Coconut Cove was once a mangrove and buttonwood swamp until the late 1920's, when the U.S. Army Corp. of engineers was granted permission to deposit the fill while dredging the Intracoastal. The fill caused the swamp to perish, which prompted Mr. Bartlett to plant rows of Coconut Palms where the current Bonnet House parking lot exists. The property is a blend of native and exotic flora including a desert garden, Orchid House, Shell Museum, Fruit Groves, Freshwater Slough, Wild Coffee, Silver Palms, Coontie Plants shaded by Gumbo Limbo, Seagrapes, Sabal Palms, and Paradise Trees to name just a few splendors in addition to the 1920 Bonnet House Museum with it's incredible architecture built around a Fountain Garden and displaying art, sculptures, and collectibles from all over the world. It is truly the last of Old Florida in the present day and a celebration of the protected history and the legacy of Frederic Clay and Evelyn Barlett's vision and talent.
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