Saturday May 17, 2014, was a gorgeous sunny day in Brevard County for KBB’s 11th annual Secret Garden Tour which featured Central Brevard gardens in Rockledge, Cocoa and Merritt Island. Accompanied by Master Gardeners on walking tours, visitors received personal and in-depth lessons and stories about the many edible and medicinal plants on this year’s tour, a great way to have the plants work for you. Some of the yards aimed to be maintenance-free in at least a section. Attracting birds and butterflies is an important feature for many others.

Florida native plants are an easy way to landscape using less water and fertilizers, landscaping with storm water runoff in mind. Rain barrels and composting, native grasses and fish ponds, secret outdoor rooms with no roof and a view—generous homeowners opened their gardens and shared their tropical gardening secrets for the day.