| Welcome
to our Florida Wildflower and Butterfly Garden |
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| The sloped expanse on the west side of the McGuire Center awaits a transformation. |
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The site is prepped and construction of a sidewalk begins. |
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| Segments of the sidewalk cure as others are completed. |
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Weeks later, Florida wildflowers decorate the landscape and water-saving mulch blankets the bare earth. |
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| Potted trees and shrubs arrive on the south rim. |
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Once mature, they will serve as a lush
green backdrop to accent the rich color in the main sections of the garden. |
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| A visitor enjoys the dancing color. |
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Flowering plants such as tropical sage and firebush, along with Elliott's lovegrass, serve as a focal point. |
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| Plant identification signs give the common and scientific names. |
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Dune sunflower is a drier-habitat beach plant, but it adapts in well-drained gardens. |
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| A Gulf Fritillary samples snow squarestem and tropical sage. |
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A profusion of mixed color resembles a cottage garden. |
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| Afternoon sun drenches tropical sage, which thrives when spent flower heads are pinched off regularly. |
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Grasses and mulch stabilize the back slope. |
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| A native, but aggressive, marigold rims a nearby pond and complements the wildflower garden. |
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The last petals cling to a seed head before it falls to the earth, with renewal to begin in the spring. |
