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INTRODUCTION I want to thank my dear friends Jana and Gary Meiser and Lynn McKamey for making this site possible--the former pair for starting the project and seeing it through, and Lynn for the hours spent scanning the slides. I am excited by this undertaking because it not only gives me an opportunity to show my concept of a tropical looking garden to the world but also, and more importantly, to show the world the garden of Alton Marshall, who was a beacon for many people in this area (Houston, TX) because of his knowledge, care and craftsmanship, not only with plants but also with the people in the gardening community, here and elsewhere. Alton died in January of 1998, but his passion for the garden lives on in the hearts and minds of very many people. I hope the photos I took and here present of him and his garden will commemorate, celebrate and demonstrate that passion. Robert Lee Riffle |
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FOREWORD We first met Robert Riffle through the internet when he found our Tropical Attitudes Gardening Forum and began sharing his immense wealth of knowledge. That was in 1997 when The Tropical Look was still a collection of files on his computer. In 1998 his work was published, and in 1999 he received well-deserved recognition when the American Horticultural Society chose The Tropical Look for the 1999 Book of the Year Award. Robert is now working on two more books. One will be devoted entirely to palm trees (always our personal favorite here at Digital Raingardens), and tropical landscaping will be the topic of the other. Somehow, Robert finds time to fit in other activities. He participates in several gardening message boards, gives frequent tours at the Mercer Arboretum in Houston, travels often to seek out new specimens of his favorite plants or gardening events, and occasionally appears as a public speaker. During the summer of 1999 he has been a most welcome guest at the Palm Society of South Texas meetings. After you read The Tropical Look and look through the images in this garden gallery, you will realize that he is truly a garden guru. His primary motivation for this gallery, however, is to pay tribute to Alton Marshall, a gardener and friend whom Robert admired very much. Alton's garden no longer exists, except in the memories of friends and here in cyberspace. Robert's knowledge of plants and outstanding ability to describe them in a meaningful way is rivalled only by his skill as a photographer. We are honored be part of Alton's tribute and to have Robert for a friend and colleague. Gary and Jana Meiser
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Images containing the name Alton Marshall, are photos taken by Robert of Alton's garden, all others are of RLR's garden in Houston, Texas. All Images are the Property of Robert Lee Riffle unless other wise noted and are protected by Copyright. No Reproduction Of Any Kind Is Granted Without Prior Written Consent. © Copyright, 1999 Robert L. Riffle - All Rights Reserved Page Design and layout © 1999 Digital Raingardens - All Rights Reserved |
 For more information on these plants, and other tropical or tropical looking plants, check out Robert Lee Riffles new book "The Tropical Look" An Encyclopedia of Dramatic Landscape Plants. |
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Robert
Lee Riffle's "The Tropical Look" winner of
the 1999 American Horticultural Society "book of the year"