Hurricane Irma left her mark on South Florida. Five months ago her 90 to 150 mile per hour winds destroyed tens of thousands of trees but here are some interesting survivors in Fort Myers and Naples. (Roll over each photo for the caption.)
January Color
January 1, 2018. A walk around the garden today shows lots of color.
One Man, One Day, One Stump.
Dear Big Game Hunters: You are puny, spineless amateurs. You think taking a big trip and shooting a big animal with a big gun is big fun. Any brainless baboon with a bazooka can take down an elephant. But it takes genuine brawn, cunning, and backbone to bag this challenging trophy: A tree stump. You…
Little Bridge
Thanks for the leaders of the American Heritage Girls in Ft. Myers for asking me to contribute something toward their meetings. Here is a ceremonial bridge that the girls will cross over to help them remember their creed. I made the decking from recycled pallet lumber. I found a couple of nice, old oak ones…
The Landscape Show Redux.
As a vendor/exhibitor, we were very happy with the attendance at the 2017 Landscape Show in Orlando last week. Originally scheduled for September, the show was blown off course by hurricane Irma. Many vendors were not able to reschedule their participation but, despite fewer booths, there were plenty of attendees.
Mourning After Irma
Like a drunken lumberjack, the powerful eye of Hurricane Irma roared down our street. The destruction to the landscape was unprecedented. We have endured hurricanes that brushed us with similar paths; Andrew in 1992, Jeanne, Frances and Charley in 2004. Each time they knocked out power for over a week. Trees leaned and weak branches…
Cedar Table
Wood inspires me. I bought this slab of Southern Red Cedar from a mill in Waldo, Florida last year and recently put it to use. We needed a small table next to our recliner where we could rest a cup of coffee and a book. First I searched for a table with four legs at…
Florida Flower Trials 2017
What sort of person goes to Epcot, only takes pictures of plants, then leaves with a smile on his face? Any attendee at the Florida Flower Trials last month in Orlando, Florida. This annual gardening exhibit is sponsored by the Florida Nursery Grower Landscape Association (FNGLA) Floriculture Division. The purpose is to encourage plant breeders…
Chest of Drawers
A jeweler I know needed to organize her many creations so I made this towering chest of drawers. The top part has three sides, screened, where she can hang earrings. The bottom part has ten shallow drawers for bracelets along with two deeper drawers for other storage.
Bad Irrigation
We are enduring a typical April drought in south Florida. It’s hot, it’s dry and rainy season usually rolls in after Mother’s day in May. Until then we gardeners are painfully conscious of water conservation. That’s why we get ticked-off by blatant water wasters. Yes, there are obvious scofflaws that water their lawns every night…
Grapevine Murals
A blank canvas is inspirational. And so is a blank wall. These two walls that flank the baptismal pool at our church just call out for artwork. We have used these walls to hang silk flowers and now use this space for seasonal banners. I imagined what would look good there, not distract from the…
