I am surprised that Monty Don does not include this as one of his 60 great gardens of the world.It comprises 125 acres which you can drive round built on a salt dome in the swamp. As you drive round it looks like a natural landscape but it is a carefully constructed garden with canals and lagoons to drain parts , protect rare native and exotic aquatic plants, and provide a habitat for the abundant wild life. The planting is of southern wild oaks and indigent species together with many "exotic" species, many as is typical of late 19C gardens introductions from China. There is a Wisteria arch, a Holly arch, Bamboo stands, a Palm garden, thousands of Azaleas, and 600 varieties of Camelias. None of these were in flower when we visited so it was what Madre calls "just a green garden" but it was still stunning.
The island is owned b the Tabasco Sauce family, the factory is just nearby, and in 1895 Edward Mcilhenny hosted a British former Indian administrator who told him about a Maharajah who had built a magnificent aviary of rare species at his Palace. The Maharajah had died and the aviary slowly rotted away but the birds stayed and thrived so that you could visit the ruinous palace and see flocks of exotic birds.
At that time the snowy egret was being hunted for its plumage and was near extinction. McIlhenny decided to see if the Maharajah effect could work deliberately. He managed to capture eight wild egrets and put them in an aviary on the island. When they had raised their hatches and were ready to migrate he freed them. The next year all the offspring returned , and every year since and now egrets and heron return in their thousands and roost on metal shelf -like perches
The gardens are also home to deer, alligators,possums,armadillos,nutria ,racoons and bobcats although all we saw was a squirrel. A Treasure.
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