Garden Club of Cape Coral | Two hidden gems
Cape Coral has numerous pocket gardens which you might enjoy exploring. One particular favorite is the garden next to the Outpatient Rehabilitation building at Cape Coral Hospital, 605 S.E. 13th Court. It is a peaceful place for hospital staff, patients and family members to take a break. The garden is also a place for Cape Coral residents to pass through as they walk the hospital wellness path, or take a rest on the park bench.
The garden was created in 2014, in a joint effort between the hospital and the county, as a teaching garden. Plant labels help you identify what you see. The garden started out as an edible garden, but was unable to produce sufficient food for the hospital. So it was changed to include nectar and host plants for butterflies while keeping many of the edibles.
This makes for an interesting variety of plants. Tall clumps of banana plants look so tropical. They are near a mature Neem tree and loquat tree. Smaller edibles include many herbs: chives, rosemary, lemon grass, parsley, sage, Cuban oregano and fennel. Cranberry hibiscus are beautiful burgundy colored annual shrubs with deliciously sour leaves that are wonderful in salads or tea. Chaya or Mexican tree spinach is a highly nutritious cooked vegetable, which is easily grown in our subtropical climate. There is also longevity spinach, pineapple and figs.
Butterflies enjoy the giant milkweed tree and native coffee shrubs that are 6 feet tall. Sweet almond bushes add fragrance. Swallowtails lay eggs on the Dutchman’s pipevine while yellow sulphurs lay their eggs on the senna bushes. Flowering Panama rose, beautyberry and many other flowers feed the adult butterflies with their nectar.
It is maintained by Master Gardeners and hospital volunteers. Master Gardeners are available on Thursday mornings to answer questions about plants in the garden or other gardening questions.
A second gem is located on the northwest side of town at Sirenia Vista Park, 3916 Ceitus Parkway, just north of Pine Island Road off of Burnt Store Road. This 8-acre environmental park is a great place to take a walk, put in a kayak or observe the osprey nest. You can throw in a fishing line or sit on one of the great observation benches throughout the park.
The butterfly garden is at the beginning of the walkway on the left. It was started by members of the Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife, who maintain it with the help of neighborhood volunteers. Butterflies may be found laying eggs on several host plants. There are tropical milkweed plants and a giant milkweed tree for monarch butterflies. A large trellis holds a Dutchman’s pipe vine for polydamas swallowtails. There are several privet senna bushes for yellow sulphur butterflies. Many cassius blue butterflies can be seen darting through the plumbago bushes, where they lay their eggs. White butterflies have arrived to visit Virginia peppergrass. Flowering native plants also attract a variety of butterflies to their nectar: firebush, blue porterweed, red tropical sage and yellow dune sunflower.
As you are planning additions to your own garden, these two hidden gems provide great inspiration. In them you can see how big plants get and how they appear in combination with each other. You may also find a quiet place to relax, observe nature, feel a gentle breeze and appreciate the world in which we live.
Sherie Bleiler volunteers at the Cape Coral Library butterfly garden, Sands Park butterfly garden and is past president of the Garden Club of Cape Coral. Visit www.gardenclubofcapecoral.com. Like us on our Facebook page.