Nearly two years after her passing, friends, family, and colleagues of Nanette Muzante, the beloved horticulturist of AHRC Nassau, gathered at Wheatley Farms and Arts Center on June 1 to celebrate her life and lasting legacy.
Whether Nanette was driving her golf cart across campus to check on flowerbeds or selling hanging plants at Deep Roots Farmers Market in Glen Cove, she shared her love of plants wherever she went. The vibrant flowers and fresh greenery that Nanette planted continue to thrive—just like her memory.
The June 1 ribbon-cutting ceremony marked the dedication of a wooden bench and planting space, lovingly named “Nanette’s Garden.” The memorial honors Nanette’s 25 years of tending AHRC’s greenhouse and grounds, while sharing her deep knowledge of plant life with people supported, families, and the wider community.
A Living Tribute
Nanette’s Garden will serve as a living tribute to her care, creativity, and the way she helped people to grow. The event was organized by Elizabeth Plisic, a close friend and former agency nurse, who met Nanette in the greenhouse and admired how her care extended well beyond the plants.
“Nanette was very, very patient with the people supported,” said Elizabeth. “Although she was not on staff to take care of them, she did a lot for them. She went above and beyond.”
After retiring, Elizabeth joined the Syosset Garden Club and proposed a partnership with AHRC to create a memorial garden. This shared effort brought Nanette’s Garden to life.
To begin planting, Elizabeth and fellow members created two large planters filled with flowers in Nanette’s favorite color, purple. The overflowing planters contained an arrangement including heliotrope, angelonia, and purple verbena.
After Nanette’s passing, men and women supported by AHRC Day Services who regularly worked alongside Nanette fundraised to purchase and plant a Red Delicious apple tree in her honor. That tree is the first of many, as the Day Services and horticultural teams plan to build out “Nanette’s Orchard.”
Nanette’s Impact
For over two decades, Nanette Muzante guided people in Day Services on how to plant, grow, and tend vegetables, flowers and herbs. Her impact reached far beyond the greenhouse.
At the dedication, Elizabeth shared heartfelt memories of Nanette alongside Joann Michelsen, Nanette’s best friend of fifty years. Elizabeth honored Nanette’s family members, Maddy Muzante, Nick Muzante, and Regina Muzante and presented them with gifts, an African violet plant and seed packets.
Moving forward, the care of Nanette’s Garden will be shared by members of the Syosset Garden Club, people supported by Day Services, and Nannette’s niece Maggie Muzante whose father Nick says is “a clone of Nanette.” Maggie plans to plant bee balm around the bench, adding more colors to the garden.
Today, Nanette’s influence continues to bloom across every inch of the farm and greenhouse. Her seed collection is still referenced by the current horticultural team when planning what to grow. Nanette’s legacy will continue to grow and flourish, as it is rooted deeply in love and community.