Beaches Museum Landscape Design Consultation

Summary

The Jacksonville Beaches Museum completed a landscape transformation to improve curb appeal, attract visitors, and showcase Florida-friendly, low-maintenance plants, supported by a $5,000 matching grant from Rockaway and $12,000 in additional donations. The project removed outdated hedges, added native and pollinator-friendly plantings, opened sightlines to features like the sea turtle statue, upgraded irrigation, addressed erosion, enhanced the retention pond while preserving beneficial native vegetation, and installed educational plant identification signage, resulting in a more welcoming, educational, and visually engaging museum grounds.

The Beaches Museum is about to blossom! Join us as we take a peek at the exciting plans for a landscape transformation brimming with vibrant blooms and butterfly havens. Stay tuned for updates on this tropical paradise in the making, and prepare to be wowed by the final reveal.

Project Overview:

Redesign landscaping around the Jacksonville Beaches Museum.
Goal: Improve curb appeal, attract visitors, and showcase Florida-friendly plants.
Funding: Matching grant from Rockaway of $5000 + additional $12,000 donations.

Key Changes:

Southside:
- Improve curb appeal around new sign.
- Remove remaining hedges along building and plant confederate jasmine and possibly passion vines on fence around retention pond.
- Possibly replace plantings inside fence retention area with more suitable native plants.
Eastside Front Entrance:
- Replant flowerbeds with new plumbago, pink muly grass, and thin out coonties.
- Open up view of sea turtle statue by lifting cabbage palms and loquats.
- Add plant identification signs.
Westside:
- Remove hedges and modify irrigation.
- Clean up retention pond and consider removing cabbag palm, but leave native vegetation like wax myrtle and salt bush to help improve water quality.
North Side:
- Remove hedge and consider replanting cassia or citrus tree if suitable.
Other:
- Remove declining vegetatation.
- Trim sable palms and palms near sign.
- Address erosion near sidewalk.
- Install irrigation system.
- Separately quote lighting upgrades.
Timeline:
- Demolition and cleanup can happen now.
- Planting will depend on selected plants and timing.

Next Steps:

Rockaway Landscape Architect will create a proposal with cost estimates.
Beaches Museum will review proposal.
Project implementation will begin after approval.

Additional Notes:

Existing plants like coontie and wax myrtle can be reused where possible.
Low-maintenance plants are preferred.
Educational plant identification signs will be added.

Join us on this fruitful walk through the Beaches Museum grounds! Chris Hoffman, the museum’s executive director, and Kathleen Burson, our skilled landscape architect, have joined forces to envision a stunning new landscape. Get a glimpse into their collaborative process and stay tuned for the fruits of their labor!