Editor's note...This is another in a series of Guest Blogs by the Gardener...
Hidden among the Art Deco hotels, trendy shops/restaurants, the Miami Convention Centre and the Holocaust Memorial is the Miami Beach Botanical Garden --- The Bot.
First impression is how small it is! But, as the saying goes "Size doesn't matter!" This garden has great variety (see map). No surprise to find butterflies and birds in the native plant area. Two notable trees: the Ponytail Palm - Mexico (not a palm it belongs to the lily family) and the Red Powder Puff (calliandra haematocephala)- Bolivia .
Like many public gardens 'art in the garden' is meant to complement nature's beauty. An example of traditional art was bamboo among bamboo. But most prominent at the entrance was a piece of contempory art: a make-your-own mosaic using plastic water bottles! A reminder to recycle or a plea to conserve water?
Admission is free and while no bonus was expected, visitors can pick up a priceless handout - a self-guided botanical walking tour of Lincoln Road. Ignore the shops and restaurants! Stroll the boulevard and "discover the botanical lore of over 80 varieties of tropical palms, trees and plants". I had to promise the Editor I'll take you on that stroll in a future post...
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