When thinking of weekend activities in Florida, you may first think of beaches or amusement parks, but Florida also has many amazing botanical gardens. There are multiple locations within the Tampa Bay area that have placed the botanical aspects of Florida’s beauty on full display. Visiting your local gardens is a great way to relax, submerse yourself in nature, and learn about the Florida environment.
Sunken Gardens
The closest botanical garden to the USFSP campus is the Sunken Gardens, which are a 4-acre tourist attraction that is owned and operated by the city of Saint Petersburg. Maintenance of this attraction is funded by visitor fees, which are $15 per person. Their gardens are wheelchair accessible. Both native and non-native plants such as ferns, palms, and over 1,000 orchids are present within this garden. With over 50,000 new flowers planted every year, you may notice something new every time you visit. Yoga classes taught by Vandana Dillon are held in these gardens every Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 10:30 A.M. until 11:45 A.M.
USF Botanical Gardens
Established in 1969, the USF Botanical Gardens are located on the main Tampa campus. The gardens are free to visit if you have a USF identification card, and if you do not, there is only a $5 entry fee per person. There are flowers, fruit trees, and palms within their 16 acres of land. Many of their subtropical and tropical trees were planted in the 1970s. These gardens are pet friendly, so you can bring your dog on a leash. A free yoga class for USF students and faculty is taught in these gardens every Friday at 2 P.M.
Bayfront Gardens at the Ringling
The Ringling Museum of Art is surrounded by the Bayfront Gardens, which includes Mable Ringling’s Rose Garden, the Secret Garden, the Dwarf Garden, and the Museum Courtyard. These museum gardens are located less than a mile away from the USF Sarasota-Manatee campus. They have free parking, and their gardens are free to the public. All four of the gardens feature unique stone statues. Mable Ringling’s Rose Garden features 450 beautiful roses. Unfortunately, this garden can be underwhelming if you visit at the wrong time, as they trim the roses every February and October, and the roses take six weeks to grow back. Surrounding the graves of John and Ida Ringling is the Secret Garden, which is home to bees, butterflies, and flowers. Hidden between the plants of the Dwarf Garden are little dwarf statues imported from Italy. The Museum Courtyard features trees, flowers, fountains, bronze statues, and stone statues. If you would like to purchase any artsy regalia or Starbucks coffee at the end of your visit, there is a gift shop and a coffee shop located near the exit.
Sarasota Garden Club
The Sarasota Garden Club is a non-profit educational organization that is a part of the Florida Federation of Garden Clubs. Club members pay an annual fee to sustain the garden, so there is no entrance fee for visitors. There are nine small gardens that include both native and non-native plants. My favorite is the Catherine and Richard Labrie Butterfly Garden, which always has pretty flowers and butterflies. One of the gardens features a Little Free Library, where you can donate or borrow books.
Marie Selby Botanical Gardens
The Marie Selby Botanical Gardens are a non-profit educational research organization based in Sarasota. Maintenance of their gardens is funded by visitor fees, which are around $25 per person. In the past, they have given financial assistance to the Rainforest Trust to help protect 10,000 acres of land in the Peruvian Amazon, so your entrance fee could be considered an investment in the global environment. Their 8.5 acres of gardens are wheelchair accessible and have over 20,000 plants including cacti, ferns, palms, and 6,000 orchids. Some of their plants are non-native. They specialize in epiphytes (air plants), some of which are currently on the endangered species list. Integrated pest management is used instead of pesticides in order to limit pollution. Most of their plants are watered via rainwater in order to assist in water conservation efforts. Every December, they decorate their grounds with an elaborate display of Christmas lights.