Behind the Gates in Redland

Although acres and acres in Redland continue to be converted into housing, there are still homes where beautiful gardens are created and maintained. Once again, the South Dade Garden Club has worked with homeowners who have agreed to open their gardens for private touring. Saturday, April 20th at 10:00 a.m., attendees will check in at the Fruit and Spice Park (24801 SW 248th Street, Homestead). Here, a booklet describing the seven gardens, and a map will be given for the self-guided tours. The gardens will be open until 4:00 p.m. Tickets can be purchased either online in advance for $35 at EVENT BRITE (https://www.eventbrite. com/e/858825970597) or for $40 at the park the day of the event. Proceeds support the club's yearly scholarships for senior students going into the agricultural, horticultural or related environmental fields of study in college.

Individuals choose how to drive the route and select the sequence for strolling through gardens usually hidden behind closed gates. Each is customized by the homeowner. In one, there are outside areas for get togethers, a gazebo, several seating areas, and elegant statues as well as a coral waterfall with cascading orchids. In another, a Master Gardener has planted over 500 native shrubs and trees, where with their wife, they have planned a wonderful habitat for wildlife and birds. Their native landscape is also a perfect area for bees and butterflies. Fans of exotic gardens will enjoy many bromeliads and succulents from various countries in a garden where orchids, haworthias, ferns, and pachypodiums also thrive while a fountain provides soothing sounds.

One couple, who owns a landscaping company, made their home garden into a natural habitat filled with beautiful colors and aromas to welcome birds and butterflies. This shows an extension of their love for Redland. Meandering through a peaceful beautiful garden with native flowers for the birds, bees, butterflies and seven fruit trees, rather than the abandoned property it once was, is a testament to the determination of a newlywed couple who transformed the tangled weeds over a thirteen-year span.

A Koi fish lake and a rustic rock waterfall grace one beautiful property, where ducks and swans share space among whimsical statues, and fruit trees. Of note, there are no food and beverages available at the homes, but markets and places for lunch are sprinkled throughout Redland or circle back into Homestead. Carrying beverages is recommended, and most gardens do require walking over unpaved ground. The South Dade Garden Club, formed in 1924, meets at the Redland Fruit & Spice Park the second Thursday of each month, 7:00-9:00 p.m., September through May. For more information call Lucy Reese, (786) 972-1400.