Stretching as far as the eye can see, Garden 10 is the largest of the Butterfly Gardens at 10,000 square feet (.23 acre). The seed for today’s #10 was “Joyce’s Garden”, a tribute to a beloved VillageWalk resident, funded as a memorial by her neighbors on Islet Trail upon her passing in 2016. This small plot still exists today in the northwestern corner of #10 and is marked by her sign.
Garden 10 began to take shape in early 2017 when Tom Ingrassia became the Head Gardener. Tom brought his encyclopedic knowledge of flora, talent for landscape creation and desire to plant (and keep planting) to Joyce’s Garden and the surrounding “wilderness”. Within a year Garden 10 had expanded to about 4,000 square feet. Don Blackwell joined Tom in 2018 and together they tamed the scrubland on the eastern border. Over the next two years, the area was planted with trees, vines, shrubs and perennial flowers. The garden doubled in size to become what it is today.
Garden 10 has the largest number of Firebush trees in the Butterfly Gardens. They explode with red/yellow/orange blossoms at the onset of Rainy Season and are a favorite nectar source for bees all summer. We have three “Lazy Hibiscus” plants, unique to #10, that will grow unattended to 10 feet high-and-wide, covered in neon-red or pink blossoms. Tom is a particular fan of Bromeliads, so we have the largest collection in the Butterfly Gardens. Most recently, we have scattered several Bougainvillea around the garden.
Our team is Don Blackwell (Leader) and Jane Day. Tom Ingrassia is our “VillageWalk Gardener Emeritus”. Although no longer a resident, Tom travels regularly to the gardens to help the ground on Wednesdays and Garden 10 specifically. We are blessed to have his assistance!
VillageWalk Garden Club of Bonita Springs 