FLORIDA - YOUR FAVORITE SPOTS!

[The Silent Seed]

As most of us know, Florida is huge, and full of gardens, parks, nurseries, etc. Let's hear your favorites, and why? I'm more curious about the less obvious - For example; Leu and Fairchild are going to be on almost everybody's top 5 for obvious reasons : Extensive, unusual plantings, attractively layed out, etc. 

Here's a couple of mine: 

Deerfield Beach Arboretum - Small, but nice walk-around path, with a lot of unique, unusual trees. 

Excelsa Gardens (Nursery) - Lots of unique stuff not found in every other large nursery/grower, and above all - you can't ask for friendlier staff. 

The dirt road (Alligator Alley???) between Miami and Naples - A beautiful not-too-short, and not-too-long beautiful scenic drive through "natural Florida." Lots of little brooks, streams, etc to look down on and see native (and a few non-natives) fish - tons of bromeliads and native trees to enjoy here, too. And yes - Alligators! Due to how the road is elevated, you can get within a few feet of a gator and just sit and enjoy the view! 

Let's hear yours! 

 

[The Silent Seed]

Nobody likes Florida anymore ? 

[RedRabbit]

For palms, Kopsick and Leu Gardens are my favorite that I've been to so far. The Edison and Ford Estate is also well worth visiting too, but not specifically for palms.  

[samirbouag]

Of Course! love florida

[The Silent Seed]

I've been to Leu - amazing place - I love how they mix it up with tropicals and more temperate stuff. Not been to Kopsick yet - Tell me about the Edison estate - I've read about it, but don't get a great sense of what it's all about online. 

Forgot to mention - this doesn't necessarily have to do with palms.

 

[Matthew92]

Kanapaha Botanical Gardens in Gainesville is one of the best also. Many palms (large, mature butia x jubaea, other hybrids, what used to be a 5 trunked sabal palmetto (4 stems broke off in Hurricane Frances) and some other unusual specimens) and a huge arboretum area featuring trees not not usually seen in the Southeast (I remember seeing an Arizona white oak, many Eucalyptus species), also have a bamboo, herb, succulent, desert garden, and much more.

Edited March 21, 2016 by Opal92

[The Silent Seed]

Haven't been there either - sounds great! I'd be interested in seeing the succulent and desert garden. 

 

[sur4z]

In West Palm Beach there is the Ann Norton Sculpture Garden that has the best collection of palms this side of Fairchild Gardens...www.ansg.org

And in Palm Beach a private 6 acre garden known as casaphippsberger...www.casaphippsberger.org

[sur4z]

http://www.ansg.org/

http://www.casaphippsberger.org/

 

[sur4z]

Also Bok Tower Gardens in Lake Wales, Fl designed by Frederick Law Olmstead Jr, the designer of New York's Central Park. It offers acres of ferns, palms, oaks and pines, azaleas, camelias and magnolias.

https://boktowergardens.org

 

[The Silent Seed]

It never ceases to amaze me what diversity can be found in Florida - for example, to a Northerner, Azaleas and pines are quintessential "Northern" plants. What about Rhododendrons? (The real ones, not the tropical ones.) 

 

 

[talkjk]

Little Palm Island

[The Silent Seed]

That looks like a great place to kick back and get a line wet! 

[sur4z]

On 3/22/2016, 7:10:47, santoury said:

That looks like a great place to kick back and get a line wet! 

But you better bring your check book!!