|
When D.A. Tinney bought
her Cape Canaveral property
22 years ago, her mother cried.
"She thought I ha d
lost my mind," D.A. laughs.
"There wasn't a blade of grass
or a tree. (Or heat or air conditioning!)."
By 1987 D.A. had transformed
the property into a wonderful
oasis for herself and for visiting
wildlife. She applied for and
received her National Wildlife
Federation Backyard Wildlife™
Certification in October 1987,
which she displays proudly!
The focal point of the yard
is a beautiful pond which is
edged with native coquina. The
walkways, too, are native crushed
coquina. "The coquina was a
great choice," D.A. explains.
"It never washes away, no matter
how much it rains. And it stays
cool in the blazing Florida
sun, so I can walk on it barefoot.
It's cooler than sand on the
beach."
The capacity of the pond is
between five and six thousand
gallons, depending on how full
it is. It's impossible to accurately
measure because of the irregular
shape and different levels in
the pond.
D.A. would rather spend time
"lolling" in her yard than just
about any other place she knows.
"I love sitting under the grapefruit
tree with
the huge staghorn fern. It's
in deep shade and there is always
a breeze there," she says, "Or
on the patio, just looking at
and hearing the three waterfalls,
watching the fish jump and appreciating
the lilies. Or admiring the
cactus corner by the jatropha
tree and tiger lily bed. Or
seeing the cat hide behind the
potted plants. Or just taking
a walk around the circular path
and loving it all." She has
time for all of this "lolling"
because she doesn't have to
spend time mowing. "There is
NO wretched grass in the back
yard."
It's obvious that D.A. loves
it all. And so does the visiting
wildlife, which includes butterflies,
red-shouldered hawks, pileated
and other woodpeckers, robins,
painted buntings, cardinals,
bluejays, sparrows, doves and
crows.
"Do
not go where the path may lead;
go instead where there is no
path and leave a trail."
~
Ralph Waldo Emerson
|
