My Mom and I went to the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens today, located in Sarasota, Florida and what a special place! The property was once the home and garden of Marie and Willam Selby, and upon her death in 1971 she bequeathed it to the town of Sarasota for the “enjoyment of the general public”. The gardens are respected world-wide for their study and conservation of plants, particularly epiphytes – plants adapted to live in the tree canopy, including orchids, bromeliads, gesneriads and ferns.
You can follow many paths to their different areas including an enchanting children’s rainforest garden, a bamboo garden, banyan groves, and a mangrove walk along the water. It’s beautifully done and one can tell that its caretakers are passionate about this garden.
I enjoyed a quiet moment on a bench in front of a pond containing koi, with a waterfall in the background providing that delicious sound of cascading water. I could have spent an hour there, as it was so peaceful and quiet.
My favorite section of this garden was the Tropical Conservatory which has a humid, rainforest atmosphere inside. I was so overwhelmed by the beauty and variety of plant material that I didn’t even try to catch the names of the individual plants. There were too many! It was a visual feast of the most beautiful and interesting orchids, bromeliads and ferns I’ve seen under one roof.
Enjoy the five minute video as you enter the gardens so you have an understanding about what you are about to see. Then enjoy this 7 acre garden for as much time as you can afford. You will love the experience.
