Take a stroll under brightly colored royal poincianas, wander around acres of ponds filled with water lilies, look out for myriad bird species perching in the trees and immerse yourself in the beauty of thousands of orchids blooming throughout Naples Botanical Garden. This tropical showcase, bursting with vibrant hues from bromeliads and begonias, decorated with mangos and bananas and shaded with coconut palms, is the perfect place to gain a deeper connection to the natural world through their world-class botanical exhibits, curated art, community programming and expert staff. 

Personal Touch

The 170-acre grounds offer customized experiences for everyone, from the local habitue to the visiting ingenue. Daily expert-led tours are included with admission and can be reserved  in advance on naplesgarden.org. Private group options, with a minimum of 15 guests, are also available via paid reservations. Walking tours are a great way to enhance your botanical knowledge, while guided group activities include a takeaway potted plant. “These tours on curated subjects with an expert staff person to contextualize questions are a great way to not only discover the Garden within a certain period of time but to get that specialized touch,” says Renée Waller, Director of Marketing and Communications, Naples Botanical Garden. 

World of Wonder

Children are drawn to the curiosities of nature, whether it’s the fluttering of a Monarch butterfly’s wings as it sits on a marigold or the throaty croak of a bullfrog coming from the brackish waters of a stream. The Garden offers various family programming, including W.O.N.D.E.R., which stands for Walk, Observe, Navigate, Draw, Explore and Read; a child-friendly interactive experience. W.O.N.D.E.R. is offered in an on-site air-conditioned space Fridays through Mondays, all summer long.

“Every event, tour and program represents the Garden’s mission, not only through the sharing of facts, but through inspiration from action. Often, this action is inspired in the sharing of the Garden’s own conservation works on local beach dunes, saving endangered cacti from the Caribbean or preserving seeds from plants identified as the last remaining few,” Waller says. “Support can be as small as picking up a W.O.N.D.E.R. packet and encouraging children to learn and love their surroundings or by purchasing a ticket, taking a stroll and getting inspired.”

Curious Creatures

Ever curious about the characteristics of the plants used in making mezcal and tequila? Or how to keep an orchid alive once you’ve brought it home? Dig Deeper is the Garden’s adult version of W.O.N.D.E.R., offering educational programing. For those forever learners who want to dig in at home, video tutorials on many of these topics and more are also available on naplesgarden.org. 

In addition to environmental education, birding is another interactive way to maximize a day at the Garden, listed as a “birding hotspot” by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology eBird site with 220 documented species. Bring a notebook, and fill it with your own documentation of the endless sights, sounds and species. 

Culture Club

Naples Botanical Garden also features exhibits throughout the year by international and local artists that speak to conservation issues, take inspiration from the vast botanical realm or simply act as an extension of the Garden’s environs. 

“Naples is quite the cultural city, with artists like Clyde Butcher, Carmelo Blandino, Paul Arsenault, Ran Adler all having displayed their works in the Garden’s Kapnick Hall. Many of these works have been directly influenced by time spent in the Garden,” says Waller. “This inspiration translates not only to art, but to tours and programming that celebrate the space and activate its stories. Part of that is because of the Garden’s connection to precious local areas, such as the Everglades, and part is inspired by plant highlights from around the world.” 

This summer, find awe, enlightenment and inspiration with a visit to Naples Botanical Garden. For updated scheduling and more information on these and other programs, visit naplesgarden.org.

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