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| Howdy Gardening Enthusiasts! There is a great new display at Moody Gardens in Galveston, that has a distinct horticultural tie to GardenLine. And with Spring Break coming up for many Houstonians, if you're heading down to the island for a get away, I hope you'll be compelled to see the new Living Jewels of the Rainforest event. The following article was submitted by Moody Gardens exclusively for these GardenLine Email Tips. - Randy  Shades of ruby red, brilliant blue, purples, pinks, yellows greet the visitor to Moody Gardens new exhibit, Living Jewels of the Rainforest. More an addition to the already existing acre under glass, Living Jewels of the Rainforest highlights the reptilian and horticultural gems.
At the Pyramid's entrance, colorful bromeliads come in to view. Bromeliads play an important role in the earth's rainforests. Their vase shape allows them to collect water. Many reptiles seek out to drink that water and some spend their entire life cycles in a Bromeliad. Indeed, some frogs, like the Coqui frog from Puerto Rico, lay their eggs in the vases, the tadpoles swim in the water and eventually become adult frogs. Epiphytes, bromeliads take root in tree branches or roots. Continue through the winding paths of the Rainforest and another colorful jewel can be seen. Antheriums are also part of the exhibit. Their habitat is Central and South America. The true jewels of the rainforests, orchids, are in no short supply in the new exhibit. Orchids are found on every continent except Antarctica. They are the largest and most diverse family of flowering plants, but in their natural habitats, they can be rare, chiefly because of habitat loss. Another rare plant found in the Moody Gardens Rainforest Pyramid, is the Bottle Palm. Named for its shape, the bottle palm is considered critically endangered in its native habitat of Round Island, located off the coast of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean. The coconut palm, a favorite resting place for the sail-fin lizard that roams freely throughout the Rainforest Pyramid, is known as the tree of life. It is the most economically important palm. Every part of it can be used for something - its leaves for shelter, its seed for coconut oil, its fruit for feed and its trunks for construction.  Plan to spend about an hour walking the rainforest trail and viewing the new exhibit. There are many more flowers and plants to see here. Plants, birds, reptiles and mammals are all around you. Look up and you might see a cotton-top tamarin swinging from the trees. Look down, and you could see a bright red ibis going for water. Turtles swim in the Amazon pond and then bask no the banks. The sights, smells, sounds and steamy temperatures make Living Jewels of the Rainforest an authentic experience for horticultural enthusiasts.
For more information or to order tickets, contact Moody Gardens at 1-800-582-4673. Moody Gardens is located on Galveston Island, One Hope Boulevard, Galveston, TX 77554. Be sure you don't miss Randy on Sat., March 10 from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. at Enchanted Forest. Check out Randy's Event Page for the specifics. Until next issue, here's to Great Gardening from the GardenLine, heard exclusively, 6-10 a.m. Saturdays and 7-10 a.m. Sundays, only on NewsRadio 740 KTRH. 
KTRH and Randy Lemmon are giving loyal newsletter subscribers the opportunity to win a wheel barrow full of products from the GardenLine Partners that Randy endorses on the show. One winner will be selected each week between now and April 4! ENTER HERE
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