Post Hurricane Container Garden

March 10

Now it is mid-March in SWFL and the sun shifts farther north each day, I'm having to shift routines to conserve my container palm garden to account for loss of protective canopy due to Hurricane Ian. Over the winter I stashed most of my container garden under the eaves on the east side of the house where they were somewhat protected from winter sun by Sabal Row and Australian pines on the vacant lot next door. But about a month ago a contractor cleared all that growth to install a seawall. I decided I couldn't leave my container palms where they sat. So, I pulled out the winter survivors, weeded and repotted as necessary and found new hideouts for them. For most, that meant life on our back lanai surrounded by shade cloth. Now they hang out in greenhouses or sit on wheeled dollies. We beefed up the shade cloth on the bird cage top and south-facing side. A minority of more robust species, i.e., Ptychosperma sp, Chrysolidocarpus lutescens 'Fused Leaf' & a couple Veitchia spp that I plan to plant come rainy season hang out in remaining bits of partial shade around the yard.

Right now my back lanai looks as good as it has in nearly a year. So do the palms. I took the following photos yesterday. Included in the palmy roster are Chamaedoreas (deckeriana, Metallica, geoniformis, tenella, tuerckheimii. brachypoda), Licualas, Pinanga kuhlii, Iguanura tenuis, Areca hybrid, a Rhapis and a Calyptrocalyx

Container Shade Garden, Cape Coral, FL 2023