Wild & Tame

Sandhill Cranes roam around an oak hammock calling out to other wild birds and establishing territory. They use their long beaks to stab prey and to use as a weapon for protection. We were curious of each other, and I respectfully kept my distance to avoid any unwanted confrontations.

Gopher Tortoise

Found homeless and roaming around on a job site with the name Johnny Haze graffitied on his shell.

Safely relocated, Johnny Haze dug a new burrow, found a girl, and settled down. Rock on!

Apple Snail. 

The only food the Snail Kite eats...probably a good reason why the Snail Kite is on the list of Protected and Endangered species. The bird is a picky eater.

The Rookery - Ibis in the wetland.

Wild Peacock looking for love.

Strutting his stuff....to the wrong species. This may take some time.

Raptor roost

Saw this little guy outside my balcony when I was attending an AWRA Conference in the Florida Keys. He knows how to relax and let it all hang loose.

Best friends. Reefer the Clownfish and his sea anenome.

Wild animals don't get any cuter than this curious little pig.

Unless, of course, it's a pack of wild baby pigs. 

These little piggies roamed freely on the Babcock Ranch.

Ready to strike. This Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake was close to 6 feet long and his head was the size of my fist. He had been caught in a trap for a biological study and had to be released back into the wild, it would have be inhumane to leave him in the trap to die. He was mean and tried to strike several times after he was released. He did not retreat. He did not back down.

Check out the rattle. It's blurry because it's moving so quickly. 

The day's haul. Nuisance gators were trapped by a local hunter who was issued a permit to help control the gator population. The tails were prepared and then sold to restaurants for meat, and the heads and skins were dried and sold to the highest bidder. 

Pink Flamingos enjoying a sunny day in south Florida.

Limpkin, a Protected and Endangered Species, forage and nest along the historic Loxahatchee River.

Deer rub. A sign of a growing buc with a lot of points.

Monarch Butterfly lingering in the garden in southeast Florida. Normally, Monarch butterflies travel from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico, a distance of about 2,000 miles. They return north again in the spring. This Monarch was a little off-course lingering on the east coast of Florida.

Quack, the duck, blowing bubbles into the hose.

Peking ducks have an incredible sense of humor and enjoy the company of other animals, 

including wild birds, domesticated cats, horses, and dogs. This duck also loves to be pet and cuddled.

Another turtle rescue. This green turtle was roaming around a new housing development searching for his home when he was handed to me by a homeowner. I happily relocated him to a nice park.

Blooms & Harvest

Frangipangi in bloom. It all started from a small branch of a tree that was laying in a landscape heap on the side of the road ready for pick up. The frail limb was brought home and stuck in a plastic pot with some soil. It looked dead, but when I scraped the branch with my fingernail, the woody flesh underneath the bark was green. It was salvageable. Eventually, the Frangipangi was transplanted under a tree canopy in the back yard and forgotten.  A few years later, the frail branch grew into a tree, and produced this incredible bloom.

Blue Flag Iris growing wild.

Cascade Hops - Seed Source from Oregon, grown in Florida. 

Great for home-brewed beer!

Ornamental Ginger under the Oaks.

Hibiscus in bloom. This hibiscus was the largest I've ever seen, and tons of them bloomed beautifully in my Aunt's summer garden. Although my beloved Aunt Alicia passed away, the blooms she planted opened every morning to greet the day and remind me of the beauty she left behind.

Butterfly Orchid in full bloom. Hung in a tree and left alone. 

The Plumbago is in bloom again. Hundreds of these little flowers cover the Plumbago hedge in the front yard providing an instant, warm welcome and definite front porch appeal. 

Pitcher Plant...look out for the teeth. But that's not all, there's more...

Pitcher Plant and pods. Banned from many gated communities due to the appearance of the seed pods. Many homeowners complained that the seed pods looked too much like a part of the male anatomy. The Pitcher plant lets them hang proudly in a friends' garden. Oh my! That plant has... balls?

Fresh limes from the yard. Life gave me limes-  I had a party and made Margaritas.

It's alive! The 3-headed pineapple plant was a landscaping marvel. When it ripened, it was harvested, eaten, and the 3 tops were replanted for future pineapples.

It takes about two years for a pineapple plant to mature before it produces fruit. This line of pineapple plants borders the edge of my yard and produces edible landscaping.

Fancy Hibiscus in full bloom.

Ornamental Ginger cluster started from a tuber and growing wild under the Oak canopy.

Painter's Palette Caladium.  

I've had this strain of caladium since I was in college, and have given cuttings to friends and family over the years to share its colorful appeal. This plant is an easy keeper.

Sweet Magnolia growing wild in a nature preserve.

Gardenia tree in full bloom. Smells wonderful.

Another strain of Ornamental Ginger and the bloom. 

This bloom pops up annually, no matter what.

Tall palms on a clear, blue day.

The path less traveled

 It was love at first sight and I knew that I was goner! It took my breath away. It is the last of historic, old Florida. 

This path borders the edge of one of the oldest and largest working ranches in Florida, the Babcock Ranch, east of Ft. Myers.

This boardwalk borders the edge of the Loxahatchee Slough where the battle of 1838 was fought between the Seminole Indians and the Tennessee Volunteers, and it is very close to the headwaters of one of the oldest and most historic rivers in the eastern United States, the Loxahatchee River, Jupiter, FL.

This path leads to one of the best places to sneak away to snorkel and relax. Parrot fish, Ridleys-Kemp sea turtles, squids, French Angel fishes, Damsels, Lemon sharks, Nurse sharks, Reef sharks, Snook, Barracudas, Stingrays, Moray eels, and Florida manatees. Such a great beach- it's never crowded- and probably one of my favorite places to unwind and enjoy the awesomeness of nature, Jupiter Island, FL.

This path borders Pine Flatwoods and the Ritz Carlton Golf Course, Jupiter, FL.

Mangroves are very closely regulated here because they are vital to the health of the environment. They provide habitat for marine life, stabilize the river banks, stop erosion, and are natural water filters. This path leading through the mangroves, shows that we can be in sync with nature, Palm Beach Gardens, FL.

 Winding path through the Pines and Palms, bordering residential homes, Jupiter, FL.

Creative design of a passive recreational area throughout this residential development and natural preserve located in Stuart, FL.

The Ultimate Mind Eraser. This path leads to a wide swath of white, white sand, crystal blue water, and (during the right time of year) THE best waves for Boogey boarding, body surfing, surfing, and skimming. If you've ever had a really bad day and need to forget it all, definitely walk this way!

Flowers of the Lilies

  Filling the room with a light, sweet aroma is easy with this fragrant water lily in bloom. Although this species of water lily is considered non-native where I live (and very invasive-which is a no-no), its delightfully stinky bloom is very similar to Honeysuckle or Night-blooming Jasmine.

One of my very favorite artists is Monet. He loved painting water lilies in full bloom and I love to plant the lilies so that my restoration work looks like a Monet painting. This plant thrives in a deep water zone. It has one main root, or tuber, and can easily be harvested and replanted to create the "Monet look" of Giverny, France. 

Long-stemmed Lily