Another Game At The Montgomery House

While waiting for the birthday meal the badminton started to get rough. It was the teen age girl vs. the Togs wife. The wife still has a way with the shuttlecock.

An Early Mango

The first of the crop.

The Montgomery House / A View From The Dinning Room

We were there for a birthday party. The croquet game kept the grandchildren busy before the meal. We walked around the gardens. To see all of the garden would take a few hours.

The Montgomery House

This house had the largest garden in Coral Gables. It was a private home for about 70 years, now it is a botanical garden.

One Big Front Porch

A nice place to watch the sun go down. But I didn't see any chairs.

A Different Jacaranda

This Jacaranda is seldom seen in Coral Gables. The tree is smaller then the common Jacaranda mimosifolia and the flowers are much larger.

Ficus Pumila

This Ficus can cover the walls of a building very quickly. It takes a lot of time keeping it trimmed. The white fly that kills the large Ficus trees doesn't bother with this vine, or at least not yet.
It looks like the vine in Japan, but this vine is a tropical plant.

Roman Or Greek Columns, But Not Stone

A strong hurricane about 13 years ago blew down four of these columns. They were wood and now they are plastic. What ever happened to stone?

A Fort Without Arms

This home is on an island in Biscayne Bay and built to withstand hurricanes. The land is known to have gone under water in strong hurricanes. It looks like the owners are ready for the storms.

And The Sailboat That We Used

Biscayne Bay As The Sun Goes Down

Yesterday we spent the afternoon sailing around the bay. The captain anchored in Hurricane Harbor for a nice dinner and we were able to enjoy the beauty of the island. In the 20s and the 30s most of this island, that's a few miles East of Miami, was part of Coral Gables. The sun went down as we sailed to the mainland. I didn't take a picture of the sunset. You wouldn't believe the colors of the sunset on the water. But the hazy sky line of Miami was also a beautiful site.

Ligum Vitae - Jamaica's National Flower

Yesterday I went to Key Largo and saw the Ligum Vitae ( Guaiacum officale) tree that I planted 40 years. This Guaiacum grows larger and has more flowers then the native Guaiacum sanctum.

Another Rain Lily

It still looks like a crocus. Maybe the pollen could be used for a backyard saffron.

Pink Tabebuia Vs. Yellow Tabebuia

The yellow Tabebuia always makes a great show. Last year Lan posted a nice one and I also posted one. The pink Tabebuia needs a cool and dry winter to have a big show. Most years they don't lose their leaves and the flowers are hard to see.

The flowers are hiding the grass.

Trees And Shade, Or Grass

The big oak trees and coconut palms keeps the garden very dark. For the last few years there was no grass under the trees. Now the owners are trying to grow some grass. It's possible but it will be difficult.

Red, You Know Really Red

The color of this orchid catches everyone who comes into my backyard.

Almost A Crocus

This is as close as we can get to a crocus in south Florida. The rain lily usually blooms in mid summer to fall.

Easter Gathering In The Florida Keys

Our grandson with 3 cousins and an aunt out to find some eggs. You don't go formal in the Keys.

Cassia Instead Of Cherry Trees

We are too warm for cherry trees. This cassia tree has been on my blog, once in 2007 and then in 2008.

Oooh! Do We Have Mangoes

We should see a few ripe ones in about 6 weeks.

Dawn And The Toys Are Ready

The Coral Gables High School Painting Class

My wife teaches oil and acrylic painting at the local school. The other day they congregated at our house. Then we all went to FIU (Florida International University) for lunch and a tour of the art museum.

Post Of History

The post is in the middle of the strangler fig (a form of Ficus). I remember this tree and the post from my childhood. But now the white fly will likely kill the old tree.

Another Yellow Theme For April

This orchid started as a Dendrobium aggregatum but now it has a new name, Dendrobium lindleyi. I have grown this orchid for over 50 years and I think I will keep the old name.

Almost A Castle

It only needs three more towers.

Street Cleaners

For 3 days the vultures were circulating over our block until today. Today they found the dead possum. But they didn't like the traffic.

So they took their meal the neighbors house and squabbed contently without the cars.

It's Finished

The Jade vine started to bloom in January, one month early. Today is the last of the beautiful Jade flowers. That's 4 months, and a little longer then a cherry tree.

Our First Swim For The Season

The locals don't swim in the out doors between Thanksgiving and Easter. But today we had our first swim for the year. It was perfect, not a bit too cold. In the winter I only lap swim in an indoor pool.
My pool is for waterlilies and lotus, but we are very lucky to be able to use our neighbors pool.

Another Yellow Orchid

This one is growing in a Jabotacaba tree. The tree is now full of ripe fruit. The Jabotacaba fruit is best eaten while standing by the tree because after you eat the pulp you spit the seeds and the skin on to the grass. That gives us the time to look at this beautiful orchid.

The Yellow Theme Is Easy For Me

You might say that this is gold and not yellow. I can't grow daffodils but I do grow a lot of yellow orchids.

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