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Penny Carnathan
Penny’s a Nurture And Hold (NAH): Nah, I won’t pull that out yet, it’s still got a green shoot. She likes dragonflies, lady bugs and new stuff only after weeding, pruning and fertilizing.
Kim Franke-Folstad
Kim’s a Want It Now (WIN): Everything pretty, everything now. She will resort to full-spectrum insecticides in desperate situations, and believes it’s her duty and right to buy new plants every weekend.
Both advocate Plant Choice (SOMEthing besides crotons. Please!), lots of color and low maintenance. We don’t agree on everything, but we’re smart enough to learn from each other - and from you.
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Florida gardeners can learn a lot from the old-timers—and here’s our opportunity!
Posted Jul 5, 2010 by Loren Omoto
Updated Jul 6, 2010 at 12:13 PM
I love old photos and I’m fascinated by old Florida gardens. Some of my favorite plants were also the favorites of gardeners here decades ago. Antique roses and clerodendrums — from bleeding heart vines to blue butterfly bush — are among the easy-to-grow but hard-to-find anymore.
And (with some notable exceptions!) I enjoy the wildlife my plants attract. I haven’t yet gotten an egret, like the chummy one above. (Actually, that’s a little turn-of-the-20th-century humor—Alsey Sanders making friends with a statue in front of the former Tampa Bay Hotel, now the University of Tampa, east verandah in 1900.)
Before air conditioning, people planted sweet-scented bushes by their windows, since they were always open to catch a breeze. I borrowed that idea when choosing a spot for my new tea olive a couple months ago. The tea olive is known for its intoxicating fragrance, so I put it near my kitchen window. Hopefully, washing pots and pans will be something I (sort of) enjoy when it blooms in the fall.
The Henry B. Plant Museum at the University of Tampa has a new exhibit that shows us just what a big garden looked like in the late 19th century. “Strolling in a Perfect Paradise” includes old photos, brochures and historic garden markers out in Plant Park, which was the gardens for the lavish Tampa Bay Hotel, pretty much Tampa’s only claim to fame from 1891 to 1930. The one above is a 1924 ladies tea garden party, where the Sticks of Fire sculpture now is.
Henry B. Plant, the railroad tycoon who built the Tampa Bay Hotel (now UT) hired German horticulturist Anton Fiehe to assemble and catalogue more than 150 species of tropical plants and flowers to landscape the grounds.
This is the Palm Walk along the river, shown in a 1910 postcard. Some of the original palms are still there!
“Visitors from the city side of the river could approach the hotel by a paved street leading up to the main gateway,” William Drysdale wrote for the New York Times, describing the lavish hotel grounds in 1892. “From here, broad walks led to the center of the buildings and spread out across the grounds past flowerbeds, fountains, palms, ‘banana plantations,’ and beds of pineapples toward the river.
“Near the top of a rise, a bubbling spring ran to the river in a stream lined with palms, banana plants, flowers, and ferns. Immense beds of violets, pansies, roses in Victorian designs, and collections of fruit trees and tropical flowers occupied the spaces between the walks.”
Below, Bertha Jackson and Cora Norris, enjoy Plant Park while on vacation from Ontario in 1905.
The Friends of Plant Park have been working to restore the gardens to their original look. That eventually will include the full, lush Palm Walk.
As part of the exhibit (which may give you good ideas for your own Florida garden) the museum plans an August fundraiser featuring Ian Prosser of Botanica International Design Studio. He’s the Tampa florist who coordinated the arrangements for presidents George H. and George W.’s inaugural festivities and (in a nice show of bipartisanship) President Bill Clinton’s inaugural in 1993.
This is Ian working on arrangements for Florida Gov. Charlie Crist’s wedding in 2009. He looks so very serious here, but hey, he was working! In real life, he’s very funny and outgoing, has a passion for flowers, a lovely accent (he’s Scottish) and an abundance of creativity. He’ll give a lecture, “Know your floral personality,” at 10:30 a.m. Aug. 7 in the Music Room at the museum, 401 W. Kennedy Blvd., Tampa. He’ll have five tables set with each personality type (i.e. romantic, artistic) and audience members can decide which is theirs. The $25 admission includes coffee or mimosas.
Reserve your spot by emailing .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)or calling her at (813) 258-7304.
Afterward, you can stay for a fabulous catered lunch by a to-be-determined chef for $250. Same email or phone number for reservations.
If that’s beyond your wallet, you can still enjoy the exhibit and garden tour through Dec. 31 for the low, low price of $10 for non-students up to 64 years old; $7 for ages 65 and older; $7 for students; and $5 for ages 4 through 12. Museum hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays; noon to 5 p.m. Sundays.
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Reader Comments
Posted by (Pumpkin) on July 05, 2010
I think I am going to go, get some other gardeners together and go. Do you think we could do a The Dirt table? Of course this would be for the $25.oo fare. One thing for sure I will be less clothes than these ladies are wearing.Pumpkin
Posted by (Janna) on July 06, 2010
Interesting and informative post, Penny! I think it’s wonderful that the Friends of Plant Park are working to restore the gardens to the look of days gone by.
The bleeding heart vines that I have are doing well and I finally have blooms on the blue butterfly clerodendrum. Thank you FOD’s for these and the other hard to find plants I’ve gotten from cuttings. Let’s keep spreadin’ the plant love!
Posted by (Chip) on July 06, 2010
I am glad to see they are trying to restore the park! I hope someone remembers that the first gardeners were so in the dark about what will work here and what will not. It would be interesting to see if anyone kept a log or dairy on the early efforts! most gardening efforts at that time were centered on providing food for the family so gardening for the sheer beauty of it, was a rare thing indeed. I bet the local visitors took clippings home [I would have!] and that could be where gardening for something other than to have food got started here. This is only guess work on my part but I bet I am not far off…“Chip”
Posted by (Susan Carter) on July 06, 2010
Hi Penny,
We enjoyed your blog on the new exhibit. The show has been drawing an interesting crowd - some interested in the gardening aspect and some in the historical aspect. As part of the exhibit, we have an original 1894 garden guide by the Tampa Bay Hotel Head Gardener. There is a copy of the guide in its entirety on a reading table for visitors to study. The gardener was sent to Jamaica by Henry Plant to gather tropical plants for the hotel. Many only lasted the first couple of seasons; however it’s fun to read through the catalog to see “how it was in the 1890’s” - a tropical paradise!
Henry Plant Museum
Posted by (Chip) on July 06, 2010
Thank you Susan! It is fantastic that the garden guide is still here and I cant wait to see it. Trail and error is just part of gardening always has been and always will be…“Chip”
Posted by (Chip) on July 06, 2010
I really wanted to to be there with everybody today but there was just no way I could. I am so happy the tomatoes did well I am sure the kids are taking good care of them. Good job Pumpkin! actions speak louder then words and what you did is the kind of example the kids at your school can look up to and I am so proud of you…“Chip”
Posted by (shirlgirl) on July 07, 2010
Wow, I really enjoyed this article on the Plant Museum. I love that place and have gone to visit the museum and grounds many times and take my grandson also. To get the lowdown on the gardens as they were at the original planting will be very interesting. The grounds have been used for concerts in the evening with listeners on picnic blankets, nothing more beautiful than those gardens under the stars with great food and music. Plants and food at the same time, two of my favorite things.
Posted by (Pumpkin) on July 07, 2010
Penny,
I got my books in the mail today and am heading outside with pepsi and books in hand to read. Thank you!!!!!!!!Life is great!
I do have a pumpkin tatoo on my right ankle, yes there is a story behind it. On my 50 birthday something upset me and my daughter answer was lets go get you a pumpkin tatoo. it’s funny I thought all my Southern Baptist froends would be horrified! But because they love me and knew what upset me they all like the pumpkin. One exception my Mother in Law
Pumpkin
Posted by (Chip) on July 08, 2010
I have buds On one of my holly hocks!!!!!! and I will take my little victory’s where ever I can get them. I was really starting to wonder none, never has ever bloomed for me, start them and give them away , boom! they bloom like crazy for me this is the first time. ...“Chip”
Posted by (Chip) on July 08, 2010
I bet you are right! the one that has a bud on it is getting water right from the A.C. All the stuff I am watering with the A.C. is just soooo happy with life. I just do not think I would trust it to something I am going to eat but I am going to have to say the A.C. watering experiment is a success. “Chip”
Posted by (Chip) on July 08, 2010
This kind of irrigation system should be child’s play for your hubby Penny. I didn’t even glue it since there is not any pressure. and that way i can move it around and change it to fit my needs. I do have a new twist I am working on. but the way I have it now I only spent $3.00 on parts plus stuff I already had. So I am very interested in what someone else has come up with maybe I might mix and match ideas. The amount of water an A.C. unit just wastes is unbelievable! I am guessing 10 to 15 gallons a day and I bet that is conservative. And we live in a small home the bigger ones should do more. ...“Chip”