Painting in Paradise

They call themselves plein air (i.e., outdoor) painters, a term that came into prominence during the early decades of the 20th century. It referred to the Impressionist painters who worked outdoors in order to capture the light and color that was a key element in their philosophy.

About a year ago, we got a request from the group to have their members come to Paradise Palms every week or two and spend a few hours painting any of hundreds of possible scenes the 20 acres of gardens provide. We agreed, and they’ve been doing it ever since.

On Friday, Jan. 6, the Cornell Museum in Delray Beach opened a two-month exhibition of the paintings and drawings they have produced during their visits to Paradise Palms. Click here for a story about the exhibit from the current issue of Outdoor Painter.

And click here to watch a video of their work.

Painting in Paradise

Paradise Palms has become a favorite venue for the Plein Air Painters, a group of local artists that carry on the Impressionist tradition of painting outdoor scenes outdoors. With 25 acres of variegated vistas to choose from, they are grateful for the opportunity to spend an afternoon here once or twice a month.

An exhibition – and sale – of their work is available online, with part of the proceeds benefitting Paradise Palms and its future initiatives. Click here.

The conservancy that my family and I are developing in West Delray Beach, FL, has one of the largest and best-curated palm tree collections in the world, as well as a growing collection of outdoor sculptures, a traditionally styled Japanese tea house, a stock of African cycads, and dozens of other exotic plants and trees.

Here’s one of the cycads:

Mombasa Cycad

Binomial name: Encephalartos hildebrandtii

Cycads are ancient plants that existed long before dinosaurs. The Mombasa Cycad is a large, tough plant with leaves that can reach 10 feet in length. All cycads are dioecious, meaning a plant is either male or female. In the female Mombasa, the cone and seeds are very pale, almost white. In the male, they are yellow. From the photo, it looks like this one is a male.

For more information about Paradise Palms, click here.

The conservancy that I’m developing in West Delray Beach, FL, has one of the largest and best-curated palm tree collections in the world, as well as a growing collection of outdoor sculptures, a traditionally styled Japanese tea house, a stock of African cycads, and dozens of other exotic plants and trees.

This is one of the palms you can see and learn about if you visit:

Yatay Palm

Also known as Jelly Palm

Binomial name: Butia yatay

The Yatay Palm is one of my favorite palms in the gardens. It’s big. It’s imposing. And it has a distinctive appearance.

The species, formally Butia yatay, is native to southern Brazil and northern Argentina. It is one of the few plants where the scientific name is completely derived from Native American languages. Butia – referring to the spines of this species – is from a local Brazilian vernacular word meaning “thorny thing.” Yatay is adopted from a Guarani word that refers to the small hard fruit.

For more information about Paradise Palms, click here.

The conservancy that I’m developing in West Delray Beach, FL, has one of the largest and best-curated palm tree collections in the world, as well as a growing collection of outdoor sculptures, a traditionally styled Japanese tea house, a stock of African cycads, and dozens of other exotic plants and trees.

Here’s one of the cycads:

Sclavo’s Cycad

Binomial name: Encephalartos sclavoi

This critically endangered cycad (only 50 mature plants remain in their natural habitat) is endemic to Tanzania. It was named in honor of Jean Pierre Sclavo, a French collector of cycads who discovered it. Several species of Encephalartosare commonly referred to as bread trees, because a bread-like food can be prepared from the pith of the stem. In fact, the genus name is derived from the Greek words en (“within”), kephalē (“head”), and artos (“bread”).

For more information about Paradise Palms, click here.

The conservancy that I’m developing in West Delray Beach, FL, has one of the largest and best-curated palm tree collections in the world, as well as a growing collection of outdoor sculptures, a traditionally styled Japanese tea house, a stock of African cycads, and dozens of other exotic plants and trees.

This is one of the palms:

Mangrove Fan Palm

Binomial name: Licuala spinosa

The Mangrove Fan Palm is native to Southeast Asia. In Cambodia, its leaves are used for hats, for decorations, for walking sticks, and to wrap food. Its heart is enjoyed as a vegetable. And in traditional Cambodian medicine, it is used in several ways. The bark of the trunk, for example, is used to treat tuberculosis.

For more information about Paradise Palms, click here.

Nicobar Palm

Binomial name: Bentinckia nicobarica

The Nicobar Palm is native to the Nicobar Islands in the Andaman Sea (near Malaysia). With its elegant arching leaves and distinctive pale green crownshaft, it is one of the most beautiful palms we have in our gardens. It was listed as an endangered species by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) in 2016.

For more information about Paradise Palms, click here. 

Palmyra or “Toddy” Palm

Also known as Daub Palm, Tala Palm, Ice Apple Palm, and Wine Palm

Binomial name: Borassus flabellifer

The Palmyra is one of my favorite palm trees. We have half a dozen great specimens at the gardens. It is native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. The blooms of the tree develop into nine-inch fruits, each containing one to three seeds. The sugary fruit is used in many Bengali sweet dishes. And “toddy,” the sap of the tree, is often fermented to make alcoholic beverages, including palm wine and an early version of the traditional yuletide drink that we know as the “hot toddy.”

For more information about Paradise Palms, click here.

Christmas Palm

Also known as Manila Palm, Kerpis Palm, Adonidia Palm, Dwarf Royal Palm, and Veitchia Palm

Binomial name: Adonidia merrillii

This palm is native to the Philippines. During the summer months, it produces light green flower buds that turn into creamy blossoms. In December, the flowers are followed by green oval fruits that turn bright red as they ripen. They hang in clusters, looking like Christmas ornaments.

For more information about Paradise Palms, click here. 

Pygmy Date Palms

Binomial name: Phoenix roebelenii

These are Pygmy Date Palms, showing their roots and looking scary. They look like this because they were originally in plastic pots that were left unattended for years before we bought this parcel of property where they are now located. The roots had grown through the holes in the bottom of the pots and eventually broke through and grew out of them. When I first saw them, I thought it would be fun to make a “scary forest” with them for young children. And that’s what we did. We put a yellow-brick road between them and created the forest. After that, we added a playground and a several small houses and a railroad station, and more.

Here is a photo of what it looks like now.