Michael Racano and Charles LaFlamme of Arrowhead Drive have been recognized as May 2023 Selection of the Month by The Garden Club at Palm Coast.
They moved from Rhode Island to Palm Coast in 2013 when they retired. Michael was a caterer and made floral arrangements and Charles was a Director of Nurses. Michael is always working in the yard, and he propagates his own plants. He likes to buy reduced plants at Walmart and brings them back to life. Charles also likes to spend his free time working in the garden and watering. They like to make their own fertilizer by blending vegetables and fruit peels, and they use coffee grinds and eggshells on the lawn.
This curb appeal landscape was discovered at the end of March, and we were amazed by the abundance of colorful flowers and the diversity of plants. The front bed has many zinnias, bush daisies, firecrackers, phlox, roses, amaryllis, lantana, dusty miller, pansies, coleus, potato vines, and milkweed. They recently added 60 Asiatic lilies, 60 gladiolas, multiple-color sunflowers, white Casablanca, and red stargazer lilies.
The top of the garage has climbing red bougainvillea and yellow Mandevilla surrounding the front door area. On the left side, they have cleome, calla lilies, mums, bleeding hearts, foxglove, climbing ligustrum, and bamboo.
Over time they have created and recently expanded their backyard with leftover pavers and other materials left by contractors. They have two gorgeous red and pink bougainvillea in pots, drift roses, dianthus, and red calibrachoa parviflora. They have a pagoda with several hanging pots. They even have an orange flowering nasturtium in which they make pesto with the leaves and use the blossoms in salads. Nothing goes to waste in their gardens!
Submitted by Nancy Iandoli
Selection of the Month Committee
