Ok, really...A Tale of Four Gardens: Part 4: Flamingo Gardens

 Flowers on the ground.  Looks like a painting.  Anyone know what these flowers are?

     We recently visited Flamingo Gardens in Davie, Fl., an old-timey attraction in south Florida ( http://www.flamingogardens.org/).  It is a 60-acre, not-for-profit nature reserve and botanical garden, west of Hollywood, Fl, in the once-rural town of Davie.  This garden, which has reciprocal membership with other botanical gardens (so was free for us!), was a lovely introduction to tropical and sub-tropical plants.  I must admit that I know little about tropical plants, having never lived in a tropical region.  I found I really needed an identification guidebook, as, unfortunately, labeling of the plants at Flamingo Gardens is minimal.

Top right, Crinum lily, center left, heliconia, center right sausage tree, bottom left cluster fig,

bottom right limba tree

Alocasia potara, an arum

The garden had a flock of flamingos, a non-native bird that has become the symbol of Florida, and ibis, among others.  As it was the mating season (we were there in December), the Flamingos were rather raucous!  In addition, there are other animals, some caged, some not, like the roaming peacocks.

Spiky nut plant or Coco amargoso

If you are in the area, this is pretty garden to visit to take a stroll among the plants.  If you want to learn what plants you are seeing, bring along a guidebook to tropical plants!

Stay warm!