While jet-setting to a lush island locale is always a welcome way to spend a weekend, you don’t have to skip town to hit the tropics. Instead, head to Naples Botanical Garden for an idyllic daycation destination—no suitcase or passport required. The 170-acre property is a fete in horticultural design and is one of the few tropical gardens in the United States featuring plants from around the world. 

Now that summer is officially upon us, the garden is embracing its colorful roots with a jam-packed events calendar that brings a tropic twist to the Naples community. Signature staples like the Birding in the Garden series still top the lineup, but there’s a lot more for green thumbs and gardening gurus alike to dig into, from seasonal festivals to kids’ programming.

Tasting the Tropics

Beyond a kaleidoscope of colorful leaves and petals, many tropical and subtropical plants also produce some of our favorite fruits. Thanks to Southwest Florida’s climate, many of these juicy delights are grown on-property. While there are plenty of your typical finds like mangoes and bananas, the grounds are also home to other exotic varieties, like Barbados cherries that have more vitamin C than an entire orange. On June 28 and 29, the garden is celebrating these palate-pleasing plants with samples of fruity bites, live demonstrations of cutting open jackfruit, cracking a coconut and vining vanilla, plus ticketed fruit-themed tours. 

Waterlily Weekend

There’s no shortage of waterlilies in Florida, and on Aug. 30 and 31, Naples Botanical Garden is celebrating these aquatic beauties. Beyond learning about the different types as you peruse the various floating gardens (there are over 500 specimens!), there are also specialty demonstrations on how to plant a waterlily container garden and the fascinating features of the Victoria waterlily—one of the largest in the world—gigantic and strong enough for a small human to sit on (although garden staff asks that guests please do not try this out).

 Free Children’s Admission

Just because school is out doesn’t mean the learning has to stop. From June through September, entry to Naples Botanical Garden is free for all kids 17 and under. While there are plenty of adventures to be had in the cultivated gardens, elementary-aged children will especially enjoy checking out an air-conditioned W.O.N.D.E.R. learning session that encourages them to walk, observe, navigate, draw, explore and read. There’s also the Nature Play initiative, where interactive play spaces are woven into the garden to encourage kids to run, climb, play and romp around. Take the Palm Hop in the Kapnick Caribbean Garden that has craggy rocks, stair-like stumps and a felled ficus for littles to scale. Check out Jungle Hollow, a shade-soaked clearing within the palms that boasts a curio cabinet filled with botanical treasures, a fairy door and more imagination-boosting nooks.  

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