Garden Musings

Welcome to the first issue of Tropical Visions, the RareFruit Review. For some time I have resisted and put off getting involved in another publication. This is not so much because of the sad way in which I was replaced as editor of Tropical Fruit News but more from my hope that my previous publication would be allowed to grow and fill the need for a quality rare fruit publication.

It did not grow; rather, it lost ground. People kept asking me: If? When? Why Not? As to a new publication, I finally decided that if there was to be another chance at having a reputable rare fruit publication that I should take it. With main emphasis to the tropicals and ultra tropicals Tropical Visions hopes to fill a need in the rare fruit community.

Tropical Visions is not your typical magazine or newsletter. First - we do not plan to 'print' any issues, you have to have access to a computer and the internet to read us. Second - While tropicals and ultra tropicals will be our forte, we also will have coverage of some temperate rare fruits. Third - As articles on other rare edibles come available we will consider including them even if they are on leaf or root plants. Fourth - from time to time we shall include coverage of an ornamental !GASP! that we feel would do well in an integrated rare fruit landscape.

We also want to look at the landscape from time to time. What place does your favorite rare fruit have? Can it stand out as a landscape plant and does it have redeeming landscape features? William Whitman, who has introduced thousands of people to rare fruits in Florida, has used guava as hedge and miracle fruit as accents for his home's entry. Some of the lessons on tropical landscape design taught by Roberto Burle Marx can, and should, be applied to our plantings.

We also recognize the need and value of rarefruiters world wide as it relates to germplasm preservation and research. Few nurseries and Universities would be willing to spend the years of unpaid dedication and unrecompensed expenses independent growers do on a favorite plant. The late Ed Krajalis spent thousands of hours trying to increase the popularity and expand the range of mangosteen, and the late Ron Hensley's mango experiments once produced a fruiting plant from seed in less than 2 years. William F. Whitman has spent decades and large amounts on money in his quest to introduce and grow the rarest and the best fruit in Florida. There are others; Paige, Corman, Noel, Ramos, Frickman, Glowinski... For every one I know about I have no doubt there are another fifty out there growing and expanding the knowledge we have on these fascinating plants.

It is our goal to produce a publication that will appeal to all levels of rarefruiter, and, over time, you will see a wide range of articles. Your submissions are welcome. If you don't feel that your writing skills are up to par, don’t worry/ don’t let that stop you - we do have editors. Remember, the wider the variety of our content, the better our chances are of providing new and exciting rare fruit information.

Best of growing,

Bob Cannon

Editor

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