Facelift for Winter Park garden

  • 2018-02-26
The Mead Botanical Gardens in Winter Park are undergoing a makeover, as invasive plants are removed and native species planted, according to an article in the Orlando Sentinel.

Workers cut down approximately 12 Asian trees like chinaberry, camphor, and golden rain trees, and plan to plant about 400 native Floridian trees. Garden officials are hoping the work will restore the park to what wild Florida was like decades ago.

Tim Egan, the park’s natural resources manager, said they are hoping to “re-establish a natural plant diversity” in the park, adding it will not happen quickly, but will span a number of years. Approximately 47,000 people visit the gardens every year, and the park, which does not charge admission, will remain open during the work.

No one is certain how the invasive species were able to flourish, but it is known that many of them produce a great many seeds, which have spread not only in the gardens, but also in the surrounding area. Winter Park has spent years trying to mitigate the impact of these plants, and finally earmarked $100,000 for their removal. They will be replaced with native maples, hollies, and native oaks.

Many of the new trees will be planted in the wetlands, where skunkvine has grown on approximately 18 acres of trees, killing them by blocking sunlight.

Projects like this interest many, so officials might work with a brochure printing company to create Booklets about the changes.

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