Ocean Ridge Garden Club lends expertise to town

By Rachel Hatzipanagos

South Florida Sun-Sentinel

May 08, 2008

The Ocean Ridge Garden Club is getting down and dirty with maintenance projects throughout the town.

The all-volunteer group of 40 green thumbs started in the 1960s.

'It's not just a social organization,' said club president Zoanne Hennigan. 'We are trying to educate ourselves on horticulture and help our community.' In February, the club started providing input to the town's landscapers on upcoming projects. 'They have the expertise in gardening and knowing different types of plants and I don't,' Town Manager Ken Schenck said. 'Any help they can provide, we appreciate.' One project involves restoring native plants to the dunes along the coast. The exotic plants that sometimes grow along the dunes crowd out native plants that help protect against erosion, said garden club member and Town Commissioner Terry Brown. The club will work with property owners to see if they are willing to plant native landscaping.

'When you remove native plants and put in other plants, you are altering the balance of natural life for creatures that live in the mangroves and dunes,' Brown said.

Other projects include a revamping of landscaping along Ocean Avenue. The club will give its opinion to the town manager on what to do along that road.

The club also plans to make scholarships available for children interested in attending horticultural camps. The club typically meets until April, but members may work through the summer this year to keep up with their projects, Hennigan said.

Rachel Hatzipanagos can be reached at rhatzipanagos @sun-sentinel.com or 561-243-6621.

Green scene Some of the Ocean Ridge Garden Club's projects: Working to restore native plants to dunes along the coast Revamping landscaping along Ocean Avenue Giving scholarships to students interested in attending horticultural camps

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