Gumbo Limbo - Wednesday 12/03/2008

Day Trips

Day Trip: Mounts Botanical Garden

The site of this botanical garden is a surprise. It’s sequestered in an unlikely commercial strip just beyond the runways of Palm Beach Airport. But once inside the gate, a green park-like setting unfolds. We are surrounded by trees and flowering plants which fit the subtropical climate of South Florida. There are trees prized for shade, others for seasonal flowers and edible fruit, and numerous palms. Meander along the path to collections of roses, bromeliads and herbs. There are also trial gardens of new varieties or hybrids and the rich smell of composting piles of garden debris. Mounts is the oldest botanical garden in Palm Beach County and serves as its extension service. In partnership with the University of Florida, the garden provides landscapers and home gardeners with a wealth of information. How to have spotless rose foliage, when to fertilize palms, and what to do to keep the snails from trekking across the garden walk are all part of daily queries. Lectures, walking tours, the intensive Master Gardeners course, and plant sales are renowned among local gardeners. Learn about the history and focus of the garden – and its recovery from the last hurricanes - with Mounts plant specialist Dave Baker.

This program starts on the following dates:

12/13/2008

Day Trip: Fishing Hall of Fame

A documentary film about sharks is the focus of Gumbo Limbo’s day at the museum. The International Fishing Hall of Fame, located at the south end of Ft Lauderdale, is an interesting place to visit anytime but this trip is a special occasion to see Sharkwater. This timely picture depicts what the film makers discovered: these fascinating wild creatures have gone from predator to prey….”despite surviving the earth’s history of mass extinctions they could easily be wiped out within a few years due to human greed.”

This program starts on the following dates:

09/13/2008