Today, my family went down to Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, near Coral Gables. I'd been there once before, during the first run of an installation of glass artist Dale Chihuly's work.

This time, Chihuly's A Garden of Glass exhibit was jointed by a collection of Roy Lichtenstein's pop art and Fernando Botero's sculptures. Each of the artists has a distinct style, and I could appreciate them all. I took several pictures, but definitely missed a lot of the art. This weekend was Fairchild's 6th Annual International Orchid Festival, so it was quite crowded. (It didn't hurt that the weather was beautiful.) By the time we arrived in the afternoon, there were no maps left that pointed out where the art was. So, we just followed the paved walkways and sought them out. (And saw some really cool orchids, as well.)

I hope the powers that be at Fairchild continue to bring artists whose work meshes well with the flora and fauna on the grounds. One of the more whimsical pieces we came across was Michele Oka Doner's Pollinators -- a 2006 installation made of bronze, silver and found objects -- from Fairchild's art & flowers exhibition. Situated on a tree in the butterfly garden, it was a pleasant surprise on a day that was practically perfect.