Happy #WorldTurtleDay! You, too, can adopt a plush turtle or add a named paper turtle to our lobby in support of our future Children's Educational Garden. All the turtles here in the Gardens thank you for your generosity! Sunken Gardens Forever

Happy #WorldTurtleDay! Our yellow-bellied slider just loves to catch some sun on a rock in one of our historic ponds. Did you know these #turtles can live as long as 20 years?! Careful about letting your own turtle back "into the wild", though. Some like the red-eared sliders are out-competing our native turtles for food, so it's best to keep exotic pets safely inside!

Artists from Creative Clay came to the Gardens for an art session, and a great time was had by all - including our rescued Amazon parrot, Paquita, who was the subject of many a drawing!

#WhatsBloomingWednesday Voodoo lily! Our Amorphophallus Paeoniifolius is starting to put on its odoriforous show. Native to Asia, it attracts different kinds of #pollinators; flies, beetles, and other insects on the look out for decaying animals. Ours is tucked away so as not to offend the senses, but it's too exotic not to share! Read more about this amazing plant here: https://www.thespruce.com/voodoo-lily-1315768

#WhatsBloomingWednesday Ahhhhh...the sweet scent of #gardenias waft through the air just like in days of old here at Sunken Gardens. This southern favorite brings back memories of warm evenings and #summer time fun. Can you spot the bee in one of the photos? Read more about how to grow this traditional favorite here: http://floridalandscapingtoday.com/gardenia-care-for-florida-landscaping/

The The Ask Mr. Greenthumb Gardening Series Sunken Gardens Part 2 is now live! Learn about our unique plants and how they might work in your own landscape!

Take a virtual trip through Sunken Gardens while learning about our most unique plants via the The Ask Mr. Greenthumb Gardening Series! From palms that create sugar to a bird of paradise unlike any other, sit back and enjoy the tour!

#WhatsBloomingWednesday Pickerelweed is far from a weed! This aquatic #Florida #wildflower graces our ponds with its vibrant purple blooms which attract #butterflies, #bees, and more. Learn about it here: https://flawildflowers.org/flower-friday-pontederia-cordata/

Which #bees do you see in your yard? We see so many varieties here at Sunken Gardens, especially in our #butterflygarden! Learn more about Florida's bees here: https://flawildflowers.org/?s=know+pollinators #EarthDay2018

#WhatsBloomingWednesday Rose cactus (Pereskia grandifolia) is not your ordinary cactus. This shrub or small tree can grow upwards of 20 feet. Ours is almost that tall! Don't try to climb it, though, because its spines are fierce at 2.5 inches long! The flowers are the real show-stopper as they cover the plant in warmer months, forming fruit resembling an apple or pear in the fall. Hailing from Mexico to South America, this rose doesn't have a notable scent, but it's sweet to us! Located just beyond our amphitheater, you can't miss this stately specimen.

We're pretty excited to see this new horticulture video series from The Ask Mr. Greenthumb Gardening Series. We're especially excited about the episode on Sunken Gardens, which is Part 1. It will be available this Saturday at 9am on www.AskMrGreenthumb.com!

Bath time for our red-footed #tortoises! Learn why these cuties need a periodic sponge bath from our animal care supervisor, Frank Nesmith.