The Never Forget Garden was created in 2021 to Honor the Veterans of all our American Wars. Almost 1,000 veterans are resting in the Greenwood and Lakewood sections of Sanford’s Municipal Cemetery. The Central Florida Cemetery Project at the instigation and with the help of the U.S Daughters of 1812 began this little garden. It is located by the historic Caretakers Cottage at the front of the Lakewood Section of the cemetery.
The initial garden had good bones with crepe myrtles and rose bushes and a couple of tropical ti plants. But after our hot and wet summer, the garden’s flowers were weeds and it needed new plants and a new garden design.
The Ixora Garden Club of Sanford saw a wonderful opportunity to put our purpose of promoting such knowledge and love of gardening so to create a more beautiful community. Ixora Garden members adopted the garden and in the true spirit of the holiday season, Ixora’s ladies asked and received the help of our generous community plant nurseries and home improvement centers in Sanford and Debary, Lake Mary, and Casselberry.
The Never Forget Garden now has a new butterfly and pollinator friendly flowering garden, blooming in patriotic red, white, and blue colors. John Moreno Landscape Nursery, LaFleur Nurseries along with Natalia’s Garden Center, DeBary Garden Center and Lake Mary’s Home Depot donated many flowering plants and materials. South Seminole Farm and Nursery gave soil amenity. Our native pine straw provides a beautiful carpet around the flowers that surround a lovely brick walkway. There are two benches where one can sit surrounded by seven crosses commemorating U. S Wars from The War of 1812, the Civil War, WW I, WW II, The Koren War, The Vietnam War and The Iraq and Afghanistan Wars.
These seven crosses are now painted a new coat of white paint provided with other materials, by Lowes Home Improvement Center. Members of Ixora Garden Club designed, weeded and then replanted the garden and laid the mulch. The crosses were puttied and painted by Ixora members with help from Sanford’s American Legion Post 53. The crosses are now dressed with green wreaths and red bows: just in the nick of time as the Central Florida Cemetery Project’ s Christmas Volunteer Day is December 14. This is the day when many volunteers are needed to lay evergreen wreaths on the graves of the almost 1000 veterans that rest in this cemetery as part of the nationwide Wreaths Across America. Volunteer information can be obtained on the Central Florida Cemetery Project’s Facebook page or at [email protected].
The Never Forget Garden is a gift from Ixora Garden Club and our many generous partners. We have all joined together in the true spirit of giving. The garden was just completed Thanksgiving week to show thanks to all the brave Veterans that fought so we all can be free. Now our Sanford Municipal Cemetery looks more beautiful thanks to all the volunteers who show such wonderful community spirit not just now but throughout the year. Ixora Garden Club members want to thank all the organizations and businesses that were involved in this most rewarding project to restore and create a more beautiful Never Forget Memorial Garden.
