Solace

Maybe it's because humanity, as we know it, began its journey in a garden that we tend to find peace and comfort surrounded by the beauty of nature.

For as long as I can remember being outdoors, taking in the sight of a magnificent sunset, breathing in the salty air along the Gulf Coast, gazing at the full moon, hiking up a mountain side, listening to the sound of a waterfall, or simply taking a long walk are activities that refresh me spirit, soul, and body.

It stands to reason that my own garden is a tremendous source of therapy. Working with soil and plant life inherently brings satisfaction and enjoyment beyond measure.

It's been a week full with emotions I could not have prepared myself fully for no matter how I tried.

After a long battle with cancer and heart issues my one and only brave, courageous, and loving Daddy passed on from this earth to heaven this week. It was a peaceful and restful outgoing for him and I am so blessed I was with him (in his home) his last days.

When I returned to my home it makes sense the first place I went was to my garden. And the next morning I wandered around in it to allow my heart to find peace.

I'm not sure with whom I will discuss the amount of rain we received or the lack of it from now on. It was my Dad who monitored these bits of trivia with me. And the subject was a source of either rejoicing or lamenting together around the need our respective gardens had for a good rain shower.

Dad is the one who kept me supplied with fresh citrus from his fruit trees all winter long and gave me cuttings of plants from his garden which I've shared with you here.

Dad was an especially handsome, hard working man. An avid outdoors man he loved to hunt and fish and he knew every nook and cranny of Florida like the back of his hand.

And so it is that I have found great solace in my garden these days following his passing. It is the place I know I can go to be lost in thought yet keep a grasp on reality. Because it is brimming with life and beauty it nurtures me in times of sorrow. Yet joy equally fills my soul as I remember our mutual love for the garden and the valuable and treasured gifts he shared with me from his.

I'll miss you every day, Daddy... until we meet again in eternity.

Butterfly! ... Orchid That Is

It is entirely fitting that the Florida native Butterfly Orchids bloom each year right around Father's Day.

The Butterfly Orchid (Encyclia tampensis;also Epidendrum tampense)is an epiphyte. For all the other weeks of the year they simply hang on the old oak trees acting and looking quite non-descript.

My own father gave me these unique Florida plants a few years ago. When he separated his I was the lucky recipient to transplant some to my garden.

Every celebration of Father's Day that Dad is still with us, even though not well and vibrant as the man who raised me, I am thankful. These perky little flowers that bloom this same time each year, have become a treasure not only to my garden but to my heart.


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The follow-up post to Naturalistic Minus Chaotic, "tips for implementing a naturalistic garden" is forthcoming, I promise. I haven't forgotten ... just distracted with what's going on in the garden right now.

Florida Native Butterfly Orchid

Last winter my dad generously separated and pulled apart a few of his 'tree orchids' from off of his giant live oak tree to pass along to me. Butterfly orchids, Encyclia tampensis (also Epidendrum tampense) are an epiphyte so I promptly tacked them to a few of my oak trees in the front-side garden. After that I pretty much forgot about them.

A delightful addition to the garden without any special attention needed is a good plant to acquire.

A gardener always wonders if a transplant will be happy in its new home. Then we wonder if it will actually bloom or grow like it is meant to. So we do what we think the plant will like and we wait.

It seemed appropriate to site at least one 'clump' of this Florida native next to another Florida native. The Resurrection Fern, Polypodium polypodioideshas also an epiphyte, found its own home on the trunks of several of the oaks without any help from this gardener.
The fern is alive with joyful green leaves this week due to all the glorious rain it has been drinking. When it dries again the fronds will turn brown and curl back into a little shriveled place until its next rain-bath. At which time it immediately resurrects to new green life. All at the same time it multiplies and spreads itself along the length of the tree trunk. Simple and beautiful.

Green flowers are a favorite of mine and considered a bonus to this already unique addition to the garden. The delicate appearing little blooms stretch gracefully out beyond the greenery of the plant. This week they opened up from ultra-thin, wispy stems that lightly dance in the air with each breeze.

It is illegal now to harvest these beauties from the wild which is where they can be found mostly. No telling where my dad's originated. An avid outdoorsman he spends most of his days tromping around in the woods and Florida wildlife management areas. He has had his orchids for many, many years and moved them with him each time he's relocated.

I will do the same thing if I ever leave this garden. What a treasure these little jewels are to me.

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Additional information on the Butterfly Orchid found on the Florida Butterfly Orchid website:

Description: Epidendrum tampense Lindley 1847; Epidendrum porphyrospilum Rchb.f 1877;

Summary: This is a rather conspicuous epiphytic plant with pseudobulbs typically an inch or less in diameter supporting one (sometimes two) slender, grass-like leaves six to twelve inches long. Roots are slender and white when dry, and can run several feet up and down the branch where the plant grows. Flower stems emerge from within the leaf axil, to bear a raceme or panicle of attractive flowers, typically fragrant in the hours around noon. The flowers are 1 to 1.5 inches across, with green sepals and petals suffused with varying amounts of red, a tri-lobed lip with two lobes on either side of the column and the third lobe fan-shaped and typically blotched with purple.

Common Name: Florida Butterfly Orchid

Habitat: Hammocks and swamps from central Florida south, most typically found on live oak trees, but can grow on cypress, pop-ash, pond-apple, palm and pine trees.Flowering season: May through July (peaking in June)

Vertical Gardening: How Tall Can You Grow

Over the holidays I drove south for a visit to my Dad's house and his south Florida garden. He and his wife live on a heavily treed lot full with tropical foliage. So much so that walking into their back yard you'd never know they live in a neighborhood. The two neighbors they have are blocked by the densely planted shrubs and trees.

My dad has loved to garden for as long as I have a memory. He is meticulous about his lawn, trees, and citrus fruit. He also nurtures a few vegetables in the sunniest spots all year long.

This year he's trying something different. It's called vertical hydroponic gardening. When he described it to me on the phone I couldn't quite get the picture and then I saw it for myself.

The Verti-Gro® system is a simplified system for organic growing that uses no soil, sometimes referred to as hydro-organic or organic hydroponics. The potting medium is a combination of coconut fiber, perlite and a couple of other ingredients I can't remember. :-)

Aren't those collard greens pretty? Each stackable "box" is capable of producing its own harvest. They stack one on top of the other at an angle and the growth comes out of the corners. It's fascinating, really, even though after seeing them for myself, the way it works still kind of baffles my mind.

It was very interesting to actually see their vegetables thriving in such small quarters. I'm not sure if I'll try this for myself as the initial investment is a factor for start up. I am working on enlarging my ground beds right now. But seeing Dad's and using up vertical space does make me ponder the idea.

Dad and his wife are growing strawberries (above), collards, and tomatoes. But the choice of what to grow is endless. Just about anything can be grown this way. It's not a totally new concept but from what I've read, it is one being used more often than ever before.

I can certainly understand how this method would be very useful in keeping pesky rabbits away. Just the fact that the boxes are higher up would create a more controlled environment even from some bugs. In small gardens just think of the space they conserve. I can even see using them along with a garden planted in the ground in order to maximize space.

To the Rest of the Yard We Go...

In view, just as you walk up the front walkway, is this lavish purple Bougainvillea draping over a one-story height wall dividing a small courtyard entry to the front door.

Some of the other blooming plants in their south Florida garden...

Crown of Thorns, Euphorbia milii

Powder Puff Tree Calliandra haematocephala... loaded with bees and butterflies.

According to the Florida 2006 hardiness zone map we are both zone 10 even though they live two hours south of me on the same gulf coast. The chances for Charlotte County experiencing freezing temperatures at any time are much less likely than here however. Which explains why he has avacado, mango, and citrus trees all producing copious amounts of wonderfully sweet fruit.

I brought home cuttings from several of their plants. They didn't know the name of some of them. I put this one (above) in the ground and have left a couple of cuttings in water just to be sure at least one of them rooted. They are all doing well. The ones in water have little roots shooting out the bottom already. The few in soil never even wilted. Does anyone know what this ruffley leaved plant is? It was very tall (4 or 5 feet)and bushy... like everything else there actually.

That day was particularly bright and sunny making some of the photos harder to get. These pictures don't really portray the enormity of the two hanging stag horn ferns. They are just outstanding specimens in size and beauty! My dad started one for me a few years ago from one of these that I featured on a recent post. Mine is not even a quarter of the size of his.

Mango tree blooming.

There are at least 6 different variety of citrus trees covering their extra wide side yard as well as a few of them mingled in with the tropical setting in their back yard. The trees are loaded with fruit. Due to the abnormally cold weather Florida had in November all the fruit is extra sweet and good this year. You can read more about my dad's citrus trees over at my other blog here.

Look at the bounty I brought home.

My latest food of choice!

This is what I've been eating for days. I section out large quantities at a time keeping a container of it in the refrigerator and then eat this yummy mix whenever I please. It's a VERY nice change of pace after all the heavy desserts eaten over the holidays. Yeah, no more talk of over indulging during the holidays. It's a new year right?