Orchids by the Shed

I guess you could call this picture Just Something I Like.  

We're having some work done on the property, specifically to prepare for the oncoming Hurricane Season.  That big grey tree trunk on the middle of the frame there... that has to be shortened.

It is a massive, 30 foot tall Sea Grape tree, and it needs to be lowered to about 20 feet.  10 meters plus down to about 7 meters.

Give or take a CM.

Weird tree, you cut one limb and it considers that a challenge.  Now you have a wrist where the tree decides that to show you up, it will grow a hand.  Ignore the hand and now you have five or more limbs growing where it can be as thick as a man's muscular leg from the same spot.

Plus it looms over that shed.  With the pool to my back, it has to be groomed so that it is not growing under the pool and lifting the thing up.

Not so much a tree as a weed.  On Steroids.  Even if it is native, it needs to be in harmony with its environment.

But the spot is pretty, the orchids seem to like it there, and lowering the tree gives me an excuse to build a Pergola out of some white plastic pipes I have.

I'll be moving those orchids to a safe place later this week so this reminds me how I have everything before then.

The staghorn fern will probably not like things.  They will burn in the Hot Florida Sun, however this was just a little sprig originally that someone left out on the curb "free to a good home. I guess this is a good home!  The orchids will too if not protected.  I guess I have a lot to do!

The idea of having Orchids strapped to the side of things is pretty common here.  It's pretty common in the tropical jungles where they normally grow.  I have been lucky with that spot.  These plants are under a metal overhang, sheltered from the weather, and on the drip feed irrigation.  They're also sheltered from the Iguanas that are invading.  Since these plants grow so slowly, I do have to worry about having some sort of prehistoric creature coming in and turning my garden into a Caesar Salad.  They don't share.

At any rate, they are there and this picture tells me how to put them all back when the tree gets lowered.