Day 5: Tropical Paradise / WDW-40, 2016
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There were signposts dotted about, telling you about the various plants. Here is the info from one of them about the waterlilies:
Hardy Waterlilies – leaves have a simple (smooth) edge; flower rests on water; white, pink and yellow flowers.
Victoria Lilies – Very large leaves with a raised lip; underside of leaves have air sacs; underside and stems are spiny; flower rests on water and changes from white to pink over 3 days.
Tropical Waterlilies – Day and night bloomers; leaves have a wavy edge; flower is held above water; intense colors.
Lotus – Raised leaves and flowers; leaves are water repellent; seed pod unique to lotus (‘shower head’ shapes); Flower bud is tulip-shaped
The sign says…
The Watery Maze is a winding series of waterways and bridges designed to create a sense of mystery and adventure within the boundaries of the Garden. With the continued growth of plants on the islands and edges of the waterways, visitors can imagine wandering within the Maze, without really getting lost in nature.
McKee’s waterways are a series of connected streams and ponds circulating 800,000 gallons of water several times daily throughout the Garden – all from wells on the property. these waterways are all man-made, lined with sand, rubber, metal mesh and concrete. The design layout is historic, but the mechanism that operates the waterways today is complex and sophisticated.
The Bamboo Pavilion is the first permitted, engineered bamboo structure to stand in the United States. it was built in Colombia, South America, disassembled and shipped by boat to Florida where it was rebuilt at McKee.
The 529 square foot structure required nearly 350 stems of Guadua angustifolia, known as lignified bamboo. Each piece was 18-24 feet in length and 3-4 inches in diameter. It was harvested in locations 3500 ft. above sea level under strict government control. The roof was made using over 9000 Sabal palm fronds. These were attached using the traditional methods supervised by Seminole Indian Chief Leroy Osceola.
