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Bright, sparkling lights

By LARITA JACOBS, Times Correspondent
Published December 26, 2007

Florida Botanical Gardens' holiday display features eagles, owls and hawks made of lights and a hummingbird feeding from a flower, a light display that is 14 feet tall.
	[Douglas R. Clifford | Times]

ADVERTISEMENT [Scott Keeler | Times] Visitors stroll through the holiday lights Friday. The garden is decorated with more than 425,000 lights. [Douglas R. Clifford | Times] A palm tree is reflected in an ornament on Florida Botanical Gardens' centerpiece Christmas tree at the Largo park's holiday light display. The event features an array of illuminated attractions, from the Wedding Garden, where a topiary cupid shoots an arrow at illuminated hearts, to the Palm Garden, where a variety of palms are decorated in festive red and green lights. Last year's display drew about 40,000 visitors.

The towering decorated tree dwarfed Avery Davis-Shaffer as her mother snappeda picture. ¶ With her family by her side, the 4-year-old Largo girl breathlesslysurveyed the decorations on the centerpiece tree at the Florida Botanical Gardens.

Adorned with glowing dragonfly and bumblebee ornaments, the tree is a visual treat. But Avery was awestruck by another display.

"Have you seen the alligators with red eyes?" she asked, wide-eyed.

Florida Botanical Gardens again are aglow for the holidays. Staff members work feverishly for three weeks to create an illuminated garden stroll each holiday season. And each year, the project is expanded.

This season it features more than 425,000 lights.

"We've had great attendance so far," said Mary Campbell, Pinellas County Extension director. "Last year we had about 40,000 people attend."

Themed gardens hold an array of attractions. The Wedding Garden glows with a soft, white light as the topiary cupid shoots his arrow toward illuminated hearts. Nearby, giant, long-stemmed roses created by lights twinkle next to the real blooms.

Eagles, owls and hawks are made of lights. Walk farther along the path and turn a corner and you see yet another surprise - a hummingbird feeding from a flower, a light display 14 feet tall.

"I like the flowers the best," Avery said, pointing to a giant illumination of potted poinsettias.

Visitor Diana Fellows said the Palm Garden lures her back each year. Palms of different shapes and sizes are decorated with an array of red and green lights.

"When I have company, I always bring them here," Fellows said. "Finding that there are 150 different kinds of palm trees really amazes people."

Mary Campbell said people enjoy the quiet and peacefulness of being in the gardens - especially during the holidays.

"It's a lovely time to experience the gardens at night," she said. "There's a beauty inherent in walking in the evening. It is quiet and restful."

[Last modified December 25, 2007, 21:04:38]