Dr. John Rossi (Larry Vaught Photo)
There’s nothing better than beach life and St. Augustine is certainly a perfect spot to visit at this time of year — not crowded, great beaches and extraordinary food. However, I always like to venture out to some “different” places to see more of the local area.
Barbara Golden, communications manager for St. Augustine, told me I should take the time to visit Hastings, a small town known as the Potato Capital of Florida because it grows so many potatoes for Lays Potato Chips. She told me about several unique spots to eat there but what really intrigued me was the opening of the St. John’s Botanical Garden & Nature Preserve.
Luckily for us, the grand opening of the preserve was set for Sunday. Even though rain/flooding changed it to a “soft” opening and cancelled some activities planned for the day, it turned out to be a nice afternoon and we got to see a variety of rare and endangered species of plants from around the world that Dr.John Rossi, founder and resident biologist, said he had been collecting for about 20 years.
The garden has more than 2,400 species of plants, according to Rossi, and over 300 species of palm trees. He has specific areas for each species.
Many of the palms on the preserve are considered rare or endangered but Rossi explained to me that the moderate climate here and shelter provided by the large live oaks help make it possible for them to survive. He also told me the preserve’s location got more rain annually than surrounding areas for a variety of reasons that provided moisture the palms require.
The preserve is still obviously a work in progress with a lot more coming. A large volunteer force is working to label every plant to help those visiting know exactly what they are seeing. There are about 2.5 miles of trails and picnic areas. The part of the preserve that was flooded and closed on our visit also apparently will offer chances for wildlife viewing.
While the grand opening was postponed, a large crowd turned out — many cars parked on the side of the road because the parking lot was full.
I spotted several visitors sitting on benches reading books in the serene setting. Others were strolling slowly admiring the beauty of the surroundings. And if you had a question, volunteers were always nearby to help.
Rossi plans to work with school groups and even has a “potting” area where hopefully students will be able to pot a young palm to take home with them.
He said it had been a slower process to get to this point than he expected because of two hurricanes, an unusual hard freeze and a hailstorm created more work than expected.
“But we never gave up on making this dream a reality and we’re really pleased and think this place is very unique and beautiful,” Rossi said. “It’s only going to get better, too, as we continue to improve on what we have and add more.
“We want to protect endangered species of plants from around the world but also preserve native species that naturally occur in northern Florida and be able to share all this for others to see and enjoy.”
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For more information on St. Johns Botanical Garden (8310 County Road 12, Hastings, FL, 32145) call (904) 293-7370 or click here to visit their website.
