Gardening Enthusiasts Introduce Native Plants to Their Community
By Kimberly Whittington
Barclay Place at Heathrow in Lake Mary is a small, gated community with aging landscaping. A group of garden enthusiasts within the community, including myself, organized to update the entrance landscaping with Florida native plants being the foundation.
The site before planting
We reached out to Cuplet Fern and President Mark Kateli dazzled us with his diverse knowledge of Florida native plants. He helped us understand the basics along with providing resources on certain plants to start with. Mark even provided a guided tour of Baldwin Park native landscaping jumpstarting our passion for Florida native plants.
After adding native plants
After a Cuplet Fern plant sale, Mark offered a plant and seed donation to our community in fall 2023. We jumped on the opportunity and as a group decided where to plant the offerings to see the most impact.
The plants are thriving and have garnered praise from residents in the community. As a result, residents are asking more questions and planting Florida native plants around their own gardens.
It has been a gratifying and encouraging experience collaborating with Cuplet Fern as well as to see the fruits of our labor and to educate our community on helping keep Florida healthy.
Thank you Cuplet Fern for your support of Barclay Place.
