Chinampas at Xochimilco, Mexico, 1920s-1930s Hand-colored glass lantern slide Edward Van Altena, photographer Smithsonian Institution Horticulture, Archives of American Gardens, Garden Club of America Collection Most of the Aztec chinampas have long since fallen into disuse, buried by the urban sprawl of Mexico City. However, the town of Xochimilco ("where the flowers grow") has preserved its chinampas system. Visitors can still take boat rides along the canals and see the gardens awash in flowers and vegetables.
