page Calusa Garden Club.
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The pictures of Marianne Foley, Spencer Siems and Tyler Chute were taken by Susan LaGrotta, The pictures of Schwoeppe and Neustadt at Schwoeppe’s garden were taken by Sara Wolf.