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Welcome to Naples Islands Garden Club

Naples Islands Garden Club of Long Beach California (NIGC) is dedicated to create, promote and further an interest in gardening; to support horticultural scholarship; to encourage neighborhood beautification and environmental improvement; to conserve the natural resources and to promote an atmosphere of goodwill and fellowship within the community.

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Events & News

Naples Islands Garden Club Beautification Award April 2025

Apr 22

Fairytale Flower Fantasy Blooms in Naples

Apr 21

New Member Orientation

Apr 14

Front yard goals, Naples-style ✨
We’re thrilled to present Candy and Tyler Barnes with this year’s Beautification Award, an annual honor from the Naples Islands Garden Club recognizing yards that reflect creativity, care, and a strong sense of place. You may have seen our award signs around the Island, this one now lives proudly at the Barneses!

Since 2001, Candy and Tyler have called this charming corner of Naples home. With no backyard garden, she transformed their front and carport area into a vibrant, low maintenance garden that’s both cohesive and deeply personal, an earthy mix of succulents, poppies, and meaningful heirlooms. Her design reflects a classic Southern California sensibility: drought tolerant plants, natural textures, and a connection to the coastal climate.

Candy’s gardening approach? Just go with what you love.

Her tips for fellow Naples neighbors:
• Poppies: Blooms last about 2 months and reseed naturally, last year, Tyler did help hand sprinkle some extra seeds.
• Aloes: Red and yellow varieties bloom Nov to Feb. She clears old stalks and replants pups annually.
• Cymbidium Orchid: Inherited, repotted, and thriving in morning sun with minimal water, no fertilizer.
• Cactus & agaves: Planted directly into native soil, no fertilizer, no fuss. They like morning sun.
• Weed control: A thick layer of wood chips keeps weeds down and moisture in, plus it gives everything a clean, finished look.
• Irrigation: Underground sprinklers run 2 to 3 times a week in summer and are turned off during rainy season.
• Personal touches: Candy has incorporated rocks from Baja and repurposed pots for texture and storytelling. She wets her Ensenada stones before photographing to make the colors pop 💫

See the full feature on our website in bio.

📝: Kristen Fisher
📸: Kristen Fisher & Trish Schooley

Once upon a flower…
Our 2025 Flower Show: Fairytale Fantasy🧚🏼‍♀️ was pure enchantment. This post highlights some of the wonderful women behind the entries—the creative minds and green thumbs who brought their garden magic to life.

From succulents in teacups to graceful orchids, charming table settings, and sculptural wildflowers, entries spanned a variety of divisions—from themed designs and single blooms to informal bouquets. Every display was a delight.

Judge’s Favorite went to Barbara Jordan for her dreamy Fairytale Fantasyland, and Members’ Favorite to Betty Hercus for her watering can spilling pearls onto homegrown primroses—a nod to the folklore that primroses are a gateway to Fairyland.

Stay tuned—more to come from the event’s décor, details, and behind-the-scenes magic. ✨

If you’re hosting for Easter, we hope you’re enjoying setting your table and arranging your flowers! 💐🍽️✨

As a garden club, we love a good tablescape — here are a few spring favorites from our flower show archives. 💐💐💐

Flower Show 2025: A Fairytale Fantasy

Wings were fluttering, flowers were sparkling, and the creativity? Off the charts. This year’s show at the Long Beach Yacht Club was buzzing with magical entries, garden glam, and just the right amount of fairy dust.

An enchanted luncheon shared among friends, blooms, and a few well-placed gnomes—because some garden magic is best kept in the club.

#FairytaleFantasy
#GardenClubMagic
#LongBeachBlooms
#FloralFairytale

For over 50 years, the Naples Islands Garden Club has been dedicated to enhancing the beauty of our island—one hedge trim, weed pull & fountain refresh at a time.

La Bella Fontana is one of our signature spaces, lovingly maintained by our members under a right of entry from the City of Long Beach. We care for the pepper trees, manicure the boxwood hedges & help the Grand Italian Fountain live up to its name.

This month’s beautification effort came with a (fashionably late) Galentines celebration—February rain may have delayed us, but it didn’t dampen our spirits. Big thanks to our Bella Fontana co-chairs for the thoughtful treats & a champagne toast that proved garden gloves pair beautifully with bubbles.

#GardenGlovesAndGalentines #IslandBeautification
#GardenClubs

Florals, flair, & a few fabulous past wins! Flower Show 2024: Bloomin’ 50’s

As the spring season begins, our Club is looking ahead to one of our favorite events—next month’s annual flower show at the Long Beach Yacht Club.

This members-only event is a highlight for Naples Island Garden Club, blooming with creativity & perfect inspiration for new members getting ready to join the fun.

Each year brings a fresh theme, beautiful designs, & a celebration of all things garden & gorgeous.

Time to get inspired! 🌷✨
#flowershow #gardenclubs #flowerdesign

📸: Trish Schooley

Happy Sunday, everyone! After all that rain, our Naples gardens are basically throwing a flower party!
Blooming, beaming, & loving this sunny day—just like us ☀️🌿✨

#RainKissed
#NaplesInBloom

Today, we gathered for our annual Arbor Day tribute, honoring the memories of cherished members and loved ones we lost this past year.

The Naples Bayside Academy Student Council shared heartfelt poems and a beautiful choir performance, and loved ones shared special memories that deeply moved us.

Through nature, reflection, and remembrance, their legacies continue to blossom. 🌿💚🪽

#ArborDayTribute
#RememberingWithTrees

The Naples School Beautification Committee is hard at work!

Our dedicated Garden Club ladies + Jake— are weeding, raking, sweeping, & spreading mulch to make the school grounds sparkle for next week’s Arbor Day Memorial Tribute.

A little teamwork goes a long way in keeping our community beautiful! 🌿✨

#ArborDay #GardenClub #CommunityBeautification

Dripping in elegance— Wisteria is basically nature’s chandelier! 💜✨ Did you know these gorgeous vines can live for over 100 years? Talk about aging gracefully!

#WisteriaWonder #GardenWisdom #BloomingBeauty

Honoring tradition, remembrance, and growth!🌳✨

Each year, we work with the Naples Elementary principal and student council to plan a Arbor Day ceremony and select a special spot on campus to plant a tree, shrub, or flowers—both as a tribute to loved ones lost and to support a greener future.

In preparation for this year’s celebration, we’ve planted our annual crepe myrtle (lagerstroemia indica), plus two more to honor the school’s 100th anniversary!

These trees will provide oxygen, cool temperatures, and create vital habitat and nesting spaces for our native bird species. While they are still dormant and leafless now, we can’t wait to see them bloom. 🌿💚

Special thanks to Moon Valley Nursery for their help in planting these beautiful trees!

#ArborDay #NaplesIslands #TreePlanting #100YearsGrowing

Our Club members are easily recognizable in their red aprons as they volunteer monthly in landscapes around the island ♥️

One of our Beautification Projects is maintaining the Naples Elementary School frontage by weeding, tidying shrubs, and planting myrtle trees along the parkway.

We collaborated with the City and LB School District to completely re-landscape the school frontage in 2016 and we continue collaborative maintenance work to this day.

🌳🌳🌳🌼

#beautification
#redapronladies
#naplesbaysideacademy

📸: Esther Watkins

Sending everyone some Valentines Day flowers to brighten up rainy days!💘

Camelias are blooming like fireworks on the fourth here in Naples! These queens of the winter flowers will be blooming from now until April 🌦️

Also pictured are NIGC ladies enjoying February Bunco🥂🎲🌹 Members meet for Bunco once a month — a good excuse to engage in a few hours of game playing, eating, sipping, and mindless frivolity! 🩷❤️🩷❤️

#naplesislandcanal
#gardenclubsofamerica

Happy New Year! Here’s to another fun year of beautification, fundraising, events, & activities.🍾🪩⛲️🪴

#gardenclubs
#nationalgardenclubs

Happy Holidays from the Naples Islands Garden Club!

Here’s a few photos from our garland set up day. We hope the holiday cheer brings a smile to your face every time you cross a Naples bridge! ☺️

Wishing you and yours a warm and joyful holiday season ♥️

Our club’s award-winning float in the Naples Christmas Boat Parade. Thank you to every member for supporting this endeavor to honor our 50 year legacy of beautifying our community!

Fun Facts:

Sandy Davidson was presented with the National Garden Club Certificate Award for “Membership Awareness”. Sandy led and managed NIGCs award winning 50th Anniversary Float…

The Float went on to win numerous awards including “Most Creative Float” in the Naples Island Boat Parade, “The most innovative activity & most outstanding efforts to increase club awareness and club membership” for the 1ST PLACE award in CA Garden Clubs, and the 1ST PLACE award in the whole Pacific Region. In addition, the float won the BIG 1ST PLACE award for “membership awareness” in the National Garden Club which is the certificate Sandy was presented with!

Past President Deborah Smith introduced the Honorary Member Award to Ben Fisher. He was thanked for his willingness to always lend his support and for his assistance in helping build the NIGCs award winning 50th Anniversary Float. He was also thanked for taking the initiative to film drone footage of the Anniversary Float in the Bay and canals, hence generating a great promotion for the club.

Thank you to everyone who helped make our last year holiday experience so memorable! ♥️
.
#nationalgardenclubs #californiagardenclubs #gardenclubawards #boatparade

Tis the season!

This year our club was gifted with an opportunity to decorate all of the bridges with lights and garland! Without our community’s support, beautification projects like this wouldn’t be possible.

Thank you to the ladies of The Garden Club for coming out and adding our touches to the bridges for this holiday season ♥️

#NaplesIslandsGardenClub
#NaplesIslands

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Welcome to Naples Islands Garden Club

CONNECT - CULTIVATE - CHANGE

Naples Islands Garden Club Beautification Award April 2025

Fairytale Flower Fantasy Blooms in Naples

New Member Orientation

@naplesislandsgardenclub

Naples Island Garden Club is a Non-Profit Organization
and Proud Members of

Welcome to Naples Islands Garden Club

CONNECT - CULTIVATE - CHANGE

Naples Islands Garden Club Beautification Award April 2025

Fairytale Flower Fantasy Blooms in Naples

New Member Orientation

​

@naplesislandsgardenclub

Naples Island Garden Club is a Non-Profit Organization and Proud Members of

Naples Island Garden Club is a Non-Profit Organization
and Proud Members of