Heathcote Botanical Gardens

 

            Hi everybody. This past weekend, my wife and I had the tremendous opportunity to visit Heathcote Botanical gardens in Fort Pierce. This beautiful tropical paradise is located on Savannah Road just off US 1 in the southern part of Ft. Pierce. The gardens feature many common native plants along with many varieties that are not so common and that is what makes this local attraction so unique.

Upon first entering the gardens, the first “staff” you might encounter will be the local residing cats that make this sanctuary their home. The curving walkways throughout the gardens add to the charm of the entire experience. Along the paths, you will encounter a wonderful fishpond with a small waterfall and a footbridge to boot. In the back of the gardens, be sure to visit the Bonsai garden, which boasts plants from all over the world. I found this area truly amazing and worth the trip just to see this area by itself.

Be sure to bring your camera, as there are many photographic opportunities throughout the garden area. I am composing a slide show that will be featured on my website http://hometowngarden.net. The slideshows are in Flash format and can be accessed by almost all browsers. On the web, you can visit their website for admission prices and driving directions at http://www.heathcotebotanicalgardens.org/index.html.

Today I would like to mention a little about a couple of the plants that you will encounter on your garden tour. One of the more common plants you will see are Bromeliads. Bromeliads are members of a plant family called Bromeliaceae. There are over 3000 species of these plants in the world. One of the more common plants in this category is the pineapple plant, which I talked about in a previous column a few weeks back. These plants are easy to grow and the brilliant long lasting blooms make them an extremely popular plant in Florida. They tolerate the Florida heat quite well and thrive in almost all temperatures as long as they stay above freezing.

In order for these plants to bloom, they must be large and mature enough plus they will need adequate light and water. Adding a small amount of ordinary Epsom salts can aid in both growth and blooming. If the plant is still stubborn and still refuses to bloom, you can sometimes force the plant to bloom by the use of a simple, ripe apple. To do this, simply enclose the plant in a plastic bag with the apple inside the bag. Be sure to keep the plant out of direct sunlight when doing this procedure. Leave the bag and apple intact for about a week. The apple will emit a gas called ethylene, which will in turn help to force the plant to bloom. After a week, remove the plastic bag and the apple. You can return the plant back to its normal environment. Be sure to use a well draining potting soil when planting your Bromeliads.

One of the more colorful plants you will encounter on your tour is the Black Cherry Alamanda. Personally, I love the coloring of these plants. Think of a glass of black cherry soda and that is the color you will see in the plant. Other then the color, the leaves and the flower structure are very similar to the more common yellow Alamanda. Alamanda plats are quite easy to grow and they are very common in our tropical climate. You can use these plants in large pots, as a landscape accent plant and also as a hedging plant.

Although beautiful, bare in mind that Alamanda are on the Florida list of poisonous plants. All parts of the plant are poisonous and contain allamandin which can cause an itchy rash and blisters so be sure to use gloves when handling.

The couple plants I just mentioned are just the tip of the iceburg of what you will see on your garden tour. In the near future, the gardens will be expanded  by as much as 63 acres so be sure to stay tuned on when this event will happen. Enjoy your visit.

I hope everybody has a happy and safe Fourth of July holiday!