Fort Myers-Lee County Garden Council Flower Show

La Florida-The First 500 Years

“La Florida” was a Standard Flower Show presented by the Fort Myers-Lee County Garden Council. The theme was "Honoring Our State’s History Through Its People and Plants." The show took place on March 1 and March 2, 2013, at the Eco-living Center at Rutenberg Park in Fort Myers, Florida. It was open and free to the public. Several organizations were represented at the entrance to the Rutenberg Park building. Among them were:

 Sue Moore, a board member of the Lakes Park Enrichment Foundation, was on hand to give visitors information about the work the foundation does to enhance the park’s native Florida environment and to provide services and cultural events for the community to enjoy.

Wendy Sprague, President of the Alva Garden Club, had information about the services of the University of Florida/ Lee County Extension Office

 

David Hamera was a representative of the Bonsai Society of Southwest Florida.

 

Edison and Ford Winter Estates Horticulturist Debbie Hughes

 

Lovely designs were displayed on the way into the show.

Barbara Murza and The Southwest Florida Orchid Society table

 

Sandy Kavouras, Suzy Valentine and Laura Jibben

Sandy did the Staging for the Flower Show; Suzy was the Flower Show Chairman and wore an old-time pioneer costume; and Laura was the President of the Fort Myers-Lee County Garden Council.

The native plant display was in the entryway at Rutenberg

 

Since this show is historical and retrospective, the designs reflect components appropriate to the era.

The Captain’s Table is a place setting for one person. A sea captain provided his own tableware and by necessity dined by candlelight. Fruit was usually available on ships, and sea ports on the Florida coast may have provided some interesting plant life.

 

The Captain’s Table place setting with a hurricane lamp in a nest of vines

 

The Captain’s Table place setting with a little something extra to lift one’s “spirits”

 

The Captain’s Table place setting by Terry Pinck won the Award of Design Excellence.
  

 

These Designs  reflect Florida‘s capability of “Growing Flowers and Vegetables for the Country.”

This design won the “People’s Choice” award

 

Sandy Kavouras and her winning design

A free-standing design: Growing Flowers and Vegetables for the Country

 

A free-standing design: an assemblage related to the Space industry at Cape Canaveral

 

 

Growing flowers and Vegetables for the Country

 

Growing Flowers (especially gladiolus) and Vegetables for the Country

 

An assemblage with a business and technology theme

 

Railroad lines made Florida accessible as a winter playground, and men like Edison, Firestone and Ford  stimulated economic activity. These designs associated with this period of growth are of any style, honoring Edison’s work.
 

 

 

 

Thomas Edison and Friends design

 

Thomas Edison and Friends design

 

Thomas Edison and Friends design

 

Early Florida tourism was based on fishing, hunting and playing golf: a Stretch design with golf clubs.

 

Florida tourism featuring water activities:
 a Stretch design with sponges.

 

A Stretch design with cattails and duck-hunting, a pastime for Florida tourists

  

Old Florida Still Life design on the “Cracker” life

(so named because they cracked whips at the cattle.)

 

 

Old Florida Still Life design: cattle ranching and a rustic life style

 

Old Florida Still Life design: pioneer practices

 

Container Grown Cacti and Other Succulents

Container Grown Succulent

Florida Friendly landscape outside of Rutenberg
The Master Gardeners of Lee County under the direction of Tom Becker created this garden of native plants.

Suzy and Laura by the garden

Cut Specimens and Container Grown Specimens

 

 

A view of 3 exhibits: Container Grown Flowering Plants (foreground), Florida Native Plant Material and the Jesuit Missions Still Life design (on the left)

 

 

Traditional designs featuring Florida native plant material

 

 

La Florida native plant material

 

 

La Florida native plant material

 

La Florida native plant material

 

 

Laura and Florida native plant material design

 

The Jesuit Missions Still Life design

The Jesuits established mission settlements and introduced to native Americans crops from the Spanish empire, such as sugar cane and citrus.

 

 

Close-up of the Jesuit Missions Still Life design

 

 

Container Grown Foliage Plants

 

 

Container Grown Flowering Plants

 

Tropical fuzzy bloomer

A “Peek at the Past” Petite design

 

 

A “Peek at the Past” Petite design

 

A “Peek at the Past” Petite design

 

 

A “Peek at the Past” Petite design

 

 

A “Peek at the Past “ Petite design

 

Early explorers in Florida discovered certain peculiar plants that seemed to grow on air or hang from trees.

A Hanging Design with Florida epiphytes

A Hanging Design with epiphytes

 

A Hanging Design with epiphytes

“One foot in the Past” novice designs

Newer designers are asked to think of Florida's past history, while creating something of their own, within a "one square foot" space.

 

 

Novice “One Foot in the Past” design

 

 

Novice designs

 

 

Novice designs

 

Novice design

Cut Decorative Foliage

 

Philodendron frond

Orchid plants

 

Orchids

A Picnic Table for Six

 

 

 

A Picnic Table for Six

 

 

A Ton of Tomatoes Picnic Table for Six

"Tomatoes" Centerpiece

 

Florida ladies kept the tradition of afternoon tea, using their fine china and linens and creating floral centerpieces from their own gardens.

Afternoon Tea Centerpiece

 Afternoon Tea Centerpiece

Afternoon Tea Centerpiece

 Hanging design - Orchid plant

 

 

Hanging design- Bromeliads

 

Cut Flowers

 

Cut Flower

 

Cut Flower
and

End of Show
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Building a Rain Garden

The purpose of a rain garden is to collect rain water in a shallow depression in the yard rather than let it rush off into a storm sewer or local waterway. This area is then planted with grasses, bushes or trees that are selected because of their ability to absorb and filter storm water. A rain garden can absorb runoff and remove pollutants more efficiently than a standard lawn by capturing the rainwater, holding it for a short time and then slowly releasing it into the soil.

Members of the Fort Myers-Lee County Garden Council wanted a rain garden installed in the Berne Davis Gardens, which is on the premises of their headquarters at 2166 Virginia Avenue, off McGregor and just past the Edison Winter Estates. The existing pond which was in the garden was not adequate to handle the water accumulation during the summer rainy season. The company that designed and built the rain garden was Ensite, a local landscaping business located in Fort Myers. The accompanying photos were taken over a period of five days, between January 23 and February 19, 2013, as the rain garden was being built.

 

 

The best place for a rain garden is a naturally-occurring low spot in the yard, preferably in either partial or full sun, that receives water regularly during a rainstorm.
 

 

 

There was already a small basin in the Garden Council garden, but it didn’t begin to control the storm water accumulation from our colossal summer rainstorms. This location has a made-to-order depression in the yard in which to locate the rain garden, and the spot receives full to partial sunlight--it would seem to be an ideal spot for a rain garden.
 

Rain gardens typically work best if they are curved and slightly irregularly-shaped. The sides should slope gradually from the outside edge to the deepest area. The longest side should be perpendicular to the slope. The bottom of the rain garden should be as level as possible so that runoff water will spread evenly in the garden rather than pooling in one area. If a rain garden is no more than about 6 inches deep, storm water will usually be absorbed within a one to seven-day period. At the end of Day One, the pond with its rock border was completely removed, the turf was dug up and the basic depression and its boundaries were established.

 

The framework for a boardwalk structure was in place at the end of Day Two. The boardwalk starts at the top of the depression, curves around the gazebo, and ends at the main garden path.

Planks are laid out for the boardwalk, but the framework for the boardwalk itself has not yet been completed on either end.

 

 

A closer view of the boardwalk

 

 

The boardwalk with a view toward the central part of the garden

 

 

The framework for the boardwalk was completed by the end of Day Three.

 

 

Planks are laid out on the boardwalk.

 

 

Planks of the boardwalk were fastened into place but had not yet been cut to size. The view is toward the central part of the garden.

 

 

The brand of composite decking used on the boardwalk is “Veranda Armorgard.”

 

 

By the end of Day Four, the boardwalk framing was completed,

and three trees had been planted and staked.

 

Two of the trees are to the left of the boardwalk,

and the third tree is between the boardwalk and the gazebo.

 

 

 

Tree One

The boardwalk is at its highest point to the right of this tree.

 

Treet Two is behind Tree One and farther back in the depression.

 

Tree Three is to the right of the boardwalk, near the gazebo and the farthest back of the three trees.

 

 

 

The far end of the boardwalk, where the planks have  been shortened on either side

 

 

The far end of the boardwalk, with a view toward the central part of the garden

 

 

 

By the end of the morning of Day Five, plant materials had been set into place in their approximate positions, about 1 foot apart from each other. Native plants are best adapted to our climate and should be used for rain garden installations. The plants must also grow well in both wet and dry areas because the rain garden will temporarily fill with rainwater from time to time. Native plants generally require the least care to thrive and also tend to develop strong root systems. If plants are at least 1-2 years old, they will already have established root systems. Shrubs will generally soak up water and prevent erosion, and water-loving trees are also good in larger rain gardens.

 

 

Most, but not all, of the plants are in place beside the boardwalk.

 

 

There is a mixture of grasses and bushes to the left of the boardwalk.

 

 

The boardwalk has been completed.

The planks have been trimmed to size and caps have been placed on top of the pillars.

 

 

The completed boardwalk and plantings, with a view toward the central part of the garden.

 

 

Shell paths which lead up to and away from the boardwalk on either end have been installed.

 

 

The shell path on either end of the boardwalk joins up with the existing path through the garden.

 

 

A close view of plants near the gazebo

 

 

A view of the tree and plants to the right of the boardwalk

 

 

A view of the gazebo and plantings

 

 

By the end of Day Five, the bushes and grasses have been planted and there is a layer of pine straw mulch to help keep the moisture in and the weeds out. Heavier mulches are needed because the lighter materials may float and get carried away if overflow occurs.

 

The completed rain garden, with all of the plants in place

Once plants are well established, this garden should thrive without additional watering. Fertilizers will not be necessary, and only minimal weeding will be needed after the first summer of growth.

The garden is open to the public on Tuesdays from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM until April 16.

Rain Garden Photographer, Becky Bodnar