Page 10 - PGA Community News - December '19

Page 10, PGA C.A.N.! December 2019 December 2019

Encouraging Wildlife Into Your Backyard

Topic Of PBGGC November Meeting

The Palm Beach Gardens Garden Club (PBGGC)
invited Laurie Albrecht, extension agent of environmental
horticulture in the Palm Beach County Extension Office,
to speak at its Nov. 6 meeting held at the Gardens Branch
Library. Choosing a subject that she is passionate about,
Albrecht shared a PowerPoint slide show about encouraging
wildlife to our backyards and porches.
Most of the slides were about birds and butterflies that either
fly through our region or live here permanently. Suggestions
were made about the plants that grow in our yards for them
to live in, hide behind, or nourish themselves from, but the
greatest reason for planting the correct landscape is to be able
to sit and watch the wildlife that visits outside your home. They
can entertain your pets, too, when you’re not there.
The important link that Albrecht made was for native
landscaping and wildlife. It is proven that wildlife survives
better around native plants because this vegetation protects
our vital ecosystem, and its diversity supports both residential Laurie Albrecht answers questions after her discussion on Jane Turner, Sharon and Michael Pusin, and Jan Warshaurer
animals and seasonal visitors including the pollinators. “Bringing Wildlife Into Your Backyard” at the November listen to speaker Laurie Albrecht talk about safe environments
Even dead trees called snags provide cover for nesting and PBGGC meeting. for birds and butterflies.
foraging. They depend on each other for survival.
The circle of life includes the pollinators who help the
plants but may also be part of the 25 percent of insects
that birds eat. There are good snakes that eat the birds, and
larger birds that eat the snakes. Without a healthy native
plant environment the circle stops. Passion flowers, fogfruit,
goldenrod, eupatorium, and firebush and native plants can
be purchased at specialty nurseries. Invasive or nonnative
plants may have negative effects on birds and butterflies.
Another suggestion to attract wildlife into your yard was
to provide birdbaths or birdhouses. However, they must
be kept clean to prevent mold and in a safe location from
predators such as cats, so at least 10 feet from low shrubs
or predator cover. Coral honeysuckle, coral bean, and other
plants will bring hummingbirds, when grown, near windows
for viewing.
Resources for making your property “wildlife friendly” A photo by speaker Laurie Albrecht explains the importance As tempting as it looks, this Brazilian pepper plant has killed
starts with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: birds.cornell. of native plants for local wildlife. many birds that have eaten its berries.
edu or auduboneverglades.org, and books by authors like
Dr. George Rogers from Palm Beach State College.
In December the club will be celebrating at the home of
a member with a holiday party. The next meeting will be ‘Tis The Season To Be Jolly . . .
on Jan. 8, 2020 in the Gardens Branch Library on Campus
Drive in Palm Beach Gardens at 7 p.m. The public is And Giving!
welcome to attend and see the PowerPoint presentation on
his favorite plants by member Michael Pusin. The end of the year is the best time to assess your You may have a general goal in mind when it comes
The Palm Beach Gardens Garden Club is a member financial wellbeing, and to consider your capacity to retirement, but you need a specific plan for effective
of District X. PBGGC is also under the umbrella of the for Charitable Giving. As with other aspects of your savings. Reassess your retirement planning goals annually
Florida Federation of Garden Clubs (FFGC) and the finances, it’s important for charitable giving to be part and prioritize spending needs based on what will make
National Garden Clubs. In addition it belongs to Mounts of a broader financial plan, this is why we discuss this you happy and comfortable. Create a budget for early,
Botanical Gardens. While monthly meetings are ways of when applicable during a year-end portfolio review. middle and late retirement, taking into consideration
educating its members and socializing, the club uses its different expenses for each stage. Don’t fool yourself that
raised money through dues and fundraising to donate money By giving a large amount one year and not the next, life in retirement will be less expensive than now. Did you
for scholarships such as FFGC’s scholarship fund and the you could maximize your itemized deductions in that know that the average cost for health care for a couple in
FFGC’s Wekiva Camp. year and take the new increased standard deduction the retirement is close to $300,000? Don’t you think that health
The garden club is open to anyone wanting to learn more next year. Some CPAs refer to this as “lumping and care and Long-Term Care is something to plan for? We are
about gardening, the environment, helpful insects, flower clumping.” Giving appreciated assets in this manner here to help!
arranging, etc. The topics always change but are subjects is a great way to maximize your charitable giving
that encourage a mixture of interests and discussions. deduction, and a donor-advised fund (DAF) could be
Meetings are the first Wednesday of the month through May, used to facilitate that gift.
and all are welcome to attend. Please contact Carol Davis, If you’re 70½ or older, you can donate directly from
president, by email: carolhd48@gmail.com or by phone: your retirement account using a “Qualified Charitable
(561) 319-0981 for more information. Distribution.” There are many tools available, designed
for the maximization of charitable giving deductions
that Asset Advisory Services can illuminate, making it
much easier for our clients to understand the benefits
Wanted As year-end approaches, retirement planning often
and positive implications of well-timed donations.

becomes a focus for investors. Year-end planning
discussions address other topics as well, such as required Crafting financial solutions with insight and integrity since 1980.
People are vandalizing minimum distributions (RMDs), beneficiary reviews, We look forward to hearing from you at: 561.747.9550
golf courses after play and Roth IRA conversion strategies. Missing an RMD to schedule your Complimentary Financial Review
or an aggressive Roth conversion can be quite costly.
hours. Sand traps, greens This is why we have planning sessions with our clients’
and fairways are being CPAs in order to be pro-active versus reactive.
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