Monthly Archives: October 2013

The Before photo

The Before photo

House as we bought it. This is the beginning of my Landscape Renovation story. This photo is what we bought, I look at it and wonder “what were we thinking?” Then, I know, in my heart I can fix this and make it work. I have redone many horrendous yards, this one, mine, may take the cake. Thus far.

What I do not recall is, who the SUV belongs to. Maybe a rental? Maybe the realtor, maybe it will come back to me or I will ask Larry.

So, yes, we actually did buy this in exactly this state. My favorite landscaper in Atlanta said “Amelia, the landscape there looks Venutian, as in the planet.” Really, Venus with intractable weeds. Believe it or not, at some point, through archaeological digging we discovered there was a pea gravel turnaround in front of the house, I will post another picture of the front.

Cocoplum – Chrysobalanus icaco

Cocoplum

Ahh, the ubiquitous Cocoplum, the workhorse shrub for the Treasure Coast. You gotta love it ..takes a licking and keeps on ticking. This picture is from the Winn Dixie parking lot. The shrub is irrigated but it also still alive, amazing.

Cocoplums are native to South Florida and will grow in seaside areas and elsewhere with little or no supplemental irrigation. The are two varieties- the coastal, which is low and tumbling medium texture shrub and the inland which will reach heights of 15 feet and may be pruned into a nice small tree. The inland variety is typically used as a clipped hedge and has a reddish tint to the new foliage.

You have to find a true Zone 10 native if you are looking for someone who actually likes to eat the Coco Plums. The shrubs do bear fruit, apparently, it is something like grits if you grow up on it you like it otherwise, not so much…the people who like Cocoplum fruit are usually true connoisseurs of mangoes as well and hopefully, if they grow Mangoes this is whats is in your gift basket, not the Cocoplums.

The further north you get

This week I have been doing some work in the Miami-Ft. Lauderdale area. I was sitting with a friend in traffic on the 1-95 entrance ramp and I asked her how many people were in the Miami Metro area, she asked Suri (being an IPhone fan) Well, Suri couldn’t find it, but me-the anti-Suri (and I love my Android phone) could find it. The answer being 5 million in the Great Miami – Ft. Lauderdale Dade Metro area. Or something like that, so, I decided to look up Metro Atlanta, oops, 5 Million as well. Really, the whole reason I left Atlanta. OK, maybe I did not know 4.98 million of the other people but their cars were certainly in my way – a lot. 

Basically, we have Atlanta with palm trees and seemingly many more high rise buildings on the beachfront. Several people have commented that South Florida is too crowded. I think they are referring to Greater Miami whatever. Here on the Treasure Coast things are less developed and the locals are making damn sure it stays that way.

Peculiarly enough, during the course of my business in Miami – I heard the comment “the further north you get the nicer the people are”…I am not sure about this not finding people in Miami to be particularly nasty or whatever generates this comment. I have also encountered some rather odd theories about the not niceness of people from New Jersey. Curious, my Mother, a dyed in the wool Southerner, discounted Yankees as a group..not nice at all..No real exception for New Jersey. And if there had been one, I would have heard about it.

I digress. I will have to say I am not finding people in this area to be that much nicer. If it is true that the further north you get the nicer the people it stands to reason that people from New Jersey should be really nice. I suppose I will have to scratch my head over this for awhile. What is nice about things north of Greater Miami is that if people know you, they will send you a bill rather than requiring a check on the spot. Traffic is much lighter, as an escapee of a large metropolitan area, practically non-existent.  Maybe that has something to do with, as well as a generally low stress ‘we can do that man~ana’ attitude. I think that drives the people from New Jersey crazy.

 

 

 

 

 

More Crotons – Codiaeum variegatum

More Crotons
There are many different varieties of Croton, the names range from Sloppy Painter to Mrs. Robinson (not sure I even want to know the reason for that name!)

Here is a picture of two additional types of Crotons. On the left side, the Petra Croton, which grows to 8-10 feet and has many uses as a large shrub. I often see these planted and pruned into being ugly because they are naturally taller. This plant has a coarse texture and pruning chews up the leaves.
So, remember, if you want something tall..plant something tall, don’t beat it up for being tall.

On the right is the Gold Dust Croton, I would tend to use this more as an accent plant – both of these shrubs would look wonderful in a tapestry style hedge planting.

It is strange, there is another Gold Dust plant..Gold Dust Aucuba. It is one of those you love it or you hate it plants. This particular shrub will not make it in South Florida but it does from South Georgia almost to Chicago..One of the more opinionated plants around, usually “my Grandma had those and I hate em”
Well, a little Gold Dust in a dark corner is a good thing sometimes..be it a Croton or an Aucuba.