sam@ahuta.UUCP (sam) (03/13/85)
Can anyone tell me of botanical gardens to be found on the Florida gulf coast or in the Phoenix, Arizona area? Doug Lewan (...!ihnp4!)ahuta!sam "And the bug-eyed monster?" "It's green, yes."
rjs@bonnie.UUCP (Robert Snyder) (03/14/85)
The Arizona Sonora Desert Museum is a great place to see a very wide selection of the flora and fauna native to the deserts of the Southwest US and Mexico. It is located about 10-15 miles east of Tucson. There is a new enclosed botanical garden being built in Tucson on N. Alvernon Rd. Sorry I don't know much about Phoenix. Robert Snyder bonnie!rjs
nemo@rochester.UUCP (Wolfe) (03/20/85)
> Can anyone tell me of botanical gardens to > be found on the Florida gulf coast or in > the Phoenix, Arizona area? > Doug Lewan > (...!ihnp4!)ahuta!sam There are several botanical gardens in the Tampa Bay area. Here are some that I can still recall : Sunken Gardens - a tourist-oriented place in St. Pete. Don't let that throw you off, though. They do have some very pretty bromeliads and orchids, etc. Jungle Gardens - also tourist-oriented, but nicer than SG. They also have birds and reptiles (be sure to feed the rheas!) They are located in Sarasota. Marie Selby Gardens - about two miles from JG, a more serious place than the previous two. They have an abundance of nice orchids and sell plants as well. Eddison's Home - in Fort Meyers. While mostly concerned with the life and works of the famous inventor, the grounds have numerous interesting plants due to one of his methods of discovery : serendipity through hard work. Seems the gent kept a large variety of plants about in order to test them for material properties desired for his projects. In addition to these, there are several state parks that have nature trails with labelled plants (we just visited Washington Oaks on the east coast). If you ever get down to the Everglades, be sure to go on the Gumbo Limbo trails near the southern entrance. There are many exotic plants and birds to be seen there, including the gumbo limbo tree and strangler figs. Enjoy. Nemo