There are two kinds of Gardenia here, the
usual round multi petal one seen in Florida
gardens and Tahitian Gardenia, a plant that
yields a spikier larger flower that smells just
as sweet and strong. There are roses here too,
and places to sit and take in the heady brew.
Further along the winding path and still
under construction but ready for its grand
opening in summer is the new permanent
garden Windows on the Floating World
Blume Tropical Wetland Garden, a series of
see-through walkways and permanent and
moveable aquatic plants that will allow visitors
a more interactive way to feel and connect to
the tropical wetlands around them. A wetland
is a land area that is covered shallowly with
water, sometimes permanently or seasonally,
and becomes of a distinct ecosystem that acts
as a watery home to a wide range of plant and
animal life.
Designed by artists Mags Harries and Lajos
Héder, in collaboration with Wantman Group’s
landscape designers, Windows on the Floating
World will feature transparent, open-gridded,
4-foot wide walkways on the surface of the
wetlands to give visitors the feeling of walk-
ing on water. A sneak peek showed arched
walkways with rails rising over various ponds.
Within these walks are four windows on the
ground that will be planted with aquatics
and switched out with rotating and seasonal
botanical exhibits. There will be waterfalls
flowing over natural stone, an area for leggy
wading birds like egrets and cranes, and a wall
covered with Bromeliads, offering a show of
the best foliage colors in the plant kingdom.
Leaving the Wetlands area we came upon a
bride and groom who were posing for formal
wedding photos. The brides striking white
dress stood out among the deep greens of
the trees, while the groom, dressed in a three
piece black suit, was notably sweating in the
90-degree heat. Her small bouquet was no
match for the flora around her, but the radi-
ance of a couple in this tropical garden made
for striking photos. There is a gazebo at the
back of the Garden that weddings are held in.
I really loved the cactus garden, with a variety
of succulents and large spiky cacti nestled in
gravelly ground, red fruits dotting the edges of
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