Native, vintage, and ‘pass-along’ plants appropriate for Olde Towne Daphne were chosen for this project.  Our goal has been to enhance this public beach access with plants that frame the beautiful views of the bay, to offer a respite for walkers, to inspire local gardeners, to attract birds and butterflies and to provide cover for wildlife.  We made a few concessions on plant choices for ease of maintenance in a public area, but are delighted to have been able to  include a pair of rare and endangered plants, as well as some hard to find ones, in this project.  Sources and individuals we consulted is are listed below.  Photos are included as plants bloom.

           ■Trees        ■Vines        ■Shrubs     ■Ground Cover and Perennials

Our thanks to the following individuals: 

Maria Bueche, Landscape Architect, Hutchins, Moore and Rauch.  Designed the project and selected plants.

City of Daphne:  Ken Eslava, Director of public works and his department for constructing the deck, installing the hard-scape, repairing the area after storms and maintaining the public beach access access. Marshall Parsons, city arborist, for monitoring the care of the Hickory tree during heavy grading and restoration of the bluff, digging ditches with our volunteer and overseeing the project. Marjorie Bellue , city horticulturalist, located or grew many plants for the project.

Tom Dodd, Tom Dodd Nursery, for selecting and donating a Gordonia tree for the project.

Mrs. Mary Jane Jones and the Arthur Jones Nursery, Atlanta, for locating and donating a Sparkleberry tree.

Fred Nation, for his suggestions for native plants and locating two rare and endangered Witch-Alder plants for the project.

Jim Oates, our local camellia expert, for his advice and expertise in identifying vintage camellias on site.

Students of Daphne High School, who help grow and maintain our plants in the school greenhouses.

Plant Sources:

Weeks Bay Native Plant Sale (Master Gardeners Baldwin County), The Green House, Loxley, Alabama, Summit Landscape Supply, Loxley, Alabama, Waters Nursery, Robertsdale, Alabama, Tom Dodd Nursery, Semmes, Alabama and Arthur Jones Nursery, Atlanta Georgia. City of Daphne Public Works Department and greenhouses of Daphne High School and local gardens.

Web-sites:

www.rebloom.org- Re-bloom Mobile. Excellent source of monthly garden plantings and care.

www.mobilecamellia.org Camellia Club of Mobile.

Books:

Native Shrubs and Woody Vines of the Southeast, Landscaping Uses and Identification, Leonard E. Foote & Samuel B. Jones, Jr. Timber Press, Oregon, 2001

Wildflowers of Alabama and Adjoining States, Blanche E. Dean/ Amy Mason/ Joab L. Thomas, University of Alabama Press, 1973

Gardening in the South, Taylor’s Guide, Rita Buchanan and Roger Holmes, Editors,  Houghton Mifflin Company, NY, 1991

Where the Wild Illicium Grows: Historic Plants of South Alabama and the Central Gulf Coast, Fred Nation,