Floridian Carnivores: Javier's Forest

It may seem like I’ve been having quiet plant life due to few posts and few pictures, but this Summer has been action-packed and crazy busy with plant adventures! So busy that I haven’t had the time to post about them all.

One of the first trips I went off on was to Florida where I met Javier Garcia for the first time. I heard he had an amazing collection of Sarracenia and Nepenthes and had seen a few pictures but gosh was it even more impressive in person!

One of my favorites at Javier's place! — One of my favorites at Javier’s place!

His place was located in a farmland type area in Florida. It was SO hot there and the humidity was absolute madness, but the plants were all happy and covered in beautiful dew.

I had only known Javier through a friend and hadn’t had too many conversations with him before meeting, but he was one of the nicest people I’ve met and definitely consider him a close plant friend now!

We came under the unfortunate (and fortunate) circumstance that his wife’s water broke WHILE we were at his house admiring his plants! His wife (who is absolutely sweet as heck) was very calm and a trooper, forcing him to spend time with us and take us over to the Everglades after looking through all his plants.

Javier’s Nepenthes greenhouse looked like a tropical lowland forest of pure Neps. Neps hanging above you, Neps crawling across the floor below, Neps everywhere! It was beautiful! I hope to have something like it one day 🙂

When we got to his place we were greeted with the friendliest dog, and saw chickens, a turkey, giant toads, frogs, lizards, anoles, and tons of other animals there. It was pretty damn cool. I wish I had that kind of wildlife hanging out with all my plants!

These guys (anoles I believe) were jumping all over Javiers Sarrs and hanging out!

Heavy duty Garden Toads eating the food that was meant for the chickens!

Every time you turned to look at something else you’d see some kind of critter hanging out or running off somewhere. Javier has it good getting to hang with these little animals every day 🙂

Anole climbing down a tree trunk vertically!

Getting to meet Javier and see his plants was an honor. If you know him you know how good of a person he is and how hilarious he is. I can’t wait to go back to Florida again and meet up with him during better circumstances (when his wife isn’t giving birth!)