Michael Spencer of South Palm Beach does an inventory of plants in the nursery at Mounts Botanical Garden in West Palm Beach. Since 2016 he has amassed more than 2,000 volunteer hours. He creates succulent and cacti arrangements to be sold at the Gift Shop. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star
Those of us with green thumbs already know that Mounts Botanical Garden in West Palm Beach is unparalleled when it comes to the number and variety of herbs and vegetables available for planting our winter gardens.
We also should know when it comes time for a suggestion, or even a class in learning more about the subject, Michael Spencer is the person to see.
Spencer, 64, was named Volunteer of the Year at Mounts, located off Military Trail north of Southern Boulevard. The South Palm Beach resident has for the last six years been a staple in the cacti and succulents portion of the garden, which all told houses more than 6,000 tropical and subtropical plants from six continents.
“We’re in a very unique area because we have so many transplants, especially from the Northeast, who do not realize what can grow here or will not grow that they want to bring down,” said Spencer, who typically volunteers on Wednesdays. “We offer that at our help desk; if you’re not sure what disease a plant has or what it is; we can tell you what grows best in sun, what grows best in shade.”
Spencer said a common mistake people make when landscaping is to plant trees or shrubs too close to the house only to regret it when the roots grow out.
“A coco plum is a tree, but we treat it like a shrub,” he said. “Even treated like a shrub it puts its energy to its roots, which get bigger and bigger and bigger.”
Spencer gained the confidence of the staff about four years ago.
“They saw some designs I did in a greenhouse up in Illinois and gave me carte blanche to do some arrangements, and now I’m doing everything for them.”
“Michael is like a thesaurus for plants,” said Marissa Jacobs, the Mounts community engagement manager. “Everyone loves his classes, everyone loves Michael. He’s a joy to be around.”
Spencer also enjoys gardening at both of his homes, in South Palm Beach and Wellington; and he and his wife, Christine, like to travel to her native France.
Otherwise they spend most of their time at home with their two cats, one a calico Maine coon mix and the other a tuxedo.
Spencer had taught watercolor at his condo during the winter months up to 2020.
“Now that things have calmed down with the pandemic, I plan to restart the class in January,” he said. “I teach the class for two hours every week during the peak season and do it for free. All my students need to do is come with paints, brushes and paper to have fun and learn about watercolor.”
— Brian Biggane
Q: Where did you grow up and go to school? How do you think that has influenced you?
A: I was born and raised in Union Lake, Michigan (a northwestern suburb of the Detroit metropolitan area), attended Central Michigan University and graduated with a bachelor of arts degree in elementary education with a major in German and minors in European literature, European history and biology (botany). I also have a landscaping and greenhouse degree from Southwestern Oakland Vocational Education Center.
Having grown up in what was a rural area at that time, I was influenced by my grandfather and his love of gardening. His yard was full of a variety of fruit trees and every year he planted a large vegetable garden. My parents and my uncle and aunt, whose yard abutted the back of our yard, were also involved. All of my uncles on my mother’s side had a vegetable garden, so gardening was in my blood.
Learning about the different ways to prepare, grow, fertilize and alleviate pests of various sizes and varieties enhanced my will to learn about the environment. Since moving permanently to Florida seven years ago, I have had a vegetable garden every winter where I grow lettuce, carrots, onions, tomatoes, peppers, turnips, beets, radishes, eggplant, green beans, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, chives, rosemary, thyme, basil, parsley and other varieties of herbs and vegetables.
Q: What professions have you worked in? What professional accomplishments are you most proud of?
A: My first job was in a mall in Novi, Michigan, selling Christmas plants from SWOVEC to raise revenue for the Greenhouse and Landscaping program. After that I worked in a plant distribution center for delivery to all the Kmarts and Walmarts in the state of Michigan. During college, I worked at McDonald’s and as a substitute teacher.
At the beginning of my senior year at CMU, I married my wife in her hometown in the Provence region of the south of France. Once I graduated from CMU, my wife and I moved to Louisiana and both of us taught 30 years in the public schools in the metropolitan area of New Orleans.
My favorite achievements are being named Teacher of the Year three times at the school I taught, being nominated by one of my kindergarten students for “Who’s Who Among American Teachers,” being a national board certified teacher in early childhood education, being recognized by the city of Kenner, Louisiana, for the 11 years I served as president for the civic association I represented, and being recognized by Mounts Botanical Garden as their Volunteer of the Year 2022.
Q: What advice do you have for a young person seeking a career today?
A: Learn a foreign language. More and more people are moving to the United States or living abroad. Being a global economy, we must learn that English is not the only language spoken in the world.
Q: How did you choose to make your home in South Palm Beach?
A: My wife and I saw an ad more than 20 years ago about condominiums available on the ocean, and we had always spent part of our vacations when visiting family at the beach in Palm Beach or Lake Worth. In 2003, we found a nice condo to renovate in South Palm Beach. We loved the view from the apartment, so we purchased it.
Q: What is your favorite part about living in South Palm Beach?
A: Being between two public beaches, our little piece of paradise is not as crowded as the public beaches; and we have made many friends over the years here in South Palm Beach.
Q: What book are you reading now?
A: My wife and I love historical fiction and murder mystery books. Agatha Christie is one of our favorites and we are presently reading a series of books by M.C. Beaton, who has two series of detective books that are funny and entertaining.
Q: What kind of music do you listen to when you want to relax? When you want to be inspired?
A: I love all genres except traditional country music. I love pop/rock, hip hop, dance, international music and opera. When I want to relax I tend to listen to soft rock, and when I want to be inspired I love dance, and international singers like Julien Clerc, Umberto Tozzi, France Gall, Laura Pausini, Eros Ramazzotti, to name a few.
Q: Have you had mentors in your life? Individuals who have inspired your life decisions?
A: I was lucky to have my grandfather, who helped raise me after my father passed away in my teens. My mother basically moved in with him and the two of them were very influential in what I do. My mother was a kindergarten teacher and I was a kindergarten teacher for almost 30 years, one of the few in the state of Louisiana.
Q: If your life story were to be made into a movie, who would play you?
A: It wouldn’t really matter, but if I had to think of someone, it might be Leonardo DiCaprio. People said I looked like him when I was young.
Q: Who/what makes you laugh?
A: My nephew, Nickolas. He is so much like me and he knows the right things to say or do to get me out of the doldrums that I can encounter. He has worked so hard in his life and I am so proud of what he has accomplished.
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