All the Dirt on Gardening

Thinking of travel to Florida? History buffs, art lovers and garden tourists will all find Bonnet House worth a visit. Located on 35 acres of Barrier Island on the Fort Lauderdale Florida shore, the Bonnet House grounds and home reflect the nature of the residents who needed a retreat from their hectic lifestyle. There are no huge rooms that echo, no workout room with rows of equipment, just peaceful surroundings accented by hand-made and hand-painted art. The history of the property began with Chicago attorney Hugh Taylor Birch who purchased 3 miles of Ft. Lauderdale beach for a dollar an acre in 1893. Birch spent the winter on the beach, swimming in the ocean, and trekking the native hardwood hammocks. His daughter, Helen, married Frederic Bartlett and the couple received part of the Birch land as a wedding gift. The Bartletts named the residence, Bonnet House after a yellow lily that is native to the fresh water slough on the property. Bartlett’s third wife, Evelyn Lilly, spent win...