First designed by H.J. Lutcher Stark to demonstrate his interest and love of tropical plants, the Hanging Garden is thought to emulate the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, one of the seven ancient wonders of the world. Today, the Hanging Garden is a showcase of lush tropical and sub-tropical flowering and foliage plants including Bird-of-paradise (Strelitzia reginae), Lily of the Nile (Agapanthus sp.), Amaryllis (Hippeastrum hybrids), and Yesterday-today-and-tomorrow (Brunfelsia pauciflora ‘Eximia’) to mention just a few. It is designed to allow plants to cascade over the tiered edges of the stone terraces. Giant pots attractively placed around the edges of the Hanging Garden that contain much of the seasonal flower color found in the garden, were collected by Mr. Stark. These cast iron pots, called sugar kettles, were originally used to boil down sugar cane, turning it into crystallized sugar or syrup.