plantpictorial A visual commentary about our favorite plants | AUGUST 2013
Garden Spotlight
McKee Botanical Gardens
Pictorial Showcase
Bob Evensen
INDIAN HARBOUR BEACH, FLORIDA Allamanda cathartica
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Plant Pictorial Showcase
Bob Evensen
6 Letter from the Publisher................................................ 5 Reader Plant Pictorial.................................................... 24 Last Page.........................................................................41
McKee Botanical Gardens
Florida’s original tourist attraction
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LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER
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Issue Two – Gaining Traction August is bigger and better!
Welcome to the second issue of plantpictorial! This issue contains a larger Pictorial Showcase, Reader Pictorial and a Travel Feature on McKee Botanical Garden. One of the great things about writing garden spotlights and travel features is researching the amazing history behind the gardens we profile. Most often the gardens are rich in history. This month we look at McKee Botanical Garden in Vero Beach, Florida. Did you know that McKee Botanical Gardens master plan was designed by the pioneer of tropical landscaping, William Lyman Phillips? He completed the trails and water features five years before he developed the Fairchild Tropical Garden master plan!
This months Plant Pictorial Showcase contains photos that I’ve taken recently in the coastal central Florida area. I’m not a professional photographer and have to confess that all my photos have been taken on my iPhone 4. The beauty of the iPhone is that I have it with me at all times and when a photo opportunity presents itself I can pull out my phone and snap a decent photo. Do you have great plant photos? If you want to contribute to the magazine please visit www.plantpictorial.com and submit your best photos using the photo upload link. We’ll put them in the magazine!
plantpictorial Issue 02, August 2013 On the cover: Unknown Palm Photo by Bob Evensen Melbourne, FL // Zone 9b Questions and Comments bob@plantpictorial.com Website www.plantpictorial.com ©2013 plantpictorial. All rights reserved.
If you have any suggestions, would like to contribute or simply want to say hello. Visit our website at www.plantpictorial.com. I look forward to hearing from you.
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PICTORIAL
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Plant Pictorial Showcase Photographer Profile Bob Evensen Apple iPhone 4 Indian Harbour Beach, FL // Zone 10a Why do you love photography? Some plants grow really slow, photography helps me gain perspective. How long have you been taking photographs? Probably since college. Let’s just say my first camera was a SLR. Do you have a favorite subject you like to shoot? Landscape and plants.
© BEphoto Orange Gyro (Heliconia latispatha)
What’s the most interesting location you have ever photographed? Two of the most interesting places have been Northern California coastline and the Florida Keys. Do you have any tips for plant photography? Take a walk around your backyard, take a good look at your plants. Often times I don’t even have to leave my property to get fantastic photos.
Melbourne, FL // Zone 9B
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Asiatic Lily Yellow/Red Indian Harbour Beac, FL Zone 10A
Š BEphoto
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Coconut (Coco nucifera)
Š BEphoto
Islamorada, FL Zone 10A
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Orange Daylily (Hemerocallis fulva)
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Š BEphoto
Indian Harbour Beach, FL Zone 10A
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Orange Bird of Paradise (Strelitzia reginae)
Š BEphoto
Melbourne, FL // Zone 9B
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Frangipani (Plumeria)
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Š BEphoto
Indian Harbour Beach, FL Zone 10A
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Mexican Fan Palm (Washingtonia robusta)
Š BEphoto
Indian Harbour Beach, FL Zone 10A
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Giant Spider Lily (Crinum amabile)
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Š BEphoto
Indian Harbour Beach, FL Zone 10A
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Musa sp. Bordelon Indian Harbour Beach, FL Zone 10A
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Melbourne, FL Zone 9B
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Š BEphoto
King Palm (Archontophoenix alexandrae)
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Canary Island Date Palm (Phoenix canariensis)
Š BEphoto
St. Augustine, FL Zone 9B
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Vero Beach, FL Zone 9B
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Š BEphoto
Red Leaf Flamethrower (Chambeyronia Macrocarpa)
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Coconut (Coco nucifera)
Š BEphoto
Islamorada, FL Zone 10A
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Ti Plant (Cordyline fruticosa)
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Š BEphoto
Melbourne, FL Zone 9B
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Š BEphoto
Choco Palm (Astrocaryum mexicanum) Melbourne, FL Zone 9B
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Magnolia tree Melbourne, FL Zone 9B
Š BEphoto
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Cabbage Palm (Sabal palmetto)
Š BEphoto
Satellite Beach, FL Zone 10A
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PICTORIAL // READER SUBMITTED
Send us your best photos!
Share your obsession with the world. Want to be featured in the Pictorial Showcase? Submit your images using the photo upload on www.plantpictorial.com. Each month we showcase a reader pictorial showcase and an additional section of the best user submitted photos.
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PICTORIAL // READER SUBMITTED
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Apple Banana (Musa Manzano)
Indian Harbour Beach, FL // Zone 10a
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Queen Palm (Syagrus romanzoffiana) Indian Harbour Beach, FL // Zone 10a
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Unknown Banana
Indian Harbour Beach, FL // Zone 10a
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FEATURE STORY
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McKee Botanical Garden Whether walking through the massive Roystonia regia’s or looking across one of the peaceful ponds, this place is special. A beautiful plant collection and an equally impressive history, McKee has many stories.
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FEATURE STORY
The first time I saw an Eucalyptus deglupta was at McKee. Pulling into the parking lot, I parked the car, looked ahead at an amazing tree that had rainbow colored bark. Walking the beautiful trails it’s hard to believe that McKee was closed for twenty years (1976 to 1996). Born 1885 in Shelbyville, Indiana, Waldo E. Sexton would attend Indiana University for Medicine and transfer to Purdue University College of Agriculture around 1906. After graduating in 1911 Waldo moved to Cleveland, Ohio and began selling agricultural tillage equipment as a traveling salesman. The company was financed by attorney Charlie H. McKee. Sexton made his way to the present day Vero Beach on business. Demonstrating tillage equipment in the area. Charlie H. McKee would die the following year and his cousin, Arthur Mckee would buy out Charlie’s holdings in the company. The following year Sexton and McKee purchased 80-acres along the Indian River in Vero Beach. The 80-acres was to be developed into citrus grove but both men agreed to use the land for their own collections of rare plants which included water lilies and orchids.
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It’s all in the design
The pioneer of tropical landscaping, William Lyman Phillips designed the trails and water features at McKee. Five years after designing Mckee Jungle Gardens, Phillips would design the master plan for Fairchild Tropical Gardens. When McKee opened in 1931 the garden was praised for its beautiful mixture of native vegetation and rare tropical plants. One stand out was the Cathedral of Palms which was 300 Roystonia regia planted on a grid pattern. McKee was one of the first major attractions in Florida. Drawing nearly 100,000 tourists each year at its peak of popularity.
Walt Brings the World to Florida
The 1970’s brought with it a new type of theme park to Florida. The Magic Kingdom opened in October of 1971. In addition to the Magic Kingdom opening, Interstate 95 through Vero Beach was now complete. McKee Jungle Gardens is located on highway US1 and for decades this was the north-south thoroughfare in Eastern Florida. McKee Jungle Gardens would close in 1976. Soon after closing, a grass roots effort to save McKee from development gained enough support and the issue was presented to voters but failed to gain the necessary votes. The McKee property was sold to Vista Properties in 1978 and soon after a condo development and golf course were built on 60 of the 80-acres.
The Awakening
The remaining 20-acre site sat for a decade and in 1988 plans for a shopping mall fueled the formation of the McKee Jungle Garden Preservation Society with the goal of purchasing the property from the Vista Properties, the current land owner. Vista Properties was under contract with a shopping mall developer and any negotiations would have to wait. The Society had time
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FEATURE STORY
to organize and grow its membership. The developers contract to purchase expired in March of 1989. The Society made an offer but it was rejected. Vista came back with a sale offer of $2.4 million for the property. The offer was only valid for 30 days. The Society sought help from the Indian River County Commissioners. The commissioners were interested in the preservation efforts and would assist in the purchase of the property contingent on a referendum vote. Brought to the voters was a one-time tax on assessed property. Prior to the vote, an opposition group against the proposed tax organized and the referendum failed by 600 votes. With no purchase in sight the Society took a different approach and contacted the Trust for Public land. This organization works with local groups in an effort to purchase and preserve land for future generations. With the Trust for Public land on board and willing to assist in acquiring the property they also suggested the formation of a land trust for the county. The new trust would protect any land that needed be preserved within the county. The following year, the McKee Jungle Garden Preservation Society became the Indian River Land Trust. With stronger guidance and organization many fundraising and awareness campaigns began. A new master plan was developed and in December 1995, the property was officially purchased. Fundraising continued until late 2001 when the garden opened to the public. I had visited McKee several times before I actually did some research and discovered the amazing history behind this garden. This place would not be here without the help of volunteers, donors and the community. To those who did the above, thank you for saving this beautiful garden. My story ends here but enjoy the next couple pages of photos.
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FEATURE STORY
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McKee Botanical Garden 350 U.S. 1 Vero Beach, FL 32962 (772) 794-0601 www.mckeegarden.org
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Want to be featured in plantpictorial? Pictorial Showcase
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Reader Pictorial
Each month we showcase reader submitted images in this section. Submit your images using the photo upload at www.plantpictorial.com.
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THE LAST PAGE
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Plants in Real Life
Interesting Observations & Growing Pains Have you ever been driving somewhere and notice out in an abandoned lot or vacant home sits a perfect looking plant or tree? I drive past a vacant lot everyday and I’m amazed at the health of the two Coco nucifera growing there. I shouldn’t be amazed since plants growing in their own habitat should grow just fine. It makes me realize how in the past I have probably killed plants by over caring for them. Too much water, fertilizer, sun,etc.
Freestyle vs. Planned Design – Growing Pains
I’ve been at my current property for just over a year. My plants have grown and I’m starting to see that my poor initial planning will cause some setbacks as I move things around. Did I freestyle plant or have a plan? I probably fall somewhere in between. I had an in-depth plan on graph paper but I did not plan for the rapid growth outward of my tropical plants.
Although the bananas I planted initially were spaced okay, the addition of pups growing outward has encroached on several small palms. Another layer to the story is the current Rugose Spiraling Whitefly that has made it’s way to Coastal Central Florida. The whitefly has infested many of my bananas that are over smaller palms. As the infestation grows sooty black mold forms and then drips down onto the smaller palms. I’m not sure what to do because all my bananas are edible which means I’m not comfortable using a systemic. I’ve tried neem oil sprays and simply hosing off with water which only seem to offer temporary success. I love using the bananas in the garden because I can obtain a quick vertical element, great color and textures. Maybe I need to separate the bananas from the others. I’m hoping that a native insect will step up to the plate and knock down this whitefly outbreak
It makes me realize how in the past I have probably killed plants by over caring for them.
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