We treated ourselves to a much needed mid-winter break. We drove into South Florida as far as Naples. The weather has been beautiful. While there, I have taken these photos of a visit to the Naples Botanical Gardens. I am pleased to show them to you and I hope they brighten up any dreary weather you might be now experiencing.
The gardens is located near Naples Bay and so it also features some grassland and some marshy habitat.
On Saturday morning, a diverse group of gardeners from all the world gather online to share gardening photos. Come take a look or join us and participate. All the information is right here at this link. https://gardenruminations.co.uk
The first 2 are natives I found on the edge of the grassland.
The Hairy Beggartick (Bidens pills) showed up so well with its bright white flowers and had numerous native bees around it.
I have seen the sunflower (Helianthus debris) at other locations along the Gulf of Mexico shore. The blooms are large and distinctive from quite a distance.
The Blanket Flower (Gallardia sp) is a native of the Southeastern US but this one is a cultivar. It grows well in Alabama and tolerates heat and drought which makes it a favorite.
The Calendula sp is also very drought and heat tolerant and also does well in Alabama.
There was a beautiful orchid section in the Garden. I was envious to think that these orchids did so well in a shady outdoor area. There were Moth Orchids, Cattleyas and Dendrobiums.
The local garden club had a section they called garden ideas. Here I took the photo of these coleus and impatiens annuals.
Finally, you know that you can’t visit Florida without registering a “gator” sighting. We saw this long fellow in the marshy area lazily moving through the water.
Next week, it will be back to photos from my home garden.
Happy Gardening.
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