My wife, my brother, and I spent much of New Year's Day at Flamingo Gardens in Davie, Florida. The Wray family started Flamingo Gardens as a citrus farm back in the 1920's on a live oak hammock surrounded by land reclaimed from the Everglades. At one time there were over 2000 acres planted in various types of citrus, including a 20 acre citrus laboratory. Intrigued by other tropical plants, the Wrays amassed quite a collection of fruit-bearing and ornamental trees and shrubs. They began offering tours, and soon the place became one of south Florida's first tourist attractions. Today, Flamingo Gardens has Florida's largest concentration of state champion trees, including the largest tree in the state. Surrounded by all this flora, and the flamingos that were already here, is a sanctuary for native Florida wildlife, that includes panthers, otters, black bears, and a host of reptiles and birds. All of the animals in the sanctuary are either rescues and/or are unable to be released back into the wild. Part of Flamingo Garden's charm is its vintage roadside vibe, but between the birds, the other animals, and the gardens, I'd say it's worth the price of admission, especially considering their overall mission and the fact they are non-profit.
I can almost feel the lush humidity in your photos. Can you imagine Virginia removing all crape myrtles or dogwoods from private property within 1900 feet of a diseased one?
ReplyDeleteRay
I know, right? I think I would put up a fight.
DeleteSuch was the power of the orchard industry (in which Byrd was a wheel) that the Virginia legislature passed a law in 1914 that allowed removal of any eastern red cedars (Juniperus virginiana) within two miles of an apple orchard. It was funded by a special tax on orchards, used to pay the workers who cut down the cedars, not to compensate those on whose property the cedars were growing. [In practice, there was sometimes some compensation, but the principle that the law need not require any was upheld by the Supreme Court in 1928.]
DeleteA good discussion of the background is here: http://www.dartmouth.edu/~wfischel/Papers/cedar%20rust%20Fischel%2028apr04.pdf
I'd be prepared to defend my dogwoods. Crape myrtles? Meh.
I had no idea Nell this went on in Virginia. Apparently they were not successful, as the state is thick with cedars. Thank you!
DeleteFantastic photos, and a terrible what if.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Loree.
DeleteI'm heading to Florida in a little over a week. Can't wait! The colors are so vibrant with those plants. Love the Matchstick Plant! No, I can't imagine Florida without Oranges. This is worrisome.
ReplyDeleteI hope you have a great trip, Beth. Take pictures!
DeleteOh what a lovely place Les. I would love to visit it. Actually I'd love to visit anywhere warm about now. Contact me if you win the lottery -- OK ?
ReplyDeleteYou can't win if you don't play.
DeleteBeautiful photographs, and such gorgeous plants. They keep flamingos here at the Lincoln Park zoo but of course they are taken inside during the winter.
ReplyDeleteI am sure the flamingos appreciate the shelter, Jason.
DeleteThose pink/blue pods are dazzling. This is how we think of flamingoes in Madison:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.surroundedbyreality.com/uw/other/presidents/pinkf.asp
That was quite the flock of birds. There was once a local company that would deliver a flock to any address in the middle of the night. When the recipient awoke they would be waiting there, but gone the next night. You could also rent a flock of plastic crows or penguins as well.
DeleteIs it just my computer screen or are these flamingoes flaming orange?
ReplyDeleteSince I love the color orange in the garden, I wouldn't mind a few of them gracefully roaming around mine. Great photos.
Yes, they were indeed orange, a color I also love.
DeleteI like seeing the flamingos - such a cool but odd looking bird. Are they not pink, here they look orange? My fave is the pelican though.
ReplyDeleteDonna, it could be their diet, but they were definitely orange. I am also fond of pelicans. We have only brown ones here, but they are very entertaining to watch.
DeleteI had the same thought as the posters above, those flamingos are ORANGE. Must be their diet.
ReplyDeleteWonderful that this place is now a wildlife sanctuary.
Yes it is nice that it is a wildlife sanctuary. When we first entered I thought it was part zoo, part garden. I felt much better when we left.
DeleteLove your pictures! Orange flamingos? The plastic one that lives in my backyard is pink.
ReplyDeleteMy predecessor at work, painted the pink plastic ones blue, and put them all around the garden.
ReplyDeleteI cannot imagine Florida without citrus. I had no idea the industry was in peril. I could not imagine people removing healthy trees from my yard just to stop the possible spread of disease. It seems very unfair. I have never heard of Flamingo Gardens but will look for it the next time I head to Florida. Inquiring minds want to know what the Florida state champion tree is.
ReplyDeleteWell, this is the first time I've ever actually wanted to visit Florida. It must be your photos.
ReplyDeleteCitrus is threatened here also, due to the Citrus greening disease, but the drought seems to have slowed down the pest. Or maybe I'm just wishfully thinking it has. Now I'll go outside and pick a couple of oranges and enjoy them while I can.
I visited the website after seeing your marvelous photographs. What a place! Botanical gardens, wildlife sanctuary, museum, restaurants, wedding venue, Bonsai workshops, and much more on 60 acres! And, I agree, it still maintains a vintage old Florida vibe.
ReplyDelete