If you love tropical beauty then you will love these botanical gardens, here we bring you our favorites, admission ranging from FREE to $15, each garden has so much to discover and you can lose yourself in paradise!
The botanical gardens here in Florida are absolutely spectacular, with their tens of thousands, of exotic plants, trees and foliage, combined with water features and artwork will leave you feeling entranced.
We are both professional photographers and artists and there are dazzling photo ops, or inspiration for a new piece of art, at every turn. As well as the gorgeous scenery, we find it is the serenity of these places that truly touches our soul. Here we give you a flavor of each garden we have visited and expect our photographs will do most of the talking for us.
McKee Botanical Garden Vero Beach
McKee Garden Vero Beach
McKee's covers 18 acres and really makes you feel as if you've landed in a jungle, as you ramble through the grounds there is something magnificent to discover at every twist and turn. It boasts over having more than 10,000 plants, it truly is glorious and combine that with staff who are very knowledgeable and friendly, it makes for a superb day out.
We found it safe, peaceful and relaxing walking around, people respected the required social distancing rules and with so much to explore it never felt crowded.
When we visit McKee's was hosting a couple of exhibits, both were artistic and quite stunning. ‘GRAND CENTRAL STICK WORK’ By Patrick and Sam Dougherty and Ocean Sole Africa, combining nature and art enhanced our experience. They change their exhibits through the year so check website for details.
McKee's proclaims to be a "wild place of natural beauty" and we certainly agree!
Adult Entry is $15, for full details please visit their website McKee Botanical Garden https://mckeegarden.org/visit-us/
Address 350 US Highway 1, Vero Beach, Florida
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Florida Botanical Garden Largo
Florida Botanical Gardens is a 100-acre Park, which is free to the public, and has something to interest everyone. We found it easy walking around discovering all the different gardens, from the Cactus & Succulent Garden, the Herb Garden, Tropical Fruit Garden and so many more. We really enjoyed the Tropical Walk, which features plants from Australia, Japan, China, Tropical Islands and South Florida.
With its combination of individual specialist gardens, wetlands and surprising artwork, the Florida Botanical Gardens sure lifts the spirits. What is also interesting is the Heritage Village which is right alongside the gardens and free to enter, makes a great day out with lots of picnic areas to enjoy.
Free entry for full details please visit their website Florida Botanical Gardens
Address 12520 Ulmerton Road, Largo, Florida
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Bok Tower Gardens Lake Whales
The outstanding 205 foot marble Singing Tower welcomes you from a distance to this 50 acre superb garden. We have spent many an hour wandering the grounds and enjoying the gorgeous landscaping, their displays of giant lily pads which look big enough to sit in and magnificent magnolias are a must see, but even when they are not in bloom, there is so much to see and plenty of shade while you walk.
Edward Bok inspires us to promote peace in our hearts and in the world and his Reflection Pool Vista is the perfect spot to stop and soak up the peace and tranquility of this garden. There is a large number of koi in the pool which you can feed for a few cents. Take the time to sit and enjoy the bell ringing which happens regularly through the day. You can also enjoy the Pinewood Estate & Gardens but an additional entry fee is required. The Hammock Hollow Children's Garden is a wonder not just for children but the whole family, with delightful discoveries and adventures abound. This is a place you can come back to many times, as we have, and find something new each visit. Bok Tower Garden holds an extra special place in our hearts.
Adult Entry is $15, for full details please visit their website Bok Tower Gardens
Address 1151 Tower Blvd, Lake Wales, Florida
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Hollis Garden Lakeland
Hollis Garden is the tiniest of our botanical collection of gardens at only 1.2 acres but it packs a lot in to a small space with 10,000 flowers, ornamental shrubs, and native trees and it is free to enter. It is situated within Lake Mirror Park which provides a lovely lakeside walk and some unusual birds and art to appreciate.
Free Entry starts, for full details please visit their website Hollis Garden
Sunken Gardens St Petersburg
We leisurely meandered around the historic Sunken Gardens exquisite 4 acres, bursting with its gorgeous 50,000 tropical plants and flowers, some are over one hundred years old. The cascading waterfalls and pools add to the sereneness of this little piece of botanical paradise. You can't miss the seeing the flamingo's which have become the signature for this garden.
Adult Entry is $12 , for full details please visit their website Sunken Gardens
Address 1825 4th St. N. St. Petersburg, FL
We could all use a bit of peace and tranquility in 2024, so add these beauty spots to your bucket list when you get the opportunity!
