from the director

It is time to celebrate and we hope that you will join us on November 13 to share in the excitement of the Members' Opening celebration. We really appreciate your patience over the last 18 months as we have undergone our metamorphosis but I think that you will be as pleased as we are with the result. What was acre after acre of melaleuca, Brazilian pepper and other invasive species is now gardens, lakes and restored natural areas.

The Garden's transformation required the contributions of thousands of people including: the supportive leadership of our Board of Directors; the generosity of our donors; the imagination and creativity or our landscape architects and their teams; the technical knowledge of our engineers and designers; the hard work and artistry of the subcontractors and their crews; the long standing support of our county commissioners; the coordination and planning of our project managers; the skills, commitment and patience of our staff and volunteers and the support of you our members. Thank you all!

One of the greatest pleasures of working on the Garden's transformation has been the opportunity to work with so many remarkable people.

Lucky for me we aren't stopping yet! Because of the recent support from several donors we will begin construction on the Marcia and L. Bates Lea Asian Garden, the Karen and Robert Scott Florida Garden including the Buehler Enabling Garden and the Jeannie and Christopher Byron Smith Labyrinth as well as the Water Garden in April, 2010. We have already begun refining the plans, purchasing plants and applying for permits. So we will have lots to celebrate next year as well.

When you visit please let us know any suggestions that you may have as to how we can make it even better. I'm looking forward to seeing you at your Garden!