A profusion of color bursts forth in spring on the island of Corfu, Greece. With verdant forests and colorful wildflowers, Corfu is not a barren jumble of rocks, but a place where nature’s fireworks add a glorious touch to the backdrop of the Ionian Sea.
Places of natural botanical beauty, including ancient forests, unique habitats, and destinations known for their plants and wildflowers.
Stalking the Wild Venus Flytrap
Where do you find a Venus fly-trap in its native habitat? Within a 75 mile radius of Wilmington, North Carolina. Hikers, of course, have the upper hand in finding this tiny carnivore in the wild.
Wilmington’s Gardens
From azaleas to pitcher plants, Wilmington, NC, offers the most diverse spectrum of gardens we’ve seen in the South. Thank the thousands of gardeners who live in the area and spend their time cultivating these sensory riches.
Among the Venus Flytraps at Carolina Beach State Park
With habitat diversity reminiscent of Florida, Carolina Beach State Park is a great place to learn about and see carnivorous plants, especially the native Venus fly-trap.
Glimpsing Iowa’s prairie past
At the Dubuque Arboretum & Botanical Gardens in Iowa, their tallgrass prairie habitat is a small but compelling corner of the 56-acre complex, a symphony of colors and textures in summer.
The Angel Oak
A stately ancient live oak thought to be more than 1,500 years old, the Angel Oak is on John’s Island in the South Carolina Lowcountry near Charleston.
The Mississippi Sandhill Crane
Bringing an endangered species back from the brink of extinction, the Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge provides a success story for conservation.
In a Rainforest
To watch the fury of a tropical rainstorm in a rainforest: there is nothing like it in the world. Especially in Panama, home of the world’s most impenetrable rainforest, which we are visiting at Gamboa Rainforest Resort.
Alfred B. Maclay Gardens
One of Florida’s finest formal gardens, Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park began its life in 1923 and contains one of the most impressive camellia collections in the South.
Heaven Scent
If heaven is on earth, it is cloaked with the mysterious and pure scent of camellias in spring, the aroma of a stroll through Magnolia Gardens in Charleston
The Chattahoochee You Don’t Know
A chance meeting with botanist Leigh Brooks leads me to a tour of Chattahoochee’s botanical wonders and an introduction to famed Florida botanist Angus Gholson.
Pelicans, Skimmers, and the Jungle
A family visit to McKee Gardens for research on Exploring Florida’s Botanical Wonders, paired with Pelican Island, brought back memories of our 1960s trips.
