Garden club celebrates Flora’s Fiesta

The Bloom & Grow Garden Society held a special celebration Wednesday, Oct. 11, to mark Flora’s permanent place in Butterfly Park near the splash pad in downtown Winter Garden. Flora is a metal sculpture commissioned by the garden club four years ago, and “Flora’s Fiesta — Birthday Party in the Park” celebrated her fourth year in the park.

Butafrog, the frog-butterfly mascot for the garden club, greeted guests and participants before children from Tildenville Elementary School, Oakland Avenue Charter School and the Eight Waves program walked in the Parade of the Monarchs around the park and splash pad.

Garden club president Brenda Knowles and Winter Garden City Commissioner Lisa Bennett addressed the crowd.

“Over the years we have worked together to plant trees, encourage pollinator gardens and support the beauty of our community through horticulture,” Knowles said.

“Congratulations to the Bloom & Grow Garden Society on the birthday of Flora, the magnificent monarch butterfly sculpture that we are so proud to feature in Butterfly Park,” Bennett said. “On June 8 of this year, we were proud that Mayor John Rees signed Proclamation 23-04 declaring June 19-25 as pollinator Week in the city of Winter Garden and encouraged all residents to participate in community activities that support and celebrate pollinator protection.”

Students from Eight Waves performed a butterfly-inspired song and dance, and then children from Tildenville and OACS released several boxes full of monarchs.