Have you been to the Fruitville Library garden lately and taken a peek? A few new items have been added to the garden in memory of Nina Powers who was instrumental in designing the garden. These include bedding plants, a red cedar tree in the north east corner, informative posters in the cottage, a discovery table and new rocking chair on the cottage porch, two new earth boxes with stands along the south walkway, and a beautiful memorial plaque located on the western walkway. The discovery table and posters are particularly oriented to all the children who visit the garden. The enthusiasm from the children and their families have shown the Fruitville Library reading garden to be a real gem in our community!

The popcorn cassia (Senna didymobotrya) shown in the picture at left has a hidden secret. The leaves on the popcorn cassia, when they are rubbed, smell like fresh buttered popcorn. The yellow blooms even look like popcorn! This plant is native to central and eastern Africa, a perennial here in central Florida. It can grow to 25 feet high and it thrives in full sun and rich moist well drained soil. Kids and families alike enjoy this “scratch and sniff” plant!

— Jule Doran, Master Gardenter