Green

       Of course my favorite color is green, and as some who have been following in these pages know, I put the flower second to the plant. It really is almost a rule I have; focus on the plant, concentrating on shape, size and texture.

       Well I broke my own rule a couple of weeks ago by buying a Indian Hawthorn (Raphiolepis indica). It was so stunning at the nursery, and with my mother in law coming to town, I thought 'why not'. Well, I knew better. Although happy in the rest of Florida, it preforms poorly in the Keys because our soil and environment are quite different from those of the main land. In fact it continued blooming for only several days and my mother in law didn't arrive in time to see the show. It looks so sad now that I won't post a picture. Instead, I'll post a photo of one of my completed projects which illustrates that a mostly green garden and an occasional flowering plant is all it takes to make an impression. Just pick the right plant the first time.

Plants with lovely forms 2

Here ia another Florida native named the Keys Silver Palm. Although Coccothrinax argentata is not endemic, we like to call it our own. The silver, which is a common evolutionary outcome in plants, can be seen when the frond is turned upside down. The weeping habit of the fronds give an impression of a droopy slumbering plant that, with a little nudge, would straighten up and act like other palms. This palm is a cousin of the palm from yesterdays post, Thrinax radiata, albeit smaller and more delicate.

Coccothrinax argentata in my garden.

Coccothrinax argentata growing wild at Bahia Honda State Park
in the middle of the Florida Keys.

Bahia Honda State Park holds the winner for the
oldest Coccothrinax argentata in the United States,
which some estimate up to 200 years old.