Secret Gardens of Tampa

Sunken Gardens

When George Turner bought this five-acre St. Petersburg property in 1902, there was a lake on it. He decided to drain the lake and use the rich soil beneath to nourish his garden. As trees and other plants matured, sightseers lined up to see Turner's sunken garden. Now almost a century later, the garden is enveloped by a commercial district. Hundreds of exotic plants such as Australian fern continue to thrive here with a little help from more than 200 grove heaters that keep some of the area's cooler temperatures at bay.

Banning Garden

Taking one of the four paths through George and Cassandra Banning's garden will lead to one conclusion: their one-acre garden is a successful mix of the friendly and the formal. The rose garden and potted bromeliads add a studied air, while palmettos and oak trees grow in natural abandon. A soothing fountain is the centerpiece of this backyard Shangri-la.

Ybor City Museum State Park

It was the guava tree that led V. M. Ybor to establish his cigar factory here in the early 1900s. And the guava tree is a focal point in this garden located in Tampa's Latin Quarter. The courtyard is alive with bright hibiscus and snapdragons while spectacularly colored crotons frame a bust of the Spanish entrepreneur.

Ybor Garden

Artists Unlimited Garden

Artists Unlimited Garden

Hidden amid garages and warehouses in an area east of downtown Tampa lies an expressive garden. The garden is the result of the communal efforts of members of Artists Unlimited. Artists who share this studio space took their creativity outside and planted an inspired garden. Once a barren patch of dirt, the garden now burst with pansies, mums and Indian hawthorn.

Resources
Artists Unlimited
Artists Unlimited
223 North 12 St.
Tampa, FL 33602
Phone: 813-229-5958
URL: www.artistsunlimited.org

Sunken Gardens
Sunken Gardens
1825 4th St. N.
St. Petersburg, FL 33704
Phone: 727-551-3100

Ybor City Museum State Park
Ybor City Chamber of Commerce
Website: www.ybor.org
Also in this Episode

Secret Gardens Of... : Episode SGO-208
•	Secret Gardens of Tampa