🛠️Quiet Dedication, Enduring Legacy: Honoring Pat Naughton

The January Helping Hands Award and Master Gardener of the Month is awarded to Pat Naughton.

Pat was hard to catch in a photo—not because he wasn’t present, but because he was always working—quietly focused, steady, and dedicated. Many of us will remember his quiet humor as he was hard at work in the Pollinator Garden. 

Pat’s impact can be seen throughout the Demonstration Garden: from refinishing the cypress bench tops and building the bottle trees and Discovery Garden trellis, to his tireless work on the irrigation system—monitoring, repairing, and teaching others along the way. He led the Hardscape Team for several years, built and installed the signpost, contributed to the Edible Garden (including teaching potato planting). Pat also built the trellis and benches in the Celebration Garden.  And who could forget his Halloween display while he was Lead of the Live Oak Garden?!

Michelle hands Pat the Helping Hands Award