Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Secret Garden Tour celebrates outdoor living, South Florida-style
A celebration of South Florida-style outdoor living is the inspiration of this year’s Secret Garden Tour, sponsored by the Fort Lauderdale Garden Club.
The eighth annual selfguided tour, set for 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, will feature several homes in exclusive neighborhoods.
“Each garden on the tour this year offers something special, each is unique,” said organizer Sandra Lynch, of the Parkinsonia Garden Circle, one of the club’s chapters. “What ties them all together is that these gardens are designed to make the most of enjoying the outdoors.
“One is wildly romantic with Old World sensibilities; another is full of charm and whimsical amusements; another is a modern-day hedonistic paradise; and another is a place of solitude and mindful awareness … and there’s so much more.”
Take a trip to the South Pacific with a visit to a serene Balinese sanctuary tucked away in Victoria Park. The large, contemporary, multilayered garden features canopied terraces, pavilions and a pergola dripping with Vanda orchids. Tropical botanical specimens include palms, jasmine, frangipani, anthuriums and a starburst clerodendrum. A limestone coral fountain adds architectural interest, as do exotic art pieces and statues holding sentry to guard against evil spirits.
During another stop on the tour, hidden treasures reveal themselves behind a walled garden on a sprawling estate with breathtaking views of the Intracoastal Waterway. After all, this is the “Venice of America.”
The gardens and homes are privately owned and not open for public viewing except during this annual fundraising event. Proceeds go toward the nonprofit club’s charitable work, which includes scholarships to Wekiva Youth Camp.
The tour begins in the parking lot at Virginia Shuman Young Elementary School, 101 NE 11th Ave, Fort Lauderdale. Limited tickets cost $25 in advance and $30 on Feb. 25, if available.
Info: 954-561-8475, FLGC.org