Introduction Every garden begins as an act of faith. When Kit Pannill first moved into her Lake Trail home on the island of Palm Beach over four decades ago, there were only four legacy trees anchoring her yard...nothing else. Shortly thereafter, Kit drove to a nearby nursery garden purchasing plants that she could carry herself back home one by one. There was no master garden plan, just her own sense of the yard and what she liked. Kit essentially had no formal gardening or horticultural training, nor was she a native Floridian. So coming from a northern climate, unfamiliar with a tropical climate or plants, she basically followed her instincts. Over the years, Kit gained a lot of personal experience just by “doing,” which she did daily. When it came right down to what drove her, it was the simple personal satisfaction of “watching things grow.” Kit fell in love growing orchids, eventually becoming an award-winning expert several times over. Florida’s climate is a perfect environment for these exotic flowering plants. They spoke to her, and she spoke back. She built a special SLAT House for them, which eventually expanded into a feeding ground for other eccentric species of plants and flowers—begonias, cacti, succulents, bonsai, unusual Euphorbias, and other rare Pachypodium. Kit deepened her expertise by a daily regimen of gardening, and her garden grew year by year over the decades culminating into what it has become today—a horticultural masterpiece. It’s where she finds refuge— peace and quiet where she can escape; her happy place where all her living creatures give her energy, delight, and purpose.
Contents
Chapter One - Loves to See Things Grow
14
Chapter Two - Learning the Land
50
Chapter Three - Time as a Design Partner
70
Chapter Four - The SLAT House
90
Chapter Five - Orchids on Steroids
120
Chapter Six - Gardens of Civic Responsibility
148
An intimate introduction to Kit Pannill’s philosophy of attention and restraint, revealing how her lifelong love of gardens became a way of living—and a model for stewardship in Palm Beach.
Before planting anything, Kit learned to wait and observe. This chapter explores how understanding light, soil, wind, and time laid the foundation for everything that followed.
A meditation on patience as an active design choice, showing how Kit allows landscapes to evolve slowly, gaining strength and character with age.
A look inside Kit’s beloved SLAT House—part laboratory, part sanctuary—where observation, experimentation, and care shape living works in progress.
In mid-January, Kit sounds the call—“The Orchids are on Steroids!”—and her collections erupt in peak-season bloom, filling the SLAT House with fragrance, color, and hundreds of labeled living masterpieces.
Kit’s belief that gardens extend beyond private gates, highlighting her leadership, mentorship, and lasting impact on Palm Beach’s shared landscapes.
Chapter Seven - Pannill Pipes 172
An innovative method born from necessity after a hurricane, now adopted locally as a model of banyan tree conservation and creative stewardship.
Chapter Eight - The Eccentric Side of the Plant Kingdom
186
Chapter Nine - Kit’s Open Door
218
Chapter Ten - Legacy, Continuity & the Future
244
A celebration of unusual forms and textures—where orchids share space with euphorbias, sculptural succulents, and other beautifully unexpected specimens.
A portrait of Kit’s generosity and instinct to heal—welcoming sick and struggling plants into her care, and teaching others through perserverance and example.
A moving conclusion reflecting on the horticultural foundation Kit has built for Palm Beach— and the generations of gardeners she has inspired to carry it forward.
Peregrina or Spicy Jatropha Jatropha integerrima
“To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.”
~Audrey Hepburn
Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow Brunfelsia pauciflora
Peregrina or Spicy Jatropha Jatropha integerrimaa
Red Tower Ginger or Spiral Ginger Costus barbatus
Jamaican Poinsettia Euphorbia punicea
Corsage Orchid (Queen of Orchids) Cattleya orchid
“Earth laughs in flowers.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
George King ‘Serendipity’ Orchid Brassolaeliocattleya (Blc.) George King ‘Serendipity’
Cattleya, Corsage Orchid, or Queen of Orchids
View of Flagler Pavilion, Palm Beach from Kit’s Garden
Mermaid Tail Cactus Euphorbia lactea cristata
“I never met anyone who was 'into' plants that I didn't like.” ~ Kit Pannill
Blue Vanda Orchid Vanda coerulea