The wild lime tree is a host plant for the giant swallowtail butterfly. Birds eat from the multiple birdfeeders, drink and bathe in the 11 bird baths, find a refuge in the piles of brush purposefully placed along the fence, and get insects from the barren dead wood “snags” used as yard art. Hummingbirds and butterflies are attracted to the red tropical sage flowers. Even though some of the leaves on the coffee bushes look diseased, West does not remove them so the Carolina wrens can get at the leaf roller insect inside. Look for berries on wild coffee, the Florida privet tree (provides oil essential for birds), wax myrtle, beautyberry, snowberry ground cover, and the marlberry tree. Her favorite tree is the chickasaw plum, which provides a spectacular spring display of white flowers and then later in the season, edible fruit. West, on the Board of the local chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society, will be available during your tour to help you learn what has made her garden a National Wildlife Federation Certified Wildlife Habitat.
West, an Audubon member, has identified over 70 bird species visiting her yard. Many of the back yard plants were placed 7 years ago under the mature canopy of trees. I try to provide berries, seeds, flowers, and refuges for all kinds of wildlife including insects.” Most of her plants come from Sweet Bay Nursery in Parrish, and the owner, Tom Heitzman, provided the back yard design. 95% of my garden is planted with Florida native plants. It is not a formal garden, but more of a woodsy back yard. West describes her garden: “The purpose of the garden is a refuge for wildlife, especially birds. Sexauer & Pepperhuff have used their artistic backgrounds to design the gardens look for several of Pepper’s sculptures on display. Upon the birth of a girl in China, this tree is planted and then cut down upon her marriage when the wood is carved into articles for the dowry. sky vine, angel trumpet, and the empress tree, which can grow up to 35 feet a year. Several plants were selected that are fast growing in order to provide a privacy screen and a fuller-looking garden, e.g. Friends have contributed plants, and the owners often use cuttings to start their own plants so you will see repetitions of begonia, coleus, and Cuban oregano throughout. Many of the plants have been purchased from Burnett’s Nursery locally the trees have been bought online from. The fence is covered with various vines, all flowering at different times, among them allamanda, garlic, trumpet, rubber, and red bougainvillea. The sky vine on the central arbor has large showy blue flowers year round that reach to the sky. Notice how the colors are white and green, incorporating such plants as bromeliads, white azaleas, cardboard palm, vinca, white flowered flax lily, and 9 white natchez crape myrtle trees, capped off with white snowcrop groundcover.Īs you pass into the back yard, the scene changes into a “French Impressionistic” style with multiple, colorful plants scattered about in what seems to be a random fashion – but really isn’t. Would you believe that these gardens are only 1½ years old, though they appear mature? In the front yard the design is formal, following the curves of the walkways. The Manatee River Garden Club, located at 3120 First Avenue West in Bradenton, is a nonprofit whose stated mission is to promote and encourage a community of nature enthusiasts who share the love of gardening, horticulture, floral design, environmental concerns and other related endeavors.ĭetailed descriptions of the gardens, provided by the club, are below.
On the day of the event, a $10 gourmet lunch, raffle baskets and plant & boutique vendors will all be at the club, where the tour will kick off (those with advance tickets are welcome to explore each garden in any order they want). Tickets ($20) can be purchased at the club on the day of the event, and can also be purchased in advance ($15) on its website, as well as at Crowder's Gifts & Gadgets and Plants & Treasures. The garden located on Holmes Beach resembles a tropical paradise, while yet another features a “vibrant, eclectic Florida” that has native, drought-resistant plants as its focus for an environmentally sustainable garden. Another garden functions as a woodsy refuge for birds and other local wildlife, while another boasts a fern grotto and wildly-colored butterfly gardens among its delights. One garden features a backyard that draws from French Impressionism. This year's tour, 'Bradenton in Bloom', features five different artistically-styled and exquisite gardens for visitation, which the club is describing as "Eclectic Edens."įour of the tour's gardens are in Bradenton and another is in Holmes Beach. to 4 p.m., the Manatee River Garden Club's 11th Annual Garden Tour will take place. BRADENTON - On Saturday, April 2 from 10 a.m.
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