Will Moriaty - Writer and Environmentalist

Will Moriaty is one of the people we have to thank for the spectacular wildflower displays we enjoy along Florida's highways. Here in the photo is ecotype annual phlox (Phlox drummondii) in the median of U.S. 98/S.R. 50 in Hernando County.

I had a consulting job in Central Florida a few years back and took the opportunity to visit some beautiful places in the area and see many interesting plants. While on one of my scenic drives around the area I saw a sign that shouted "TREE" in big block letters which of course caught my interest. I couldn't read much else on the sign being near-sighted and traveling at 50 mph but the TREE sign stuck in my head. A couple of months ago I received an email from Will Moriaty, founder and president of an organization called TREE and I made a mental connection.

I really appreciate anyone who cares about our environment but especially those who take the time to actively protect and improve it. These folks invariably tend to be generous, smart, talented and dedicated. I think Will Moriaty is a fine example of this sort of person so I want to call attention to his projects and responsible environmental stewardship by welcoming him as Floridata's newest Celebrity Gardener.

Will is the president of the Tampa Bay Reforestation and Environmental Effort, Inc. (T.R.E.E. Inc.), an organization he founded in 1983. Since the creation of this non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, they have planted over 43,000 native Florida trees as part of 176 volunteer projects (dedicated!). From 1983 to 2000 Will assisted artist Denis Lebrun with the inking of comic strip Blondie (talented!) and in 1988 published a technical review draft for the Florida Department of Transportation titled "Recommended Landscape Design Guidelines for the I-75 Bypass". The draft was done in association with the University of Florida Department of Landscape Architecture (and smart too!).

In 1989 he published 'The Plants of the William Bartram Native Plant Demonstration Gardens" for a design and installation that he created for the Payne's Prairie Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society and the Kanapaha Botanical Gardens in Gainesville, Florida. These days Will writes a column called "La Floridiana" that you enjoy on-line at Nolan's Pop Culture Review.

For the past 10 years Will has worked as a Roadside Vegetation Coordinator for the Florida Department of Transportation which is a busy job in Florida's lush semi-tropical climate. In this position he coordinates the Departments wildflower, invasive plant management, tree planting and roadside beautification programs. His "road gardening" efforts are seen by millions of motorists in the West Central Florida counties of Citrus, Hernando, Hillsborough (Tampa), Pasco and Pinellas (St. Petersburg) each year.

A white wicker chair presides over the herb garden and plays host to a potted white allyssum (Lobularia maritima)

In addition to the roadside "gardens" described above, Will spends a lot of time in the garden at his home in Plant City, Florida. The town is located approximately 20 miles east of Tampa, and is one of the largest woody ornamental nursery producing areas in the country (in addition to being the winter strawberry capital of the country). Located in USDA Zone 9, the climate in Plant City is more similar to that of Tallahassee (Zone 8) than Tampa or St. Petersburg. As it is not as close to the Gulf Coast as those cities, it generally has cooler winters and warmer summers than those locales nearer the moderating effects of the Gulf of Mexico.

Thyme and ylang-ylang share a pot in Will's herb garden. The ylang-ylang is a tropical with beautifully fragrant flowers that needs to be taken indoors when Plant City has a cold winter night (which I suspect the thyme doesn't mind at all!)

Since Will is a writer I asked him to describe his place, plants, preferences and projects: "My property is divided into two sections. In the southeast portion of the yard is a subtropical garden with gingers, bromeliads, palms and pothos. A shade garden comprised of Indica azaleas, hydrangeas and holly fern is located on the opposite side of the yard which includes a herb garden featuring a dozen varieties of mints, English lavender, stevia, thyme, rosemary, ylang ylang, dill and fennel.

I garden at least three times a week, most typically on Saturdays. I spend the majority of this time hand weeding, trimming, mulching, watering and planting. My favorite activity is an annual planting of the herb garden, which I conduct after purchasing herbs at the University of South Florida's Fall Plant Sale. My least favorite activity is, of course, weeding.

The leaves of tulip poplars from Central Florida are not as deeply lobed as those from farther north. Will and the T.R.E.E. organization continue their effort to re-establish populations of this magnificent tree with "local" strains for the species.

My first "garden" wasn't a garden at all, but a planting of bare root trees that I ordered from a mail order nursery. I bought a golden weeping willow, tulip poplar and redbud - from that point on I was hooked on growing trees. However, in those early days success with mail order trees was minimal at best. This was because the seed sources of the trees were not of Florida origin. As more nursery stock that was raised from seed collected in Florida became available, my successes skyrocketed which inspired the formation and eventual incorporation of T.R.E.E. Inc. some ten years later.

I continue to grow tulip poplar trees gathered from seed of naturally occurring specimens in Orange and Seminole Counties, Florida. Once they have reached heights of 4 ft (1.2 m) or taller, I will donate them to the City of Winter Park as I have for the past three years now in a tulip poplar repopulation effort along the Lake Howell chain of lakes.

Will

Gardening, whether along the roadsides or in my own yard, relaxes me and makes me feel as I am accomplishing a greater good. Gardening renews me; it fills me with a sense of awe. Gardening soothes me. Above all else, I find that gardening is a life affirming experience.

The miracle of leaf shape, color, scent, texture and the endless things that plants provide us speak to me of the majestic wisdom of their Creator."

I thank Will for being Floridata's latest Celebrity Gardener and for his work on behalf of Florida's environment. Floridata also applauds his organization's work and dedication and wish them continued success. When in Central Florida keep a lookout for his roadside wildflower gardens, tulip poplars and other T.R.E.E. projects please pay them a visit!

Jack Scheper 5/15/04

Look for him online too - learn more about his work at the T.R.E.E. website
and read his online column LaFloridiana

Learn more about tulip poplars in Floridata's Liriodendron tulipifera Profile and in Will's article on the Tulip Poplar in Central Florida.

Photographs courtesy of Will Moriaty and the Florida Department of Transportation

Copyright 2004
Floridata.com L.C.