State of the Garden 2015

As December draws to a close, everyone is inclined to stop and take stock of their accomplishments over the last year, so we at MOSI Outside decided to get in on the fun. Here's a look at some of our biggest, proudest, and favorite accomplishments of 2015.

Savage Garden Installation and Success. Thanks to generous sponsorship from the Coleman-Lienhart family, 2015 saw the installation of a new permanent exhibit at MOSI Outside. The Savage Garden displays carnivorous plants including pitcher plants, Venus Flytraps, sundews, butterworts, and bladderworts in a bog garden setting. Other elements include native Florida wetlands plants, along with epiphytes and mosses. The installation of this exhibit required MOSI Outside staff to become familiar with and learn to care for this notoriously finicky category of plants, with much experimentation and research along the way. For the most part, the plants in our exhibit thrived this year, and we've learned many new things about how they work and how to keep them happy.

Front Walk Improvements.
Our front walk area underwent major landscaping improvements in early 2015. This troublesome area received a complete makeover, with native plants like coontie and sand cordgrass creating a backdrop for African iris and agapanthus borders. Two small areas now feature seasonal annuals, while the rest of the perennials require only minor upkeep throughout the year. This was a massive undertaking for our tiny garden staff of two women: Over the course of 4 days, we laid out and then installed nearly 450 perennials in 1 and 3 gallon pots. We also mulched all the areas with pine bark, using only our fleet of wheelbarrows and some shovels to spread 20 cubic yards of mulch. See before and after pics from this project here.

Biodiversity Survey.
When stormy weather sent us indoors over the the summer, we took some time to compile a list of the wildlife and plant life found on MOSI Outside's 40 acres of publicly-accessible property. Although we've always recognized the great diversity of species found in our little urban oasis, documenting the numbers from our cultivated gardens, Historic Tree Grove, and Backwoods Nature Preserve really drove the point home. As of 2015, we've documented:

• 102 species of butterflies and moths 
• 65 species of birds 
• 30 species of reptiles 
• 75 species of trees and shrubs 
• 125 species of native wildflowers and grasses

Click here to learn more and see the full list of species.

Other Accomplishments.

Aside from big projects, a multitude of smaller daily achievements kept us busy throughout the year. Here are a few highlights.

• Malachites and Lunas. We raised several dozen species of Florida native butterflies and moths this year, but it was the Malachites (Siproeta stelenes) and Luna Moths (Actias luna) that really stood out. This was our second year raising Malachites, a south Florida species that's been expanding its range north over the last few decades, and we had incredible success in rearing hundreds of these spectacular green butterflies for display throughout the year. Raising Luna Moths in large numbers was a first for us, and we happily denuded our only Sweet Gum tree to rear several generations of these glorious moths. 

• Volunteers. This was a terrific year for volunteers and interns at MOSI Outside. Since our paid garden staff is so small (one full time coordinator and one part-time assistant coordinator to care for 40 acres), our volunteers are vital to our success. This year brought some terrifically dedicated young college women from USF, UT, and even Harvard! Long-term loyal volunteers also played an important part in making our gardens beautiful and keeping our butterflies happy. It's not an exaggeration to say we couldn't do this job without them all.

• Fruit Feeding Station. We've offered fruit for butterflies in the Flight Encounter exhibit for years, but this year we finally found a way to make it more attractive to display. Rather than keeping it in a dish to get waterlogged, we started hanging it from hooks on a piece of grapevine from the backwoods. This allows guests a better view and excellent photo opportunities. A simple idea that really paid off!

There's been a lot to feel good about in 2015, and we look forward to seeing what's next on the horizon. See you in 2016!