w i n t e r 2 0 1 1 From Inspiration to Reality The personalities behind the Garden’s creation published by fairchild tropical botanic garden tropical gourmet foods home décor accessories eco-friendly and fair trade products gardening supplies unique tropical gifts books on tropical gardening, cuisine and more Porcelain Flower Diffuser, $48, Member’s Price, $43.20 fairchild tropical botanic garden 10901 Old Cutler Road, Coral Gables, FL 33156 • 305.667.1651, ext. 3305 • www.fairchildgarden.org • shop online at www.fairchildonline.com Photo by Gaby Orihuela/FTBG contents 5 FROM THE DIRECTOR 8 EVENTS 9 NEWS 11 TROPICAL CUISINE 13 WHAT’S BLOOMING 15 EXPLAINING 19 VIS-A-VIS VOLUNTEERS 27 PLANT SOCIETIES 49 SOUTH FLORIDA GARDENING 50 BUG BEAT 52 GIFTS AND DONORS 53 WISH LIST 54 VISTAS 59 WHAT’S IN STORE 60 GARDEN VIEWS BETTER CHOCOLATE 64 FROM THE ARCHIVES THROUGH GENOMICS 28 66 CONNECT WITH FAIRCHILD Raymond J. Schnell, et. al. FROM INSPIRATION 34 TO REALITY 21 43 The personalities behind Georgia Tasker Javier Francisco-Ortega, et. al. the Garden’s creation Georgia Tasker 10901 Old Cutler Road, Coral Gables, FL 33156 • 305.667.1651, ext. 3305 • www.fairchildgarden.org • shop online at www.fairchildonline.com Fairchild’s 9 th Annual INTERNATIONAL ORCyHxáàI|DätÄ Friday, Saturday and Sunday March 11, 12 and 13, 2011 9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Showcasing the spectacular forms and stunning colors of the world’s most coveted plant. ADMISSION: Free for Fairchild members and children 5 and under.Non-members: $25 for adults, $18 for seniors 65 and up and $12 for children 6 -17. VENDOR INFORMATION at 305.667.1651, ext. 3359 or [email protected]. SPONSORSHIP INFORMATION at 305.667.1651, ext. 3357 or [email protected]. fairchild tropical botanic garden from the director ur garden came into existence through an unusual confluence of remarkable personalities. Robert and Nell Montgomery, Marjory Stoneman Douglas and David Fairchild were all famously brilliant, independent and strong-minded individuals. OWhen circumstances brought them here more than 75 years ago, they were able to look across an abandoned fruit grove, rocky berm and marl prairie and together envision a world- class botanic garden. Our founders dreamed of a stunning landscape that would delight and inspire the public, but they all agreed that the garden’s greatest contributions would be in science and education. They gathered the world’s finest tropical botanists as collaborators and began building an extraordinary collection of rare tropical plants. Through hard work and strong support from public and private entities, the garden embarked on a trajectory of rapid growth. In this issue Georgia Tasker takes us back to the very beginning to explore the thoughts and inspiration that coalesced into Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden. Although our founders had a clear, surprisingly accurate vision of what the garden would become, they could not possibly have imagined how deeply Fairchild would become connected to its local community. During the past 75 years Miami has blossomed into a vibrant, exceptionally diverse city with strong cultural ties to the tropics. Our environmental education programs have a special resonance in South Florida, where young people are eager to understand and preserve the tropical world. We have a unique opportunity to engage talented local students in our work and help them develop careers in science and the environment. We have just broken ground on the greatest construction project in our history, the Paul and Swanee Di Mare Science Village. Components of the new project include the Joyce and Tony Burns Building, the Clinton Family Conservatory and the Jane Hsiao Tropical Plant Laboratories. These new facilities will be our academic center for teaching science to students of all ages. They will also be the venue for cutting-edge research on tropical plant biology, ecology and conservation. As we construct our new buildings we are also expanding our science and education programs. Six new students joined our Graduate Studies program this year (see “Graduate Studies in the Garden,” p. 15) and we will continue to recruit additional students. Melissa Abdo, our international conservation officer, received a new grant from the MacArthur Foundation to expand our Caribbean exploration and conservation work. The Fairchild Challenge, supported by the Batchelor Foundation, is delivering science education to more than 100,000 local K-12 students this year. With these programs and more on the way, the Science Village will be buzzing with activity from day one. This is an exciting time for Fairchild, for science and for our community. It is the perfect moment to remember what extraordinary people have done and continue to do to support our mission. I hope you will join me in celebrating science, discovery and continued growth at Fairchild. Carl Lewis, P.h.D. www.fairchildgarden.org 5 contributors GEORGIA TASKER was the garden writer for The Miami Herald for over 30 years, and now writes and blogs for Fairchild. She has received the garden’s highest honor, the Barbour Medal, and a lifetime achievement award from Tropical Audubon Society. She is also an avid photographer, gardener and traveler. Georgia graduated cum laude from Hanover College in Hanover, Indiana, and received the first certificate in tropical commercial botany from Florida International University. JAVIER FRANCISCO-ORTEGA , RichardRichard Lyons’Lyons’ NurseryNursery inc.inc. a molecular plant systematist has a joint appointment between Florida RareRare && UnusualUnusual TropicalTropical TreesTrees && PlantsPlants International University (FIU) and FloweringFlowering • • FruitFruit •• NativeNative •• PalmPalm •• BambooBamboo •• HeliconiaHeliconia Fairchild and is currently the manager HummingbirdHummingbird • • BonsaiBonsai && ButterflyButterfly of the Fairchild Challenge Program. He is a native of the Canary Islands PROUD MEMBER OF and has developed several research and educational projects in the West Indies, Galapagos Islands, Hawaiian www.RichardLyonsNursery.comwww.RichardLyonsNursery.com Archipelago, Hainan Island, [email protected]@RichardLyonsNursery.com Macaronesia, Socotra and @lycheeman1@lycheeman1 onon TwitterTwitter South Florida. Nursery:Nursery: 2020020200 S.W.S.W. 134134 Ave.,Ave., MiamiMiami Phone:Phone: 305-251-6293305-251-6293 •• fax:fax: 305-324-1054305-324-1054 AMY PADOLF is Fairchild’s director Mail:Mail: 12301230 N.W.N.W. 7th7th StSt •• Miami,Miami, FLFL 3312533125 of education and oversees all of the education programs at the garden including the award-winning Fairchild Challenge and the Graduate Studies program. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh and a Master’s in Science Education from Duquesne University. Amy began her career as the director of education at the National Aviary in Pittsburgh and has more than 20 years of formal and informal education experience. DR. RAY SCHNELL is the lead scientist for an international genetic improvement program for Theobroma cacao, located at the Subtropical Horticulture Research Station in Miami. Since 1987 he has been a research geneticist working on tropical/subtropical fruit crop breeding and has extensive experience with DO YOU HAVE POND PROBLEMS ? cacao, mango, avocado and many miscellaneous tropical fruit IS YOUR REAL PROBLEM YOUR crop species. POND SERVICE COMPANY? ON THE COVER Call Dr. Jeff Murray, Pondologist Left to right: Dr. David Fairchild, Nell Montgomery, WE DO IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME! Marian Fairchild and Col. Robert Montgomery 305-251-POND(7663) | www.PondDoctors. NET Archives/FTBG Licensed/Insured Your Water Garden Professionals Growing with the community South Florida is a place where beautiful things grow. It’s a place where the roots of the community are deep. Baptist Health has been a part of that growth — and of this community — for 50 years. With a reputation for great care, we score higher than all other hospitals in Miami- Dade and Monroe counties in patient satisfaction, based on the latest U.S. government survey of hospital patients. Satisfaction like that doesn’t just happen. Our success is due to the dedication and professionalism of our caregivers. So, we give thanks to our people, who make all the dierence. And we thank our patients, who gladly recommend us. We pledge to give you the best possible care. Committed to our faith-based charitable mission of medical excellence For a free referral to a Baptist Health physician, call 786-596-6557 weekdays, 8 a.m.- 5:30 p.m. Or, if you prefer, go online 24/7 at baptisthealth.net. The official publication of Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden editorial staff editor in chief chief operating officer Nannette M. Zapata design Lorena Alban production manager Gaby Orihuela ART AT FAIRCHILD MEMBERS’ LECTURE AND PLANTS AND PEOPLE: feature writers Through May 31, 2011 MOONLIGHT TOUR AN INTERACTIVE GARDEN The art of Les Lalanne and Yoko Wednesday, February 16 Monday, March 21 Georgia Tasker Ono’s Wishing Grove 6:00 – 9:00 p.m. Saturday, March 26 Jeff Wasielewski 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. The Everglades: Past, Present, 11:30 a.m. Reservations required staff contributors Future: The Big Picture! for this free program for people Kimberly Bobson JANUARY 2011 Presented by Leon Howell, living with Alzheimer’s, Stephanie Bott PLANTS AND PEOPLE: Everglades National Park Ranger. 305.667.1651, ext. 3388 AN INTERACTIVE GARDEN Exclusively for members Erin Fitts Monday, January 3 PLANTS AND PEOPLE: APRIL 2011 Marilyn Griffiths Saturday, January 8 AN INTERACTIVE GARDEN SPRING GARDEN TEA Noris Ledesma 11:30 a.m. Reservations required for Saturday, February 19 Sunday, April 10, 3:00 p.m. Carl E. Lewis, Ph.D. this free program for people living 11:30 a.m. Reservations required for For more information call Amy Padolf with Alzheimer’s, 305.667.1651, this free program for people living 305.663.8059 copy editors ext. 3388 with Alzheimer’s, 305.667.1651, PLANTS AND PEOPLE: MOMMY AND ME TEA ext. 3388 AN INTERACTIVE GARDEN Rochelle Broder-Singer Sunday, January 9, 3:00 p.m.