Plant of the day - Barbados Cherry - Malpighia glabra

Today, visitors were treated with the strategic placement of award-winning orchids throughout the North Garden as well as in other areas of the Conservatory.  These beautiful flowering plants are both magical in their appearance and of incredible wonder in their creation and existence!

In human communities, in addition to their aesthetic and aromatic qualities, orchids are important economically in many parts of the world.  In addition to activities involved in the buying and selling of orchids (producing, transportation, selling), orchid shows benefit tourism spending.  The vanilla orchid is the most economically important orchid in the world.

In the early, cooler hour of the morning, I took a stroll in the Japanese garden.  The quiet and serene feeling comes very quickly and stays for the entire length of the walk through the garden.  I talked to an interesting visitor who had just retired.  He and his wife are spending much of their summer revamping their backyard garden.  He wants to put a Japanese garden in his backyard but does not know how he would be able to get large boulders situated around his yard.  We discussed the various pros and cons to the work that might be involved in creating a Japanese garden.

Back in the North Garden, fall colors seem to be appearing on a few of the trees.  Soon, the Conservatory staff will close the windows and will heat the inside enough to maintain a tropic environment.  

In my meanders around the plants I scored a new find today - the Barbados cherry tree has produced a cherry!  The Barbados cherry is known to have the ability to produce seedless fruit without pollination.

The Barbados cherry is high in vitamin C and is eaten fresh, or, in some countries made into jam and sauce.  It is made into juices extensively through Latin America.  These fruits freeze well without losing the high vitamin C content.  It has been used for medicinal purposes to treat coughs, sore throats, diarrhea, dysentery and liver ailments.

For more information:
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/barbados_cherry.html
http://www.ntbg.org/plants/plant_details.php?plantid=7316
http://okeechobee.ifas.ufl.edu/News%20columns/Barbados.Cherry.htm

On my way home, I took a stroll through the sunken garden.  I could smell the sweet aromas coming from the sunken garden well before I reached the entrance.  The fragrances from that room are absolutely heavenly!  The flowers are a treat to the eyes.  What a sweet way to end my volunteer shift!