Our Jupiter Garden

2011-05-29T17:29:00.003-04:00

Our Jupiter Garden truly is a sanctuary for us. It is a place of peace and calm in an otherwise hectic world. The garden connects us to the magic of nature and seems to transport the soul to another world.

It only seems fitting then to add a true sense of spirituality to the garden. A way we have found to do this is with Tibetan prayer flags.

Prayer Flags have been used for over one thousand years by the people of Tibet to bring positive energy to the world. There are many different theories regarding the origin of prayer flags. However, it is commonly believed that prayer flags predate Buddhism and evolved from the joining of Buddhist practices in India with the pre-Buddhist Bon shamanism in Tibet.

The hanging of prayer flags is not a selfish endeavor since prayer flags are not used to carry individual prayers. Instead Tibetans believe the prayers and mantras held by prayer flags are blown by the wind, sharing good fortune and compassion with the world. When hung with positive intention, Tibetans believe prayer flags release energized wishes of love, kindness, peace, compassion and wisdom.

Prayer flags have evolved over the years and now come in many different colors and styles. There are two basic varieties of prayer flags; horizontal prayer flags which hang on a cotton or nylon cord and vertical prayer flags which attach to a pole.

The most common prayer flags consist of a five different colored pieces of cloth with mantras and symbols printed on them. The colors represent the five elements – blue (sky), white (air), red (fire), green (water), yellow (earth). Traditionally, the blue flag is placed at the highest position in accordance with its sky representation. In very remote areas of Tibet, simple white flags are also common where the local people cannot afford colored cloth.

Prayer flags are generally placed at high elevations to ensure their blessings can easily be spread to the world. In a garden setting, prayer flags can be hung between trees or structures. They can also be hung indoors to promote a sense of peace and tranquility.

To create the pole for our vertical prayer flag, it seemed only fitting to use piece of bamboo from the garden. Since a single piece of bamboo would be rather long and difficult to maneuver, we created our bamboo pole from two pieces of bamboo that are easily joined with a garden stake.

To ensure a steady foundation for the bamboo pole, we placed an 18" piece of PVC pipe into the ground, flush with the soil. The first piece of bamboo easily slips into the PVC pipe.

Next we slide in the garden stake.

Join the upper bamboo pole and there you have it, a wonderful bamboo pole for our vertical prayer flag.

Connoisseurs Garden Tour

2011-05-23T21:51:00.004-04:00

On Mother's Day, we toured several private gardens in an event sponsored by Mount's Botanical Garden located in West Palm Beach http://www.mounts.org/about.asp.

Touring other gardens is a great way to get new gardening ideas while enjoying others' love of gardening. The gardens were all very different and equally wonderful.

A Magical Day!

2010-07-24T14:56:00.006-04:00

Today we experienced something truly magical - a sea turtle release in Juno Beach.

The turtle release was conducted by the Loggerhead Marinelife Center. The Loggerhead Marinelife Center was started over 25 years ago by long-time Juno Beach Resident's Eleanor and Robert Fletcher. The Center is a true treasure that we are lucky to have in our own backyard.

Today's event took place at noon. Hundreds of people gathered to watch. A total of two turtles were ready for release; Viking and Radley.

Viking was the first turtle released. In the photo below you can see Viking's arrival.

Viking is prepared for release.

Off he goes...

Next up is Radley. While Viking lingered a bit before heading to the water, Radley knew exactly where he wanted to be. He rushed to the water faster than I thought a turtle could move.

Here is Radley's grand entrance.

Radley is on the move.

Radley says "thank you" to everyone that helped him and bids us all a fond farewell...

Below is the official press release from today's event.

(Juno Beach, FL – July 23, 2010) ‐ The Loggerhead Marinelife Center (LMC) is proud to announce the release of two successfully rehabilitated sea turtles on Saturday, July 24th at 12:00pm. The release will take place on Juno Beach located directly behind our facility in Loggerhead Park, weather and surf conditions dependant. Check our website and Facebook for updates on conditions, a final decision will be made by Saturday morning at 9:30am.

Staff Veterinarian, Nancy Mettee, D.V.M., has cleared sea turtle patients, Radley and Viking for release after conducting a final examination and reporting her assessment and recommendation to the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). Sea turtle Radley will be outfitted with a satellite transmitter that will track the turtle’s travels for the next year or so, thanks to a generous donation from the Schulz family, long‐time supporters of LMC. The tag is a Wildlife Computers MK10 AFB that will measure GPS location, as well as water temperature. Radley’s voyage will be able to be tracked on our newly designed website at www.marinelife.org as our research team starts receiving and analyzing data from the tag.

Visitors that wish to attend the release are encouraged to arrive early to ensure the best viewing areas. Final preparations that include weights, measurements and administering of medications, if necessary, will take place beginning at 11:00am in the Turtle Yard at the Center. One of our educational docents will describe to on‐lookers what is happening as well as the histories of the turtles being released during this time. LMC release protocol for the safety and well being of our sea turtle patients dictates that we set up stantions on the beach that allows the release team adequate space to bring the turtle to the water’s edge. A special media section will also be established to allow our media partners to set up with minimal crowd interruption and to ensure the best vantage point for covering all aspects of the release and helping us deliver the message that is essential in us carrying out our mission.

Radley is a sub‐adult loggerhead sea turtle that arrived at LMC on April 6, 2010 from the Port St. Lucie Power Plant as a result of visible head injuries and infection. The turtle was slightly underweight and anemic and had a moderate amount of barnacles and algae on the carapace. The wounds were treated topically and Radley received antibiotics, vitamins and nutritional therapy and is now ready for release.

Viking was found floating in a lethargic state in the Viking Yacht Club in Riviera Beach, on March 31, 2010. The turtle had been hanging around the marina between boat slips for several days, and was captured and brought to the Center. Viking was covered in barnacles with a heavy leech infestation. The turtle was also missing the right rear flipper due to an existing unknown injury. Viking’s treatment plan included antibiotics and nutritional therapy before being cleared for release.

For more information on Radley and Viking’s road to recovery, go to www.marinelife.org/patients.

Lion Country Safari

2010-07-23T22:03:00.005-04:00

Located in Western Palm Beach County, Lion Country Safari was the first "cage free" zoo in the United States.

Actually Lion Country Safari is two-zoos-in-one. The first "zoo" consists of a 500 acre drive-thru animal refuge that is home to over 900 animals. The second zoo consists of animal exhibits and children's playground complete with carnival type rides and water park.

With family in town we recently spent the day at Lion Country Safari and had a great time. I don't know who enjoyed the day more, me or my ten year old nieces!

This park is truly amazing. I typically feel terrible that animals are kept in cages for our amusement. At Lion Country Safari the animals roam "freely". Enclosures are huge. It is great to see a heard of gazelles get up to speed and run with enthusiasm.

Our favorite part of the safari was the rhinoceros. They stroll literally inches from your car. You never realize how majestic these creatures are until you see them this up close. A close second in the favorite category is the giraffe feeding station - incredible!

For more information on Lion Country Safari, follow this link: http://www.lioncountrysafari.com/index.html

It's Been A While - Garden Update

2010-07-17T16:52:00.001-04:00

It has been way too long since my last post. Too much going on. Note to self, I need to be a better Blogger.

Anyway, summer is in full swing and just like everywhere across the country it has been HOT in Florida. The garden is doing really well for the most part, however we really could use more rain.

First off, the palm tree that suffered cold damage this past winter (highlighted in a prior post) didn't make it. It was cut down in June. All that remains is a three foot stump that we use as a plant stand.

The deck area has really grown in. When relaxing on a lounger you feel completely surrounded by nature.

The pitcher plant has really grown since you last saw it. It has almost doubled in size.

The bromeliads are as beautiful as ever.

A new addition this spring, a Cat Whiskers, is doing really well in a semi-shaded area of the garden.

The Plumeria is taking advantage of the tropical conditions and is displaying beautiful, fragrent flowers.

The garden remains our favorite place to be!

Dog Days of Spring

2010-04-05T20:49:00.001-04:00

Jupiter is the home to 2 1/2 miles of dog friendly beaches. If you love dogs there is no better way to spend a weekend morning than sitting in the sun watching dogs run and play. This weekend the weather was wonderful and the dogs were out in mass. While labrador retrievers are the most commonly seen dogs just about any breed imaginable is represented on any given weekend. From shih tzus to great danes to wonderful mutts the variety of dogs is endless. The dogs are all extremely well behaved and you can feel the joy they are experiencing. It is also fun to experience the many dogs who insist on greating you with a quick hello as they pass by.

Dog friendly beaches are just one more aspect of Jupiter that makes it a truly unique and wonderful place to live. To learn more about our dog friendly beaches visit http://www.friendsofjupiterbeach.com/index.htm.

Many of the dogs seen on Jupiter beach come from the Safe Harbor Animal Sanctuary located a couple of miles from the beach. http://safeharbor.jupiterdaily.com/pages/Home.

Lost Palm Tree?

2010-02-28T20:12:00.001-05:00

For those northerners that have endured countless snow storms, you must think Floridians are soft complaining about 30 degree weather. Having spent thirty plus years in Chicago, I know your pain. Floridians however, are just in our winter angst this year. The unusually cold weather has taken a toll on our tropical gardens. Some of the plants we've lost cannot be easily replaced.

For example, a 30 foot palm that has been a cornerstone of the garden long before we moved into our home appears damaged to the point of no return. It is a Malaysian coconut palm (cocos nucifera).

It is said that the Malaysian coconut palm first arrived in Florida in the 19th century when a vessel carrying coconuts shipwrecked off of what is now Palm Beach. Some of the coconuts planted themselves and the palm became a symbol of tropical opulence.

While the palm normally thrives in Florida, temperatures below freezing can be lethal. This winter we had at least two days below freezing and several more days in the 35 degree range.

Below are before and after photos of the palm:

November 1, 2009

February 28, 2010

At least the sky is blue!

Winter Blues

2010-02-26T23:34:00.000-05:00

What a strange year. Tonight's low will be 40 degrees - very unFlorida like. The cold has taken a severe toll on the garden. The cold damage is like nothing we've experienced in our ten years in Florida.

I can't wait for winter to end.

Garden maintenance has been ignored the past several weeks. We are waiting for the cold weather to end before doing any major garden work because we don't want to cause any additional trauma to the plants that remain. We can't wait to get our hands in the soil again.

Images of what should be...

Lake Worth Street Painting Festival

2010-02-22T20:13:00.003-05:00

This weekend marked the 16th annual Lake Worth Street Painting Festival. The festival is the largest of its kind in the U.S. and attracts over 400 artists creating 200 plus pieces of street art.

The art is simply amazing. A weekend of perfect weather made it a great way to spend the day.

Drift Seeds, Part 5

2010-02-21T00:08:00.003-05:00

Red Mangrove

The red mangrove is one of my favorite plants. Walking the beach, the "drift seed" of the red mangrove is a wonderful find. In fact, forget shell collecting, pick up a few red mangrove pods instead. Why? Because planted in a vase containing 2 to 3 inches of water and a gravel base you will soon have a easy to maintain and beautiful house plant!

The mangrove in this picture has been in my office for two plus years. It has maintained its current size (approximately 18 inches in height) for well over a year and has never become "leggy". It is in a container that holds approximately one quart of water.

For the best display, I find 5 to 6 pods of various height make a nice arrangement. In a few days, roots will begin to take hold. Within a month, a leaf or two will appear on each pod. Soon, the plant will be thriving with little to no care. In fact, I never change the water. I simply add water as it evaporates. The plant is simply amazing.

While the pods can be placed solely in water, I do find that the gravel base really helps to encourage growth and the overall health of the plant. It appreciates having something for its root to hold on to.

The picture above show what a pod looks like laying on the beach. You are only allowed to legally pick up red mangrove pods in this form. Never remove a rooted pod from its location.

As the image below illustrates, red mangrove pods appear in bunches. When mature, they drop straight down. With a little luck they will plant themselves. If not, they will float away to a future home.

Red mangrove pods can be found throughout the year, but are much more common in early fall through winter.

Happy pod collecting!

A F(s)unday Post

2010-01-24T09:53:00.011-05:00

If you were to visit Our Jupiter Garden you would find the conversation would soon turn silly. It is difficult to take the world seriously. Maybe this is why gardeners retreat to the sanctuary of the garden.

I love the concept of belief. Why people believe what they do and how easily our beliefs are controlled. From the beginning, TV has been a great tool of propaganda.

Here are some vintage cigarette commercials. Light up a smoke and enjoy!

The first ad features Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble. Fred and Barney sneak off for a relaxing drag. Let's start em off young.

The key to a happy marriage? Sharing is caring.

Lucy! Hack, hack, hack. I'm home!

If this commercial didn't teach us anything, the recent financial meltdown should - NEVER TRUST A BANKER!

More proof.

I told you to never trust a banker...

Granny, the original cougar.

I think Granny has a problem.

Subliminal message alert! Never trust a banker or what you see on TV.

Forget subliminal, Spud cuts to the chase.

I missed this one for Christmas. It would have made gift giving so much easier!

Don't forget the Lucky's. They "look so bright and wonderful under the Christmas tree."

One more for the kids.

Let's get serious here. Doesn't smoking have an associated health risk? I don't know about you but this commercial makes me feel better. If smoking is good enough for my doctor, it must be good enough for me!

In case you didn't get it the first time.

Still not buying it?

OK, if a doctor's endorsement isn't good enough - try it for yourself. Remember to check your T-zone. By the way, doesn't she look satisfied?

Want fresh beath? Kool's make your mouth feel clean!

If only Ward Cleaver smoked, the young chicks would be after him too. Makes me want to buy a sweater.

Cigarettes just make you feel like a "man".

To be a real man greater length is only half the story.

I told you greater length was only half the story.

Smoking while water skiing - now that's talent.

These ads all look convincing. But which cigarette do professional smokers choose?

Finally, LSMFT? LMAO!

And now, a word from our sponsor.

A YouTube search on "vintage commercials" is a lot of fun and educational too!

Enough blogging for today. Time to put on some Hai Karate, smoke a Pall Mall and look for my wife ; )

Drift Seeds, Part 4

2010-01-22T20:14:00.003-05:00

Black Mangrove (avicennia germinans)

Walking along the beach we found two seeds that had started to sprout. Not wanting the little guys to die in the ocean's salt, we took them home and planted them.

The little seeds are actually the sea bean of the black mangrove. The black mangrove is common along tropical and sub-tropical coasts where it is beneficial to the health of inlets and brackish waterways. Mangroves are beneficial because they provide shelter and prime breeding locations for fish, shellfish, birds and land animals. They also prevent erosion.

Magroves typically grow on "prop roots". Prop roots remind me of coastal houses that are built on stilts. The black mangrove doesn't have prop roots. Instead, the black mangrove has specialized aerial roots. These roots are called pneumatophores and allow the roots to breathe even if submerged.

The name black mangrove comes from the color of the mangrove's trunk. In tropical areas the black, oily wood of the black mangrove is used in construction, to make pilings or burnt as fuel. The bark contains tannin and is used to tan leather products.

Black mangroves produce white flowers in June and July which are said to produce a very sweet honey. Strangely, if the location the black mangrove finds itself in is too salty, it will expel excess salt from its leaves making them appear white.

While the black mangrove can reach up to 50' in height in tropical areas, in sub-tropical locals, the black mangrove takes on a shrub-like form.

Guerrilla Gardening

2010-01-18T23:03:00.008-05:00

What rock have I been living under? While visiting French blog, Paradis Express, I read a post on an item called a SeedBom. A SeedBom is a tool of guerrilla warfare used to combat vacant lots and urban blight. An internet search on the SeedBom opened my eyes to the world of guerrilla gardening.

A Wikipedia search on "seed bombing" attributes guerrilla gardening to Liz Christy who in 1973 started a group called the "Guerrilla Gardeners". The Guerrilla Gardeners goal was to spread the beauty of nature to otherwise empty spaces by spreading seeds and planting flowers and vegetables.

An interesting and inspiring website on the topic can be found at http://www.guerrillagardening.org/.
Check out the Troop Digs section - truly awesome.

Drift Seeds, Part 3

2010-01-16T08:51:00.008-05:00

Hamburger Bean (mucuna)

A strange looking drift seed we found on the beach is the hamburger bean. When we first found one on the beach we weren't sure if it was a drift seed or some sort of man-made object.

The hamburger bean looks less than natural because its shell appears to be made out of some sort of plastic material. In fact, it not only looks like plastic, it feels like plastic. After passing the hamburger bean back and forth, we determined it was in fact a seed and took it home.

It turns out there are many varieties of hamburger beans. Our hamburger bean appears to be from the mucuna family. The mucuna is a species of climbing, woody vines that are found world-wide in tropical regions. We have no idea exactly what type of mucana it is, but our guess it is a mucuna urens.

The outer shell of the hamburger bean is so water tight that propagation requires you to score the seed in some fashion to allow water to reach the inside. According to http://www.seabean.com/ the best way to do this is to file or sand a seed edge and soak the seed for 24 hours. Once water gets inside, the seed will swell breaking the hamburger bean open.

Not knowing exactly what this drift seed will turn out to be, or how it may potentially impact the garden, we intend to plant it in a pot and see what happens.

It's Raining Iguanas

2010-01-12T18:40:00.014-05:00

It's said Spring showers bring May flowers. Did you know that in Florida, Winter's cold brings falling iguanas? Yes, it's true. When temperatures fall below 40 degrees fahrenheit iguanas go into a state of semi-hibernation. Since they are tree dwellers, when an iguana's body slows down from the cold it simply falls out of the sky (OK, tree). Once the temperature gets above 40 degrees, iguanas magically come back to "life".

One good samaritan gathered up a bunch of "frozen" iguanas and loaded them in his car with the intent of relocating them to a unpopulated area. The heat in his car slowly brought the iguanas to back to "life" almost causing an accident. Yikes!

Iguanas are by no means small - they can get up to six feet in length. So, if it is cold outside and you find yourself under a tree in Florida you may want to wear a hard hat.

Cold Damage

2010-01-10T16:37:00.007-05:00

The unusual cold has taken its toll on the garden. The plants most impacted are the drawf red banana tree and the shooting star (clerodendrum quadriloculare).

The banana tree is a center-piece of the garden. We appreciate its beauty and its ability to provide welcoming shade to the deck. Unfortunately, the main stalk is showing signs of severe cold damage. The baby stalks look fine.

The shooting star is now a stick on a carpet of fallen leaves.

The rest of the garden looks to have weathered the cold. We'll see what tonight brings.

Ginger Tea

2010-01-09T09:57:00.011-05:00

It's cold outside! South Florida has not been immune to this long winter. Today in Jupiter, the weather is predicted to be in the 40's with low's in the 30's; the perfect day to brew up some ginger tea.

If you have never had ginger tea, you are missing out on a treat. Ginger tea is made by boiling peeled and sliced pieces of fresh ginger "root" found at your local grocery store. I say ginger "root" because ginger root is not a root at all. The "root" is actually the plant's rhizome, or underground stem.

To brew ginger tea, we typically use about a one to two inch piece of the ginger's rhizome per 20 ounces of water. Bring to a boil, add honey, and you have a delicious drink. For additional flavor, you can add freshly squeezed orange or lemon juice.

Ginger tea is very soothing. It can have a slight zing to a potent punch depending how much ginger you use. The honey make's it sweet and spicy at the same time.

Ginger tea is said to have several medicinal benefits, including:

- cold prevention

- digestive aid

- increases circulation

- decreases inflammation

Ginger is on the FDA's "generally recognized as safe" list. However, it does interact with some medications and may not be safe for people suffering from gall stones or gastric ulcers. Speak with your doctor prior to consuming.

While we can't confirm any of the medicinal claims, we find ginger tea to be a soothing relaxant. A cup prior to bed is the perfect way to unwind from a stressful day.

Drift Seeds, Part 2

2010-01-08T17:09:00.002-05:00

Tropical Almond (terminalia catappa)

Walking along the beach we found what appeared to be rather large peach pits.

At first we passed them by not wanting to pick up the leftovers of someone's lunch. After finding more of these seeds, strewn great distances from one another, we concluded unless the grocer was having an astounding sale on peaches, they must be something else. An internet search identified them as seed's from the tropical almond tree.

Researching the tropical almond tree we learned the tropical almond's drift seed is commonly found along the Florida coast. The tropical almond tree, a.k.a. “Indian almond” or “sea almond” it turns out is a deciduous shade tree often grown in tropical settings for ornamental purposes. Its fruit is edible and its wood is used for furniture making. The tree is BIG. It can reach over 100 ft. in height. It is native to Southeast Asia and has become established in Florida.

The tropical almond grows best in moist tropical climates, especially in coastal areas. It is well adapted to sandy and rocky coasts. Under favorable conditions young tropical almond trees grow 5 to 7 feet per year. In drought conditions, the tropical almond's leaves turn red then yellow followed by a complete shedding. This process protects the tropical almond during droughts.

An extensive article on the tropical almond can be found at: http://www.agroforestry.net/tti/T.catappa-tropical-almond.pdf.

Orchids In The Bathtub

2010-01-05T18:38:00.001-05:00

Record cold is coming to Florida. The forecast low tonight is 30 degrees. This may not seem cold to some, but our Florida plants simply aren't equipped to handle these temperatures. In response, we do our best to bring whatever plants we can inside. The potted orchids, bromeliads, exotic plumaria and pitcher plant will be sleeping indoors. The rest of the plants? We are crossing our fingers.

Drift Seeds, Part 1

2010-01-03T09:44:00.013-05:00

Shell collecting along the beach can be a lot of fun. You are always on the lookout for the next new discovery. We have found that drift seed collecting can be equally rewarding.

Drift seeds, or sea beans, are seeds that wash ashore from distant lands. Their journey can cover thousands of miles and take several weeks. The seeds simply ride the oceans' currents looking for a new home.

Amazingly, drift seeds found on the Florida shore can originate in South America, Africa, even Australia. When they finally find a resting place on the beach they are often unassuming. Most people just pass them over for the next little shell.

What we find exciting about drift seeds is the possibility that comes with each little pod. When you find one you can only imagine what its journey must have been like. Where did it come from? What will it be?

Over the Christmas holidays we spent several days at the beach with family. Shell collecting is always a big hit with out-of-towners, but we kept our eyes open for the little seed treasures. We found several different types and will be sharing them with you via OJG over the course of several posts. We will plant them and see what happens. Who knows? With a little luck we may have found a garden treasure.

Sea Coconut (manicaria saccifera)

The sea coconut is a tall palm that originates in Central America and Northern South America. Its fronds are nearly 30 feet long and 4 to 5 feet wide making them the longest undivided leaves of any plant in the world. Manicaria saccifera palm fronds make excellent material for thatched roofs due to their size and rigid texture. The natural form of the leaf also has vein lines running in a vertical direction that act as little gutters quickly moving rain water from a structure's roof. In fact, in the Amazon basin a well made roof comprised of the manicaria saccifera fronds are said to last 10 to 12 years! The fronds of the manicaria saccifera have also been used as sails for small boats.

The palm’s fruit contains one to three seeds which resemble golf balls strewn along the beach. During the fall and winter months, the "coconut seed" is one of the most commonly found seeds on the Eastern Florida coast.

The manicaria saccifera palm is very slow growing and requires very tropical conditions. We will plant our sea coconut seeds in a pot where there can be easily moved indoors if it gets too cold.

Coconut Palm Trimming Day

2009-12-30T23:03:00.001-05:00

Tree trimming day! There are two coconut palm trees in Our Jupiter Garden. Just about every 8 months they require maintenance in the form of removing old fronds and maturing coconuts. If the palms aren't trimmed, they begin to look unsightly and the coconuts are downright dangerous. In fact, it is said that you are 10 times more likely to die from a falling coconut then at the jaws of a shark! Think about that the next time you spend a day at the beach.

Since the coconut palms in Our Jupiter Garden are about 25 feet tall, they require professional grooming. It is amazing to watch. The tree trimmer uses a ladder to go about 3/4 of the way up the tree. At that point he uses a leather strap and climbing spikes to make it the rest of the way up. From there he uses a chain saw to do the job. The coconuts hit the ground in a thunderous crash. When the job is complete, he opens up a couple of coconuts and together we drink some fresh coconut juice.

Below is a video from YouTube of a tree trimmer in action. The next time our guy works on our trees I will need to take a video.

Arizona v. Florida

2009-11-19T21:29:00.011-05:00

I was surfing the internet and came across a question posted on City-Data.com. The poster was inquiring about the more desirable place to live - Jupiter, FL or Phoenix, AZ. I found this to be an interesting question since we live in Jupiter and have family in Mesa, Gilbert and Phoenix.

We are very happy in Florida and love our Florida garden. That being said, we also love Arizona. The flora is fascinating and the sun is always shinning. While we plan on living in Florida for the foreseeable future, one day Mr. and Mrs. Jardin hope to have an Our Arizona Garden of our own.

The photos below are from a trip to Arizona this past summer. Enjoy!

Bambusa Gracilis

2009-11-15T19:33:00.026-05:00

We noticed quite a few visitors to Our Jupiter Garden are interested in learning more about Bambusa textilis Gracilis or Graceful Bamboo. This post is intended to provide a real life account of living with this wonderful addition to the garden.

Three Bambusa textilis Gracilis plants were added to our garden in May of 2009. The plants were purchased at a local plant show. Each plant was in a 15 gallon container and cost $125 (delivered) per bamboo. When they arrived, each container held 12 to 15 individual culms. The culms were approximately 14 ft. in height.

The roots of each bamboo were very overgrown and tightly bound. Upon removing the bamboo for planting, I had to pull apart each plant's root ball. One of the bamboos was especially root bound. With some trepidation I pulled and then cut at the root ball trying to free the roots from themselves. Out of all of the bamboo, this one took the longest to establish itself and send up new culms. My word of advice is the less trauma to the roots the better but don't hesitate to free up the root ball if it is tightly bound.

To plant the bamboo, I dug holes approximately three times the size of the root ball. I added a mixture of high-grade soil (with slow release fertilizer), cow manure and peat moss to each hole. The approximate mix was 5 parts soil, 2 parts manure, 1 part peat moss.

Below is a photo of the bamboo one week after planting.

Jupiter, Florida is located directly on the East coast of Florida. As a result, we are subject to strong winds that come off the ocean.  When I first planted the bamboo, Our Jupiter Garden encountered some very windy weather.  Given the bamboo's height and lack of established roots, they really swayed in the wind. I struggled to keep the bamboo positioned upright and they were soon leaning in toward the garden. To solve this problem I tied support rope around each bamboo.  The support rope was attached to the fence located behind the plants. If you look closely at the photo above, you will see the rope (it is blue) just below the top of the fence line. The rope was not tight and did not restrict movement in all directions. Without the support, I am certain it would have been a battle to keep the bamboo positioned where I wanted them. I kept the support ropes around the bamboo for about 60 days.

The bamboo required a lot of water at first. I soon discovered a daily watering was a necessity especially if it was hot and windy. Bamboo lets you know it is thirsty by curling their leaves length-wise. About one week after planting the bamboo I skipped a day of watering. When I returned home from work, the leaves on all three plants were curled up like tightly wound straws. The bamboo looked so bad I thought I had done them in! Thankfully, after a good drink the leaves uncurled themselves and the bamboo was back to normal.

The high watering requirement lasted about two months.  Six months later, I consider Graceful Bamboo fairly drought tolerant.

Bambusa Gracilis is a clumping bamboo. This was a requirement in our small garden. Clumping doesn't mean the bamboo's footprint won't increase. In the past six months I estimate each bamboo's footprint has more than doubled - so be prepared to give them space to spread out. In fact, new culms have appeared on a continual basis. New culm growth peaked in July and August - about 3 to 4 months after the initial planting. In Florida this is when it is hottest and wettest. During this period it wasn't unusual to discover 3 to 5 new culms per plant each week! While the rate of new culm growth has decreased, new culms continue to appear. The most recent arrived on November 13th.

One thing we discovered is if you give the bamboo a really good soaking, culms will appear in the next few days.

I have read that bamboo benefits from the addition of grass fertilizer (one without weed contol - it will kill the bamboo!) Given the growth rate of our bamboo, we have not felt compelled to fertilize beyond the fertilizer already present in the high-grade soil we added during the initial planting (we do use Miracle Grow occasionally on the rest of the garden. We sometimes use it on the bamboo, but we have not made a habit of this.)

Below are before and after photos that show the rate of growth. The first photo was taken on June 18, 2009.  There are 15 adult culms and a new growth. The second photo was taken on November 15, 2009. I counted about 50 culms while taking the photo (in the photo some are hidden behind the front culms.)

This little bamboo is very prolific!

One thing I would like to point out in the photo is the mulch. Bamboo plants love mulch. In fact, they make their own via dropped leaves. Keeping the dropped leaves as a soil cover is healthy for the bamboo and they benefit from it. To keep the garden attractive, I recommend eucalyptus mulch. The color of eucalyptus mulch matches the color of dropped leaves perfectly. No raking and the garden looks perfectly groomed.

Speaking of dropped leaves I know people will sometimes avoid bamboo because they think it is "dirty". I can only say our three Bambusa Gracilis plants are five feet directly downwind from our swimming pool and I do not consider dropped leaves a problem. During extremely windy weather pool maintenance in the form of skimming does increase, but this is a small trade off for the amount of privacy the bamboo has provided.

Speaking of privacy, in 6 months privacy in Our Jupiter Garden went from this:

To this:

Graceful Bamboo, has become one of the favorite plants in Our Jupiter Garden. It is extremely beautiful and adds a zen-like quality of peace and tranquility. We highly recommend it!

Bambusa Gracilis

Pros:

- Easy to grow

- Fast growing and prolific

- Provides great privacy - makes a wonderful screen

- Drought tolerant

- Stunning - a true garden focal point

Cons:

- Expensive (plan on spending around $125 - $175 for a delivered 15 gallon plant)

- Sheds leaves regularly - some cleanup required

Fun Stuff You Find On The Internet

2009-11-13T20:57:00.004-05:00

I discovered this fun utility called Hallmark Smilebox. You can create on-line scrapbook projects and e-cards. Below is an example that I created in about 15 minutes. Your creation can be posted on a blog, Facebook, or e-mailed.

The project takes about 40 seconds to load, so if you wish to view it be patient. The timing seems too fast on the page transitions, but hey, it's free (there is also an add-free version for $3.99). I just thought I'd share. Enjoy!

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Creature Feature

2009-11-11T07:30:00.016-05:00

In the 1970's, I was a kid growing up in Chicago. During this time (and into the early 80's) there was a weekly show on a local UHF station called "The Son of Svengoolie". Each week The Son of Svengoolie would introduce a cheesy B-grade horror move. At commercial breaks he would add comical commentary about the movie, act in a phoney commercial, answer viewer mail or sing a song parody. The show was great in a bad sort of way (really, really bad sort of way).

A running gag throughout the show was the use of the name "Berwyn" a small Chicago suburb. A chorus of voices in the background would occassionally call out "Berwyn" or viewer mail magically came from Berwyn with regularity.

There were also lots of rubber chickens, Ed McMurry references and Ginsu knife gags. Very weird.

What does all of this have to do with the garden? Well, this week I found a creature that looks like it came out of a Son of Svengoolie episode - a two striped walking stick.

She was about three inches long and beautiful in a bizarre sort of way. I say "she" because quick research on this insect indicates female two striped walking sticks average 2 1/2 to 3 inches in length. Males are typically 1 1/2 inches.   Apparently, the two striped walking stick is commonly found in Florida, however this is the first time we have seen one in the garden.

Walking sticks are close relatives to grasshoppers, crickets, palmetto bugs and praying mantids.  But beware, like any good "monster" the two striped walking stick has a couple of defensive mechanism. Their first line of defense is to stay perfectly still so they are mistaken for a stick (OK, not very scary movie worthy). But, if they are physically disturbed, the two striped walking stick has the ability to secrete a foul smelling fluid from two pores located on the thorax. This fluid can project as far as 12 inches form the body.  The secretion is said to contain a substance that produces a burning sensation if it gets into the eyes. Now, we're talking! Svengoolie would love that.

The two striped walking stick is a leaf eater. One of its favorite leaves is that of the Rosemary plant.  We just added a Rosemary to the garden a couple of weeks ago. Perhaps she was a hitch hiker who made her way to the garden.

Other names applied to these stick insects include devil's riding horse, prairie alligator, and witch's horse. I can almost hear the Son of Svengoolie saying, "We now return to Attack of the Giant Prairie Alligators."

When I found this creature, I simply had to run for the camera.

Even though we have been in Florida for over ten years I am constantly amazed at the creatures we find in the garden. This certainly isn't Berwyn!

For example, here are two of three baby turtles we recently found in the swimming pool. This is the third time baby turtles appeared in the pool.

Each time the turtles were a different species. The first group of four baby turtles were Florida cooters. The next turtle was a Florida soft shell. The most recent babies we believe to be Eastern mud turtles.

The baby turtles are typically the size of a dime when discovered. We have no idea where they come from or how they find their way to the pool. The closest body of water is at least 100 yards away. To reach our pool, the turtles need to cross one neighbor's property a street and a second neighbors property. They then need to find their way past our fence before they plop themselves into the pool. How they find us, we don't know. Perhaps they heard about the menu...

You see, we keep an aquarium on hand as a temporary holding bin to help the turtles get a good head start on life. While in the aquarium we feed the baby turtles black worms and mosquito lavae. The black worms are purchased from a pet shop. The mosquito larvae are collected from a planter in the garden (along with other unidentified wrigglers randomly added to the menu). When the turtles get a little size to them, we release them in a local preserve.

Frogs also abound in the garden.

He is a Cuban tree frog. A species that isn't native to Florida. Cuban tree frogs wreak havoc on the local green tree frog population. Unfortunately, we rarely see any native green tree frogs, but lots of these guys.

Brown anoles are also common. This species is also from Cuba and has over taken the native green anole population.

Other little lizards we see on occasion in the garden include skinks and geckos.

The black racer, ring neck snake and rat snake are all commonly found in Florida and on occassion in Our Jupiter Garden. A three foot black racer is seen sunning itself in the garden at least once per week. He is stunning. His black scales glisten in the sun. If you approach him he slowly slithers away as if to say "This is my garden too."

Ring neck snakes are small and illusive. They too sometimes need to be rescued from the pool. They are so tiny, we have no idea what they eat. It is a treat each time one visits the garden.

A twelve inch gray rat snake spends his days sleeping under a gutter splash guard on the side of garden. Mrs. Jardin doesn't know about him - yet.

Good friends in Lake Worth, Florida have an amzing garden. A green iguana was seen relaxing in a tree there just last week. We haven't had reports of iguanas in Jupiter, but they are common to the South.

Finally, my favorite spooky creature worthy of his own scary movie - the Florida crab spider (spiny orb weaver, gasteracantha cancriformis)! If you look closely at his back you can make out the image of a skull. How did nature pull that one off? The Florida crab spider is very small, about the size of a pea.

I'm sure the creatures above are just the tip of the iceberg of what is really in the garden. One day I need to take the camera out for a garden "creature safari".

While not quite as scary as Frankenstein, Killer Shrews or the Smog Monster, I am fairly certain that given a camcorder and a coulpe of days in Our Jupiter Garden The Son of Svengoolie would have the time of his life.

Update on Plant Sale Purchases

2009-11-08T18:23:00.006-05:00

We bought only three plants at yesterday's plant show. Two iris plants (Regina Iris) and a bromeliad.

The iris plants cost $5.00 each. I didn't know much about this plant but a quick web search reveals we may have found a real beauty for the garden.

Regina Iris, or blue walking iris, is native to Brazil. It can be planted in a container or in the ground. It prefers filtered light, but can also grow in shade. The plant typically reaches three feet in height. The flowers are said to have a light fragrance. I have read conflicting bloom months, so I guess we will just wait to be surprised.

Here is a photograph of the bloom. We can't wait!

The bromeliad is a "coral berry" vaiety. It was propogated locally by the Boca Raton bromeliad club. I find this club to consistently have great quality bromeliads at good prices.

Plant Sale

2009-11-07T19:28:00.007-05:00

In South Florida, Fall begins the most wonderful time of year to play in the garden. Hot and humid temperatures associated with Summer turn to termperate beautiful days. Hours can be spent in the garden weeding, planting and enjoying the wonders of nature.

Today we went to a plant sale at Mounts Botanical Garden in West Palm Beach. This semi-annual event is one of our favorites. In all about 70 vendors participate.

We didn't end up buying too many plants, simply because we don't have much room. We did bring home a bromeliad grown by the Boca Raton bromeliad society and a couple of $5 blue African iris plants.

Tomorrow they get planted. We may finally have a use for the hypertufa planter we made earlier in the year!

Garden Update

2009-11-01T10:20:00.057-05:00

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Welcome back to the garden. It's been a while since pictures were posted with the garden's progress. All of the photos in this post were taken the morning of November 1, 2009.
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We call him "big Buddha". He sits three feet tall. We found him at Home Goods. Home Goods is a great place to shop for inexpensive garden decor.
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This is a planted pineapple top. I simply cut the top off a pineapple and placed it in a shallow dish of water until it developed roots. Then I planted it in the garden. Patience is a virtue - it takes over a year for a baby pineapple to appear.
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Our favorite spot in the garden. We love to sit on the little deck and look up at a beautiful blue sky filtered by palm leaves.

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The bamboo has really done well. In less than 6 months it has provided a wonderful sense of peace and privacy.

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Orchids bloom year round in Florida on minimal care. We simply give them a quick sprinkle each time we water. We let nature do the rest of the work.

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A garden angel keeps watch over paradise.
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The garden does resemble a jungle in places. We like it that way. Sort of controlled chaos.

Visions of Hawaii. A lei flower.

Our garden cabana. One of the reasons we initially bought our home in 2000 was because of the cabana. It was the center-piece of the potential we saw in the garden. The cabana has a sink, refrigerator, propane cook top, half-bathroom and outdoor shower. There is also storage up front for garden supplies and 4' x 8' room in the back for additional storage.

Who Knew?

2009-06-30T18:21:00.004-04:00

I found this video on YouTube. Who knew scuba diving off the coast of Jupiter could be so beautiful.
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I had to add this video as well. Amazing!
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Day Trip To Lake Placid

2009-06-18T21:46:00.014-04:00

Located approximately 90 miles Northwest of Jupiter is the town of Lake Placid. With a population of less than 2,000 Lake Placid has defined itself for two reasons. First, it is considered the “Caladium Capitol of the World” due to the acres of caladium farms.

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Second, Lake Placid is home to perhaps one of the largest outdoor art galleries in the world. Scattered throughout the entire town are over 40 murals depicting the town’s history.

What a surprising Florida find. If you live within a couple of hours of Lake Placid it is definitely worth the trip.

Youtube video of Lake Placid's murals:

Plant Of The Week - Bambusa textilis gracilis

2009-06-16T22:55:00.013-04:00

Bambusa textilis gracilis, aka Graceful Bamboo

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Graceful bamboo is a beautiful all-green clumping bamboo that's often planted in a row to create a privacy hedge. This bamboo is ideal for small spaces since it rarely exceeds 25 feet in height with culms that max out at about 1 ¼ inches. Due to its clumping nature it is very non-invasive and easy to control.
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Graceful bamboo is a quick grower. Our bamboo has been in Our Jupiter Garden less than 3 months. It has already grown a couple of feet in height and has sent off new growth culms. The new culms have grown at an amazing rate. I would estimate their growth at approximately 3 inches per day!

Early on the bamboo required a lot of water. Bamboo shows they are thirsty by curling their leaves. For the first few weeks, this was a daily occurrence. As the rainy season has taken hold, our bamboo has really established themselves. Even after 3 days of intense heat with no rain they show no signs of wanting any water.

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This bamboo is truly stunning and would make a great privacy hedge or accent plant in any yard zone 8b or higher.

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(Update: For additional, information including our experience with Graceful Bamboo, see our Bambusa Gracilis update posted on November 15, 2009.)

Orchids From The Side Of The Road

2009-06-12T20:54:00.003-04:00

tropical garden
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Amazing what you can find for $3.33! Driving on US1 in Palm Beach Gardens on Sunday we ran across a big sign that stated; "Orchids - 6 for $20". Curiousity got the best of us and we decided to stop. What we discovered was a beautiful variety of orchids.
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Kind of like eating potato chips - who can stop at one? So we ended up with 12 orchids. Some for shady spots in the garden, some for gifts - all beautiful. Later that afternoon we stopped at a local target and saw the same size orchids in the same 4 inch pots for $14.99 each. Amazing.

Rain, Rain, Go Away!

2009-06-05T16:01:00.001-04:00

Florida Garden

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After one of the driest winters and driest springs on record, we have been enduring a miserable May and early June. There is simply too much rain and we are starting to get concerned for the garden.

After over 15 inches of rain in May, June has continued to hammer us with daily storms. Yesterday Our Jupiter Garden received 1.5" of rain and the storms were back with a vengence this afternoon. These pictures hardly capture their power. Within a matter of minutes the sky got dark, the winds picked up and the temperature dropped by at least 10 degrees. While we love watching the rain and find the rainy season absolutely fascinating, we really could use one or two sunny days to dry out.

Our Garden Visitor

2009-06-03T20:31:00.000-04:00

This little squirrel visits Our Jupiter Garden on a daily basis. His visits usually occur in the early evening. He is very, very quiet and seems to appear out of nowhere. He doesn't seem particularly afraid of us and just kind of sits there and watches. Creepy...

Plant Of The Week - African Lily (Agapanthus)

2009-06-01T19:24:00.001-04:00

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The first ever “plant of the week” from Our Jupiter Garden is the African Lily; also known as the Lily of the Nile. The African Lily has proven to be an excellent long-term addition to our garden.

The African Lily is said to be suitable for zones 6 – 10b however I have no experience with the plant outside of Florida. This Lily is a prolific perennial. Its beautiful bluish purple blooms are located at the ends of stem stalks that can reach 36” in height. The lily begins to bloom when the weather stays consistently warm. The lily in Our Jupiter Garden blooms from April through June. Then it gets too hot and wet and the flowers disappear. At this point it is important to cut the flower stalk back to ensure vigorous growth for next season. In cooler climates the African Lily is said to bloom from mid to late summer.

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The African Lily prefers full sun to part shade. When planting in full sun make sure to provide extra water, however once established this lily is fairly drought tolerant. The lily can be grown from seed or it can be propagated through division. The key is not to divide the plant until it is mature. Once the plant is divided you cannot ensure a bloom the following year.

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This lily makes for an excellent container plant as well as terrific ground cover. If planted in a container the lily likes to be root bound. So don’t feel rushed to move it to a larger container after a strong growing season. Again, once disturbed it may not bloom again for over a year so if you have more than one African Lily stagger repotting or root division so that you will always have blooms to enjoy each season. An alternative method is to wait until the lily blooms to replant. I have done so and never lost a flower.

As a ground cover the African Lily is very hardy. It has a tendency to spread and promises beautiful flowers each year. Best of all the foliage is beautiful and stays green year round in our Florida climate. The lily is such a terrific ground cover many shopping areas in Florida have successfully used the African Lily as the go to filler plant. The image below is a close-up of what the ground cover looks like once the blooms are gone.

Tropical Florida Garden

To demostrate how hardy this lily is you only need to look at the photo below. The image shows a place where the stem got damaged. Rather than wilting the stem projected a new growth of flowers. An unexpected surprise from one of our favorite plants.

As you can see the African Lily is a beautiful plant that is also easy to grow. Making it our first pick as "Plant of the Week".

Hypertufa Pot Update

2009-05-31T18:41:00.000-04:00

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The hypertufa pot is complete. Six days after making the pot, it was time to reveal our creation. As you can see - it worked!

Removing the mold (the black flower container inside) was less difficult than expected. If you recall, we sprayed the mold with WD-40 prior to applying the hypertufa and that seemed to help. Unfortunately, I did need to cut the mold slightly for removal.

To finish the pot off, I used a metal file to smooth the interior edges. Overall, this was an easy project and we are happy with the results.

A chrysalis

2009-05-30T13:28:00.001-04:00

Strange, almost all of the monarch caterpillars were gone this morning. Of the original nine, we could only find two. They had become very drab in color and one was starting to adhere itself to the leaf of a hibiscus planted near the milk week. I didn't have time to snap a photo and figured I would take a picture this afternoon. Upon my return this afternoon I found the caterpillar I wanted to photograph this morning. Only now he is a full-fledged chrysalis.

Good luck little fella. I hope you make it!

The Caterpillars Are Getting Big!

2009-05-28T20:22:00.000-04:00

Each day as the monarch butterfly caterpillars get bigger and bigger, the milk week plant gets smaller and smaller.

Our little visitors are about 1.5 inches now and do they eat! Soon they will be entering their chrysalis stage. The monarchs life cycle is explained in this excellent video.

A picture of one of our caterpillars and our diminishing milk weed plants is below.

Hypertufa

2009-05-25T20:57:00.000-04:00

Today we decided to try something new; make our own garden planter. Based on a "recipe" we found on the web we tried our hand at making a hypertufa pot. This is our first attempt with hypertufa and given the curing times required we won't know if it all worked out for about a week.

Hypertufa is made of 3 parts peat moss, 3 parts perlite and 2 parts Portland cement. This combination makes for light weight garden accessories that can be crafted to just about any shape and size.

The key to hypertufa is to thoroughly mix all the dry ingredients prior to adding water. We also added a concrete dye (in powder form) to give our planter a brownish hue. Once the ingredients are mixed simply add and mix in water. You want to do this little by little because you don't want the mixture to be too wet. A proper hypertufa mixture has been described as "cottage cheese like".

Once the cottage cheese consistency has been achieved, it is time to adhere the hypertufa recipe to your mold. Our mold consisted of an old plastic plant pot. The kind that store bought plants come in. We covered the plastic pot with a plastic bag and sprayed the bag with WD-40. This is supposed to make removing the finished pot from the mold easier. The WD-40 can be replaced with any oily substance including motor oil and vegetable oil. The WD-40 simply seemed cleaner to us. It is important to build up the hypertufa around the mold to 1 1/2 to 2 inches. We tried to build the hypertufa to 2" around the entire mold. Once complete, we covered our project in plastic to protect it from the elements.

According to the directions we found the hypertufa pot should be ready in one to two weeks.

Since we have never done a project like this before we have no idea what to expect. We will provide an update - stay tuned.

Below are pictures from today's project plus a YouTube video that we used to assist us. Enjoy!

I think I've figured this Blogging thing out.

2009-05-24T20:39:00.004-04:00

I simply love Google! What a great application Blogger is.

I've added some pictures to the blog. Here is a little history to go along with them. We moved to Jupiter in December of 2000. Over the past nine years Our Jupiter Garden has seen many changes. From a blank slate when we first moved in - to 3 hurricanes - to many different garden designs.

This year we decided to do something a little bit different in the garden. We removed much of the lawn and wanted to give the garden a more tropical look. The inspiration for the garden came from a visit to Key West a few years back. We stayed at a little hotel (I don't remember the name) with a tropical courtyard. The feeling in that courtyard was magical. Picture a small pool surrounded by huge tropical palms. The best part was a hidden hammock where I soon fell asleep! From that day it was our dream to go all out and take the garden to the next level. So in April of this year we got to work. In all it took us about 5 weekends to complete the garden. We are thrilled with the results.

However the work hasn't stopped. We are on the hunt for more exotic plants. In the pictures you will see some of our recent additions including bamboo and a pitcher plant we purchased at a plant show in Stuart, FL which is located approximately 30 miles north of Jupiter. Actually, we bought the bamboo there too and that was the turning point for the garden. With new bamboo coming we wanted a garden redo.

The bamboo is called Graceful Bamboo (Bambusa textilis Gracilis). It is a clumping variety and grows to approximately 20 feet tall. The vendor we purchased it from is Thompson's Bamboo Farm located in Haines City, Florida. Thompson's was great to work with. Since we didn't have any way to get the bamboo home they gladly delivered 3 wonderful bamboo plants to our garden. Each bamboo is approximately 12 feet tall. I highly recommend this grower.

The pitcher plant is a carnivorous plant and eats insects! It does this by attracting them to one of its pitchers where the insect falls in and cannot climb out. Slowly the acidic water contained in the pitcher disolves the insect to nourish the plant. Apparently insects aren't the only things drawn to the pitcher plant. It has become a haven for tropical frogs that seem to enjoy living in the pitcher! The water can't be that bad because in its native home the pitcher plant is commonly called the "monkey cup" plant because monkey's often use the water in the pitcher to quench their thirst.

If you live in a warm and humid climate you will enjoy the uniqueness of the pitcher plant in your own garden. We purchased ours at a local plant show. The plant is very nice sized and cost $35. We've had it about 6 weeks now and it is easy to take care of (distilled or filtered water only!) and a robust grower.

The garden has always been home to many creatures. However as of late they seem so much more at home. Anoles are common visitors. This one is claiming a little slice of paradise as his own.

This variety of anole actually originates in Cuba. Unfortunately, they have over-powered the native green anole. As a result finding a green anole is truly a treat.

Since we have planted the garden a monarch butterfly has paid a visit. She left some babies behind on a milk weed plant. The plant is beautiful, but it will soon be the monarch caterpillars' lunch!

To immerse ourselves in the garden we built a 10' x 10' deck. It is a place to unwind and be one with nature. The deck took less than $200 to build and was completed in one afternoon. We weren't sure how much we would like it, but now that it's done it is one of our favorite spots in the garden.

Several Buddhas' reside in Our Jupiter Garden. They bring an element of peace to our world.

A couple of masks also keep us company.

One of the great things about living is South Florida is you can keep orchids outside year-round. We call this our orchid tree as it is home to about a dozen orchids. The tree is a palmetto palm. Its bark makes for perfect orchid holders. After a couple of weeks the orchid's roots hold on tight and are impossible to remove.

While the garden is pretty wild we do have the occassional potted plant. This planter is about 36" across and is called a "wok" planter. It is the perfect complement to our garden.

First Ever Post

2009-05-24T20:00:00.000-04:00

Hello everyone!

This is the first ever post in the first ever blog we have ever created. Inspired by other garden blogs we wanted to share our little slice of paradise with you. Our Jupiter Garden is located in the town of Jupiter, Florida. Jupiter is located approximately 20 miles north of West Palm Beach. Our Jupiter Garden is approximately 4 miles from the beach.

Our garden is a labor of love. It is our sanctuary. It is our passion.

We hope you enjoy your visit. We hope to keep this site updated (if we can actually figure out what we're doing).

Have fun exploring.

Where it all began. Our garden after Hurricanes Frances and Jean (2004).

Below is a photo of the garden in January of 2009.

The garden today (May 2009)