Around 20 staff from the Naples Botanical Garden assisted SCCF over the last two weeks in its continued recovery of the Native Landscapes & Garden Center.

“Having gone through Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Ian, we know what it’s like to essentially lose your life’s work, and how overwhelming and exhausting it is to figure out how to rebuild and regrow entire landscapes,” said Elizabeth Beans, associate director of horticulture at Naples Botanical Gardens.

Beans — a previous horticulture intern for SCCF — and her staff brought special equipment to remove debris and dead plants in the demonstration gardens and Shipley trail. This included an extendable chainsaw to cut limbs up high, as well as a landscaping dump truck to bring debris piles to the roadside.

“Having people in your field who already know what to do is an immense help and something that has helped us get through in those immediate tough times after a hurricane, so we wanted to go and do the same for SCCF,” Beans said.

SCCF staff are also collaborating with Naples Botanical Gardens to provide thought leadership around best planting practices to Lee and Collier Counties.

Visit SCCF’s Native Landscapes & Garden Center at 1300 Periwinkle Way between 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday.