The Vignette Gardener

The 14th annual Lakes & Hills Garden Club garden tour took place in March of 2018. The first garden we toured was in the Sylvan Shores area and was very eclectic in style. The garden club's brochure states that there are 2500 plant varieties throughout the garden. That's a lot of plant varieties in an average size lot.

 The shady front yard was filled with a large number of bromeliad varieties, along with gigantic staghorn ferns dangling from the majestic live oaks. The varying hues of the sun-kissed bromeliads created a warmth of color splashed among the vibrant green turf.

One corner of the immaculately maintained grounds gave only a slight - slight, I remind you - hint of what we'd find behind the fence.

As we entered the backyard we realized it was going to be a very different experience from the calm perfection we experienced in the front yard.

Oftentimes, the front and back yards can be very different in nature. The front yard being neat, more presentable and agreeable to the neighbors, while the backyard, truly, displays the gardener's personality.

We noticed our invitation to "get lost in the garden," and that's exactly what we did!

There was so much to take in that, at first, I didn't know where to start. So, I decided to follow the path that lay ahead . . . knowing that I might need to walk through this garden several times to be able to see it all.

 His backyard is a relatively small area, but he's made it feel larger with many pathways that meet and then meander off to a different area. 

As you will notice, he is a master at creating vignettes. Self-created signs fill the garden, along with many repurposed items from garage sales or flea markets. He finds a use for everything.

There's no doubt that he can see a plant holder in just about anything, including these concrete shoes.

As well as an old light fixture. His imagination knows no limit.

Old steps, a clothing rack, dilapidated fence posts, metal washtubs - any type of discarded item will find a use in this garden.

The gardener has a great collection of cactus & succulents,

and displays them in very creative ways.

 More cactus, agave and drought resistant plants.

And what a clever way to display tiny air plants.

He definitely knows how to maximize his use of space,

 even gardening vertically on the fence that surrounds his property.

We enjoyed strolling around in his backyard enjoying the many varieties of plants, the clever repurposed items and the orchestrated displays of, well, everything - plants, containers, and vignettes!

A Tropical Oasis

This tropical zen garden located on Michigan Street was home #5 on the Lakes & Hills Garden Club Tour 2016.

This densely planted, tropical garden is a little oasis tucked into this small neighborhood. It might be a small garden space but this gardener was not afraid to go large with bold tropical plants. You enter the garden through a narrow pathway that is chock-full of wonderful foliage specimens. 

The pathway leads to the first of 3 secret garden rooms spread throughout this property. It is a cozy space in which to sit and relax in this gem of a garden.

Amazingly enough, this gardener was able to include two very large containers in to this space. One container held a super-sized dark-foliage plant, while the other was packed full of a bevy of tropical beauties. 

Dividing this first secret space and a second one is a wonderful glass conservatory. What a surprise it was to find this unique structure in the middle of this small backyard.

What a great space to view the garden from on a chilly night, while enjoying dinner. 

On the other side of the conservatory is the 2nd garden room. It is a meditation space in which to relax while listening to the sound of soothing water gurgling in the fountain.

It is a very calm space with less vegetation.

As we leave this space we pass by a selection of colorful crotons in containers,

 which leads us into the 3rd garden room located on the other side of the house. It, too, is a more peaceful and calming area in which to sit and contemplate life or the garden.

One of the beauties of this garden is that you have no idea, whatsoever, that these incredible spaces can be found behind and beside this home. As you can see, the walkway out of the 3rd room is disguised by a grouping of plants that hides what lies behind it. Very clever!

Sometimes front yards are quite different from backyards --- more contained and proper, as to fit into the neighborhood. Not this one! This gardener continues to display his unabashed love for the tropical jungle feel and its rain forest plant selection. 

It contains a bit more colorful foliage and is crafted together beautifully creating lots of interest.

A few of the plants packed into this area is snake plant, pentas, crotons and bromeliads.

Baskets of lush foliage hang beneath the windowsills, while ferns meander up the trunks of palm trees.

Another view of the plants contained in the front yard garden bed.

 This masterful gardener has maximized the use of a countless number of plant varieties into this small garden. It would be interesting to know how many different plants are planted in this garden.

Everywhere you look is another area to be studied and admired.

On the corner of his garden out by the road is a bed of drought resistant plants basking in the full sunlight. Great use of this, most likely, hot and dry area.

There are a ton of wonderful ideas to be borrowed from this garden for the gardener who leans toward the tropical jungle style of gardening.

An Easy-Going Garden

The gardener in this home, located in The Country Club of Mount Dora, has a knack for maximizing the use of interesting objects throughout her small garden. 

A welcoming and neatly-manicured landscape greets you as you walk towards the front door. The large bird feeder is a nice touch, and I especially like the color combination of the plants beneath it, along with the chartreuse-colored ornamental sweet potato vine trailing out of the feeder. It all works so well together.

The private backyard, which has a relaxed and easy-going feeling, is a mix of tropical plants along with many decorative items. This birdhouse blends in nicely with the variegated pothos vine, selloum philodendron, coleus, Persian shield, tri-colored stromanthe and bromeliads.

The homeowner used this metal stand, placed in the center of the garden, to display some of her plants . . . what a clever idea!

She definitely has an eclectic mix of decorative items in her garden. Here's an Asian accent in front of the bromeliads.

I like the way she utilized the fence as a way to hang a container plant. It helps camoflauge and soften the look of the fence. Her choice of two varying colors of ornamental sweet potato plants was an excellent choice. The color combination is fantastic, and I love the way the vines drape down over the container. 

More whimsical touches can be found scattered throughout the garden like this sweet angel creatively tucked in among the coleus and fern.

An overall view reveals that it is a relatively small space in the backyard, but she's managed to incorporate a lot of fun pieces among the varying heights of foliage which create a cozy feeling.

My favorite area is this private nook right off the home. Partially hidden by the foliage, it is a great place to sit and enjoy the garden.

The front yard (more structured) and the backyard (relaxed and easy-going) are very different in styles, but equally as nice.  And, they both display nice plant color combinations.  

My guess is that the backyard reveals a little more of the gardener's personality. What do you think?

This garden was included on the Lakes & Hills Garden Club 10th Annual Mount Dora Garden Tour, Nov. 2 & 3, 2013.

A Tropical Get-Away

Heron Cay Lakeview Bed & Breakfast located on Old Hwy. 441 just outside of the downtown area has a very large and tropical-style garden. What a beautiful view from the highway looking into the property.

It's not hard to see why they were chosen as the "Garden of the Month" by Lakes & Hills Garden Club.

Randy and Margie are the owners of this beautiful Inn and property. I caught Margie working in the garden on the day I stopped to ask if I could photograph it. She graciously agreed and even stopped what she was doing to give me a tour of the backyard. I think you'll agree with me that she's definitely got a green thumb.

Mass plantings of various species . . . Purple Queen also referred to as Purple Heart Wandering Jew, Bromeliads and Frangipani's (Plumeria) . . . fill in large areas of space in front of the Inn. 

The backyard is where it really gets tropical. Surrounded by numerous Queen Palms, Hong Kong Orchid trees and citrus trees, the pool area feels like a private tropical oasis for their guests. 

That stunning, red blooming plant pictured above is Brazilian Red Cloak. Undaunted by several mild winters, it has grown into a gargantuan and gorgeous specimen. It's absolutely stunning! Don't you agree?

Wouldn't you love to relax around this pool which is surrounded by so many tropical beauties? What a wonderful place to relax. 

Another specimen of the Brazilian Red Cloak looks fabulous behind the Queen Emma Crinum and the Rosemary. Lots of wonderful textures and varying leaf color in this garden bed. 

Here's a very unique species of Orchid trees which actually grows more like a cascading shrub than a tree.

There's even a bit of garden art in keeping with their waterfront location. Very clever!

What a great Autumn view off the back porch of the Inn

It appears as though the Brazilian Red Cloak looks great paired up with a number of our Florida-friendly plants. The variegated Shell Ginger just shines next to it and the surrounding green foliage. Beautiful combination!

 I mentioned before that they have several varieties of citrus including Honeybells and Key Limes, but there's also numerous pineapple plants growing on the grounds. The variegated pineapple produces bright pink ornamental fruit, while the standard green provides fresh pineapple for the guests.

This highly fragrant tropical beauty is yellow Frangipani, also referred to as Plumeria. 

This Inn is located close to downtown and even comes with its own secret "Pathway to Town." How cool is that!

What an inviting pathway for their guests to explore as they head to town. I'll bet it's really cool to walk this lit path after dark.

Thank you Margie for the tour. It was a total delight! She even shared a cutting of that wonderful Brazilian Red Cloak with me . . . she definitely has the generous heart of a gardener. 

Click here to visit the website for Heron Cay Lakeview Bed & Breakfast . . . and keep this place in mind when you have out of town guests visiting.

Permission granted by homeowner October 2013