- January 19, 2026
-
-
Loading
Loading
When you hear the word holiday, certain ones tend to come to mind.
You probably don't think about Arbor Day, and certainly one that is not national Arbor Day, which falls on April 24.
Nonetheless, Florida celebrates its state Arbor Day on Jan. 16, and the Gardeners Out East club of Lakewood Ranch was determined to make it special.
“Trees are so important and often we don't recognize what trees actually do for us,” said Carolyn Lowry-Nation, the founder of Gardeners Out East. “They filter the air ... they provide shade.”
Gardeners Out East donated a tree and a plaque to Robert Toale and Sons Celebration of Life Center as a gesture of gratitude and appreciation for use of the funeral home as a meeting space for the last four years. This tree replaces an oak that was lost during Hurricane Milton.
Christine Lawson, the secretary of Gardeners Out East, gave a description of Arbor Day and explained why Florida celebrates in January instead of April.
“We plant our trees now because they're dormant,” Lawson said. “They have a better chance of surviving because of the temperatures at this compared to the middle of the summer, when they'll just fry.”
Lowry-Nation, who founded Gardeners Out East in 2014, said the celebration of life center is so deserving of some recognition for what it does for the community.
“We looked for an event that would fall into place, and (Florida) Arbor Day was it,” Lowry-Nation said. “January's kind of darn boring anyway and what's more cheery than that beautiful tree out there?”
Simone Rose, the office manager for Robert Toale and Sons Celebration of Life Center, accepted the plaque at the meeting on Arbor Day.
“They come in smiling and they always have something interesting going on,” Rose said of Gardeners Out East. “They are well connected in the native plant and gardening community. They've opened up my eyes to so many interesting speakers and events. We just love them.”
Karen Eckert, a member of Gardeners Out East since 2015, was the one to decide the club would plant a Japanese blueberry tree, which will not make a mess in the parking lot and can be easily shaped.
“She (Eckert) decided to put the right tree in the right place, rather than trying to put a native plant that probably would be overgrown,” said Nancy Schneider, the club president. “The tree doesn't drop its leaves and it's a beautifully shaped tree.”
Jeff Toale is the vice president of development for Robert Toale and Sons Celebration of Life Center. He is grateful to provide a space for Gardeners Out East. Toale has occasionally listened during the garden club meetings to learn more about plants.
“It’s definitely opened my mind to know how much thought, care and maintenance goes into maintaining a beautiful landscape in Florida,” Toale said. "I've learned a lot and have a different appreciation for our beautiful landscape.”
Toale said he hopes Gardeners Out East continues to find the space comfortable enough to meet.
“We appreciate every time we're here,” Schneider said. “They’ve been wonderful — anything we've asked for, they've been helpful. We can't say enough.”
