Pierrina & Sylvestre Occean of Parkview Drive have been recognized as the February 2020 Selection of the Month by The Garden Club at Palm Coast.
They are originally from Haiti and came to the US, Sylvestre in 1981 and Pierrina in 1993 and lived in West Palm Beach until they moved to Palm Coast in 2005. They had to completely remodel their home and Sylvestre had to plant the entire yard as there were no plants.
The front door area has a row of rounded Schillings Holly, a Century plant, variegated Mammey Crotons, a back row of dwarf Schefflera aboricolas, a small Cedar bush and a red pot with a yellow Crinum lily surrounded by ferns and a Croton. The front yard has several individual topiary bushes all surrounded by pink or red Begonias and a white Jasmine topiary with red and pink Begonias. Over to the right along the house there is a Ficus hedge, a Coontie palm, and a Crape Myrtle surrounded with ferns and Hawaiian Ti.
The center yard has an enormous Magnolia tree that Sylvestre has trimmed to make into a topiary shape tree that is surrounded by many ferns, Crotons, pink Pentas, variegated Ginger plants and large Crinum lilies. To the left side of the garage is a very old large Oak tree that is surrounded with ferns, Hawaiian Ti, Mexican Petunias, white Hibiscus and variegated Schefflera aboricolas. These plants are 4 feet wide in depth all around this large tree which gives it character!
As you walk back down to the street you have a long island with a red Crape Myrtle, orange Hibiscus, Hawaiian Ti, tropical Milkweed, several ferns, Milkweed, and a large white Spider Crinum lily that started to bloom. There is also a Bottlebrush tree surrounded with pink and red Begonias.
Their entire back yard is primarily their agricultural garden with several pinto beans, hot peppers, rosemary, papayas, bananas, sugar cane, coconuts, spinach and squash. There is a corner they call the nursery where they propagate plants. They started with one fern and 2 Crotons which now are abundant throughout the front yard. What makes their yard a curb appeal is the West Palm Beach area charm they brought with them shaping topiary bushes and planting flowers all around them.
Submitted by Nancy Iandoli
Selection of the Month Committee