Many years ago, Dr. Scott Hubert stopped in Valley View Farms to ask us to order some pineapple plants.
After growing the plants on for a summer, Scott brought in a photo of his family celebrating the harvesting of the pineapple in a special ceremony. Little did I know how passionate Scott and his wife Amy are about their garden. A few weeks ago I asked the Hubert's if I could use their garden as a setting for a segment John Collins and I do on WBAL TV every Sunday. Here is that episode of the Sunday Gardener.
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| The pineapple in the lower corner is almost ripe! |
After growing the plants on for a summer, Scott brought in a photo of his family celebrating the harvesting of the pineapple in a special ceremony. Little did I know how passionate Scott and his wife Amy are about their garden. A few weeks ago I asked the Hubert's if I could use their garden as a setting for a segment John Collins and I do on WBAL TV every Sunday. Here is that episode of the Sunday Gardener.
The Hubert family enjoy their tropical vacations, so it isn't surprising that they wanted to bring back a bit of the islands with them.
Some folks might settle for a bottle of rum; not Scott. He saw beautiful palm trees in a nursery in Homestead, Florida and managed to have them shipped close to his home in Baltimore County. Scott added other tropical plants to his gardens until he achieved a feel for the islands
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| An island resort garden? Nope; curbside at the Hubert's Baltimore County home |
Some folks might settle for a bottle of rum; not Scott. He saw beautiful palm trees in a nursery in Homestead, Florida and managed to have them shipped close to his home in Baltimore County. Scott added other tropical plants to his gardens until he achieved a feel for the islands
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| Beautiful date palms, sago palm, croton, and a pineapple surround a working volcanic waterfall. |
Hibiscus, mandevilla, philodendron, pygmy date palms, Chinese fan palms, birds of paradise, bouganvillea and many tropical plants love our hot, humid summers. But that can be an issue in the winter time. The Hubert family can use help in the fall when its time to move all of the plants inside. There is an older greenhouse in the backyard that serves as a winter home for the hobby plants. Some of the trees have gotten tall enough that they actual have to be dug into the ground inside their winter home.
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| A sign posts actual mileage to the Hubert's favorite island destinations |
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| Big trees mean big root systems |
The garden is not without challenges. Larger palms have to be fastened down to avoid being blown over by the wind, or "borrowed" by curious passers by. A large steel cable makes sure that doesn't happen. And, guess what? Deer like a lot of tropicals mixed into their diet plan, so deer repellents may be applied during times when Scott is not on duty in the garden.
Scott and Amy's zest for life and fascination with plants has connected them to so many people, including me, who find their passion for their gardens inspiring. Thank you for making our part of the world a more beautiful place.
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