Visit Marie Selby Botanical Gardens: Meeting The Nature

Photo: instagram@minadehaas

To expand this collection, about 150 expeditions have been contributed to the subtropics and tropics. The garden also maintains bamboos, banyans, succulents, palms, live oaks, cycads, and wildflowers. The Marie Selby Botanical Gardens attracts over 170000 visitors per year including people who attend meetings, conferences, weddings, and receptions. The Interactive Ann Goldstein Children’s Rainforest present in the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens can help children develop interest and learn more about rainforests. There are other wonderful surprises waiting for you in the garden such as the Banyan groves, Bamboo gardens, Butterfly garden, and many more. The kids’ corner has various developmental activities which children really enjoy. You could take home a part of the garden by shopping for plants and other unique stuff from the garden shop. There are a lot more activities you should try in Marie Selby Botanical Gardens.

Make sure you get to visit the following divisions that have a specialty of its own.

Greenhouses: The Marie Selby Botanical Gardens is home to 7 greenhouses that have a plant collection of over 20000 greenhouse plants. There is another greenhouse called the Tropical Conservatory, which is the only greenhouse that is open to the visitors. As soon as you enter this greenhouse, it is like you have woken up in an entirely different world. The best part about this conservatory is that the flora changes every season.

The Cycad Display: slow-growing and ancient plants can be seen in the cycad display. These plants are related to confers that have been growing in the subtropical and tropical regions from the times of the dinosaurs. The garden has a vast collection of cycads from Mexico, tropical Asia, Central America, Africa, and Japan. Some of these plants are native to Florida.

The Sho Fun Bonsai Exhibit: you will be intrigued by the art of bonsai once you visit the Sho Fun Bonsai Exhibit. The miniature trees seem unreal but are functioning, alive, and perfect to the last detail. Some of these trees have been taken care of for more than forty years.

Fern Garden: Meditate among the prehistoric plants and embrace the solitude of the Fern Garden. It displays over 10000 species of ferns that are from many parts of the world.

Photo: instagram@ubrandon

Koi Pond: See the colorful and hungry koi live in the koi pond present at the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens. This would be a very good spot to go to especially when you are with children. They have always been fascinated by this beautiful creature. On the sight of humans, the fishes lift their mouths out of the water with an expectation to be fed. The pond also has plants like the spiral ginger, elephant’s ear, and native bald cypress.

Bamboo Garden: just across the path from the Koi pond, there is a garden that is filled with so many species of bamboo. Bamboo, a plant native to China, can grow up to 60 feet. Their growth is extremely fast, and some species can grow to a height of 4 feet in one day. There are over a dozen various species in the dense grove. Admire the tall bamboo trees that would tower over your path in the bamboo garden.

Banyan Grove: planted in the year 1934, the Banyan Grove is located in front of the famous Selby house. These are native to tropical Asia and Africa and are members of the fig family. The tree starts its life after the seed germinates in the tiny crevices and cracks of the large host tree.

Ann Goldstein Children’s Rainforest Garden: The banyan trees are the main part of the Children’s Rainforest Garden. This is a very interactive area for little kids to develop their fascination with rainforests. The garden provides a different perspective for the visitors. There are seating areas, shaded decks, and even a waterfall. There is also a treehouse for children to play.

Kid’s Corner: Let the little children enjoy hands-on developmental programs and activities in Marie Shelby’s Kid’s Corner.

Cafe at Selby House: The Shelby house also has a cafe where you can enjoy light food during your exciting day.

Desert Succulent Garden: Plants that have fleshy stems or leaves that tend to live in areas that experience long durations of drought such as the cacti are called succulents. In the Desert Succulent garden, there are many caudiciform succulents and other desert plants that will surely fascinate you.

Great Lawn: There is a large lawn where people can host their weddings. This is an ideal space where people can have private celebrations and it has a seating capacity of around 1000 people.

Mangrove Baywalk: the baywalk takes the visitors to the edge of the Sarasota Bay. Here, you will be able to see the beautiful skyline of the city present above the mangroves. The mangroves are found in Florida in areas where there are saltwater floods. These plants provide habitat for various species of birds and small aquatic animals. It protects the shoreline.

Palm Groves: opposite to the water along the trail, there is a Palm Grove that houses fishtail, date, triangle palms, and talipot. The area also has the saw palmetto and cabbage palm. In many places of the path, under the trees, the bromeliads are the bedding plants. It runs parallel to the Great room and eventually connects to the beautiful Tidal Lagoon.

Tidal Lagoon: It is a small lagoon that is surrounded by native plants. The Lagoon attracts various birds like the white heron. These birds usually hunt for creatures along the shores of the water bodies.

Hardwood Hammock: adjacent to the lagoon, the hardwood hammock will be the most interesting part for ecologically minded people. This area represents Florida’s natural ecosystem at a time when places were untouched by human hands for urban development and agriculture.

Mulford B. Foster Bromeliad Identification Center: This area was built in the honor of the Mulford Foster who was a famous Bromeliad collector that gave information on the various botanical aspects of the family Bromeliaceae. This area was built in 1979 and is supported by bromeliad societies around the globe.

Green Roof: The green roof was installed on top of a cistern to enhance workshops and seminars. The purposes of the green roofs range from having garden parties to lowering energy bills.

Fragrance Garden: The fragrance garden is a great area to hang out as it showcases plants that are used to make perfumes and flavor various foods. This is located adjacent to the Carriage house.

Edible Garden: this garden is home to various edible plants such as the Asian Hibiscus, Ceylon Malabar spinach, Cuban Sweet Potato, Black Sapote, Sugar cane, bananas, mangoes, pineapples, and star fruit. This is also called the Tropical Fruit Garden.

Butterfly Garden: located in front of the Grand Mansion, this garden is filled with nectar-producing sweet flowers and caterpillar food. These plants attract a large variety of colorful butterflies. A few species include monarch, swallowtails, buckeyes, fritillaries, and Florida’s zebra longwing butterfly.

Christy Payne Mansion: this is home to the Museum of Botany and arts where people can acquire knowledge on the various plant species. It is also an example of the Southern Colonial Architecture.

Herbarium: the herbarium has more than 100000 specimens of tropical flora that have been dried and preserved for research. The main flora stored there is the Ecuador flora, epiphytes, and the flora belonging to the Andes. This area is open for scientists and students from any part of the world.

Orchid Identification Centre: This center in the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens was established specially for identification of orchids from different countries like Central America, South America, Mexico, and Venezuela.

Spirit Collection: vials of preservative fluids containing various flowers are present in the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens. There are over 24000 vials from the family of Orchids and 300 vials of bromeliads making it the second-largest collection in the world.

The Research Library: go through various studies in botany in the research library. It is home to large volumes of tropical plants and has rare 18^th-century books as well. There are many scientific journals, collection of photographic slides, and other related works.

Hibiscus Garden: this is very popular among the local gardeners living in Florida as the blooms are really beautiful. There are various hybrids housing various colors ranging from pink, red, and even yellow in the hibiscus garden.

Garden Shop: Get little souvenirs for your family and friends from the garden shop in Marie Shelby. You could get beautiful orchids, children’s puzzles and games, and books.

Photo: instagram@kendaldasilva

The Marie Selby Botanical Gardens is open every day from 10 am to 5 pm. However, it is closed on Christmas day. You will need a minimum of 3 hours to spend time in the beautiful garden. You could even spend the entire day exploring the gardens and living creatures in various parts of the huge area.

You can reach the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens by car, bus, taxi, or bikes based on your budget. The best way to travel from the city to the garden is by bus since it is easy and very affordable. There is a Sarasota Country Area Transit (SCAT) where visitors can get one day ticket for $ 4 or even 30-day bus passes for just $ 60. You can get these tickets at the Downtown Transfer Station where these are sold. However, these buses do not run on Sundays and some evening schedules may differ for other weekdays. These buses usually operate between 5:30 am and 7 pm. You might even find some that operate till 10 pm. The frequencies of the buses are between 20 minutes and an hour.

The most flexible way for transportation is using rental cars as it is the fastest method. You will find many rental car locations in the city. You could even use smartphone applications like Uber or ask your hotel concierge. The rides would be around $ 3 per mile.

Another great option is renting a bike since many shops give out rental bikes with locks, chains, and helmets. There is also free parking for bikes and rentals which may start from $10 per hour.

You could access the limited free parking areas from the Orange Avenue or Palm Avenue. City garages do not charge for parking. However, they might charge a small entry fee when the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens is hosting special events.

The daytime admissions include Tropical Conservatory, Garden Shop, Museum of Botany and Arts, and the Outdoor Gardens. The ticket prices are $20 for adults and $10 for children of ages between 4 and 17. There is no ticket charge for children of age 3 and below. For schools and groups containing more than 10 people, there are special rates. For a member’s guest, only half the rate is required for entry.

You are allowed to bring your cameras and take pictures of the beautiful tropical plants and waterfront. However, you cannot bring stands or tripods for safety reasons in the Tropical Conservatory, but these are allowed on the grounds. You could even take time to soak in the beauty of the serene gardens and show it out through sketches and paintings. There is Wi-Fi in several areas and you can bring your laptops.

There are three locations throughout the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens where you will find restrooms. To stay comfortable and safe, you could bring an insect repellent, sunglasses, and sunscreen. Some of these supplies can be bought from the Garden shop. If you are with a very young child, then it is best to bring a stroller since there the area to cover is large. Complimentary wheelchairs are available. This cannot be reserved, and it is given out in a first come first serve basis. Pets are not allowed except for service animals. There are many benches throughout the garden. Electronic devices should be kept in silent so that everyone can enjoy the place in peace. The Sarasota area has many accommodations for long stays or one-day trips.

The best months to visit the city are from the end of March to May and from September to November. During these months, the crowds and the prices will be moderate. Prices are the highest from December to February since the city will be crowded with visitors from the Northern part of the US and Canada. June, July, and August are known for their humid and hot climate. There will be plenty of showers from June till September since it is the hurricane season.

If your stay in the city is between March and May, then do not forget to pack a mix of cool and warm weather attire. Bring an umbrella since it might rain occasionally. Due to the springtime crowd, the prices will be at its peak during the month of March and then reduce during April and May. Pack warm clothes if you are visiting between September and November. The flights and accommodation available during this season will be cheap.

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens is a very lovely place that is enjoyed by every age group. Try your best to visit all the divisions in the garden since every area is an opportunity to learn something new about the flora and fauna. The garden also welcomes various creative activities like sketching, painting, and photography. If you get hungry during the day then there is a cafe where you will get soups, sandwiches, and desserts as well as coffee and tea. Book your flights and customize the trip to the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens. Look for the best package deals that offer the lowest airfares along with low prices in accommodation. Make sure you gather all the essential information before the trip. To make your trip hassle-free, fun, and safe, start planning now!