Meet Vero Beach’s Green Heart Tribe

Spring sprang early this year at Sexton Plaza when a pair of royal palms appeared, followed by a ribbon of red and white flowers bordering the newly painted entrance sign, and a hedge. When clusters of ceramic pots bursting with lush greenery and fragrant flowers showed up on the corners of Ocean Drive, you just knew somebody’s green thumb had been hard at work.

Meet Deana Marchant, Jordan Wakeland, Cindy O’Dare, Stephanie MacWilliam, and Margaret Anne Evans, who head up the Women’s Beautification Committee of Vero Beach, also known as the Green Heart Tribe—a nonprofit organization formed two years ago to enhance the beauty of Vero Beach’s barrier island by fostering a community-driven effort to beautify public spaces, one flower at a time.

Since then, the women have partnered with the City of Vero Beach and Aiello Landscaping, brightening Ocean Drive between Acacia and Flamevine Lanes with posies in pots and beds. They have also held two fundraisers, the latest of which was a hat luncheon April 7 at McKee Botanical Garden—but more about that in a minute.

The Women’s Beautification Committee began with a conversation between Wakeland, (Labels consignment shop) and Marchant (Sassy Boutique). “Deana and I had just finished playing tennis, and we started talking about all the beautiful flowers we see when we go to places like Telluride [Colorado] and Winter Park [Florida],” says Wakeland, “and I told her about a luncheon I go to every year in New York City to raise money to beautify Central Park, so we said why couldn’t we do something like that here? There’s so much potential.

“We had all kinds of big ideas and knew we had to get more people involved, so Deana called Cindy O’Dare (One Sotheby’s International Realty), who said she’d love to help. Then Stephanie MacWilliam and Margaret Anne Evans joined in. When we contacted the city, we found out they didn’t have any money for flowers, but they would help us with the labor and maintenance.”

With that news, the women didn’t waver but went into fundraising mode. O’Dare held a cocktail party at her house that raised $37,000. With funds in hand, they contacted Pete Benedict, president of Aiello Landscaping, who said he would help by providing design concepts, self-watering ceramic containers, and plants at cost. They agreed Sexton Plaza was the perfect place to start, and it didn’t take long before people started to notice and applaud.

There were more places to brighten, but the coffers were close to empty, so another fundraiser was in order, and they knew the perfect place to hold it: McKee Botanical Garden.

As O’Dare explains, “We went and spoke with Marion de Vogel and Rochelle Wolberg about having a Hats in the Garden Luncheon, and we’re fortunate they took on all our ideas.”

Those ideas included a green carpet leading to a tent in the open circle, a catered lunch by Elizabeth Kennedy in the Hall of Giants and Spanish Kitchen, plus fashion tips from designer Liz Lange.

The women of Green Heart have more planned, so stay tuned. When asked why, with their busy schedules, they do it, O’Dare says it’s simple: “We all share a love of beautiful flowers and a deep appreciation of where we live. Beautifying our charming town makes everyone happy.”