The Wandering Disciple

Largo, Florida: The sunshine state, a state of perpetual tropical weather. The lack of cold winter and freezes makes it an ideal place to grow a garden and because of its location in the tropics, the gardens support a wide array of flora and fauna. That is what you will find at the Florida Botanical Gardens. Here you can find bright colorful flowers, thriving fruit trees and even a succulent or two…who doesn’t like a good succulent. The Florida Botanical Gardens was established to help educate both residents and visitors about the natural resources in our environment. In addition to enjoying or in my case photographing the gardens, you can also learn how you can plant and sustain a beautiful Florida friendly yard. Visitors to the garden can get lost in the over 10,000 plants found within the garden. The gardens are quite large, thirty acres to be exact. It is separated into two sections, the east gardens and the west gardens with McKay Creek separating the two. The west gar...

Bradenton, Florida: Tucked away in a residential neighborhood in west Bradenton lies a hidden gem. A place where you can get away and enjoy bright colorful flowers and the tranquility they possess. At the Palma Sola Botanical Park, you can spend hours enjoying the smell of fresh flowers in the Florida sunshine. The ten acre park is where “Florida’s Beauty Remains Timeless”. Here you can find bright and colorful tropical plants, rare fruit trees, a succulent garden, a butterfly garden or just relax and watch the birds and wildlife around the lakes. If you want to try your hand at growing a garden of your own, the park features a nursery where you can purchase some of the plants found in the garden. And if yoga is your thing, well they have that too. The Palma Sola Botanical Park is located at 9800 17th Avenue NW in Bradenton, Florida. It is open daily from 8 to sunset however it is a popular place for weddings and private parties, so the schedule may vary. Admission to the...