Wildlife Haven

This inviting southern style home was part of the Mount Dora Garden Tour and it was definitely full of wonderful surprises. The front yard was abuzz with large numbers of pollinators visiting a mecca of blooming plants.

The white Cat's Whiskers (Orthosiphon aristatus) shown in the photo below was a favorite of the bees who drifted from petal to petal.

As we walked around the side yard this inviting bench tucked into the foliage grabbed my eye . . .

while off to the left the bright yellow Christmas Senna (Cassia bicapsularis, C. coluteoides) refused to be ignored. Right below this gorgeous butterfly and bee attractor was the entrance into a secret whimsical wildlife (and people) paradise. Come along and be sure to lower your head as we duck beneath its pendulous branches loaded with blooms.

Lucky for these homeowners, there backyard is securely nestled into a wooded greenbelt of towering trees.  We loved these topiary monkeys dangling from one of the high tree branches.  

 

They have used this greenbelt to their advantage by creating a very private habitat for themselves and the birds. Their backyard is actually quite small but when you look outward from their patio the greenbelt behind them gives the appearance of a much more extensive area. 

This beautiful Sky Vine (Thunbergia grandiflora) has scrambled up several oaks and many of its gorgeous blue blossoms dangle beneath the canopy. 

What wildlife garden would be complete without a statue of St. Francis of Assissi!

 Now here's a clever way to deal with the remnants of an oak that met its demise in a storm. A concrete owl statue has been placed at the top of the rugged edged trunk and looks right at home there. 

Love this wonderful and wild tangle of tropical plants providing cover for feeding bird visitors.

 These gardeners love whimsy in their garden . . .

and have done a great job adding touches of it throughout their garden. You can't have a bird garden without a bird-watcher! 

And they have more tricks up their sleeve. If you will notice there is a wire strung across the backyard - no it's not a clothesline. The homeowners are training the Bleeding Heart Vine (clerondendrum thomsoniae) to crawl across it. I love that idea!

This garden was a great example on how to maximize a small garden space and a forested greenbelt to their advantage.