The Grass River GC Collaborates to Create Native Plant Habitats

December 02, 2021

Educational Heritage Garden, Delray Beach Historical Society

The creation of an Educational Heritage Garden at the Delray Beach Historical Society composed completely of Florida native plants began in 2017 as a collaboration between the historical society and The Grass River Garden Club (GRGC). The garden was born out of the desire to teach the importance of using native plants in gardens and a concern for dwindling green space in Delray Beach due to increased development. Today, the Educational Heritage Garden is a place to not only experience peace and tranquility, but to learn about local history through nature in the form of an outdoor classroom. 

The Heritage Garden features several distinct habitats: Florida Scrub, Lower Wetland, Dade County Pine Forest, Lower Keys, Pollinator Attracting, Oak Hammock, Agricultural Heritage, Gladiola Heritage Bed, and Fruit Grove. Kiosks explain the habitats’ plantings, their benefits to fauna, and convey messages of the importance of Florida native gardens, sustainability, and endangerment issues.

A key to the garden’s mission for education to local schools and to visitors is the importance of native plants as a gateway to sustainability and the protection of the coastline and inland developed areas. Many of the founders who built Delray Beach relied upon the generous bounty that came from the land and Atlantic Ocean for survival. The Heritage Garden provides an outdoor, interactive experience that engages and inspires visitors of all ages to utilize native plants in gardens as well as to preserve history and cultural heritage for future generations.  

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