The Lincoln Road pedestrian mall in Miami Beach includes a relatively new addition: a block of water gardens that evoke Florida’s Everglades. The site was designed by the landscape architecture firm of Raymond Jungles, Inc., and construction was completed in 2010. The surfaces of the water gardens are raised above the surrounding pavement, and include many native plants such as Bald Cypress, Red Mangrove, and Pond Apple. The biomorphic shapes of the gardens and seats are juxtaposed with the bold linear pattern of the surrounding pavement, creating an interesting combination of urban and natural themes.
 

The gardens include a variety of plants that thrive in or near water, with an emphasis on native vegetation.
 

Islands in the water gardens – these ones include large Bald Cypress trees. I’m guessing that the surrounding water somehow infiltrates the soil in the islands from below.
 

A “dry” garden with Live Oak trees
 

The gardens are raised above the surrounding pavement – some more than others.
 

Mosaic surfacing forms bold stripes in the pavement.
 

Water flows over this pond edge into a drain for recirculation.
  
Photos by Alice Webb