- April 11, 2025
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On delicate wings of orange and black, monarch butterflies have a history of catching attention with their beauty and long winded journeys.
However, as time goes on, they have become more endangered.
One goal of the Lakewood Ranch Garden Club is to educate local residents on ways they can assist the butterflies.
“We want residents to plant milkweed so Lakewood Ranch can be a monarch safe zone,” said Sylvia Abdelsalam, vice president of the Lakewood Ranch Garden Club.
Penny Kress, a committee member for the club's upcoming Garden Fest event, said people need to understand the importance of monarchs to society along with the value of milkweed.
“Milkweed is their pollinator. They put their eggs on the milkweed,” Kress said. “They become a caterpillar and they eat the leaves from the milkweed down to sticks.”
In order to educate the public about butterflies and how they support the ecosystem, the Garden Fest will be held 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 19 at the Lakewood Ranch Library. Besides general information for adults, there will be hands-on activities for children. Those activities will include learning to grow plants, painting stones, and creating bear figures out of pine cones. There will be 50 craft and plant vendors and four food trucks (Kona Ice, Nas Philly Steaks, Matt’s Diner and Super Berry Bliss Bowls) on site.
There will be presentations as well. Environmental artist and educator Pamela Callender will discuss Florida’s native and invasive plants. Sean Patton, owner of Stocking Savvy LLC, a small environmental consulting business, will talk about maintaining a healthy environment. Butterfly enthusiasts Cathleen Strong and Gilbert Daigneau will also give butterfly presentations.
“Nature inspires us. We love our gardens. We love to share what we learn,” said Abdelsalam. “Our objectives are to do all that.
Abdelsalam said that the club has been planning the event for a year and is very appreciative of Tiffany Mautino, the head librarian at the Lakewood Ranch Library for being flexible and for helping to make the event become a reality. The Garden Fest Committee includes Abdelsalam, Kress, Chery Sheid and Sheryl Perkins.
Abdelsalam said that along with teaching about gardening and environmental appreciation, one of the main goals of the event is to make the community aware of the club and what it does for the community.
The Lakewood Ranch Garden Club was founded in 2002 and meets on the second Monday of every month from September to May at the Lakewood Ranch Town Hall. Abdelsalam said that they are always learning about gardening, design, botany, plants, landscaping and conservation.
The club works to enhance the visual appeal of public spaces. This may include planting trees, flowers, or gardens. They fertilize, plant and maintain the garden behind the Lakewood Ranch Town Hall.
The club has worked alongside Meals on Wheels Plus of Manatee by collecting coffee mugs and decorating them with soap florals. The mugs are put on trays at meals, and Abdelsalam said it has brightened the day of whoever received them.
Another organization they have assisted is Stillpoint Mission Inc. who works to provide necessities such as food and diapers. Abdelsalam said that hygiene products are less likely to get donated. These products include toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, shampoo and conditioner. They have gathered those items and bagged them up to be distributed to those in need.
“Overall, we are dedicated to providing interactive programs, resources for exceptional and educational gardening and promoting an appreciation of nature, gardening and landscaping,” Abdelsalam said.
