Florida Botanical Gardens

El Nino has chilling us a bit down here in Florida.  Today there is a cold stiff wind blowing, we will be lucky to reach 60 degrees.  I know, for you people further north, that still is a enviable temperature!
John and I did get out yesterday, to the botanical gardens. 

We were at the gardens last month to look at the holiday lights.  Yesterday, while we were there, the garden staff were taking down those lights.  Not sure when the poinsettia displays will come down, they are still decorating up the gardens quite nicely, as you can see in the above picture.

 

There are a large number of plants in the gardens which are not blooming now due to the fact that it is winter time.  However, the tropical plants are still faring quite well, as the Chinese rain bell, pictured above.  We found that plant in the Vinery.  That is quite a beautiful section with plants vining down in a rich profusion of greenery.  An example of that is pictured below,  that is bleeding heart plant is in the foreground.

 

There is a variety of palm trees all through the gardens, and in addition there is also a Palm Tree area just 

devoted to them.  Many of them are from places all over the world, and vary in height.

 

We also returned to the Wedding Garden where we discovered a Jazz section.

There is a creek flowing through the garden, where John happened to see a turtle sticking his head above the water, and also an alligator swimming nearby.  One ibis was feeding in the grass by the shoreline.  Finally, as we were leaving the garden, I happened to glance up and see a golden trumpet tree full of yellow flowers.  Not many leaves left on the tree, but lots of yellow blooms!  It may get cool down here in Florida, but still there is lots of green around and flowering plants can be found.