Fairchild Tropical Botanical Gardens - Miami

Winter is high season in Miami and it is no wonder why - temperate climate, bright blue skies, sunny days, it's easy to see why so many tourists flock to Miami during this time of year.

So on one of these pristine winter days, my mom and I went to go visit Fairchild Tropical Botanical Gardens in Miami. An appreciation of nature tends to run in my family as does an interest in horticulture (although I do not seem to have the ability to keep plants alive too long).

Fairchild is a beautiful botanical garden in Miami which was established in 1938 by Robert H Montgomery, a business man with a passion for plant collecting. Mr. Montgomery named the gardens in honor for his friend Dr. David Fairchild, a renown plant explorer and collector. Dr. Fairchild traveled all over the world looking for plants that could be of potential use to the American people. The gardens lie on 83 acres and have a huge variety of beautiful plants, butterfly gardens, green houses and fruit trees. Fairchild is a leader in the area for botanical and environmental education and conservation.

In addition to the amazing botanical collection, Fairchild also has various art exhibits throughout the year. Currently they have a permanent Dale Chihuly collection of incredibly glass sculptures as well as the monumental sculptures of Roy Lichtenstein on display in the gardens. It stunning to see a collection of modern art in such a beautiful, tranquil and organic environment.