On January 19, Boynton Beach Garden Club Joins Other Florida Clubs in Arbor Day

Celebration and Opens Boynton Hills Neighborhood Gardenas Bird Habitat

WHAT:  Celebrating Florida Arbor Day with garden clubs across the state and recognizing the 100^th

anniversary of the Florida Federation of Garden Clubs (FFGC). More than 150 garden clubs from

Milton to Miami will take part in this event, simultaneously planting trees on Friday, January 19, 2024.

After a brief ceremony, the Boynton Beach Garden Club (BBGC) will plant a native lignum vitae, or “Tree of Life”. The club will also be giving away Wax Myrtle trees to attendees.

In conjunction with this statewide celebration of Arbor Day, BBGC is holding a Grand Opening of the Boynton Hills Neighborhood Garden as a bird-friendly habitat. In 2018, then-Mayor Steven Grant

requested that the garden club take on the Boynton Hills Neighborhood Garden as a beautification project. It has evolved into a bird sanctuary, complementing the butterfly garden the club maintains on the east side of the Schoolhouse Children’s Museum.

After the tree planting, a short tour of the garden will take place identifying the bird-friendly aspects of the habitat.

WHO:   Officers and members of BBGC will be joined by representatives of the City of Boynton Beach, Community Greening and other supporters of the garden.

WHERE:  Boynton Hills Neighborhood Garden, corner of NW 6^th Avenue and Seacrest Boulevard, Boynton Beach.

WHEN:  10:30 a.m., Friday, January 19, 2024

About theTrees:Native lignum vitae, or the “Treeof Life”, is provided by a grant from Duke Energy in honor of FFGC’s 100^th Anniversary. A slow growing species, lignum vitae is prized for its extremely dense wood. It has showy, bluish-purple flowers and attracts and provides food for birds. It is an ideal specimen for sunny spots and is very drought tolerant. WaxMyrtletrees are also called Southern Bayberry, which derives its name from the waxy berries which were once harvested to make candles. A smaller tree, it thrives in full sun and sandy well- drained soil. It provides food and shelter for birds. These seedlings were provided by the National Wildlife

Federation, via a 100^th anniversary grant to the FFGC.

Arbor Day

Arbor Day is marked by planting trees and encourages their care to protect our environment. Florida Arbor Day began in 1886, making it one of the first Arbor Day holidays in the nation.