Oh for Saint Pete's Sake! Part 2 of 2

So stuffed from our vegan burgers for lunch that we took a piece of chocolate cake to go, our last stop in St. Petersburg was the Sunken Gardens. Thanks to the morning's rain, our impression of this "botanical experience" was wet, green, and cold. But we're not sorry we stopped for a walk through the 4 acres of palms, ferns, oak trees, and waterworks. One George Turner, Sr., purchased the property in 1903, drained the sink hole, and began cultivating tropical plants. It turns out this part of Florida is only subtropical, so they brought in heaters to get the Royal Palms and bougainvillea through the winter. He let curious motorists pay a quarter to walk through, until in 1935 it officially opened as one of the state's earliest roadside attractions. It's now owned by the city, rentable for weddings, and is currently undergoing renovations. For instance, the animal enclosures made of concrete and laundry detergent (?!?) are being updated to house the current parrots and macaws, and an anticipated flock of chickens. There are also Chilean flamingos, which you can recognize by their pink knees and webbed feet! The park only had 2 left over from the 1950s until earlier this year, when they purchased 20 from the San Antonio zoo. They are understandably very popular.

  

Editor's Note: If you missed Part 1, you can find all the sparkles here.