PHOTO : Our 2023 Garden Owners & Tour Chair, Carrie Jackson
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The 2023 Secret Garden Tour of Coconut Grove highlighted an eclectic mix of gardens that showcased creativity, rare plants, and WOW moments. Each house had a unique history or renovation story that the owners were on hand to share. From a massive front yard Kapok tree to a tropical wonderland winding through streams and ponds, to a retro Palm Beach style pool to a show-stopping rare Hawaiian Jade Vine in full bloom – it was visually exhilarating!
At Julie & Andy’s lovely pink corner home, a 100 ft. Ficus Altissima (Banyan Tree) greeted you as you passed through the gates of “Wombat Key”. This property was designated historic by the City of Miami in 1984. Originally constructed in 1909 as a Bungalow, Sunshine Fruits Company bought the property in 1915 and converted it into an Inn hosting folks from the Northeast and Midwest. The Inn guests traveled down to Coconut Grove to buy real estate starting at $80 per acre! Previous notable residents include Olive Commons (winner of the 1939 World’s Fair for “Platinum Palmware”), Michael Lang who planned Woodstock in the living room, and Ian Ball, International Journalist and local painter of native birds and plants.
The plant collection here includes an Old Man Palm, Jasmine vines, Saw Palmetto, Specimen Gumbo Limbos, Simpson Stoppers, Buccaneer Palm, Marlberry, Cinnamon Bark Tree, American Beautyberry, Miraguama Palm, Wild Tamarind Trees, Jamaica Caper, Cocoplum large Gingers and a Bottle Palm. They have a lovely native plant butterfly garden followed around the corner flanked by a very large Travelers palm. By the pool, they have a large Miraguama Palm, and a gorgeous Lignumvitae against the house with Bleeding Heart vines crawling up the columns. A coral rock wall is adorned by multiple varieties of orchids and a Bonsai Bougainvillea sits in front of it. There are several native plants including Bahama Strongbark, Joe Wood, Desert Cassia, Simpson Stopper, Thatch Palm, and Pink Tea Bush.
As soon as you enter the gates of Laura & Eddie’s garden, all your senses are indulged by the beauty and visual features of this paradise. This lush property on a 14,300 sq. ft. corner lot in South Coconut Grove, was built in 1938 and has been completely restored. Originally it was part of a large compound and had a spicy history in the 80s as did many Coconut Grove homes. After years of neglect, they acquired the property in 2014 and began their labor of love. Lily ponds, coral rock accents, waterfalls, and large ponds with koi are integral to this winding garden that leads to intimate seating areas and secluded nooks. Exotic palms, aroids, crotons, and flowers have been collected meticulously throughout the years and painstakingly placed so that they thrive. Two oaks that are more than 100 years old add shade and character.
At Sally & Roy’s home, we were warmly greeted by a magnificent flowering Cassia Bakerina tree in the front yard! They purchased this home in 2010 after it had been abandoned and boarded up for several years. Miami-Dade County had posted a notice on the front door warning that the house was “unsafe, dangerous, and unfit for human habitation”. They renovated the house and brought the gardens back to life. The two Haden mango trees in front of the house were planted by the original owner. They planted many flowering trees and bushes to attract pollinators. Lonchopardus Violacous and Radermacherer, Cassia Bakeriana, Cassia Roxburghi, Dombeya, Stemmodenia & Jatropha. For scent, they planted Ylang-Ylang, Sweet Almond, Gardenia, Bay Rum, Angel’s Trumpet, and several varieties of night-blooming jasmine. Recently they joined Connect-to-Protect and have been planting native plants throughout the yard. Their yard has been featured in several ad campaigns, catalogs, and social media accounts…most recently Aerie, Adore Me, Anthropologie, First Aid Beauty, Montce Swim, Kulani Kinis, Toyota, and many more.
Then we stepped back through history via the lens of a 1930s house and garden. Century-old trees hug the walls of Sam & Lotte’s home. A wrought-iron cage encapsulated by ficus once housed tigers and Komodo dragons. And the home has been lived in by an eclectic stream of scientists and artists. Sitting atop the highest point of Miami’s limestone ridge and hidden behind an oolite wall, the ancient ocean anemones, clams, and corals date back 125,000 yrs.
The Kapok House is a 1961 Mid Century home. Teresa & Forest believe the giant Kapok tree that anchors the front yard was planted around that time. The backyard has over 200 palm trees, a Guava tree, and a few Bougainvillea. The Stag Horns growing on several of the palm trees, all came from one ball found buried in vines 15 years ago.
Arriving at Leni & David’s home, we were treated to a contemporary family-friendly property inspired by the rainforests of Costa Rica. Their garden style features big leaf foliage, like Monsteras and Elephant ears, fan tail palms, heliconias, and more. The property and original home were built in 1916 on a half acre of lush tropical landscaping and so already had several varieties of mature mango trees, avocados, sapote, almonds, and tamarind. They have added fruit trees such as dragonfruit, cherries, starfruit, breadfruit, key limes, lychees, papaya, and soursop. Rounding out the property is a beautiful Ylang Ylang tree by the pool and a calming bamboo grove.
We always like to add a surprise or two to the Tour, and this year we added a stop at an unassuming empty home. People tentatively walked into the backyard and then came face-to-face with a huge cascading cluster of a rare Hawaiian Turquoise Jade Vine (Strongylodon macrobotrys) in full bloom hanging from the branches of a massive Banyan tree.
PHOTO BY: Vanessa Salcedo. Our 2023 SGT Garden Tour Photo Contest Winner!
Thank you to our generous and talented 2023 garden owners and to all of our volunteers!!
We hold The Secret Garden Tour to promote the preservation of our tree canopy and to encourage continued cultivation of Coconut Grove’s lush gardens and native plants. The Tour proceeds support Friends of the Commodore Trail in our work as advocates for improvements and upkeep of the Trail so we can all enjoy it safely as we walk, bike, run, live, and play along this beautiful, historic 5-mile expanse.
If you or someone you know has an interesting Coconut Grove garden that they would like to offer to be on next year’s tour… we would love to hear from you! Please send me an email at: [email protected]
See you in the gardens next year!
Carrie Jackson
2023 Secret Garden Chair
