This outstanding botanical garden styles itself as ‘a place of bliss, a region of supreme delight.’ And after spending some time wandering its 2.5-mile trail through six cultivated gardens you’ll rapidly find your inner zen. Children particularly delight in the garden supplied with a thatched-roof tree house, a butterfly house and an interactive fountain, while adults get all dreamy-eyed contemplating the giant lily pads in the Brazilian Garden.
Other highlights include the Florida Garden, designed by Naples’ own Ellin Goetz, which features an extensive wildflower meadow encircled by sabal palms (Florida’s state tree) and garden rooms providing locals with useful planting tips. The Naples Garden Club has found a home here, too, and offers on-site advice and a variety of programs.
Still in the works is a 12,000-sq-ft visitors center, which is currently being built using the highest level of sustainable innovation in construction. On completion it will house botanical and environmental science laboratories to be shared with Florida Gulf Coast University, as well as extensive visitor facilities.
