Lemon Bay Garden Club.
On November 18th, my wife and I attended attended the Fall Garden Tour presented by the Lemon Bay Garden Club. We were very impressed by the amount of work that the owners of the property have put into their gardens and, not having a green thumb myself, I was envious of the results they have achieved.
The Palmetto Gardens is situated on 2 acres close to the beach and originally had overgrown Brazilian pepper trees, vines and palmettos covering the grounds.
An undertaking to clear the exotic non-Florida species and hundreds of palmettos took four years and a thousand feet of trails were created, with seating areas to provide a resting spot.
Owner
Most of the trails are named and you will discover pocket gardens along your path with various garden ornaments, such as a statue of a boy fishing out of a small fountain or a large ornamental bumble bee hovering above the ground. The nature of the garden also allows it to have it’s share of Florida critters visiting.
The next home was located on Forked Creek.
Waterfalls and water plants invite guests to the front door.
Moving to the back of the house you pass through an arbor trellis that supports several grape vines and orchids and ferns hang from trees.
The back yard patio has a hot tub surrounded by trees and bushes with hanging bromiliads and ferns.
The owners say that their garden is “a work of love in progress “.
House #3, for us, was located in Whispering Pines. Five magnificent oak trees and a Norfolk pine highlight the property and the owner added 25 species of palm trees and 10 fruit trees provide the bones of the yard.
The owner joined the Englewood Men’s Garden Club and was introduced to both novice and experts who were immensely helpful in his gaining information and experience.
Shade-loving plants are concentrated in the front yard and sun-lovers are mostly in the back.
The Men’s Garden Club members gather once a week to share their knowledge of plant propagation. The sale of plants raised by this group raise funds for their annual scholarships to Lemon Bay High School.
The owner, left, hopes to continue finding unusual and rare plants to add to his collection.
The biggest challenge is finding the right climate for the needs of tropical and sub-tropical plants that will survive in Englewood.
The last garden that we visited was a gorgeous property on Bayshore Drive overlooking Lemon Bay. The grounds were massive and the view across the bay …. spectacular. The waterfront is covered with protected mangroves that have all been neatly trimmed (I am still wondering how they manage to do that.
The gazebo in the center grounds is bordered by a shaped Jasmine hedge, while Confederate Jasmine vines create a canopy for this sanctuary. The homes grand entry is surrounded with interesting grasses and flanked on each side by waterfalls and ponds filled with water lilies and koi.
One of the beautifully trimmed trees that I noticed on the way out was a Lignum Vitae tree, which boasts one of the hardest woods in the world. The tree was at least 20 feet tall and has obviously been growing for some time, since the growth rate is about 2 inches per year.
For those interested in more information about the Garden Club contact:
Barbara Jacobson 475-9359 or e-mail: chuck7503@aol.com
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Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for At Home with Style.
On December 1st, 
At Home with Style officially had it’s ribbon cutting ceremony. Owner, Jottie Taylor, is shown here with the oversize scissors neatly snipping the red ribbon. A member of the Venice Chamber of Commerce is seen holding a certificate presented to Jottie.
Stopping in at At Home with Style is well worth your while for the wide selection of gifts for everyone. Check out their website at http://www.athomewithstyle.com for a glimpse of what is in store.
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Winter Arts Festival.
The Winter Arts Festival was held on the 3rd and 4th of December.
For more coverage of the event visit:
http://www.englewoodfl.us. Either use the direct link on the front page or navigate there through the events page.
Check out the website, www.englewoodfl.us, for more photographic coverage of the event.
The oldest structure in Englewood, the Quinby/Jergens/Rinkard house, which was severely damaged by fire in 2011 has been demolished. The building was not occupied at the time of the fire and it is unknown what the owner’s intentions are for the property.
