Meet the Members of VISTA's Garden
Our members continue to grow VISTA's mission of providing a sustainable model for organic gardening and native landscaping in the Tampa Bay area.
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Marcy Biller
Gardener
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What is your favorite crop?
Carrots! I love the beautiful colors of my rainbow mix crop!
How does your time at VISTA feed your soul?
Vista Gardens is a peaceful place, close enough to my home, but far enough away to allow me to absorb the sights, sounds, and smells of nature. Truly an escape from “the city”
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What do you cook up with your harvest?
I try to use as much of the crop as possible. I’ve made arugula and carrot top pesto and used the brassica leaves in stews. But my husband and I munch on raw veggies the most.
What new information/learning have you acquired as a result of gardening at VISTA?
I have enjoyed learning that it’s okay for a crop to fail. This also applies to life, doesn’t it?
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What is your favorite social, exercise, or other non-gardening activity?
I am a lifelong exerciser. But I am non-committal to any particular type. I have a home gym and belong to a gym. I have a fake Peloton, but like riding outside. I dislike running, but I would love to be a “runner”. As long as I’m moving, I’m happy!
Yvonne Scalise
Gardener
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What is your favorite crop?
Beets, tomatoes and collards (because my husband loves collards!)
How does your time at VISTA feed your soul?
There’s a calm about being surrounded by nature and its beauty.
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What do you cook up with your harvest?
A favorite beet salad, Caprese salad, and collard green soup.
What new information/learning have you acquired as a result of gardening at VISTA?
The importance of composting.
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What is your favorite social, exercise, or other non-gardening activity?
Entertaining family and friends over a good meal.
Nicole Jagusztyn
Gardener
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What is your favorite crop?
Arugula. I love the fresh salads I make from my garden and incorporating arugula is a must!
How does your time at VISTA feed your soul?
My life is so fast-paced and technology-centric. I am grateful for the quiet, peaceful time I spend tending to my garden.
What do you cook up with your harvest?
Lots of greens! My weekend breakfast is curly kale and eggs. Dino kale and broccoli are dinner favorites. And I always have some sauerkraut fermenting on my countertop.
What new information/learning have you acquired as a result of gardening at VISTA?
I try to focus on one element of gardening each year. This year, I have been focused on soil enrichment and fertilizers. As a result, I have barely used any fertilizer and focused on building my soil, and my current garden has been the best yet.
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What is your favorite social, exercise, or other non-gardening activity?
I have a young son, so we like to explore new parks around the area for the hiking trails and playgrounds.
Sanjay, Nathan, Mary
Gardeners
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How long have you been a member?
We joined the community in time for the 2023 Fall growing season.
What is your favorite crop?
I don’t have a single favorite crop, but love growing a mixture of fresh vegetables. The variety is always the exciting part.
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How does your time at VISTA feed your soul?
Being in nature is always exciting. I have always enjoyed working with plants. It started in my younger days, when I worked in the garden and built a small nursery with my father. Being able to have the same experiences with my son and my wife is probably the best part of being at VISTA. Another thing I enjoy immensely is meeting new people and getting the opportunity to be part of the VISTA community.
What are your volunteer activities at VISTA?
I volunteer in the House of the Rising Seeds, which gives me a chance to learn about planting seasons, crops, as well as be able to grow seedlings we can all use.
What new information/learning have you acquired as a result of gardening at VISTA?
We keep learning from all the seasoned gardeners. I recently learned about liquid fish emulsion, trimming the tomato plants properly, what crops would be good to plant when.
Donna & Richard
Gardeners
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Where is your raised garden bed?
You'll find us on VISTA Gardens' map at CW5, a few beds southeast of the AARP gardens (DW7 and 8). Our garden has a tall, homemade, white trellis at one end.
How long have you been a member?
We’ve been members for 3 years.
What is your favorite crop?
Hands down, okra. But tomatoes and lettuce run a close second. We were tempted to answer compost because without it, the rest wouldn’t be worth mentioning.
How does your time at VISTA feed your soul?
Our time at VISTA feeds our need for friendship with kind people who love working in God’s natural world, who love being with folks from every walk of life and who love to have fun. It also allows Richard to do some construction. He’s not great at it, but Marty is a great and patient teacher. We can’t thank everyone enough for the help you gave us during Donna’s down time.
What do you cook up with your harvest?
Okra -fried, in soups, in waffles, in salads, and in kosher- style shrimp (substitute chicken) gumbo. We’re southern.
What are your volunteer activities at VISTA?
We Chair the Flower Garden Committee and enjoy speaking about our flowers to visiting groups. Richard helped build the Cutting Flower Garden pergola and the planters and bench beneath it. Donna is the queen of weeding wherever the critters show their unwanted heads.
What new information/learning have you acquired as a result of gardening at VISTA?
We have learned how to prune tomato plants, that there are different kinds of soil emoluments, that you can’t protect tomatoes from a hard freeze, and that organic fertilizers like fish emulsion work better than synthetic kinds.
Tim Spearman
Gardener
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What is your favorite crop?
The Aspabroc variety of broccoli and all cherry tomatoes. Also, raising worms that create vermiculture for the garden!
How does your time at VISTA feed your soul?
It helps me better connect with people and disconnect from work.
What do you cook up with your harvest?
Salsa made with our cherry tomatoes and peppers. We eat a lot of salads and use our kale, mustard greens and lettuce. We also make pistachio or walnut parsley pesto for meat dishes.
What are your volunteer activities at VISTA?
Previously, I picked up and composted material from the Community Food Pantry for the Compost Committee but had to suspend that due to a recent move. Since then, I helped with construction of VISTA’s stalls to contain mulch and soil.
How long have you been a member?
I joined VISTA in time for the Fall 2023 growing season.
What is your favorite social, exercise, or other non-gardening activity?
Kayaking in the mangroves and canoeing at the Upper Tampa Bay Conservation Park.
Beverly Stansell
Gardener
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What is your favorite crop?
Greens! Collards, mustard, Swiss chard, and kale.
How does your time at VISTA feed your soul?
I enjoy the peaceful atmosphere in the garden when there is not a lot of activity going on. A quiet place of calm in a chaotic world.
What do you cook up with your harvest?
I prepare the collards and mustard the way my mom did. She was Canadian, but cooked for a Georgia boy (my dad), so she learned the Southern way. The Swiss chard and kale I prepare the Sicilian way, with a little EVOO and garlic.
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What new information/learning have you acquired as a result of gardening at VISTA?
I have learned about composting, soil preparation, fertilizer, and cover crops.
What is your favorite social, exercise, or other non-gardening activity?
KayakinYoga, free weight exercises, hiking, travel, taking care of my 2 miniature schnauzers, membership in a philanthropic educational organization that provides scholarships for women, and attending various live entertainment venues.
Jane and Rick Jackson
Gardeners
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What is your favorite crop?
Burgundy broccoli, tomatoes, carrots, bush beans, & peas
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How does your time at VISTA feed your soul?
We find comfort in knowing the garden is natural, giving us wholesome vegetables free from pesticides and other harmful chemicals. The flowers, bees, birds, and butterflies are very special and offer many opportunities to photograph them in their natural habitat.
What do you cook up with your harvest?
We share our harvest with friends and family. They appreciate eating freshly-harvested vegetables and herbs that taste so true.
What new information/learning have you acquired as a result of gardening at VISTA?
We have absorbed so much about seasonal planting, soil management and amendment, crop thinning, watering, composting, and friendship. We cherish the advice from experienced gardeners.
What is your favorite social, exercise, or other non-gardening activity?
Meeting new people and photography.
Maria Barros
Gardener
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What is your favorite crop?
My favorite crop is broccolini.
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How does your time at VISTA feed your soul?
My time at VISTA allows me to enjoy the outdoors and get my hands dirty.
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What do you cook up with your harvest?
I love to pan-fry the broccolini with onions and garlic and squeeze some lemon juice on top. It serves as a great side dish.
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What new information/learning have you acquired as a result of gardening at VISTA?
I have learned so much from VISTA. To name a few, I have learned how to plant vegetables, trim my plants, and grow cover crops.
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What is your favorite social, exercise, or other non-gardening activity?
When I'm not gardening, I enjoy all forms of crafts.
Janet Stanko
Pond Committee Chair​
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What is your favorite crop?
Kale! I grow a lot of it. Although it isn’t my favorite, broccoli is also great. Did you know that broccoli leaves are as nutritious as the broccoli head itself?
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How does your time at VISTA feed your soul?
After gardening organically for many years, I wanted to be involved in an effort bigger than myself to make a broader statement about sustainable gardening. Also, I have learned much more along the way.
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What do you cook up with your harvest?
I recently made Zuppa Toscana which is an Olive Garden recipe using a lot of chopped kale. I add kale to my smoothies.
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What new information/learning have you acquired as a result of gardening at VISTA?
I learned more about soil maintenance and the importance of protecting the soil. In addition, my knowledge of native plants has increased because of presentations and conversations with fellow gardeners.​
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What is your favorite social, exercise, or other non-gardening activity?
I am active in the Sierra Club and spend a lot of time with my granddaughters. They have an interest in the environment and enjoy coming to the garden.
Corey Soberanis
Garden Member
What is your favorite crop?
TBD this is my first time planting, but I pray my leeks will grow!
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What do you cook up with your harvest?
This is my first year to harvest, and I’m thrilled! I plan to grow everything I need for a classic French vegetable stock.
What new information/learning have you acquired as a result of gardening at VISTA?
I learned for the first time about the different types of Cover Crops and their essential benefits.
How does your time at VISTA feed your soul?
Collaborating with others in a vibrant, life-filled garden nourishes my soul, fostering a deep sense of belonging and shared purpose.
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What is your favorite social, exercise, or other non-gardening activity?
I enjoy the gym & reading self-development books and practicing the piano. I'm also an avid tea enthusiast.
​He also recently volunteered at VISTA's special children's event and presented vegan "Dirt Pies" for great snacks. Ask him for his recipe!
Susan Baxter Gibson and Jay Gibson
Susan is Chair of the House of the Rising Seeds Committee, VISTA BoD Treasurer & founded the VISTA Gardening Angels
What is your favorite crop?
Cabbage, I love cabbage and grow Chinese and Jersey Wakefield. Love stuffed cabbage rolls, coleslaw, boiled cabbage etc. Harvesting the outside leaves means you can harvest early and continually enjoy the cabbage as the head grows! Susan
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How does your time at VISTA feed your soul?
Jay says, “VISTA satisfies a need for long views, peace and quiet, and time to commune with nature.” While Jay’s communing with nature, Susan enjoys friendship at the gardens and many wonderful VISTA friends and adds “I sometimes talk more than I garden!”
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What do you cook up with your harvest?
Jay makes smoothies, sauces, veggie lasagnas, cabbage rolls, salads, etc. and just added two cookbooks; one for Vegan cooking and one for Vegetarian, so he will let us know about his expanding repertoire. Susan usually washes and cleans everything, and if she’s lucky Jay cooks. “He is a better cook than I am, but I do make a great tomato sauce with eggplant, which is better than adding meat.”
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What new information/learning have you acquired as a result of gardening at VISTA?
Jay learned “quite a lot! How to set up irrigation systems; how to compost, the importance of soil prep, how organic gardening deals with weeds and pests, and any number of tips and tricks for each veggie.” Susan learned the difference between gardening in Upstate NY and Florida. Specifically, she does not try to plant a summer crop. Since okra, peanuts nor Malabar spinach are on Baxter-Gibson menus, she says that “planting a cover crop in the summer is the best way to get our raised garden bed ready for the fall-through-spring growing seasons in Central Florida.”
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What is your favorite social, exercise, or other non-gardening activity?
Susan takes 5-10 Pilates classes each week and is currently working on Pilates Instructor Certification and had the pleasure of teaching some of our gardeners as practice students. Jay, a recently retired teacher and School Librarian of 36 years enjoys theater work, ship model making, and beer making.