Hidden away off Camino Real in Oyster Bay we find this hidden water-side gem.   The home itself is obscured by an island of tropical foliage.   Just up the circular driveway lies a 1957’s lovingly restored rancher now a two story soft contemporary since the 1999 and 2020 updates. Both inside and outside offer a present day ambiance. The landscape melds mature shrubbery with new offerings.

 

Recently retired vascular surgeon, Dr. Steven “Skip” Silverman, is our gardener here!  Bonnie is “along for the ride”.  Skip is particularly enamored with his property line tropical fruit garden and lanai container vegetable garden.  Bonnie loves her colorful vinca blooms and wants more “color”. The couple originally hails from Baltimore, spent time in Dallas for surgery residency and has been in Sarasota since 1990.  Thirty-six years makes them “locals”. Skip’s passion is tennis, guitar and gardening and Bonnie’s is cooking and tennis. Skip’s folks “found” a tropical paradise in Sarasota and the family followed suit.

 

The front island affords total privacy housing mature Japanese and Mexican fan palms, intermingled with dwarf pitch apple; a mature croton and a touch of color from the fire-star reed orchids!  Shaded areas offer holly fern and peperomia ground covers as understory no maintenance additions.

 

 Up the paver driveway another island welcomes you to the home; this island lost some foliage from our “double hitter” hurricanes and the owners are still questioning “what will make it” with new sun patterns.  The dwarf pigmy date palm is fine…but the iris finds the summer sun just too intense.  This may be a great spot to add a duo of massive agaves or triumvirate of smaller agave specimens with low water needs, sun tolerance and no maintenance.  Agaves have become very popular landscape plants in Sarasota since they thrive in warm, sunny climates in Hardiness Zones 9 to 11. Because they are highly drought-tolerant and salt-tolerant, they make a fantastic, low-maintenance addition to a "Florida-Friendly" landscape. Sandy soil near the water is a perfect spot: Agaves are highly susceptible to root rot so the sandy, well-draining soil on this property is perfect!  

 

Two large sun loving giant bromeliads such as alacantrea odorata or achmea blanchetia may be of interest here! They are the kings of sun-loving bromeliads. Alcantarea imperialis and Alcantarea odorata both are massive, architectural plants that form broad, leathery rosettes up to 5 feet wide and shoot up dramatic flower spikes. They handle heavy sun well, particularly the striking red or silver varieties. Aechmea blanchetiana is also recommended for Florida landscapes, this large bromeliad features long, arching leaves that come in brilliant shades of yellow, orange, and red when exposed to full sun. Bonnie, here are your color additions!

 

Gardeners always have some mishaps!  Their spectacular bird’s nest ferns can be salvaged from the ravages of sunlight close to the house! Bright direct sunlight will cause the bright green fronds to turn yellow and stunt growth. Re-plant in deep, protected shade with moist, highly organic soil, or mount them directly onto trees. With TLC the fern should perk up when ensured constant humidity and protection from direct sun.

 

The loss of a dozen dwarf  Tibouchina was a heart-breaker.  This fantastic, compact tropical shrub for Florida thrives in Sarasota when provided with full morning sun to partial shade. It likes consistently moist (not waterlogged) but well-drained acidic soil.     A slow-release fertilizer or a bloom-boosting liquid maximize blooming of the vibrant purple flowers. Tibouchina has low to no tolerance for direct coastal salt spray or highly saline soils. Not a plant for a waterfront property! We need to remember the “right plant in the right place.

 

A soft sea color pot filled with no-care Sansevieria welcomes you into the home itself. A perfect planter specimen since it has runners emanating from the tubers underground making it an unwelcome “guest who came to dinner” who won’t leave if planted in the ground!

 

Skip’s border of tropical fruit trees include:  A Surinam Cherry, banana, plantain and new dwarf mango.  Skip notes that he has “disappearing fruit”. Who or what can be the culprit?

 

The side islands thrive with many low care low water needed foliage!  Good choice here. These include: Dwarf Carissa (natal plum), Mexican fan palm, and vinca for color. The large boulders along with mature oak back -drop offer softness in scale with the home.   A mélange of pitch apple and arboricola thrive in the shade as you circumnavigate the home.  A large podocarpus hedge adds privacy on the left and to the right a patterned paver path utilizes the neighbor’s backdrop wall of bamboo to enhance the offerings including: birds of paradise, crinum lily, Bay laurel, Japanese privet (Lingustrum).  A variegated liriope grass and dwarf fig understory offer minimal maintenance.  All work well together. Further down the textured path a spineless yucca (Dracaena Marginata) on the left and a soft gardenia on the right offer “something for everyone”…linear or softness, take your pick!

 

The rear of the home is a welcoming delight. Your vacation retreat awaits you.  Sit by the shade in the screened pool or sunbath on the grass by the water-your choice!  Red mangroves protect the shoreline along with trimmed fragrant confederate jasmine.   The side of the house offers family and friends easy kayaking off the dock…or go for a fish or tour by boat.   Jersey kale and pole beans hold court with the vibrant bougainvillea in the pool cage. Don’t forget the mosaic path stones embedded in the shell groundcover on this far side of the home.

 

I had the honor of tasting Bonnie’s wonderful cooking…and who knew that I would find another amazing garden to share with you! Always a surprise “around the corner” and down the lane!