Edison and Ford Estates Part Two

3/1/14

palm tree

     This is where I'd like to be.  In Florida under a palm tree.  Unfortunately, I am still deep in winter in northern Virginia.  After three days of 60 degree temperatures, most of the seventeen inches of snow on the ground melted, and we could see the grass again.  The dog was happy about that.  Then we had two days of minor snowfall this week which covered the grass again, but it melted away.  Now we are in another arctic deep freeze (it was 11 degees last night) and facing another round of ice and snow starting tomorrow night. Get me outta here!  This palm tree on the Edison estate in Ft. Myers, Florida is in the back yard area of the house where many of the plantings are and faces the Caloosahatchee River.

back yard area

     This is another view of part of the back yard area.  The entire back yards of both Edison and Fords winter estates faced the Caloosahatchee River.  Edison built the stone seawall that lines the edge of the yard.

Royal palms

     These Royal palms (Roystonia regia) line the back of the Edison house.

botanical research laboratory

     This is a photo of the inside of the laboratory where Edison carried out his botanical research on many plants.  One of the many plants he grew on the estate was bamboo because bamboo fiber was a material he researched as a filament for the light bulb.  Here are some photos of the different bamboos he grew on the estate.

Alphonse Kaar bamboo (Bambusa multiplex)

Common bamboo (Bambusa vulgaris)

Oldham bamboo (Bambusa oldhamii)

rose garden

     This is Edison's wife Mina's rose garden.  There wasn't much in bloom in January when we were there.  Most of the bushes were very old rose species.  I like the layout of the garden.

moonlight garden

     This is Mina's moonlight garden, designed in 1929 by renowned landscape architect Ellen Biddle-Shipman.  The building in the background was Edison's office.  The pool and bright flowers were meant to reflect the moonlight.  Most of the flowers planted here have white blossoms, but many were not in bloom. 

gardenia

     But this luscious, fragrant gardenia was in bloom in the moonlight garden.