Vi Matheny trolls the yard of Bob’s Landscaping in her golf cart, pointing out the unusual collection of plants she’s propagated through the years.
Lamb and donkey ear plants, 100-year plants, dipped-in-wine coleus, mother-of-thousands plants linger under a shaded greenhouse cover. Herbs stand in rows in the sun.
Matheny, pulls a few leaves from the herb plants.
“Here, smell this,” she crushes the leaves and lifts them for a sniff.
“Lemon mint.” And it is sure is -- as minty and lemony as a smell can be. Refreshing. Among the herbs are several types of mint and oregano, bay, rosemary. She crushes more leaves, sniffs the aromas and offers them up on by one. It evokes memories of good meals, well seasoned and spiced.
On the Hwy. 78 property, there are a variety of palm trees, banana trees and roses. Papaya and limes are producing deep green fruit.
Matheny is not the only gardener who has been getting good results with tropicals like bananas and papaya in the last few years, indicating a slightly warmer climate.
Matheny says some of the more exotic pieces she has for sale are from cuttings from friends or from her own hand-me-downs.
Others are annual staples that are expected purchases from her and husband Bob’s customers: tomatoes, okra and a variety of peppers.
“This red one is very hot and here you have banana peppers – so good in a salad or on sandwiches,” she says.
Angel bugles and a Southern tradition, bougainvillea, punctuate the greenery with bright blooms.
The yard is divided into several sections – the showroom, the rehab center and the recovery room.
Back in the rehab center, her special care is working. Several hibiscus plants have come back to full life with large blooms and new foliage. In recovery, canna lilies sport bright yellow blooms.