Florida Native Plant Society Blog

On December 8 2021 Hernando Chapter lost a big part of the heart of its native plant community. Our friend Rick McDonnell died from complications of pneumonia after a lengthy hospitalization. He was 74 years old. Many of Rick’s FNPS friends know him first as a nurseryman. In the early 1980s Rick started a small commercial nursery in Brooksville Florida which became Hickory Hill Native Nursery, Inc.. He was a longtime member of both the Florida Association of Native Nurseries and the Florida Native Plant Society. Hickory Hill Native Nursery has always been a participant in the Hernando Chapter’s plant sales and a key source of native plants in our area. “We always looked forward to Rick’s arrival on plant sale day – the van loaded to the top with all our favorites – his famous wild coffee, coral honeysuckle and coralbean, sunshine mimosa with some wild garlic thrown in for fun. He had the most interesting wetland plants – native hibiscus, swamp mallows and string lilies.” – Cindy Libe...

Kay at one of PBC ERM's staff Halloween parties Dedicated, detail-oriented, determined – these descriptive words and phrases probably spring quickly to the minds of all who knew Kay. She was a person who lived a life of service to her church and community; all of us who love the natural world were part of the community that benefited from her service. One of the first hires of the newly created Palm Beach County Department of Environmental Resources Management in January 1988, Kay spent the early portion of her 24 year career with the County diligently identifying and acquiring environmentally sensitive lands for the County’s Natural Areas Program. She spent the later portion of her career working on related ordinances, and management plans to keep acquired environmentally sensitive lands in their natural state. In January 1988, the County did not own any environmentally sensitive lands. Today it owns and/or manages over 31,600 acres of environmentally sensitive lands. We often si...

Photo by Eileen Reed The Suncoast Chapter lost a beloved former member in November - Gar Reed. Gar and his wife Eileen joined FNPS in 2012, and almost immediately, Gar raised his hand at a business meeting and volunteered to run for a board position. He then became our Treasurer, and he was a very good one. Gar and Eileen became active members. They took on managing an abandoned native garden at the University of Florida building on the Hillsborough Community College campus in Plant City. Gar also came on many field trips. We will remember Gar and Eileen joining some of our earliest chapter camping trips. Several years ago, Gar and Eileen moved to Bradenton, but until recently they maintained membership in our Suncoast Chapter. Gar also served as the coordinator for our plant sales at the USF Botanical Gardens. He always ensured this important fundraiser was a success. We will miss his friendship, quick wit, dry humor, and his love of natural Florida. Photo by Joel Jackson by Virginia...

Richard Poole was one of the original members of the Florida Native Plant Society’s Cuplet Fern Chapter , established in 2010. His longtime experience in plant and bird biology led to his love for propagating native plants, making bird boxes, and sharing his knowledge of plants and bird life in Florida. At our monthly meetings, Richard would bring a variety of plants for members to take home. He would explain how the plants would grow and support Florida birds, insects, and butterflies, which would encourage more backyard birdlife. At every plant sale, he would display his posters featuring bird migration patterns and local bird nesting. Children and adults alike enjoyed the wonderful photos of young nesting birds. Richard always had several homemade bird boxes to take home. He would explain how certain native plants were food sources for birds and encourage people to add them to their butterfly gardens. Richard was passionate in promoting how the relationship between bird biology and...

Left to Right - Ruth & Dean Leferink, Allen, Diane Reppert & Sandi Wise. Allen Wise ran Shady Oaks Gather All, an old-style roadside plant nursery on Highway 301 in Sumterville where he offered a mix of native, edible and Florida-friendly plants. His many loyal customers will continue to remember what he taught them about the plants that he nurtured. By making Florida native plants available to homeowners, Allen was a wonderful advocate for attracting pollinators and supporting butterflies in home landscapes. While volunteering as a Sumter County Master Gardener, Allen annually put together a native plant exhibit at the Sumter County Fair. He was always eager to donate his time at native plant shows and for 20 years was a faithful member of the Florida Association of Native Nurseries ( FANN ). He was a founding member of, and for years served as an officer for, the Sumter County Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society ( FNPS ), which disbanded soon after Allen found he had ...

Longtime Florida Native Plant Society member, Oakland Nature Preserve (ONP) founder and past president of the board, Jim Thomas died Sunday, September 19, quietly at his home in Winter Garden after a long debilitating illness. His wife of 60 years, Margaret (Ms. Peg), was with him. A fifth generation Floridian, Jim was born in November, 1930. He grew up filling his pockets full of critters as he explored the outdoors, which he loved so much. This love of nature followed Jim into his adults life, and he continued his education in biology and environmental studies receiving his B.S. from Florida State University and MS from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. He also attended Yale University, University of Florida, North Carolina State University, University of Puerto Rico and Rutgers University for additional graduate studies. In 1990, he settled with his family into the West Orange Community and showed us that many positive things are possible, and quality of life can b...

Loret Thatcher aka Loret Setters was a transplant from New York and one of the first things she did to learn about our Florida native plants was to join the Florida Native Plant Society Pine Lily Chapter. She joined with great determination, enthusiasm, passion and eagerness to learn. She began as Pine Lily’s newsletter editor. She went on to do an amazing job with publicity. She started a blog called “What Florida Native Plant Is Blooming Today?” chronicling what was blooming in her own small yard. This was followed by “Tales of a Central Florida Wildlife Garden” and “Central Florida Critter of the Day”. All of them wildly successful and followed by people around the world. In addition, she was a member of two team blogs: Beautiful Wildlife Gardens and Native Plant & Wildlife Gardens along with top garden writers around the country. Her excellent photography of native plants, butterflies, and insects have been everywhere including Alabama Butterfly Atlas, Earth and Space News, The...

I.I. Winner at the 39th Annual Conference in Crystal River. She is on the far left in white. by Jody Wood-Putnam I met I.I. Winner as a Florida Master Gardener trainee in 2004.  She was a already a certified Master Gardener at that time and she went out of her way to introduce herself and to make me feel welcome to the program.  She introduced me to the other Master Gardeners and showed me the ropes. As time went on, I came to realize that this graciousness and making others feel special was part of what made I.I. the wonderful person she was. I.I. loved gardening and she loved most things in nature, in particular flowers, butterflies and birds.  She could often be found gardening on a lot next door to her home which she called “God's Little Acre" and had made into a beautiful wildlife habitat.  I.I. was a person who made things happen.  In 2007, she helped to found the Sweet Bay Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society. I.I. was an active member of the Chapt...