kampong coconut grove Kampong Garden kampong miami

the kampong. have you ever heard of it? ever been there? 
have no idea what i'm talking about?! (it's a national tropical botanical garden in coconut grove) 

i drive by the entrance every day. "the kampong". i try to take a quick look through the iron gates (and not run into the car in front of me) and wonder what on earth is back there!? i've had glimpses of the bay...and...that's about it. i've internet stalked them (haven't really found many pictures), google satellite mapped them, and so on.

their hours are definitely not people with jobs friendly (open tuesday-friday, excluding holidays, from 10am-2pm) and so this weekend, after scouring their website..i found this!!!

special guided tour: saturday, february 19, 10:30am-12:30pm, $20!!!! (reservations required) so....reservations have been made..i will finally be able to visit beyond the iron gate!!!! im so excited, and will share the experience afterwards :-) 

Kampong Garden Yoga at the Kampong Garden

http://www.ntbg.org/gardens/kampong.php

Located on Biscayne Bay in Coconut Grove, Florida, The Kampong contains a fascinating array of tropical fruit cultivars and flowering trees.

The garden is named for the Malay or Javanese word for a village or cluster of houses. Some of the first plantings there came from Indo-Malaysia, brought there by the renowned explorer/horticulturist who introduced these species to the United States and who owned the property in the early 1900s. The collections were expanded and diversified by the next owner, who eventually gifted the garden to the NTBG.

Heritage collections from Southeast Asia, Central and South Americas, the Caribbean, and other tropical locales create a cornucopia of exotic fruit, including candle fruit, peanut butter fruit, egg fruit, cocoplums, and over 50 varieties of mango. Numerous species of palms, cycads, and flowering trees are studied by scientists from the world over.

The Kampong serves as the mainland campus for the NTBG's educational courses, as a living classroom used by universities and colleges for botany and horticulture courses, and is a popular spot for plant enthusiasts of all ages.

The property is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Tour the Kampong