peggy mills gardens
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Moose
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Rheedii perhaps
Jeff Searle
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Mark, can you give us all some more information on this garden's past? Who was Peggy Mills?
Yes Sir Reeee I can Jeff....... Peggy Long was brought to KeyWEST BY HER COLECTIV E.... OR EXTENDED family to marry her distant cousin, who was one of the wealthiest man in their family. (An old southern custom to keep the money within their family) Peggy always seemed to resent this fact, as she was dramatically younger than John long. THIS ALL TOO PLACE MANY DECADES BEFORE a bridge to the florida mainland..... So John long passed away, and peggy became successfull through her own efforts by running Longs furniture Store, still located ong flemming street around the 8 or 900 block of flemming street.......
Native son
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Rheedii coloring but the taper off of the base of the leaf is not right. Very Interesting would like to see the hole plant.
Native son
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PETRA, I think it is one of the wonderful faces of PETRA.
.........So, with her success in selling a lot of metal furnitue (TERMITE PROOF) to both the islanders, and the navy.....she used her money to buy about 14 different conch homes, (including a dry goods store, as well as a barbershop on the Simonton st side of her garden) ..... so she ended up with alost an acre and a half of gardens, brick trails and paths, fish ponds and an array of rare tropical trees... she had propagation houses, growing areas, and orchid houses....(which were not safe come mothers day...because kids would jump the fences and steal their mothers day presents lol) It is said the city convinced her to open it to the public to help the city develope tourism..... Her second husband was a never do well real estate person who's only success was a cuban tourist lodge in isle of pines in the south west coastal region of cuba. It was said she was friends with Batista.
My fingures are numb.... will continue...if anyone is interested...... but I was sold 3 times with the property.... and one of my favorite trees there was the cassia rainbow shower which would bloom from february untilmid october with spent flower racime as long as 8 to12 feet in length.(as we know it is a hybrid that ner sets seed......
(AND I WANT ONE IN THE WORST SORTA WAY.......) THERE WAS ALWAYS A TREE...... from cuba called
a LIVING FENCE POST TREE wich bloomed pink blossoms on th major limbs an branches....
...and to end in a jestful spirit .... peggy had an Amazon parrot who would occasionally get loose, flew across Simonton St sat on the steeple on the top of a lovely white church and shrieked "SHUT UP ALBERT!!!!!!" ...who
was her second husband............. being such a small community, and such a loud parrot, the word crossed the island like wildfire......... Lol.
(AND I WANT ONE IN THE WORST SORTA WAY.......) THERE WAS ALWAYS A TREE...... from cuba called
a LIVING FENCE POST TREE wich bloomed pink blossoms on th major limbs an branches....
...and to end in a jestful spirit .... peggy had an Amazon parrot who would occasionally get loose, flew across Simonton St sat on the steeple on the top of a lovely white church and shrieked "SHUT UP ALBERT!!!!!!" ...who
was her second husband............. being such a small community, and such a loud parrot, the word crossed the island like wildfire......... Lol.
Jeff Searle
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What I was getting at was, I thought I read somewhere where you mentioned Nancy Forrester's Secret Garden was in Peggy's hands earlier on. Do you know anything about this?
Mmm.... jeff, I don't think I've ever mentioned NANCY'S SECRET GARDEN here on this site..... and it's very interesting you should mention it. I just heard yesterday that for a while now "KATE" who owns Gardens Hotel
bought Nancy's property, and is renting it as "Kate's Cabin" BUT THE CITY WON'T LET HERE DEVELOPE IT LIKE SHE WANTS... so I heard... (may or may not be true) that it is one of several of her properties that
she (kate) wants to sell. THERE.... that's what I know about it, but never spoke of thatgarden before here..... it's a lovely lil grotto like jungle one block away from Duval st.
bought Nancy's property, and is renting it as "Kate's Cabin" BUT THE CITY WON'T LET HERE DEVELOPE IT LIKE SHE WANTS... so I heard... (may or may not be true) that it is one of several of her properties that
she (kate) wants to sell. THERE.... that's what I know about it, but never spoke of thatgarden before here..... it's a lovely lil grotto like jungle one block away from Duval st.
Jeff Searle
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Thanks, yea I don't know where I got that from either. I don't know if you know Nancy very well, she's been a close friend of mine for over 20 years now. I knew a lot about her garden and approx. 3 years ago she lost most of her 1 acre with the cottage on it. There's been 2 or 3 new houses built on the back side of the lot, in the general area where I use to set up for my palm sales there. As far as I know, she will be allowed to live out her remaining life there in her house, up on Elizabeth St. I spent many a days in that garden over those years and had some real good times. It's just so sad how it's turned out.