Mounts Botanical Garden Will Host 23rd Annual Spring Benefit in the Garden in April

Friends of the Mounts Botanical Garden will be hosting their biggest annual fundraising event - the Mounts 23rd Annual Spring Benefit - at the Garden itself on Sunday, April 2, 2023, from 5:30 to 8 pm. Funds raised at the Benefit will directly support maintaining the Garden's 20-acre tropical oasis, youth programs, and community outreach.

"Themed The Joy of Orchids, the annual Spring Benefit will be an enchanting event that will feature an open bar, hors d'oeuvres and a lavish silent auction featuring a diverse array of rare and exotic plants, orchids and eye-catching arrangements," promises Mounts Curator-Director Rochelle Wolberg. "This will be our first Spring Benefit actually held in the Garden since 2010 and will take place on the Great Lawn."

Highlights of the Mounts Spring Benefit will include:

+ Another wow-worthy botanical art exhibition by Lisa Waud, who creates ephemeral works with living florals and an array of botanicals that immerse and engage visitors, just as the Detroit-based artist did for Mounts at a recent promotional event in New York City done in collaboration with the Cultural Council for Palm Beach County and Discover The Palm Beaches. Whimsically titled Too Much All At Once, Waud will create several floral installations throughout the Garden for Spring Benefit. Striving for zero waste throughout her practice, the artist sources from local flower farmers, growers, and nurseries, while also utilizing found and foraged natural objects. The construction materials are then composted or recycled. Previous installations include Flower House Detroit; FLORA Festival in Cordoba, Spain; Hiberna Flores; the Tony Awards at Radio City Music Hall; and Christo's posthumous L'Arc de Triomphe Wrap.

+ A return visit to Mounts by DiVine, a character from Disney's Animal Kingdom that is heavily dressed in vines and plants to be camouflaged in the plant life and walks on high stilts, so her height is between 7 and 16 feet depending on what she is doing with her hands and legs.

+ Michelin Star quality cuisine by Chef Philippe Gudet.

"Tickets to attend the 2023 Spring Benefit are $200 each and can be purchased by calling 561-233-1757 or by emailing rlucas@pbcgov.org. Sponsorships and underwriting opportunities are also available. All proceeds from this event will support maintaining the Gardens 20-acre tropical oasis, youth programs, and community outreach," says Rebecca Doane, new Board President of Friends of Mounts Botanical Garden.

Spring Benefit Council and Patrons include Ruth Arneson and Rodney Johnson, Gretta and John Curry, Rachel and Steve Docekal, Kim and Robert Frisbie, Julie and John Kime, Jeff Koons, Christina and Raymond Kramer, Polly Reed, Alison and Charles Sieving, Sandy Smith and Raymond Tollman, Paton White, and Elaine & Michael Zimmerman.

Visitors can now explore Mounts Botanical Garden anytime from anywhere across the globe with the new Mobile Garden Guide. Launched in partnership with Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and cultural app created by Bloomberg Philanthropies is designed to elevate and enrich the visitor experience by making it easy to discover more of what people love before, during, and after their visit to the Garden. Multi-media content includes maps and information on Mounts Botanical's 25 display gardens, art in the garden, and current and upcoming exhibitions, as well as an ever-growing spectrum of new photo, audio, and video content available exclusively via the app. To learn more and download the app, visit www.mounts.org/mobile-garden-guide/ [mounts.org].