Well I never knew that!
Bermuda College students express their support for the gardens from Inside one of the massive banyan trees
I found a class of students from the Bermuda College today in the Botanical Gardens. They were on a field trip and they asked me to tag along. I learned so many things about the gardens that I did not know before. It was as if I was a child all over again, learning things about nature for the very first time.
DID YOU KNOW: All hibiscus flowers only open for one day and at the end of that day they close and die. Each hibiscus flower you see is a completely different flower from the ones the day before!
I didn't know that and it took me a while to get my head around it. I had always thought that these flowers simply open and closed each day.
I saw a plant that attracts flies (for the purpose of pollination) by smelling like rotting flesh. I also discovered a tree that had exploding fruit together with a sausage tree that didn't grow sausages but may in fact be a cure for cancer. I found gorgeous purple passion flowers, cotton plants with soft fluffy seeds and some bizarre looking cacti - to name only a few!
I learned more about the Sensory Garden that was created for the blind and will be demolished if the Government does not decide to rebuild the hospital on the existing site. A lot of the flowers and plants have strong but pleasant smells and there are features around the garden specifically to guide those without sight. It's a very tranquil place and I can't imagine it being bulldozed.
We spent 3 hours in the gardens learning about the diversity of plant life there and many of the students were very passionate about saving this place of beauty, science and education. I hope they will encourage their friends and families to speak out too - because if we don't show the Government how muh we love these gardens then we risk them being taken from us and from our children.
Passion Flower
The plant that smelt of rotting flesh!
In the Exotic House