Although we had all been to the Marie Shelby Botanical Gardens before we were delighted to have a beautiful day to return. Located on just 7 acres along Sarasota Bay and the Hudson Bayou,
the Gardens reportedly maintain the most diverse collection of bromeliads in the world, and feature over 20,000 plants from some 6,000 species in 1,200 genera from 214 plant families, including 6,000 live orchids. More than 150 expeditions to the tropics and subtropics have contributed to these collections.
Egrets,
Storks
and Brown and Green Anoles are also ever present throughout the preserve.