Fruit and Spice Park and a New Release

 

The Fruit and Spice Park, located in Homestead, Florida, is a unique place to visit. It is a thirty-acre public park that features 500 varieties of fruits, vegetables, spices, herbs, and nuts. Guided tours are available, and visitors can quite literally munch their way through the garden.  (There's a tasting counter at the park shop to sample things you can't yank off the plants and eat.)  If you want to learn about fruits and vegetables and see how they are naturally grown (especially ones that aren't found in your area), this is the place to visit.

The park is open daily from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM.  Cost of admission for adults is $5.00, and for children, it is $1.50.

And here's my new release, the last book of the Bubba and Squirt series:  

Book links: Amazon / iTunes / B&N / Kobo / Goodreads

Garvan Woodland Gardens

 

Garvan Woodland Gardens is located about six miles from Hot Springs National Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas.  The garden was started by Verna Cook Garvan in the 1920s.  After her death, she left the garden to the Department of Landscape Architecture of the University of Arkansas.

The gardens are simply breathtaking.  They cover 210 acres and contain waterfalls, picturesque bridges, gorgeous overlooks, and a Japanese garden.  It's a perfect place for nature lovers.

The gardens are open February through November from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM and in December from noon to 9:00 PM.  Admission is $10.00 per adult and $5.00 per child.

Cragfont Gardens

 

Cragfont Gardens are located in Castalian Springs, Tennessee.  They are part of the frontier mansion of Revolutionary War hero, General James Winchester.  The mansion, built in 1802,  now serves as a museum, and the gardens are a popular place for weddings.  There is a gazebo, a lake with a fountain, and a plethora of colorful blooms.

The gardens are open April 15th through November 1st.  Hours of operation are Tuesday through Friday 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Saturday from 10:00 - 5:00, and Sunday by appointment.  Cost of admission is $5.00 for adults, and $3.00 for children.

Cheekwood Botanical Gardens

 

The Cheekwood Botanical Gardens, located in Nashville, Tennessee, are 55 acres of lush gardens that surround the art museum there.  The property once belonged to the Cheek family.  Today, visitors can still see the original Cheek gardens, with pools, fountains, statues, and formal boxwood.  In addition, there is a Howe wildflower garden, an Herb Study garden, an impressive iris collection, daffodil garden, and orchid house.

    

The gardens are open Tuesday through Sunday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.  Cost of admission is $14.00 for adults, and $7.00 for children.  There is also a $3.00 per car parking fee. 

Norfolk Botanical Garden

 Norfolk Botanical Garden, located in Norfolk, Virginia, is nationally recognized for its deep-rooted history and celebrated for its blossoms in every season. In 1938, a Works in Progress Administration grant paid 220 African-American workers to clear 30 acres of dense vegetation, sowing the seeds for what is now one of the largest collections of azaleas, camellias, roses, and rhododendrons on the East Coast. The 175-acre garden is home to more than 65 themed gardens, 95 species of birds, and 30 kinds of butterflies.

The gardens are open daily from 9 AM to 7 PM.

The cost of an adult ticket is $17.95.

In other news, the 4th book of my Bubba and Squirt series, Bubba and Squirt's Shield of Athena, is coming out on May 7th!  Here it is at Virginia Beach, a place not far from these gardens. 

South Coast Botanic Garden

 

The South Coast Botanic Garden, located just south of Los Angeles in Palo Verdes Peninsula, California, is a lovely 87-acre garden that contains over 2500 species of plants.  Visitors can see plants from all over the world, including places like Australia, South Africa, and the Mediterranean.

Founded in 1961, the garden is actually a collection of gardens.  Visitors can enjoy a Mediterranean garden, rose garden, cactus garden, herb garden, Japanese garden, and a cute little children's garden.

The garden is open from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM every day except Christmas.  Admission for adults is $8.00.  Admission for children is $3.00.

Descanso Gardens

 

The Descanso Gardens, located in La Canada Flintridge, California, is a lovely place to visit if you are ever in southern California.  It covers 160 acres and was founded in 1953 by newspaper magnate, E. Manchester Boddy, who owed the Los Angeles Daily News.

Descanso Gardens is known as the "garden of gardens."  There are several beautiful gardens on the property, including a Japanese garden, a rose garden, a lilac garden, and a California Native Garden.  Visitors can also ride the Enchanted Railroad, which is a replica of a diesel train that takes visitors around a section of the garden.

The garden is open daily from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.  Admission for adults is $8.00.  Children are $6.00.