Thanks all for the comments! It was a very enjoyable trip and beautiful tropical lanscaping is all over Key West. Joan, I have attached a link about various Key West gardens. The one the pics are from is called Joe Allen Garden Center on Higgs Beach, and is the home of the Key West Garden Club. Many other great gardens are in Key West too though. Kevin Here is a link that might be useful: Key West Gardens

Hi Julia I did the MG course here in El Paso County about 9 years ago (I live in a neighboring, smaller county that did not offer the classes). It was well worth it. Some was review for me and probably will be for you but you will learn an awful lot too. Now I believe you get college credit (didn't when I took it). For me the insect id, forest pests, turf, compost and pesticide sections were particularly useful (was weak in those areas). If they do it for you, the plant id course will help too. Got the opportunity to teach high altitude gardening in my own county, put in demonstration gardens, went on site visits locally. Did a lot of things I never thought I would or even could do (like teach others in a more formal setting). Made a lot of new gardener friends. Swapped plants, helped each other in the yard...great time!! Even tho I had to let my certification lapse due to increasing work constraints, I still have those (not-so-new) garderner friendships and boatloads of additional knowledge.

There are several botanical gardens in Cuba. There is a fairly old garden in Cienfuegos that was once managed by Harvard. The National Botanical Garden is in Havana. The folks there can direct you to the other gardens.

Hello from St John USVI, Geostv you are getting good advice. Wait till you get settled in to do any garden planning or planting. We moved from zone 5/6 to 10/11. I was so excited I could garden year around I ordered plants, had things dug up from my garden and sent and bought lot's and lot's of books. I have found my best source of gardening books is to go to a Barnes and Noble in Miami which has the closest zone to St John. Start a calendar diary of where the sun is and the average wind on each area of your new home. When you are closer to the equator the positon of the sun is dramatically different each time of year. I put an orchid garden in an area which I thought was shaded only to find a month later it got direct sun and burned all the plants. My garden workers which get $25.00 an hour laugh at me and tell me they will never be out of work as I am constantly moving everything.I started my garden in 1997 and it is a huge learning curve. I have learned that the plants and look I want and what will do well are not necessarily cooperative. Other factors I had never considered cows that roam the island and feast on Hibiscus or goats that can climb sheer rocks and eat anthing and everything in your garden. Our entire garden is fenced and I have a cattle guard across the entrance or there would be no garden. On a happpier note I now have a prized and beautiful garden I have just about every tropical plant and some that I have challenged to grow I can't live without such as roses.I have been very successful with Vanda orchids from Thailand heirloom roses from Vintage gardens and Antique Rose Emporium and Plumeria which other gardenweb members have shared with me.I will email you the titles of my favorite tropical gardening books. So many have great pictures but no real information.If I can share cuttings or seeds of anything let me know. I wish I could figure out how to post pictures on Gardenweb but I am technically challenged. I can email pictures with no problem. Congratulations on your move you will love gardening in the tropics.