The Orchid Garden

Florida Gardens

Question:

Lew Gardens is very nice.  It has classes, roses, camellias and herbs.   Its in downtown Orlando, near Fashion Square mall.

Response:

I’m planning a trip to Orlando and the surrounding vicinity Feb 16th – 22nd.  Can any Floridians give me suggestions for either interesting gardens/arboretums/Flower shows in that area?  I’m going to be driving approximately 200 miles in all directions of Orlando.   Please e-mail me directly.  Thanks! Can’t wait to get out of this frozen tundra!!!! Dorothy  Zone 5 (previously from coastal So. Cal)

Response:

There’s always Cypress Gardens near Winter Haven, but that has much more than just the garden part to it.  For a relaxing, peaceful garden, I love Bok Tower Gardens near Lake Wales.  It costs about $4 per adult to get in. They sell some plants there too.  I bought a beautiful tea olive there last year.  Right in Orlando on N. Forest Ave. is the Harry P. Leu Garden. That’s $3 to get in.  I haven’t been there lately but it was beautiful the last time I did go.  If you’re lucky, the azaleas will be blooming.  Mine have started already and I’m about 50 miles from Orlando, so I imagine theirs are blooming too.  Both places have large displays of azaleas that don’t look like much without flowers, but they can’t be beat when they are in bloom.  Enjoy your trip.  Mary – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I’m planning a trip to Orlando and the surrounding vicinity Feb 16th – 22nd.  Can any Floridians give me suggestions for either interesting gardens/arboretums/Flower shows in that area?  I’m going to be driving approximately 200 miles in all directions of Orlando.   Please e-mail me directly.  Thanks! Can’t wait to get out of this frozen tundra!!!! Dorothy  Zone 5 (previously from coastal So. Cal)

Response:

There’s always Cypress Gardens near Winter Haven, but that has much more than just the garden part to it.  For a relaxing, peaceful garden, I love Bok Tower Gardens near Lake Wales.  It costs about $4 per adult to get in. They sell some plants there too.  I bought a beautiful tea olive there last year.  Right in Orlando on N. Forest Ave. is the Harry P. Leu Garden. That’s $3 to get in.  I haven’t been there lately but it was beautiful the last time I did go.  If you’re lucky, the azaleas will be blooming.  Mine have started already and I’m about 50 miles from Orlando, so I imagine theirs are blooming too.  Both places have large displays of azaleas that don’t look like much without flowers, but they can’t be beat when they are in bloom.  Enjoy your trip.  Mary

All three of those places are excellent, but Leu Gardens is the best, IMHO.  It has a great selection of interesting plants besides the "tried and true" standards.  They have many tropical species that you would not expect to find in Orlando, including a silk-floss tree (Chorisia sp.), coconut palms, royal palms, a Puerto Rican hat palm, a white sapote tree, orchid-trees (Bauhinia sp.), an olive tree, a cinnamon tree, a queen’s crape myrtle, monstera deliciosas, papayas, etc. Yes, the azaleas are in bloom right now, but don’t forget the camellias! Many are blooming at Leu Gardens and elsewhere. — Oliver Patterson in Mount Dora, Florida (zone 9) Ah yet, ere I descend to the grave, May I a small house and a large garden have; And a few friends, and many books, both true, Both wise, and both delightful, too! Roger de Bussey-Rabutin

Response:

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