The Re-created Ivy Gardens at
Sugar Mill Botanical Gardens

By
Suzanne Pierot, President of The American Ivy Society

The re-created ivy gardens at Sugar Mill Botanical Gardens near Daytona Beach, Florida are great. Fabulous! They are done so professionally, it is easy to believe they were created by a landscape architect rather than a Boy Scout!

The re-created ivy gardens at Sugar Mill Botanical Gardens

In our last issue of Between the Vines we told you how the ivy gardens were totally destroyed by Hurricane Charlie in 2004. All that was left was a pile of fallen trees, branches, weeds and debris. That was when high school student, Nick Sault a 17 year-old Boy Scout, chose this as his Eagle Badge project.

The new ivy garden is large – about one-half acre with wide, curving walking paths. The community got behind Nick and donated money, as did the Police Officers Fund and Milligan’s, a local concrete company, which provided the edging at their cost. Russell Windle and the American Ivy Society furnished all the plants which were installed according to our Classification System. There is even a section for the Ivy of the Year starting with 2001 and with room for several years to come. The large plant labels are also impressive. Made of heavy duty ivory plastic, they are etched in green and mounted on cedar posts.

AIS Board Member, Rachel Cobb, and I flew to Florida to attend the Dedication Ceremony. The Mayor presided and read a proclamation. Nick spoke, as did others and the ribbon was cut etc.

But what touched me most was the Boy Scout Honor Guard — it was so darn sweet and all that is the best of America. At the start of the ceremonies, six young boys — probably 10 or 11 years old — carrying a big American flag on a long pole, walked solemnly through the trees and placed the flag at the entrance to the garden. With our hands on our hearts, we said the Pledge of Allegiance,
a local Minister said a prayer... you get the idea. And then Nick Sault cut the ribbon across the arbor and we all entered.

The plants are still small – but just wait until next year this time! It will be gorgeous. I have heard there has already been one request to be married in the Ivy Garden.

Also see Boy Scout Helping Rebuild Florida Botanical Garden