NATIVE HABITAT FARMS

Prior to forming Native Habitat Landscaping in 1987, Allan McCarthy and Lee Rathbun acquired considerable horticultural experience. Allan has been involved in all facets of landscaping, including irrigation, nursery work, maintenance, design, and installation since 1978. Both Lee and Allan founded the Indian River Chapter of Rare Fruit Council International in 1980. The Rare Fruit council is involved with research and development of edible fruits, nuts, spices, and vegetables. Lee and Allan have devoted over 11,000 hours of volunteer time and expertise, running the organization, doing field research, propagating new introductions in their own nurseries and educating the public about horticulture and gardening. For fifteen years, the Rare Fruit Council has been transforming the grounds of Beachland Elementary School into the Beachland Horticultural Learning Center. Vero's botanical garden now boasts over 700 species. Other botanical pursuits include active membership in the Florida Native Plant Society, the International Palm Society, Fairchild Tropical Gardens, the Audubon Society, the Society for Economic Botany, the International Society of Ethnopharmacology and the Environmental Learning Center.

Native Habitat Landscaping has designed and completed over one hundred and fifty residential designs, including twenty-five ocean and riverfront homes. Most work has been on the barrier island in Indian River county. Commercial credits include Tara Plantation (a ten acre office complex on State Road 60), renovation of the Galleons Condominiums in the Moorings, Cafe du Soir parking areas, an award winning 2,100 foot native buffer along North A1A for Windsor, the Pond and numerous native plantings at the Environmental Learning Center, and several entranceways to barrier island subdivisions.

Native Habitat uses a wide variety of plant materials suited to the subtropics and tropics including many hard-to-find exotic specimen plants and rare or endangered natives. Years of field research and development bring Allan and Lee a keen awareness of the limits of tolerance to cold, heat, humidity, and salt. They travel extensively to select the finest plants available and propagate a unique collection of rare species in the Native Habitat nurseries.

In 1993 Native Habitat expanded operations to offer its services throughout the Bahamas and Caribbean. Specializing in the design, permitting, acquisition and installation of residential and commercial rare plant collections, Native Habitat also publishes a catalogue of rare plants certified for shipment worldwide.

Native Habitat is comfortable working with homeowners, builders, developers, designers, landscape architects, homeowners associations and governmental agencies. Native Habitat Landscaping is licensed, fully insured, and all work is guaranteed.

Native Habitat Ethnobotanicals
Plants to Grow On!

Preservation Through Cultivation

PO Box 644023
Vero Beach, FL
32964-4023

E-Mail Lee@NativeHabitat.com