Following a fun morning at the Redland International Orchid Festival, my one-day visit to the area continued with a tour of the Deering Estate, one of Miami’s premier landmarks and former home of Chicago industrialist, early preservationist, environmentalist, art collector, philanthropist, and first Chairman of the International Harvester Company, Charles Deering. The estate features several outbuildings including the Richmond Cottage, and the Deering's mansion, Stone House. Charles lived on the property from 1922 until his death in 1927. The Deering Estate remained with his heirs until 1986 when it was purchased by the State of Florida.
Enjoy these photos.
The Deering Estate, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, sits atop the geological formation known as the Miami Rock Ridge. This ridge has elevations up to 25-feet above sea level and serves as a topographical barrier between Biscayne Bay and the interior basin of the southern Florida peninsula. (Photo courtesy of Deering Estate)
Here is the main pathway to the estate. This pathway is lined with royal poinciana trees, Delonix regia, native wild coffee plants, and native gumbo limbo trees, Bursera simaruba.
This is a chenille plant, Acalypha hispida. It is also known as the Philippines Medusa, red hot cat’s tail and foxtail. The chenille plant is native to Hawaii and features rich, red clusters of soft pendulous flowers.
The Stone House was designed by Beaux-Arts architect, Phineas Paist, who is also known for his work alongside George Merrick in Coral Gables. The structure is made of poured concrete with Miami oolitic limestone. The Stone House and courtyard were completed in 1922 as a fireproof structure to store the massive art collection Charles transported from his homes in Spain, New York, and Chicago. Charles also brought in renowned botanists, David Fairchild and John Kunkel Small, to work on the property’s outdoor grounds.
Here is a view of the front lawn from the corner of the Stone House. The columns were hand carved when the house was constructed.
Here I am on the front lawn with the key-hole shaped boat basin and Biscayne Bay behind me. The Deering Estate is part of the Biscayne Bay IBA, Important Bird Area, and Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail – a two-thousand-mile, self-guided trail traversing 500-sites located throughout Florida.
Just outside the Stone House front window is this red button ginger, Costus woodsonii, with vibrant red torpedo-shaped inflorescences rising above the lush green foliage.
Nearby is Richmond Cottage, originally built in 1896 by Samuel and Edith Richmond and used as an inn. It was a modest two-story balloon frame vernacular home. Wood used in the construction was locally available Dade County pine, a particularly dense building material, resistant to termites and decay. In 1916, Charles purchased and renovated the Richmond Cottage and established it as a winter home for himself and his wife, Marion.
We toured the inside of Richmond Cottage. This is the entrance hall with a view of the dining room in the back.
This is the reception room. On the table is a framed advertisement for the hotel and pages from Edith Richmond’s hotel register. A land survey tool sits in the back corner and on the wall – maps of the Town of Cutler.
On the opposite side of the room is the Florida bobcat – this is a taxidermy specimen donated to the Deering Estate for educational purposes. Other bone and shell artifacts from the area are displayed on the left.
This is the dining room inside Richmond Cottage – the table is set with the Deering china as they would have preferred.
This side table displays etched crystal glassware from Charles and Marion Deering’s collection.
Other pieces of the Deering’s dinnerware include gold and red embellished China plates from England, and silver pieces handed down from the Deering family.
This icebox dates back to the 1920s and is original to the home.
Here is a closer look at the icebox. Iceboxes were the predecessors of the modern-day refrigerator. The earliest versions date back to around 1830. The hollow walls were lined with zinc or tin and packed with insulating materials. There were several storage compartments, including an ice compartment.
At one point, Charles grew tired of the ice-man dripping water through the house. This icebox drained directly into the ground and had two doors on the outside of the Cottage, allowing the ice-man to deliver ice without coming inside.
Here is the Richmond Cottage Kitchen – decorated with a prep table in front of the oven.
Old cake stands made of tin hold faux cakes.
The tile plaque is an 18th-century azulejo, or Portuguese glazed tile piece, likely inspired by Dutch tin-glazed earthenware, Delft pottery. Charles Deering’s Spanish residence Maricel in Sitges, Spain, had a rooftop terrace and cloister filled with various azulejo works.
Here is one of the old pie tins – I love the saying at the bottom.
In one small alcove – this built-in bench, which is also original to the house.
And back outside is this lofty fig tree – here when the Deerings lived on the property. Lofty figs are originally from Malaysia. One tree can reach 100-feet in height when mature and almost six-feet in diameter. Its aerial and supporting roots not only entangle the plants, but also form a forest of one tree. What a great day to see this historic estate. If you’re ever in the area, try to visit Deering Estate.
I love visiting gardens and attending flower shows whenever I can - for me, it is such a pleasurable escape from my busy work schedule.
Last week, I was thrilled to find enough time to attend the 23rd Annual Redland International Orchid Festival in Homestead, Florida with my friend, Ilene. Over the years, this three-day event has become one of the most anticipated festivals for orchid fanciers. More than 65-vendors from around the world participate in the exhibit to share their orchids and orchid growing supplies. While I was in South Florida, I also had the opportunity to visit some other sights including the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in Coral Gables, the Deering Estate, and the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens in Miami. Over the next couple of days, I'll share photos from all these wonderful places.
This orchid festival runs every year in mid-May, at the end of the regular orchid season – late enough to avoid any conflict with the traditional orchid shows, but early enough to enable the many wonderful late spring and summer blooming orchids to be displayed at their peak.
Here I am with a very tall orchid that caught my eye – it was more than 10-feet tall. The orchids in this tent have been submitted for judging and are on display throughout the three-day event.
This is an orchid hybrid – Cattleya Lily Pons.
This orchid was also on display in the show tent with its beautiful long yellow petals.
Orchids comprise the largest family of flowering plants on earth, with more than 30-thousand different species, and at least 200-thousand hybrids. Orchids can be found in the equatorial tropics, the arctic tundra, and everywhere in between.
The Orchid Inn Ltd. is based in Bloomington, Illinois and specializes in Paphiopedilums, Phragmipediums, and other unique hybrids. http://www.orchidinnusa.com/
Many orchid seedlings are sold in flasks. Because orchids need to be grown in a sterile medium these flasks help in preventing disease during transport.
This bright pink cymbidium orchid is from Joseph Wu, an orchid expert who traveled all the way from Taipei, Taiwan. He is one of 27 vendors who attended the festival from other countries.
Joseph Wu also had some beautiful staghorn ferns in his tent. I love staghorns, Platycerium, and have quite a collection of them in my Bedford, New York greenhouse.
Platycerium grande is a solitary species with upright, fan-shaped sterile fronds forming a nest up to four-feet across and large, drooping, strap-like, unbranched fertile fronds up to six-feet long.
OFE International is a family-run business in Homestead specializing in orchid supplies including growing mixes and media, orchid containers and pots, food and other tools. https://ofeintl.com/
Here is just a sampling of orchid fertilizers. OFE International is constantly seeking new products, new cultivation techniques, and practices to help clients grow orchids successfully, with environmentally responsible supplies that are practical and reasonably priced.
Here I am in the Odom’s Orchids tent with the owner John Odom, who has been growing orchids for more than 50-years.
I loved this Lady’s Slipper orchid in the Odom’s Orchid tent. With over 90-thousand square feet of greenhouses, Odom’s Orchids is one of the largest retail growers and shippers of orchids in the United States specializing in Cattleya orchids, Vandas, Phalaenopsis, Lady Slippers, and Oncidiums. http://www.odoms.com/
Specimens in this tent are from Florida SunCoast Orchids in Myakka, another longtime family-run business focused on orchid growing and care. The key to growing these plants is to keep the root systems strong and healthy. These plants have no bulbs or stems to store moisture and nutrients, so it is important to maintain their roots.
http://floridasuncoastorchids.com/
Pots made specifically for orchids have holes on the sides to allow air to circulate through the loose medium and around the leaves and roots.
Cholla wood is the skeleton of a cholla plant after it dies. The cholla wood is made up of a ton of holes and is hollow through the center. It is often used for mounting orchids and other air plants.
Another vendor at the festival was Krull-Smith Landscapes in Apopka, Florida, a leading orchid hybridizer in the world for award-quality show plants.
Krull-Smith Landscapes displayed a variety of colorful specimens in their tent. Orchid flowers come in hundreds of shapes and many different sizes, from very large blossoms to tiny ones. They also bloom in dozens of colors, often combining one or more shades to produce bicolored varieties.
Most orchid genera are epiphytic, meaning they grow on trees and rocks rather than in soil. Orchid roots need to breathe and therefore cannot live buried in dirt.
We also spotted this plant – the shingle plant, a unique and fascinating climber native to southeast Asia. These plants plaster two-inch leaves against any vertical surface. The velvet green leaves with silver veining sit closely on the stem and often overlap. Once it reaches a vertical structure and starts to climb, the leaves increase in size and the internodes shorten up.
There were also several booths dedicated to orchid information – there was every book imaginable on the history and care of orchids.
Here I am with a fun and colorful orchid blouse! What do you think? I had so much fun at the Redland International Orchid Festival – I can’t wait to return. If you love orchids as much as I do, try to make the trip! Tomorrow, I will share more images from my busy day in Florida.
It’s always so nice to see entrepreneurs succeed in their small businesses - especially when the company focuses on promoting sustainable farming practices and providing healthy, delicious foods to its clients.
Last week, Mike’s Organic, a delivery service and warehouse retail shop in nearby Stamford, Connecticut, celebrated its 10-year anniversary. More than 150-friends, farmers, clients, and members of the press attended the event. Mike's Organic was one of the first 10 "farm to home" delivery services in the United States when it opened in 2009. Since then, founder and CEO, Mike Geller, and his team have partnered with at least 200 small farms across the region and distributed organic and flavorful offerings to hundreds more.
Unfortunately, I was out of town on business and was unable to attend the milestone gathering, but friends and colleagues who stopped by had a wonderful time. Congratulations, Mike - here's to another 10-years. Enjoy these photos.
This is Mike with his mother-in-law, Marina Varshisky. Mike founded the company 10-years ago after leaving his corporate advertising job and spending three months in the African bush where he realized his passion for wholesome, fresh foods. (Photo provided by Unger Media for Mike’s Organic)
Mike’s Organic is located in an old, industrial warehouse building. It’s been described as “the underground market for cool kids”.
Inside the retail shop are shelves lined with wholesome products carefully selected for their natural ingredients and manufacturing processes. (Photo provided by Unger Media for Mike’s Organic)
The party was held right inside the shop. On the left is Chef Geoff Lazlo plating sweet pea salad in a bacon vinaigrette. Before opening his own restaurant and farm to table catering and event company, Chef Geoff worked at Chez Panisse in California, Blue Hill at Stone Barns in nearby Hudson Valley, New York, Gramercy Tavern in New York City, and leFarm and The Whelk in Westport, Connecticut. https://geofflazlo.com/ (Photo provided by Unger Media for Mike’s Organic)
At another station, guests enjoyed Vermont wagyu brisket and pickled ramps, foraged by Mike himself, and served with whole grain mustard on rye bread. (Photo provided by Unger Media for Mike’s Organic)
Here are some of the Vermont wagyu burgers sizzling on the grill. https://vermontwagyu.com/ (Photo provided by Unger Media for Mike’s Organic)
These wagyu sliders couldn’t be served quickly enough – everyone loved them. (Photo provided by Unger Media for Mike’s Organic)
My personal executive assistant, Shqipe Lulanaj, and my friend, Terre Blair, attended the event. Terre is one of Mike’s longtime clients. (Photo provided by Unger Media for Mike’s Organic)
This is grilled asparagus spears with sesame seeds waiting to be served – everything was so fresh. (Photo provided by Unger Media for Mike’s Organic)
There were lots of small bites to go around – these are hand rolled egg crepes with Adamas black caviar, sour cream and herbs. (Photo provided by Unger Media for Mike’s Organic)
Heather Sandford is co-owner of The Piggery, a farmer-owned butcher shop featuring pork and house-made charcuterie located in Trumansburg, New York. Here she is slicing porchetta. http://www.thepiggery.net/pigblog/ (Photo provided by Unger Media for Mike’s Organic)
This is Emily Wilson with Stelios Stavrianos, owner of Cylinder Vodka. They are enjoying the evening’s signature cocktail – beet and blueberry smash with vodka, elderberry liqueur, berries, beets, and citrus. (Photo provided by Unger Media for Mike’s Organic)
Chelsea Danburg serves lamb pita bites at this station. (Photo provided by Unger Media for Mike’s Organic)
The lamb pitas are made with braised Sepe Farm lamb shoulder in pita bread with Greek yogurt, homemade pickled red Peppers and cucumbers. http://www.sepefarm.com/ (Photo provided by Unger Media for Mike’s Organic)
Another appetizer – English peas with pea puree and pickled baby carrots on cracked wheat toast. (Photo provided by Unger Media for Mike’s Organic)
During the event, Mike stopped to welcome guests, and to thank them for all the help they’ve given over the last 10-years to build Mike’s Organic. (Photo provided by Unger Media for Mike’s Organic)
Mike thanked his family, his team, all the vendors and farmers – especially Pete and Carol Sepe of Sepe Farm, Sheila Patinkin from VT Wagyu, Heather Sandford from The Piggery, Amy and Gail Hepworth, and Gerry Greco from Hepworth Farms, Amy Freidenrich and Haley Scott from Ross Breads + Coffee, and Jack Algiere from Stone Barns, and then wished everyone a great, long night of celebration. (Photo provided by Unger Media for Mike’s Organic)
Haley Scott is head baker from Ross Bread + Coffee in Ridgefield, Connecticut. Here she is serving warm pain au chocolate. https://rossbread.com/ (Photo provided by Unger Media for Mike’s Organic)
Here, Mike offers Amy Hepworth a taste of the pain au chocolate. Amy is co-owner of Hepworth Farms in Milton, New York – one of Mike’s sources for organic farm fresh organic vegetables. https://www.hepworthfarms.com/ (Photo provided by Unger Media for Mike’s Organic)
Dessert was also passed around to guests – these are warm mini almond cakes from Ross Breads + Coffee. (Photo provided by Unger Media for Mike’s Organic)
At the end, every guest left with a Mike’s Organic Gift bag containing Bixby Chocolates, Bjorn Qorn popcorn, Harry’s Berries, and Recess seltzer water. It was a great time celebrating a great business. What are some of your favorite small businesses? Share your comments in the section below. (Photo provided by Unger Media for Mike’s Organic)
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