The Gold Star Memorial Garden is one of the foundational elements of the National POW-MIA Memorial and Museum. This past Sunday, the garden received a tremendous enhancement, the first major transformation in five years. The driving force behind this beautiful renewal was Smaro “Sam” Runyon, a Florida Master Gardener and Assistant District Director of the Florida Federation of Garden Clubs. With her dedication and vision, Sam secured a National Garden Club grant that set this transformation in motion. But she didn’t stop there, she rallied additional support and donations from the Green Cove Elks Lodge and our local chapter of the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA), ensuring the resources needed for a truly impressive update.
Sam then partnered with Billy Dorsheimer from Sunshine Garden Design and Landscaping, who is also a Master Gardener, to create a fresh and thoughtful redesign of the garden. Once the funding, materials, and plans were established, it was time to bring the vision to life. That’s when the magic truly happened.
Early on April 26th, a working party of more than a dozen and a half gathered, including Master Gardeners from Duval County, Fleming Island, Orange Park, and St Augustine Garden Clubs, supported by other volunteers from UPS, MOAA, Sunshine Garden, and the Memorial team. Together, they trimmed palm trees, excavated the entire garden, planted all new selections, and carefully spread dirt and mulch to complete the transformation. The dedication and enthusiasm from everyone involved, from securing funding to those who got their hands in the soil, truly turned what could have been a daunting project into a rewarding and uplifting day.
