Sunday, April 22, 2012

Sepia Saturday #122 - Cypress Gardens - Florida

I can't find any family pictures that depict this week's Sepia Saturday theme, Gardens, but I do have these vintage Florida postcards that seem to fit.

These two postcards show Cypress Gardens, a historic Florida attraction that opened as a botanical garden on 2 Jan 1936 and later became known for its water ski shows, lush gardens and Southern Belles.  It became known as the "Water Ski Capitol of the World" and a string of Esther Williams movies were filmed there.  The park was severely damaged by several hurricanes in 2004 and never reopened.  In 2010 Merlin Entertainments bought the park with the intention of using it for the fifth Legoland.  (Wikipedia)  A sad end to a true Florida institution.




Please check out all the other green thumbs at Sepia Saturday.

5 comments:

  1. I think I also have that first postcard, but I haven't seen the second one before. These cards crack me up.

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  2. Is that Scarlett O'Hara peeping out between the hostas and azaleas? Lovely cards and with very subtle colours.

    BTW did you know that you still have word verification switched on.? Lots of people don't realise, so I thought I would mention it.

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    1. I could have sworn I had turned off word verification already! Can someone walk me through turning if off again?

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  3. Who wouldn't want to go to Florida after seeing those postcards?!?

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  4. Pretty funny, I thought of Scarlett O'Hara as well. But Esther Williams filmed here? I'm impressed.

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