Welcome to the Leather Oaks Garden

A Pastoral Interlude
This page was last updated on: June 7, 2003
     Early September is always the climax of the garden season down here, and that's not even considering my chromatically vivid attire. You might guess (correctly) that my gear on the actual date was a mite less colorful -- merely olive green, in fact --- but just as rubbery!
     Join me, as did some six dozen pond enthusiasts, and enter now into a magic garden, where shadows and a myriad of leafy greens blend and tease the eyes.
     If you can keep your eyes off the Acuba, those are Ranger Forester Boots, I'm wearing. The remainder of the outfit is red latex from a variety of suppliers. 		So you want to go on the Pond Tour, eh??
Marshy Approach      The shade is so deep in this area that the lawn envisioned by the Landscape designer was never viable. I decided that since it looked like a marsh, it might as well have the plants to go with it.
     A couple of visits to the marsh behind the house for "selected plantings," and the native ferns and shrubs have embraced the area heartily!
     See, I told you there was a path through here >> I just mowed it a couple of days ago!
      Look sharp now, because I think we're approaching an important personality. . . . 		Hidden Pathway through the Marsh
Lord Neptune on His Knoll      Ah, Hello Neptune!! These guys are just passing through!
      How're things on your knoll, not too droll, eh?
     Strolling West from Neptune's Knoll. When I bought this place in 1993, there were almost no plants other than the trees, and I removed 6 to 8 pines to encourage the oaks to fill out more.
     The handsome Sago Palm ahead on our left is a pup (fist-sized when transplanted) from a huge parent in the southwest corner of the lot. Beyond the Sago is the path we'll follow to Rubber Creek. 		Sago Shadows on the Trail
Diver's Deep Beckons       Even though we've been following Rubber Creek for a goodly distance, it's been so embraced by vegetation that catching a glimpse can be a challenge.
      Diver's Deep is one place where there's always some activity, though. Imagine that miniature rubbermen are diving for sponges or pearls. Since spotting fish swimming in "The Deep", I've rethought that to maybe spear fishermen!
     Finally, we glimpse the Leather Oaks pond!
     Situated just feet from the NorthWest corner of the lot, the pond is in shade more than sun. Several bales of Chinese bamboo were harvested to open the view up for the Pond Tour! 		Leather Oaks Pond by Rubber Creek
Piping Boy in his Corner      The Piping Boy flutes over the deepest corner of the pond.
      Off his left shoulder, you can just make out the biological filter at the right edge of the photo. It gurgles most satisfyingly, besides keeping the pond water fresher
One last over-the- shoulder view of the pond, before we continue our search for the Rubber Creek headwaters. South Bank Pond View
Bridge over Lake Orin      Ah, I think we're approaching our destination! That must be the Bridge Over Lake Orin up ahead!
     {Orin, wasn't he the straw boss on the Season's Nursery team?}
     Lake Orin is famous for the exotic range of its flora and fauna.
      Look!! Is that a Spitting Frog I see amidst the ferns and aspidistra??!! 		The Mysterious Spitting Frog
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Season's Springs      We're above Lake Orin now, and I think I see Fazzio Falls.
     And, can't you just make out Season's Springs, the headwaters of our Rubber Creek?
      The musical gurgle of two pump-fed outlets is unmistakable!
     No it's not an oil rig, but The Leather Oaks Memorial Bell Tower.
     Until September 28, 1998, there was a two-foot diameter pine right there.
     When Hurricane Georges broke the tree at about waist height, I was rudely awakened by the upper trunk falling 4 ft into the attic of my house.
     Well, the tree was removed and the house repaired, but then came the question, what to put in its place? My landscaping friend, Mark was adamant that "something" had to replace it, or his artfully designed stream had lost its point. This tower was my "Engineering Solution".
      The "Bell" was salvaged from an abandoned washer in the woods behind my house. 		Leather Oaks Memorial Bell Tower
That's all for now, Folks!
     For those who entered through a "Garden Only" link, be advised there's MUCH more to Leather Oaks!
      If you'd like to know more about me, I'd love to have you visit! !
     Because some first time visitors may not be prepared for what is to come, I do ask that you e-mail me for the link: Apparently some folk didn't heed my disclaimers on the first page. I only aim for your enjoyment, not their discomfiture!!
     If you are indeed ready to see more, just click the photo of the Rubber Suited Sentinel waiting at your right, and in your message to me, tell me what color my boots are!   As a special bonus, I'll also include a link to the NEW, hot and "Summer-Sweaty" Garden Page!! 		Your Bus to the Rubber Tour Leaves NOW!

A SOCIETY PAGE

Follow the link to the right for my aquatic social outreach. The GCPS meets monthly from March to October, offering fellowship among water gardening enthusiasts, even the rubber-wearing ones!! 		Gulf Coast Pond Society