Southern Florida Estates 



By Erich Heppler. 



Ideal climatic conditions favor Florida more than any 

 other State in the Union and make Southern Morida es- 

 pecially one of the most delightful places for winter rec- 

 reation and outdoor life. Perpetual sunshine, balmy 

 breezes and a luxuriant subtropical vegetation invite the 

 traveler from the blizzard-swept and snow-covered North 



A GARDEN VIEW (1\ THE MRS. POTTER P.VEMER E.STATE. 



and there arc many that "obey the impulse" and spend al 

 least the winter in so blessed a country and have a per- 

 manent winter home down here. And it is very charac- 

 teristic and seems to be one of the natural gifts of the 

 American that after contemplating and erecting the shel- 

 tering house, how elaborate or modest it may be. he de- 

 sires to gather as man}- as possible of the niceties and 

 peculiarities of nature around it. a desire which leads to 

 the beautif\ing of the surrnnnding grounds: that is, the 



velopmg has begun and will, in proper time, show its due 

 results. 



( )ne of the prominent persons responsible for the im- 

 provement and settlement on this coast is Mrs. Potter 

 Palmer, who destined a part of her vast prooerty situated 

 at Osprey (60 miles south of Tampa j to be developed 

 along landscape lines. The place itself is favored by a 

 magnificent native vegetation. Huge masses of man- 

 groves, seagrapes and Spanish bayonettes (Yucca bac- 

 cata) adorn the shore line, while the mainland is crowded 

 with sturdy live oaks, sweet bay trees and fine specimens 

 of the tall cabbage jialm ( Sabal Palmetto), not to speak 

 of the dense undersrowth of saw palmettoes (Lerenaca 

 Forrulata ) and the various shrubs so typical for the South- 

 ern (lult Coast region. 



It is surprising how 2\Irs. F'otter Palmer in a short 



XA TTRAE XEC.K'I'ATIDX 



wrni i;.\XA\.\ peants in fore- 



GROfXn. 



FERX (,\i;i>i:x. iTii-. s\r.i;i. i'almetto ix i!.\CKc.Rorxri. 



creation of a garden. The magnificent winter resorts and 

 beautifullv laid out estates in Southern Florida are only 

 another example of the aforesaid : they show as well the 

 good will and artistic taste of the proprietor as they give 

 evidence of the intelligent hand of the gardener. 



Though it is quite some years ago that Florida east 

 coast underwent the astonishing change from a sandv 

 shore to a thrifty garden belt, it is only lately that the 

 west coast is fully appreciated and now prosperous de- 



t'me has done nuich for the improvement of the whole, 

 taste full \ and anxiously preserving the existing growth 

 and using it wherever possible for the framing and crea- 

 tion of charming scenes and new landscape pictures. An 

 artistic concrete seawall runs all along the property ; the 

 space behind is partly filled in and utilized for a subtropi- 

 cal displax' made up of cocos nucifera. bananaes, azavas, 

 etc. The remaining ])art w ill gi\e a welcome oi)portunity 



PART OF L.\WX ox MRS. BROWN POTTER ESTATE, 

 OSPREY, FL.\. 



