We traded our suburban New England Colonial for a small condominium with tiny balcony in the warmer climes of southwest Florida. Adjusting after a move is always accompanied by some trauma, and for us the biggest loss has been our garden, into which we had poured many years of love and sweat, while receiving rewards beyond measure. Sad to have lost our garden we were determined to “Make a local connection” with Florida public gardens. We plotted an action-packed three day / two night exploration of seven gardens in southeast Florida, starting in Coral Gables (Miami), then proceeding north 150 miles and finishing in Vero Beach. Coral Gables, which grew into a bustling community in the 1920s, is also home to an older property acquired in 1916 by world-renowned botanist David Fairchild and his wife Marian, which they named The Kampong, a Malay term for a village. The Kampong is run by the National Tropical Botanical Garden. Be aware that reservations are required, and upon arrival you quickly learn why: parking is extremely limited. The grounds feature many enormous old trees dating from the period of the Fairchild’s’ ownership and the lush tropical canopy provides a shady retreat. Fruit trees planted as cultivation experiments by the Fairchild’s abound, while the back lawn provides spectacular views across Biscayne Bay to downtown Miami and beyond. Our second stop took us out to Miami Beach, where the city’s compact 2.5 acre botanical garden sits on the west side of the Convention Center. While amenities for locals are prevalent (abundant seating in shady corners, water features, a kid-friendly area, educational opportunities, and rental facilities for events) it’s still worth visiting for the flora. Sub-tropical plants dominate; a calming Oriental garden sits at one corner, while elsewhere flowering vanilla orchids climb exotic trees. An early start to our second day found us at Flamingo Gardens in Davie, west of Fort Lauderdale. The zoological section features the eponymous Flamingos, but also turtles, parrots, and an aviary housing injured birds. Then there’s the extensive botanical display! The arboreal selection features enormous exotic mature trees, the scale of which will take your breath away. There’s a mango orchard, which started with the original property, a tram tour, and the property is also strewn with flowering orchids secured to tree trunks. Our second stop of the day was Mounts Botanical Garden, located across the road from the end of the West Palm Beach airport runway. The garden is quite lovely and serene, despite the distracting noise of landing aircraft just feet above your head. Temporary displays currently feature a whimsical display of larger-than-life model frogs and a huge “Stickwork” sculpture created from 30,000 pounds of woven willow. On our final day we started at Port St Lucie Botanical Garden. There are nice orchid and bromeliad sections, but the Garden is harder to reach and lacks the “surprise” factors found in the other six gardens. Our second stop today, Heathcote Botanical Garden in Fort Pierce, is a splendid surprise. The Bonsai display and accompanying Japanese-influenced pavilion are the glory of the garden. If you’re even remotely intrigued by Bonsai, this display alone requires a visit. Featuring over 100 specimens, this is the largest collection of Bonsai tropical plants in the United States. The Triple-Crowned Sable Palm tree is another unique feature. The final point on our odyssey, McKee Botanical Garden lies adjacent to Route 1 in Vero Beach. Gentle streams flow through lush old growth vegetation, and along the trail you can see a whimsical display of sea creatures made from discarded colorful flip flops. The Children’s Garden is a wonderfully conceived play area, where pirate ships meet fantastic blue mushrooms, a sleeping tree and a play fountain area. Thank goodness for those with the foresight to save this property, because it has clearly become a major draw for local visitors and rightly so. Our trip revealed hugely contrasting gardening styles. Whether you’re a resident or a visitor to the area, if you enjoy things botanical, you too should “make the local connection” and enjoy these diverse interpretations of what a Botanical Garden can be.