A Tropical Garden Paradise

The tireless & quite incredible work of the Key West Gardening Club at West Martello Tower.

This is a little midweek extra and free for all. Most of my posts are for paid members. If you’d like to join us then click on that li’l ole button below.

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We did visit this wondrous magical place this year and I promise I did film it for you again. However, it was the strangest of weather, incredibly close and humid, with not a whisper of breeze. It was directly after an entire day of thunderous heavy rain, which I had never experienced before and I’ve been coming here since I was 22! Usually, it rains for up to an hour and then the sun shows its face again, but not that day.

Anyway, the upshot is that I was a sweaty hot mess, so much so that the vast majority of the footage is periodically covered in wetness from my perspiring sausage fingers (yes, it was that hot). Believe me, no one needs to see that footage. We, each of us, only lasted 20 minutes and had to head back to the pool. Astonishingly, the trusty crew from The Key West Gardening Club, most of which are over free bus pass age, seemed untouched by relentless perspiration and were happy chopping back and planting like it was the first day of spring. However, I did manage to salvage this cuter than cute few seconds of footage of free-roaming baby chicks and their parents:

I posted the video and accompanying paragraphs below just as I became a bestseller on here a year ago and had some 3000 less subscribers then than I do now (thank you!). So, I thought it would be a nice idea to bring it back seeing as my sweaty paws ruined this year’s expedition. By the way, if anyone knows anyone in Hawaii or Arkansas who might like Home & Hort, then please pass this on, as it’s the only two U.S states where I don’t have any subscribers.

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A visit to the West Martello Tower Garden in Key West has become an annual tradition for us and our lovely friend Michael from Chicago. We hire bikes, the old fashion type, with a handy basket at the front, a satisfying bell and no brakes! It takes a few minor incidents to remember that you have to peddle backwards to stop. But, cycling through the lush green streets of the historic district with a gentle warm breeze running through your hair is one of the best feelings on earth. On our way toward White Street Pier we pass fragrant Frangipani, lush Red Ginger, the trumpet-shaped violet blooms of Thunbergia grandiflora, silvery Buttonwood and the chameleon colours of the Garden Croton. It’s the closest thing to paradise.

Our first port of call is always the pier. We pay homage to the AIDS memorial and then race to the far end of the jetty just to be up close and personal with the calypso blue of the ocean and, if we’re lucky, watch the pelicans as they greedily dive-bomb for lunch. We take the obligatory selfie and then head toward West Martello Tower.

It’s a Civil War-era brick fortress, which was built in the 1860s. It has been lovingly reincarnated as the Key West Garden Club, a magical tropical oasis. It’s the most wonderful way to spend a morning just meandering the winding brick paths through a sequence of gardens, or rooms such as the butterfly garden, cactus garden, orchid displays and waterfall and lily pond. The fort, with its vaulted ceilings, gun mounts and conservatory, creates a fascinating historical backdrop to the plethora of towering tropical plants and trees. The gardens have almost been completely destroyed on more than one occasion by hurricanes. It’s testament to the enduring sense of hope and rebirth from the volunteers that these gardens continue to bring peace and inspiration.

At the water’s edge of the fort is a gazebo with stunning views of the Atlantic Ocean. I could sit there for hours. Come with me on this little video tour of the gardens, lovingly tended to by the members of the Key West Garden Club. Hopefully, it will transport you to another world for a little while and warm your soul.

Hope you liked it. Xx

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