Lutz Gardener Provides Inspiration

She's Meems to her grandkids - and to the many who visit her Lutz garden from around the world.

"I have friends in India, Australia, England, Sweden," says Cindy Glover, ticking off the countries on her fingers. "I can tell you their names and what they're growing in their gardens."

She meets them through Hoe & Shovel, her popular blog at www.hoeandshovel.blogspot.com. There "Meems" shares striking photographs and gentle tales from the hours spent in her own acre of "tropicalesque" beds. Her posts are often humorous and loaded with musings that make other gardeners smile and nod knowingly, like this excerpt from Tuesday:

"After saying over and over in my own head, 'I wish I could be in the garden right now and not stuck inside decorating this silly lovely tree,' at one moment I'm following the plan for the day and the next thing I know, I'm outside taking a peek at the garden.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh, now all is right with the world. Okay. We'll just mind the veggie garden and do a few other little things. Just forrrrrr .... let's see, we'll go right back inside in an hour... or maybe an hour and a half."

Nodding knowingly? Yeah, you guessed it; Meems didn't get much decorating done that day.

She says she didn't know much about plants when she moved from Carrollwood to Lutz 24 years ago. Her generous backyard was nearly treeless and covered with grass. A kind neighbor offered guidance and plants, and slowly Cindy transformed the view.

The six oaks and Drake elms she planted provide a sun-dappled canopy over beds of bromeliads, red ti plants and dramatic variegated shell gingers, vivid Lemon Lime Dracaena, African iris and, come spring, hundreds of caladiums.

Penny Carnathan

Xanadu

Philodendron "Xanadu"

Cindy loves Xanadu for its dark foliage and round shape - and because it's "easy, easy, easy!" She bought her first one for $35 (a splurge), but it proved to be a great investment. She has dug up and divided so many, she now has glossy green mounds everywhere.

Xanadu does well in dappled sunlight or shade. In the spring, dig up a big one, divide it up and plant the pieces.

Coleus "Peter Wonder"

Solenostemon scutellarioides

The textured edges of this unusual coleus give them a ruffled appearance, perfect for a touch of foliar frill. (Other "ruffled" varieties are actually called Ruffles - Red Ruffles, Victorian Ruffles, Citron Ruffles, to name a few.) Cindy says these are great year-round performers who are happiest in filtered sun, and they're easily propagated from cuttings. She found this one at a Tallahassee nursery.

Variegated Flax Lily

Dianella tasmanica 'Variegata'

For years, Cindy's border plant of choice was variegated liriope. "It's cheap and easy." But (sorry, liriope) she has a new love now. "Flax lily is much more substantial than liriope," she says, noting the sturdy, brightly striped leaves. "It does well in shade or sun." It produces small, pretty flowers, but is much more prized for its foliage.

Cindy bought three originally, divided them into six right away, and now has many.

Photographs by Cindy Glover