Took my Mom here last week, didn't know what to expect but the entry fee was high enough for me to check online reviews and they were all glowing. (need reservations prior to arriving, I called it in 2 days before.) It's a 37-acre estate and botanic garden created by Madame Ganna Walska, (interesting history http://www.lotusland.org/histo... ) who owned the property from 1941 until her death in 1984. Two docent led tours offered daily, 10 Am and 1:30 PM lasting approx. 2 hours. We were not disappointed, it was the highlight of our 3 day get away!
http://www.lotusland.org/welco...

Garden map: http://www.lotusland.org/garde...
You start out in this courtyard with a beautiful tiled fountain and nearby gift shop.

(thumbnails don't show everything so best viewed by enlarging the images)

Love it!

I wanted this bench & table, and everything on it!

Cute!

Doorway to gift shop and garden beyond.

Wide path lined with agave attenuata

We walked through a section that was thick with shaded tropical plants, you could swear you were in the jungle somewhere!

Bad shots as the sun was shining right on my lens but I wanted you to see how they hung these large planters with epiphyllums everywhere

Stag fern

"Thought to be the most complete collection of cycads in any public garden in the United States, Lotusland has over 400 mature specimens of cycads."

This is a beautiful 'blue' one, the color actually coming from a wavy type callus that is a like sun protection.

Looks dangerous, doesn't it?!

This one had an interesting leaf structure, a specimen from So. Africa.

A bit too warm to sit here today.

Ms. Walska bought a large mass of green slag glass, a byproduct of glass bottle production Arrowhead Water bottles, and used them to line many of the paths.

Closer shot

Lots of little statues tucked in here and there, here's one in the succulent garden.

Another one.

Sedums and aloes

A bed of echeveria