Located on 83 acres in Miami, Florida, the garden began as a vision in 1935 by Colonel Robert H. Montgomery, a renowned accountant, attorney and businessman.  His vision was to create a botanical garden filled with tropical plants and he chose Miami, since tropicals could grow outside year round. 

The Poinsettia is the prelude to Christmas.  Many families enjoy the vivid color and use them in Christmas displays.  But the Poinsettia has much more to offer than just Christmas color.  In this article, we'll highlight little known facts and guide you through the best ways to care for them this Christmas season and throughout the year.

The subtle and sophisticated shades of green will be our focus this year.  We plan on shifting the focus this year to evergreens as companion plants in containers and as a backdrop when possible in annual spaces.  Evergreens can provide wonderful hues of green that range from blue greens to grey greens and even amazing gold greens.  Then, add in the beautiful hues of green, lime, medium, and deep forest green and you realize what a wonderful palette of color evergreens offer.

I recently read an eye-opening article on Gene Phillips's lifelong garden pursuit at Magnolia Plantation.  I was especially impressed with his conversion to a more naturalistic gardening style and his passion for Camellias.  To read the article, click here. 

In their native region of eastern Asia, some Camellias are cultivated for practical reasons such as tea consumption and oil production.  But here in the South, Camellias are grown for their beautiful winter blooms and the wonderful evergreen addition that they add to the landscape, primarily as individual specimens.  Below are some tips to grow happy, healthy Camellias.