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.