Miami-Dade’s canals aren’t exactly scenic. More often than not they’re full of discarded tires and plastic bags — and so polluted from fertilizer runoff, dog poop and sewage leaks that experts frequently warn you shouldn’t swim in them.

But what if the canals were beautified and cleaned up using garden beds of yellow and orange sunflowers, marigolds and fluffy and colorful celosia instead? That’s exactly what Florida International University researchers are trying to do, and so far their tests have shown promising results.

Image: Carlos Bastias, Unsplash