A Entrance On Coral Way

This is a modern entrance and it shows. The original entrances built in the 20's were rather extravagant compared to the new ones. But the city went bankrupt after a bad hurricane and the great depression. Not all of the proposed entrances were built. In the last few years the Coral Gables Garden Club has started to get the forgotten entrances, with the help of major donors from the local citizens.

Granada Entranace

We have a lot of entrances but no city walls. This is one of the smaller entrances. The entrance is on the north border of our city. Some of our perimeter streets have been blocked to traffic.

The Prado

When I was young, the arbors were covered in dark purple bougainvillea. As time went by the wood rafters rotted out. The bougainvillea was not replaced when the rafters were replaced. The city thought the bougainvillea caused the wood to rot (well... maybe it did a little sooner). Now we have red ones that will be very nice, but it will be harder to control then the purple ones. Click here to see the arbor. If you google bougainvillea you will find it spelled at least three ways.

A Seed Pod From The Clusia rosea Tree

I saw this pod under a Clusia rosea tree. The flower is very pretty, but I think that the dry seed pod is prettier. Click here to see the flower.

A Park Within a Park

The Village of Merrick Park has an beautiful internal park. The trees are now old enough to protect the shopper from the summer sun. This area will put you at ease so you can go back and buy more then you had planned to buy.

Lissy's Orchid Garden

Stay Off The Road

After you put your car in the one big building you can walk to Nordstrom by using the bridge.

New Buildings Are All Over Coral Gables

Car Parking Building

It Was All Grass 2 Months Ago

Ladies of The Night

It is called that because it has a strong fragrance in the night.

Milt. moreliana 'Lizzie' AM/AOS

This Vanda Likes The Weather Of August

At The End Of Our Block

The intersection at the end of our block has a fountain on each corner. The little ponds were filled with dirt in 1942 and restored around 1980. It was a battle to get the fountains working because one neighbor complained that the mosquito's in the pond would spread H.I.V. So much for enlightenment. Today our fountains flow.

Coral Gables Alhambra Entrance

Sunday I took five pictures of this gate early in the morning. This is one of the lesser entrances, but it's a treasure. In the next 4 days I will post different views of this entrance. The biggest entrance is the Douglas Entrance.

Cycads at FTBG

Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden has one of the largest collection of cycads in the world. These plants are disappearing in the wild and would often be extinct if they were not in botanical gardens. Click here to see another view of FTBG's cycad collection. Click here for general information about the cycad.

Ae Ae Banana

I have grown this banana for 45 years and this is the first that I ever planted one in the front of the house. More people well see this rare banana.

New Oak Trees

The tree on the side is planted properly. But I can't understand how the planted oak in the middle of the road is going to live 2 feet above the land.

Rainlily Rain And Heat

The Young Cardinal Lost The Way

He was on our window for an hour.

The father waited for the entire time.

Another Dead Oak Limb

This is were people stand for the bus.

Orchids On A Palm Tree

Talipot Palm (Corypha umbraculifera)

This is a Talipot Palm hidden in the butterfly garden of the of our city library. This is the only other Talipot that I have seen that wasn't in a botanic garden. The two in my yard are probably the most visible in the area.

Lotus 'Bali Red' At The Front Door

Today The Native Lotus Is In Bloom

Nelumbo lutea the American lotus

Lotus Momo Butan

Take a look at my other lotuses.
http://togofcoralgables.com/lotus.aspx

South Entrance to the Village of Merrick Park

More And More Oak Trees

For 80 Years The Street Was Open And Beautiful

We well now get nice big trees and make this just beautiful.

Venetian Pool IIs A Postcard

This public pool started as a quarry. Rock homes all around the neighborhood took their rock from this hole in the ground. The city founder Merrick made a pool of monumental proportions out of this hole. Pictures of the pool were sent around the world to advertise our city. In the 20's Coral Gables was better known in Europe then it was in the USA. I learned to swim in this pool.
Click here to view thumbnails for all participants