Maybe October 24 marked the beginning of the end of the rainy season, or maybe it was just a pause before the last-gasp rain event in a steamy climate, but Saturday’s weather was nearly perfect for the fall garden tour of the South Florida Palm Society. After early-week predictions of soggy conditions fizzled, a thankful crowd showed up at the home of Robert and Desiree Meyer for an excursion through the property that they’ve been enhancing for just over 23 years. They’ve made sure that there’s something for everyone to enjoy — palms, crotons, flowering trees and shrubs, and, of course, bromeliads. Robert is past president and a longtime board member of the Bromeliad Society of South Florida, and the yard reflects his passion for that plant family.
Our second stop was at the property of Laz Priegues, which he bought nearly 24 years ago. His Mediterranean Revival home, not far from downtown, turned 100 this year. It’s hard to think of it as one of the early houses in the city, but, of course, Miami has been incorporated only since 1896. Laz has planted many outstanding palm specimens, particularly Copernicias, during his two decades of ownership. But he hasn’t stopped there. In recent years, he has installed palms in swales around his neighborhood and has been given permission to landscape with palms in two nearby pocket parks that were formerly homesites.
The mercifully dry day concluded with a delicious lunch featuring Mexican cuisine. Our spring and fall garden tours are a perk of membership in the South Florida Palm Society.