I don't live in Florida. I don't want to live in Florida (as far as I know). And while there are a few aspects I wish we had here in Vermont (Year-round bass fishing), I doubt I would consider it 'paradise' as a former resident of New England described it on the phone to me earlier this week. Still, our Props this week originate from warm-weather climes and would be difficult to duplicate here in Zone 4-5. Perhaps someday I'll have an opportunity to visit a few of these places.....but they sure aren't in Florida.

Before we journey to these warm-weather places, let's start up here where things are still cold: Toronto. Apparently there are a couple of guys who have taken to transforming their urban landscape in many small ways. They developed a little sling for plants made from posters, adhering them to walls, around light posts and other vertical spaces.  Now, without knowing all the details I'd venture to say this was a labor of love and their brief experiment lasted all of one season based on what I could find on the interwebs. But I like the idea and would be delighted to see it employed here in the summer. In fact, if you drive through my neighborhood this summer....you just might see a couple.

     Travelling farther afield, our second set of Props is humbly awarded to the French botanist Patrick Blanc. Wondering through the digital world I found a photograph of one of this works and could help but dig for more. In the same way Fredrick Law Olmstead left his mark designing such public spaces as Central Park in New York City and the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, Patrick is busy designing and installing vertical gardens around the globe. As absolutely cheesy as his homepage is, I highly recommend taking a tour of his projects via the map on his website to witness what I hope will be more frequently seen by us all.

      Finally, let's head of to Singapore. Although we don't hear much about it, this nation is FULL of wonders and a place I would love to visit some day. Back in 2005, the Prime Minister announced the creation of Gardens by the Bay. The amazing designs include an enclosed cloud forest and the Flower Dome, but my favorite and most astounding are the Super Trees. These structures are stand 80 - 160 feet tall, collect sunlight to power the lights, collect rainwater for irrigation and serve as the intake and exhaust system for the climate-controlled areas. How. Cool. Is. That? Go take a tour of this amazing garden on the website. It will blow your mind. 

That's the Props! On my list for the weekend.....buy potting soil. Lots of it.