Nana Royer

The green thumb of St. Augustine Beach

By Sarah Williamson | gargoyle@flagler.edu Photo by Sarah Williamson

A man screamed, arms waving frantically as a woman added two plants to her garden plot. The gardeners at the St. Augustine Beach Community Garden have been protested for weeks by neighbors in opposition.

Nana Royer, 68, sat watching, wearing a bright green shirt complementing the many garden beds. She is the president of the St. Augustine Beach Community Garden Association. Her vision is simple: to create a place where organic gardeners can share knowledge and “enhance their sense of community.” Instead, neighbors view it as a “private club” and a smelly nuisance.