Preserving Family Legacy with Marion de Vogel

As Arthur McKee’s great-granddaughter, Marion de Vogel grew up exploring the garden that bears his name. It was her happy home away from home, and she treasured time spent there. “I loved the sounds, the smells, the cool air of the shady, mysterious canopy, and the hushed immensity of it all,” de Vogel says, her face lighting up as she recalls the joy she experienced years ago. “It was a very safe place to dance with nature.”

That joy remains, and as a McKee Botanical Garden board member and full-time volunteer, de Vogel delights in sharing it, along with the garden’s history.

“Many people don’t realize that the garden is coming up on the 100th anniversary of its founding and the 25th anniversary of the reopening in 2001. I like to say we’re 100 years old and 25 years young.

“There have been many milestones, and just recently there’s been so much to celebrate. Last May, the International Waterlily and Water Gardening Society designated 48 of McKee’s water lilies ‘Certified Collections of Excellence,’ which, in the specialized field of aquatic gardening, is a really big deal. McKee is just one of eight gardens in the world to receive this distinction,” she points out enthusiastically.

“That heady recognition was followed by the truly extraordinary presentation by The Garden Conservancy of the Jean and John Greene Prize for Excellence in American Gardening. McKee is only the third garden in the United States to receive this prize, which comes with a sizeable grant.”

“What’s important to understand about this recent recognition is that it follows the conservancy’s 1996 designation of McKee as a ‘preservation project of national significance,’ de Vogel explains. “That acknowledgement, with the help of the Indian River Land Trust and the Trust for Public Land, enabled McKee to secure recognition as a Florida Heritage Landmark and a listing on the National Register of Historic Places, both of which opened up the world of grants and contributions.”

De Vogel, who had left her hometown years earlier to pursue a career in New York City, kept up with news about the garden’s restoration progress. She knew if she ever returned to Vero Beach she would find a way to thank the people who helped save it and her great-grandfather’s legacy, and that’s just what she is doing.

“Rochelle [Wolberg], McKee’s executive director, has big ideas, a very strong horticultural background, and enough energy to power McKee off the grid, and she has embraced what I can bring to the garden,” de Vogel says. “As I know this environmental oasis and its history so well, it’s easy for me to help her and the board of directors build McKee’s future while respecting its past.”

De Vogel proudly summarizes several of the garden’s perks: “Our climate enables us to share McKee’s magic 12 months a year, and team McKee skillfully introduces exhibits, classes, features, and festivals to broaden the garden’s appeal and the role we believe it has in educating residents and visitors.

“The Children’s Garden masterfully blends McKee’s playful history with its planted legacy, enabling children to explore, discover, and play in nature just as I did as a child. Being here is like coming home.”