After Hurricane Irma, pretty much all of the South Florida region has needed a major make over and clean up session. Majority of landscaping and natural fauna was damaged and destroyed. I was amazed at how powerful the "not eye" of the storm was. I mean, thousands of pounds of giant palm trees and mangroves were completely uprooted. I have been wanting to take a walk over to the Miami Beach Botanical Gardens for quite some time now, and thought now would be a perfect time. Though, the gardens are not nearly as covered in green perfection as a month ago, the grounds have started undergoing the major clean up. Palm trees have been stilted and down trees, plants and branches have been cleared. The garden remains a wonderful city escape. The oasis is full of butterflies, the sounds of water fountains, and plenty of Florida sun peering through the many floral bushes and palmetto branches that survived the storm. It will only take a short while before new sprouts grow and the natural pruning of the storm will result in more beauty. #floridastrong xo RCN
Isaac Farms Nursery Is A Dream
One of my latest discoveries in the Miami area is the wonderful dream world Isaac Farms Nursery in Homestead, FL. I am well aware that the state of Florida is known for farming and agriculture, but my first visit to Homestead and Isaac's was my first venture into farmland that does not mainly consist of tomatoes or cranberries; what Jersey is well known for. My search to find a Florida placeholder for one of my favorite places to shop, Terrain (now part of the new Anthro & Co.) deemed sufficient. Very sufficient!
Cacti and succulents are some of my favorite things in the world. I couldn't be happier to have found this glory of acreage that holds thousands of succulents, pottery, desert roses, air orchids, the list goes on. Let's just say I had to apologize to Zach for the two hour roaming and gawking I did here last Sunday. Not only did Zach join on my venture, but if it were not for Z, I would not have been able to carry the super tall cactus up to our apartment upon our arrival home.
It is almost embarrassing to admit that in my first two visits my take aways included cacti and succulents for a large table centerpiece on the balcony, a few overbearingly sized pots, my first almost seven foot cactus, and multiple straggler pieces for my continued collection. I will be smiling all week. Click here to link over to my cacti centerpiece DIY! xo RCN
