An emerging theme for the annual Mother’s Day Garden Tour is how to create a lovely, Florida-friendly garden on a small lot.
The 89-year-old Jones home in the Wares Creek neighborhood is newly restored. Betty Jones worked with Jeff Gilchrist Landscaping to create the Florida-friendly gardens. COURTESY PHOTO
People taking the Manatee River Garden Club’s tour Saturday can also visit their clubhouse grounds for ideas.
Home gardens on the tour are:
– Mary Patterson, 4109 Riverview Blvd., Bradenton: The gardens of 100-year-old Spanish-style house purposefully avoid a manicured look. Patterson removed all grass and installed Florida-friendly plants with the help of the Landscape941 company. Some of the plants include blue agapanthus, Russian sage, ajuga and hydrangea. Also seen are craggy old hot pink bougainvillea on the chimney, a fiddle leaf fig tree thriving along a fence and a Peters honey fig. Antique family items include a little boy fountain and a strawberry jar filled with succulents. When Patterson moved into the house three years ago, she turned a bedroom into her art studio and added a porch.
– Betty Jones, 927 22nd St. W., Bradenton: At the newly restored
A close-up view of a portion of the privacy garden at the LaPolla garden in a condominium courtyard. COURTESY PHOTO
89-year-old home in the historic Wares Creek neighborhood, Jones worked with Jeff Gilchrist Landscaping to plant tropical, Florida-friendly gardens that reflect her carefree lifestyle. Color abounds in the house exterior, decorative accents and the plants. The design in front is unique as it gives me the necessary privacy on a busy street, while having great curb appeal. Along a washed-shell path, markers identify black bamboo, baby sunrose groundcover with delicate pink flowers, orchids in the pygmy palm, and various croton, bromeliad and ti plants. Trees include the reclinata palm tree clusters with their gracefully curved slender brown trunks, powder puff trees, Hong Kong orchid tree and the gardenia bush. A recent addition is the garden surrounding the back deck along Wares Creek. Jones’ goal is to have plantings that will require minimal maintenance once established and will provide a sense of rest and relaxation.
– Anna Harper and Charlie Bender, 5107 Fifth Ave. Drive N.W., Bradenton: All plants except for two live oaks and one carrotwood tree have been planted within the last year. The owners describe their gardens as “contemporary tropical” and chose plants with interesting architectural structure. Around the new front patio are tropical plants, such as yucca and Australasian tree ferns, which gives them a private outdoor venue for entertaining. Other plants include the pitch apple, various protea banksia from South Africa and Australia with their fruiting cones, the new gray-toned European olive tree, potted dwarf mulberry, and the “Slender Weaver” bamboo used for screening.
– Tom and June Sweeney, Vizcaya Condo Association, 6101 34th St. W., No. 12B, Bradenton: The Sweeneys have lived in the condo for about eight years, with Tom managing the gardens at first and planting mostly cacti. She began planting annuals and perennials. Among the fragrant offerings in the colorful courtyard are night blooming jasmine. In the tranquil, private garden, a frog hops among the bromeliads. Other plants include a clivia plant with its scarlet-colored bloom that they brought as an indoor plant from the north, a citronella-scented geranium, a volunteer snow bush and colorful coleus. He volunteers at Palma Sola Gardens and she volunteers at Selby Botanical Gardens.
– John LaPolla, Vizcaya Condo Association, 6101 34th St. W., No. 14E, Bradenton: A retired published decorator, he now designs and cares for two small gardens as his creative outlet. Both the courtyard entry and the “privacy garden” have areas of sun and shade. As a member of the Sarasota Butterfly Club, his newest interest is choosing host and nectar plants for butterflies. Highlights include the red shrimp plant, deep pink ground orchid, the sound of water flowing, birds chirping, fish swimming in the ponds and geckos climbing over the Oriental accessories. LaPolla uses the peaceful space more than any other room in his house.
The event is the club’s major fundraiser. The nonprofit club, established in 1929, is a member of the Florida Federation of Garden Clubs Inc. and National Garden Clubs Inc. Its mission is to promote and encourage a community of nature enthusiasts who share the love of gardening, horticulture, floral design, environmental concerns and other related endeavors.
— Submitted by Judy Boehm
IF YOU GO
What: Manatee River Garden Club’s Mother’s Day Garden Tour.
When: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.
Where: Clubhouse, 3120 First Ave. W., and five private gardens.
Cost: For tour, $15 in advance at Crowder’s in Bradenton and Lakewood Ranch and $20 at the door; $8 for lunch at clubhouse, where there also will be a plant sale and vendors.
Information: Call 870-2259 or visit www.manateerivergardenclub.com.
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