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One year ago, during an impromptu family trip to Cypress Gardens, we stumbled upon a place called Bok Tower Gardens in Lake Wales. There was just something about those gardens that took my breath away – an indescribable beauty and serenity that touched all of my senses. The feeling was punctuated every now and then by the harmonious sounds of chiming bells from the ornate, 205-foot Singing Tower. We all felt it. My 13-year-old nephew, James, even referred to it as the « Angels’ Garden. »
It may not always be so overwhelming, but I do believe that walking through a garden and just being in nature can have a sort of magical effect. Especially at a time when the world has become a little less certain for us and our children, a day amongst flowers and trees is a reminder of the beauty and simplicity around us. At the very least, it is a refreshing change of pace for the whole family.
And what better time to take advantage of South Florida’s picturesque parks and gardens than December? While our friends up north are taking shelter from the cold, we are ready to head outdoors and enjoy the brisk air while it lasts.
There are plenty of beautiful gardens to discover in the tri-county area, and the good news is that no two are alike. There are new treasures, lessons, and adventures waiting in every garden. Here are a few suggestions to get you started.
PALM BEACH COUNTY
Mounts Botanical Garden
Mounts Botanical Garden happens to be Palm Beach County’s oldest and largest public garden. But for me, it was a surprising new find. It truly is a secret garden, mainly because one would not expect to find this 14-acre haven hiding among the strip malls on busy Military Trail. My sister-in-law, Gloria, who lives nearby and accompanied me and my children on our visit, admitted she must have driven past the garden hundreds of times and never knew it was there.
Mounts Botanical Garden was founded in the 1950s as a program of the Palm Beach County Cooperative Extension Service to foster appreciation of plants and their many benefits. Today, the garden, which is affiliated with both the extension service and the University of Florida, continues to educate – as well as enchant – visitors.
Inside Mounts Botanical Garden, which is free of charge, families will find plenty of opportunities to learn and explore. The colorful « Treasure Trek » map will guide you through the garden and provide you with interesting facts and tidbits along the way.
For instance, in the « Poison Plants » display (a favorite among the younger visitors, we were told), you will learn that the oleander, an attractive flowering plant found throughout Florida, emits a deadly smoke when it is burned. Other entertaining exhibits include an herb garden, a composting area (don’t miss the worm bin), a rain forest and a butterfly garden.
Another highlight is the garden maze. All of us, kids and adults, had fun winding our way through the bushy labyrinth. We also enjoyed feeding the eager turtles in the lake (bring along some crackers or bread when you visit). Visitors are encouraged, by the way, to bring their own food and drinks. While there are no refreshments available on-site, there are several picturesque picnic spots to choose from.
In addition to the gardens themselves, Mounts offers guided tours, workshops, lectures, plant sales and other special events. Master gardeners and horticulturists are also available to answer questions. At the family festivals held twice a year in October and April, families converge on the gardens for hands-on activities, ladybug releases and more.
The Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens
When you enter the Roji-en Japanese Gardens at the Morikami Museum in Delray Beach, the stillness is striking. Tall pine trees, bamboo groves, waterfalls and large granite boulders come together to transport visitors into another culture and era. The result is one of South Florida’s most unique garden experiences.
« All gardens across all nationalities are unique, » said Fran Nolan, the Japanese Gardens Educations Specialist at the Morikami. « What makes our gardens interesting is the conscious desire of the designer to create authentic Japanese gardens while working with the natural plantings available here in South Florida. »
Although the Morikami Museum has been in existence since 1977, the newly expanded 16-acre Japanese garden, designed by Hoichi Kurisu, just opened in January of this year. It is now one of the largest Japanese gardens in the United States.
Visitors follow a mile-long path that takes them to six individual Japanese gardens, each representing a historical period in Japanese garden design between the eighth and 20th centuries. One example is the Early Rock Garden, a « garden » made up entirely of rocks that replicates the dry-landscape rock gardens that Zen Buddhists used for meditation in the 14th to 16th centuries. (You might want to remind your small children that the rocks in these gardens are not meant for playing!)
About three-quarters of the way through the garden, you will find the Yamato-Kan, a replica of a Japanese home that also houses an exhibit about the Japanese Yamato Colony that formed in South Florida over 100 years ago. In traditional Japanese style, everyone who enters Yamato-Kan must remove their shoes and put on paper slippers (Kids love it!).
While you’re at the Yamato-Kan, you can purchase bags of food to feed the huge fish and turtles in the lake just across the way. In the same area, you will also find a fascinating exhibit of more than 25 bonsais, or miniature trees.
Of course, the Morikami offers so much more than its beautiful gardens. There are many programs, classes and special events held year-round that offer glimpses into Japanese culture. On the second and fourth Saturdays of the month, the museum offers « Family Fun » programs with activities ranging from origami and fish printing to Japanese kite-making.
BROWARD COUNTY
Flamingo Gardens
Since we discovered Flamingo Gardens about two years ago, it has become a family favorite. Not only is it close by (10 minutes from our home), but I also know that my kids (ages 2 and 4) always have fun there, whether we go for an hour or a full day.
The big plus with this garden adventure is that on top of the 200-year-old oak trees, tropical gardens, wetland and native hammocks, citrus groves, and rain forest, Flamingo Gardens is home to a variety of wildlife. You will find peacocks strutting about the property and all kinds of native birds. There are also animal exhibits where you can get a close look at alligators, flamingos, tortoises, iguanas, bobcats (one of the newest additions) and everyone’s favorite: the otters.
Flamingo Gardens also features a free-flight aviary with more than 300 birds, as well as one of the largest bird-of-prey displays in the country.
« All of our wildlife are permanently injured or non-releasable, » said Mike Ruggieri, head of Animal Care at Flamingo Gardens. « When they come to Flamingo Gardens, we try to set them up with a mate, breed them, and then release the babies back into the wild. »
Over the last 11 years, Ruggieri said, hundreds of babies, including some endangered and threatened species, have been successfully released into the wild from Flamingo Gardens.
Visitors can learn more about the wildlife at Flamingo Gardens at the Wildlife Encounter, a live presentation held three times daily.
To fully experience the gardens and citrus groves, which were originally planted by Floyd and Jane Wray in 1927, hop aboard the tram for a half-hour narrated tour.
Butterfly World
You are bound to see one or two butterflies flitting around in any garden you visit. But for a sure thing – we’re talking thousands of butterflies in every color of the rainbow – visit the gardens at Butterfly World.
The butterflies here almost overwhelm you at first, with their beauty and their numbers. During our recent visit, several came close to landing on my son Gabriel. Michael, 2, pointed in every direction saying, « Look at that butterfly, look at that butterfly. » They clearly enjoyed seeing so many butterflies so close. I just had to remind them a few times that the signs said not to touch the delicate creatures.
While the butterflies are the main attraction at Butterfly World, the gardens are breathtaking as well. After all, this natural habitat was created for the butterflies, which need a tropical environment and the nectar of fragrant flowers to develop and grow. As you tour Butterfly World, you will encounter a rain-forest area, ponds (with fish for feeding), waterfalls, a rose garden, orchids and rare passion flowers.
You will also come in contact (literally, if you want) with some extraordinary birds. At the Lorikeet Encounter, the brightly colored lories and lorikeets are extremely friendly and love to perch on their human visitors. If you purchase the $1 nectar to feed the birds as we did, be prepared. Gabriel found it amusing to have the birds land on him and ambush his mother while we were feeding them. Michael, on the other hand, found the bold birds a bit frightening.
Don’t miss the Jewels of the Sky Aviary, where you can glimpse the world’s tiniest birds, the hummingbirds, and many other colorful small birds. The kids also loved crossing the Tinlandia Suspension Bridge, a swinging bridge that is a replica of a bridge in western Ecuador.
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY
Fairchild Tropical Garden
When he opened Fairchild Tropical Garden back in 1938, David Fairchild wished that his garden « should become a place where everyone who has the curiosity to do so can see and touch the beautiful, the strange, the interesting forms that characterize the vegetation of the tropics. »
Today, the Fairchild Tropical Garden, situated on an 83-acre site in South Miami, is the largest tropical botanical garden in the continental United States. Visitors can easily spend hours here discovering and learning about tropical trees, vegetation and shrubs from around the world. The garden houses hundreds of species of palms, cycads and other tropical plants, many of which are rare or endangered.
You can meander along the peaceful paths throughout Fairchild and are welcome to « touch the plants, sniff the blooms, and feel the palm fronds. » You can also take a narrated 40-minute tram tour to explore features such as the Sunken Garden, the 2-acre Richard H. Simons Rainforest and McLamore Arboretum.
Wherever you go in the Fairchild Tropical Garden, keep your eyes open for iguanas. The large, bright-green lizards run rampant throughout the gardens, and the kids always love to spot them. Keep a lookout for alligators, ducks, turtles and raccoons, too.
Highlights include Windows to the Tropics, a 16,000-foot conservatory housing delicate plants such as orchids, bromeliads, aroids and ferns, and the Keys Coastal Habitat, a wildlife refuge for resident and migrating birds.
Special events include plant shows and sales, exhibits, concerts and festivals.
OTHER MUST-SEE SOUTH FLORIDA GARDENS
There is no end to the gardens you can discover throughout South Florida. Here are a few more that you might want to check out before the summer heat returns:
Miami Beach Garden Conservancy This 5-acre garden includes a Japanese garden, an extensive bromeliad collection, orchids and a vegetable garden. Kids will especially enjoy the topiary collection (those are the plants trimmed in the shapes of animals and other objects). Special events held every second Thursday.
Fruit & Spice Park
This 30-acre public garden in Homestead houses a botanical garden with more than 500 varieties of fruits, vegetables, spices, herbs and nuts.
« It gives people a chance to see what grows in Florida besides an orange, » said Fruit & Spice Park employee Sue Barnwell. Visitors are welcome to sample fruits or nuts that have fallen from trees, and they are encouraged to collect any seeds they might find.
Deerfield Beach Arboretum at Constitution Park Known as the « Tree Zoo, » this 9-acre garden includes 325 species of palms, tropical fruit trees, exotic flowering and canopy trees, bamboos and other trees from five continents. Guided tours offered every Friday and on the first Saturday of the month.