Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden -- Part One

What would be the best Mother's Day gift for a mother who loves gardening?  How about some nice plants and a garden visit?  Well, I got both this Mother's Day! 

I have been hearing a lot of nice things about Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden since I started my gardening passion one short year ago.  The garden is located in Miami, about 45 minutes drive south from where I live.   I never visited there even my husband and I had lived in Miami for about 6 years when we both studied there as international graduate students.  I have been talking about visiting the garden for a while, but with busy working schedule during the week days, and equaly busy weekends, the visit just remained in the talk until this weekend.

This past Sunday was the Mother's Day.  Since kids had Sunday Chinese school, my husband and two boys decided to fulfill my wish on Saturday.  So, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, here I come!

As soon as we entered the gate, this was what greeted us.  This kind of setting of massive bromeliads, palms and cycads is being seen everywhere in the garden.

Fairchild is not only a garden dedicated to conservation and education, it also serves as a backdrop for the art works from all over the world.

This three pumpkins are created by Japanese Artist Yayoi Kusama with her signature polka dots.  Although it is a little too modern to my taste, but it is something unique of this garden.   I saw lots of other Art works spreaded around in the garden.

Art work by Japanese Artist Yayoi Kusama

This is a fountain near the South Entrance.  The Cobalt Herons are made by American Artist Dale Chihuly.  They were formed by blowing glass.  I found it fits this setting quite well.

Cobalt Herons by American Artist Dale Chihuly:

Here is one of the water plants in the fountain with very cheerful flowers and beautiful leaves.  Anybody recognizes it? I can not find a plant label near by.

Fairchild has wide collection of palms and cycads. Here is the cycad circle that contains about 315 species  with more than 700 accessioned plants. All cycads are considered to be threatened with extinction.

Cycad Circle 1

Cycad Circle 2

Their palm collection is situated around the lake.  What a serene view it is! 

Palm collection around the lake

This large Jacaranda Cuspidifolia is in full bloom with its lavender flowers.  It is so distinct in its surroundings that I was immediately drawn into it.

Jacaranda Cuspidifolia

A closeup of its flowers...

The weather was very hot and humid. Boys wanted to get on the tram to get an easy tour first (I had to go back to take a closer look and took lots of pictures of the plants later).  When we got off the tram, I gasped at this giant live oak tree.

Its branches are packed with so many air plants, bromeliads, orchids and staghorn ferns. It is just a magic tree for me.

I found myself can not help keeping snapping the pictures of so many beautiful plants. Lots of them I have never seen, and let alone to know the names.  Thanks to the label system of the garden, I am able to show you with a name for most of the plants.  (After coming home, I found some of the label picture I took does not match the plant that I thought the name is for.  With the plants tightly packed, it is so easy to confuse the label when it is not directly put on the plant itself, especially for a new gardener like me.)

This flower attracts me by its bright color, and unique shape.  The texture of the flower appears to me very wax like.   I thought the common name of "Gold Finger" is very interesting.

Juanulloa Mexicana (Common Name: Gold Finger)

Bromeliads are all around the garden.  Every corner I turned, I can see some of their stunning blooms or the foliage.

Bromeliad Aechmea 'Blue Tango'

I have the exact same one as shown below in my garden.  It now has a pup growing next to the mother plant.  Hmmm.., wondering how many years it will take for mine to grow like this? Is that possible?

Neoregelia X Ultima

Neoregelia Hybrid

And how about this bloom?

Bromeliad Aechmea 'Royal Wine'

I also have an ornamental pineapple in my garden, but the leaves of mine are different from this one.  This red pineapple contrasts the varigated leaves so nicely.

Ananas comosus x Ananas bracteatus 'Tricolor' (Red Pineapple)

This flower is just so standing out with its bright red orange color.

Scutellaria costaricana
 (Helmet flower, also known as Scarlet Skullcap or Costa Rican Skullcap)

This bloom is white and airy with long white stamens that look like whiskers, hence the common name 'Cat's Wiskers'.

Orthosiphon Stamineus (Cat's Whiskers)

They also have quite a nice collection in ginger family.  Here are two of them.

Alpinia henryi 'Pink Perfection'

Costus barbatus (Spiral Ginger)

Even with careful picking, I found I still have so many pictures I have taken in the garden that I can not pack into this already long post.  I will share them with you in some future posts.

Hope you enjoyed the tour so far.   This garden has so many to offer.  I am so happy that my husband and two boys took me here to celebrate the Mother's Day.

Update:

For Part Two, please click here.
For Part Three, please click here.