This picture is of typical longleaf pine/wiregrass/turkey oak habitat that covered much of Florida before logging operations began a hundred years ago. What you see here, of course, is not a mature, old growth forest, but is about 40 years old. In another hundred years it will begin to approach the old forests of Florida. These sandhill habitats were maintained by frequent lightning-initiated fires before white man settled and began to suppress fire.
This picture shows another area just north of the house, which is a mixture of sandhill and pine flatwoods. Notice the telltale signs of fire on the trunks of the trees. A proper forest management plan for longleaf pine/wiregrass systems includes controlled burns, without which wiregrass will not bloom, and fire-adapted longleaf pine cannot thrive.
The next picture was taken in the bayhead area at the north end of the property. This is the oldest growth area on the property, and consists of giant Loblolly Bay trees (a relative of the Southern Magnolia), and various large pines. The understory is a deep bed of pine needles with numerous ferns and a few palmetto and deciduous bushes such as wild blueberry.
The next picture is a view of the driveway, which is about 800 feet long, looking toward the front entrance. In the foreground is a small pink flower. This is a native orchid, grass pink, which is one of two orchids that I have identified on the property.
This is a picture of the smaller lake on the southeast corner of the property.
This is a view of the house from about 30 feet north of Boll Green Lake.
