While we were in Florida a few weeks ago, I had a chance to visit the Naples Botanical Garden. Over the years, the garden has matured and the plantings and themed gardens have become more robust and beautiful.
The most appealing to me of all of them are the ones with the native vegetation and compositions. I think the Florida ecology garden is especially successful. In educational settings like a Botanical garden, I think that “espresso shot” experiences of ecosystems/plant communities are a wonderful way to give people a gateway into becoming more involved in their landscapes and appreciating the beauty of what’s around them. That said though, the exotic plantings of banana, bromeliad, and lotus are so alluring for their beauty and novelty – especially when I look out my window here in New England at the composition of brown and tan.
