Wow. Marie Selby Botanical Gardens in Florida is back in doo-doo and making the headlines again. Last year, they were at the centre of an "orchid smuggling scandal", which is the classic media description for what was simply a very unseemly race to name a fantastic new orchid discovery. The other guys lost the battle, but played rough and won the war.
Now Selby is being sued by a major donor who’s mad that…
"…garden officials haven’t built an archway naming a new wedding chapel
after him and his wife. The botanical gardens has also failed to refer
to the "Schimmel Wedding Lawn" in brochures or on the Garden’s Web site."
A wedding chapel? A wedding lawn? This is a joke, right? I was under the impression that botanical gardens are intended for things like, oh, botanical research and education. At Selby, that apparently includes bending conservation treaty rules as well as the serious work of helping brides decide what type of flora will best match ugly bridesmaid dresses.
POLLENATRIX 