Wednesday, June 3, 2009

The orchids are getting new digs, too!!



Volunteers Tony Donzello and Win Turner have been busy readying the new orchid house for our expanding collection. With its new irrigation system, including a water filtration system with a 5-zone capability, this new house will help volunteer Sandy Catron meet the growing requirements for the many species on site. With over 550 square feet of bench space, and much more hanging space, this former swale is becoming a haven for our exotic beauties. .

Vandas have become increasingly popular because they are vigorous, produce a profusion of flowers and are easy to grow in southern Florida. Most grow happily when hung from a tree or a structure; others can be planted in the ground and trained to climb a tree or pole. While many orchid species flower in cooler months, vandas reward their caregiver with blooms 2, 3 or more times per year and the flowers last up to 6 weeks. A well-grown plant will show its appreciation with continuous growth and blooms. Vandas react best to light shade, airy, natural environments with nighttime temperatures ranging from 60-75°F and daytime temperatures of 80-90°F. Temperatures cooler than 50°F will send Vandas into dormancy. Treat them with heavy misting during prolonged periods of temperatures over 90°F.

Sandy feeds every orchid by hand, including this giant Vanda insignis in the old orchid house.

Vandas respond well to repeated watering until saturated. This is best done in the morning giving foliage a chance to dry out before nightfall. You’ll know that you have an adequately watered plant when the roots are a deep green. If roots are white or partially white, continue to water. In hot weather you may need to water everyday, otherwise water when soil is dry on the surface. Drought stress shows as pale green or yellow leaf color. Sandy recommends a weekly application of 15-5-15 fertilizer, mixed at a rate of 1.5-2 Tbs. per gallon of water, during the summer, reduce to once or twice a month in cooler weather.

Vandas don’t like to be disturbed. If divided, offshoots should have three roots on them and be properly secured to a large container.



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Contact David Webb @ 239.643.7275 or email him at dwebb@naplesgarden.org.

Friday, March 27, 2009

Spring!!

Even though in other parts of the country people are still shivering, here in Southwest Florida spring has definitely arrived.

If you have any plumeria in your yard (you may know them as "frangipani"), you may have noticed the tips of the branches glistening, and little "claws" starting to emerge. They are waking up from their winter dormancy and soon people will not be wondering anymore why you have those dead-looking sticks in your yard, but will marvel at the gorgeous blooms.

However, to achieve maximum results, NOW is the time to fertilize your trees! My personal favorite is a timed-release granular 13-13-13 fertilizer, available at garden centers as ‘Dynamite’. And rather than sprinkling it around the base of the plant, poke a few inch-wide holes in the soil around the base and pour a tablespoonful of fertilizer in each. It will prevent the weeds from stealing most of the plant-food! With this method there is no run-off – making it an environmentally responsible method.

This will fertilize your plants for the entire growing season; and I supplement it only with some horse manure when I can get my hands on it.


Enjoy your spring!

Monday, February 9, 2009

WOW is the Word!

Now that the holidays have come and gone, construction has begun again. For a few days, it was eerily quiet on site. However, it is bustling again!

Almost a year ago, the horticulture team secured a number of wonderful collections and one of those where Heliconias from Costa Rica. They arrived in boxes and the root structure resembled a club. We potted them up and drove them down the road to O’Donnell’s nursery where they are growing them for us. We just didn’t have the space for all these pots. This week I had the chance to get over to the nursery and ‘WOW’ about sums it up! Some of the Heliconias are 10 feet tall and some were even blooming! Heliconia inflorescences are either upright or pendent (hanging). We included a few of the pendent species; one of them is Heliconia mariae. Similar to the Heliconia rostrata that is we have at the Garden, this inflorescence is very compact, not to mention that H. marieae can grow 15-23 feet tall! As with some of the interesting upright Heliconia inflorescence, Heliconia wageriana is just stunning. It too has a more compact shape, with red and green coloring.

We also started a wonderful collection of bougainvillea. They were potted up and trellised last spring. Again, ‘WOW’ is the word. The bougainvilleas are climbing up their trellis and flowering like crazy. Some have already been trimmed. They are going to be placed on many of the pergolas that will be built all around the garden. With the different colors, it will be like a living rainbow.

It is important to know the conditions that are the best for growing your plants. Bouganvilleas are arid climate plants and are best when grown in very well drained soil and direct light. Heliconias are most often found growing in damp, rich soil with light shade and thrive when given these conditions in your garden.

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

A Cool Change

The garden is looking wonderful even though few eyes have seen its colors. Volunteers are back in the motions of stepping up plants for future areas, tending the various collections, and awaiting new tasks. The cool weather has nipped a few tropical plants while the vast majority has enjoyed a subtropical slowdown. Staff is enjoying the chilly days and slower weed germination as well.

Garden construction has really made progress with the dry conditions overriding the past mud bog. Lakes have taken shape, perimeter plantings are going in, and the gardens hard-scapes are already being poured. Raymond Jungles visited the site recently and was thrilled at the advancements. Brazil’s spectacular tree line arbor is quickly taking shape. Below this arbor is where the mosaic wall by Roberto Burle Marx (pictured) will be displayed. “The mosaic will be visible from the Bayshore road entry!” Raymond proclaimed.

The current mosaic garden will receive several renovations, such as a new entry and removal of large and crowded trees. The garden staff is busy root pruning trees and removing understory plantings located in these areas so they can be moved into future bosques and garden perimeters. We are open this month on the 17th, 19th and 24th for a distant peek at the construction and to enjoy the tropical mosaic garden.