December
19, 2005
Central Florida's Parks and Gardens Offer
an Abundance of Colours, Shapes, and Textures
Florida has a great amount of biodiversity and nature lovers will
enjoy the great variety of plants found in the Sunshine State. On
our recent trip to Orlando
we had a chance to visit several locations with a beautiful parks
and gardens, such as the Harry
P. Leu Gardens and the Historical
Bok Sanctuary. Even my excursion on the Scenic
Boat Tour in Winter Park brought me up close to some of the
fascinating flowers and plants found in the Orlando area.
Florida has a mix of subtropical and tropical climates and the
area around Orlando are more subtropical. Central Florida has a
hot, but often stormy climate and experiences many thunderstorms
with a frequent risk of hurricanes.
Geographically, the Central Florida area encompasses Orange, Osceola,
Seminole, Lake, Brevard, and Volusia counties, and some consider
Polk and Sumter counties also to be part of Central Florida. This
low-lying area is dominated by hundreds of lakes surrounded by marshland.
Historically predominant industries include cotton, citrus and cattle-raising.
The climate favours a great deal of plant and animal
species.
Nature lovers will revel in Central Florida's abundant gardens
and parks which give them a perfect opportunity to enjoy nature
up close. Here is a collection of parks and gardens that will give
you great exposure to Central Florida's natural beauty:
Archbold
Biological Station P. O. Box 2057, (Old State Road 8), Lake
Placid, FL 33862 Phone: (941) 465-2571. "The Station fosters
long-term ecological research on native plants and animals of central
Florida and also provides environmental education for K-12 children."
Bok
Tower Gardens 1151 Tower Boulevard, Lake Wales, FL 33853-3412;
Phone: (941) 676-1408. "Historic Bok Sanctuary offers visitors
Florida's most abundant
opportunities for aesthetic, cultural and personal enrichment. The
lush landscapes of the Olmsted gardens, the majesty and music of
the carillon tower and the splendor of Pinewood Estate create an
experience that inspires all who visit."
Cypress
Gardens 2641 South Lake Summit Road, Cypress Gardens, FL 33884;
Phone: (800) 282-2123. "Standing sentinel in the historic gardens
is the giant Banyan tree, which was planted in 1939 from a seedling
during the parks early years. Topiary Trail features a collection
of colorful topiaries, including a variety of animals such as a
rabbit, swan and serpent. The crowning gem in this trail of jewels
is the waterfall, a sparkling cascade accented by brilliant floral
blossoms. The Plantation Gardens grace the manicured landscape of
Snively Mansion and include the aromatic herb garden, a glorious
rose garden and the butterfly garden adjoining Wings of Wonder."
Disney Wilderness Preserve 6075 Scrub Jay Trail Kissimmee, FL
34759; Phone: (407) 935-0002. "Fifteen miles south of Walt
Disney World, in the heart of Central Florida, lies the Disney Wilderness
Preserve. The site, originally the Walker Ranch, is now owned and
managed by the Nature Conservancy, a private, non-profit conservation
organization that is responsible for the largest network of private
conservation lands in the world."
Harry P.
Leu Botanical Gardens 1920 N. Forest Avenue, Orlando, FL 32803-1537;
Phone: (407) 246-2620. "Miles of paved scenic walkways that
take you through garden settings, including: America's largest Camellia
collection outside California and the largest formal rose garden
in Florida, a house museum dating from the 1880's, a palm garden
and bamboo garden. New gardens include the Tropical Stream Garden
and the new Kitchen Garden with herbs, vegetables and a butterfly
garden!"
Highlands
Hammock State Park 5931 Hammock Road, Sebring, FL 33872; Phone:
(941) 386-6094. "The contrast of the dark swamp waters against
the bright trunks of the bare trees is reminiscent of more northerly
forests. White-tailed deer munch their way through the campsites,
enjoying the scattering of acorns around the base of many oaks.
Bobcat tracks are found each morning in the damp sands along the
roadways, and the Barred owls call as soon as the sun goes down.
Visitors are enjoying viewing alligators as they soak up the warm
sun that follows the cool nighttime temperatures."
Lake
Kissimmee State Park 14248 Camp Mack Road, Lake Wales, FL 33853;
Phone: (941) 696-1112. "Florida's cowboy heritage comes alive
with living history demonstrations of the early Florida "cow
hunters" in an 1876-era cow camp, open 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
weekends and holidays. White-tailed deer, bald eagles, sandhill
cranes, turkeys, and bobcats have been seen in the park, located
on the shores of lakes Kissimmee, Tiger, and Rosalie. Visitors enjoy
boating, canoeing, and fishing in the picturesque lakes. Nature
students can hike over 13 miles of trails to observe and study the
abundant plant and animal life. Six miles of trails are open to
equestrians. A large, shaded picnic area with pavilions is available.
The park has full-facility campsites, as well as a primitive camping
facility. The youth camping area can accommodate up to 50 people.
The dark skies make stargazing a popular nighttime activity for
campers."
Ocala National Forest USDA Forest Service, 17147 E. Hwy 40,
Silver Springs, FL 34488 Phone: (352) 625-7470. "The Forest
offers 383,573 acres of unique ecological sites, trails, natural
springs. There are hundreds of camping sites throughout the forest
offering everything from full-service campgrounds to more rustic
sites. The National Forest also has designated trails for horseback
riding. Hunting is permitted in designated areas where the enforcement
of state regulations is strict. Recreation areas include Alexander
Springs, Fore Lake Recreational Area, Juniper Springs, Lake Eaton
Loop Trail, Lake Eaton Sink Hole, Mill Dam Recreation Area, Salt
Springs and Salt Springs Trail. Specially marked walking/hiking
trails are located throughout this wonderful resource. Lake Eaton
Sinkhole and the Lake Eaton Loop are only two of the trails that
allow the visitor to explore the area on easily traveled interpretive
trails."
Silver River State Park 7165 N. E. 7th Street, Ocala, FL 34470;
Phone: (352) 236-1827. "This park has more than 14 distinct
natural communities, dozens of springs, and miles of beautiful trails.
The adjoining Silver Springs attraction houses the headwaters of
the Silver River, which flows through the park into the Ocklawaha
River. The park is home to a pioneer cracker village and the Silver
River Museum and Environmental Education Center. The center is operated
by the Marion County School District in cooperation with the park
and is open to the public on weekends and holidays from 9:00 a.m.
to 5:00. p.m. Admission to the Museum is $2.00 per person.Children
6 and under are free."
Silver
Springs P. O. Box 370, (5656 E. SR-40), Silver Springs, FL 34489;
Phone: (800) 234-7458. "Silver Springs is a 350 acre nature
theme park surrounds the headwaters of the beautiful Silver River,
the largest artesian spring formation in the world. Located 90 miles
north of Orlando, just east of Ocala, Florida. Here you can view
the underground springs from our famous glass-bottom boats, where
you’ll see fish, shellfish, turtles and alligators in water
that’s up to 80 feet deep and 99.8% pure. Walk the beautiful
grounds and experience the natural habitats of Florida’s largest
alligators, endangered bears and panthers, Kritter Korral petting
zoo, plus an entertaining variety of wildlife shows from Birds of
Prey to snakes and reptiles. There are rides and exhibits for all
ages in a natural setting of stunning beauty. "
University
of Central Florida Arboretum 4000 Central Florida Blvd. Orlando,
FL 32816-2368 Phone: (407) 823-2141. "The Arboretum of The
University of Central Florida was founded in 1983. From the original
12-acre "quick view" garden with a mix of ornamental and
native plants in the pond pine community adjacent the Stockard Conservatory
Greenhouse, The Arboretum has grown to nearly 80 acres. North of
the 9 acre man-made lake and the Engineering E-2 parking lot, trails
take visitors through a 5-7 acre cypress dome and a picturesque
2-3 acre oak hammock. North of the oak hammock the trail crosses
an open area with wild rosemary and sand pine, and oak scrub, returning
to the cypress dome. An unmarked trail circles the cypress dome
on the north, club mosses and carnivorous sundews lining the sides,
before rejoining the main trail on the southwest side of the dome.
Follow the broad white sand trail west through a 'mature' [last
burned in the 1950's] sand pine and wild rosemary community for
a quick exit to the University Field House road, or return on Arboretum
trails."
Winter
Park Kraft Azalea Gardens, Winter Park, Phone 407-599-3334:
Located on Alabama Drive off Palmer Avenue. Thousands of azaleas,
tropical shrubs and trees grow luxuriantly along the shores of Lake
Maitland where cool breezes and breathtaking sunsets can be found.
Azaleas bloom January through March.
Although the Orlando area is mostly known for its big-thrill attractions
and theme parks, nature lovers will find plenty of parks, gardens
and wilderness areas to enjoy. For more information about the Orlando
area contact the Orlando
Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Orlando and Central Florida travel stories:
Orlando Off the Beaten
Path
A visit to the Orange
County Regional History Center
Exploring Orlando's African
American Heritage at the Well's Built Museum
A lovely evening walk around downtown
Orlando's Lake Eola
Visual delights served
up on the Winter Park Scenic Boat Tour
A walking tour through quaint
historic Winter Park
Our high-speed adrenaline adventure
at Boggy Creek Airboat Tours
Our picnic lunch by the Kissimmee
waterfront
Exploring picturesque Mount Dora
on the "Herbie Express"
Orlando's Loch Haven Park:
Center of culture and arts
Exploring downtown Orlando's
historic neighbourhoods and parks
Learning about citrus at
Florida's Natural Visitor Center
Architectural and natural
beauty at the Bok Historic Sanctuary
Central Florida: a haven
for naturalists and plant lovers
Central Florida's wildlife:
surprising ecological diversity..
Driving home through St. Augustine:
the oldest city in the US
Articles on Golf in Central Florida:
A first-hand
look at ChampionsGate
A first-hand look at the
Royal St. Cloud Links
A first-hand look at Timacuan
Golf and Country Club
Attending the Father
Son Challenge at ChampionsGate
An overview of golf in the Orlando area:
Orlando- Golf's Ultimate Theme Park
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