Marie Selby Botanical Gardens
The Selby Botanical Gardens houses over 20,000 plants and consists of nearly 10 acres of bayfront real estate. The property consists of an open air and under glass museum of plants, most of which were collected from the wild.
Selby Gardens is popular for botanical research and plant identification and it houses seven greenhouses. There are several unique garden areas in the Selby estate. Some of them include The Bamboo Pavilion, Cactus and Succulent Garden, Cycad Collection, Banyan Grove, and the Tropical Display House. Another well-known site on the grounds is the previous Christy Payne Mansion. The mansion is a fine example of Southern Colonial architecture. It is also featured in the National Register of Historic Places and hosts botanical art and photography collections.
The Selby Botanical Garden is a great place for children and they are bound to marvel at the indoor 'rainforest', the dart frog collection and the garden's ample variety of tropical fauna and flora. The plants housed in the Garden were collected from over 150 scientific expeditions to rainforests.
Among the other highlighted features at the Botanical Garden are the Stunning Orchid Display House, World-class Exhibitions, Outdoor Butterfly Garden, Views of Sarasota Bay, Bamboo Garden, Historic Selby House, Wild things - Poison Dart Frogs, Koi Pond, and Mangrove Walkway. In total, the Garden maintains more than 20 habitats.
The Selby Gardens was voted the Arts Organization of the Year by Sarasota's Chamber of Commerce, and Sarasota Magazine's No.1 spot on the Top Ten 'Must Do's in Sarasota.
The Gardens was founded 25 years ago by a grant by longtime Sarasota philanthropist and resident, Marie Selby "to serve the people of Sarasota as a beautiful and peaceful garden where one may enjoy the splendor of the plant world in one of the most lovely settings in Florida."
Over time, the Selby Botanical Gardens has transformed into a research center, and a hub for educational programs, conservation efforts about tropical plants. The collections of epiphytic plants were originally from the private collections of scientific staff at the Gardens.
The Gardens Entrance is outlaid in red brick and takes the visitor from the hustle and bustle of the city to a more antiquated, tranquil time. The Visitor Center is the initial starting place where the journey of learning about the Gardens begins.
However, the real tour of the Selby Gardens starts when you walk into the Tropical Display House, which showcases an orchid and bromeliad collection. This segment of the Gardens houses the most comprehensive collection of exotic and native epiphytes and tropical plants, found anywhere in the U.S. These amazing flora include bromeliads from the Amazon, torch ginger from Indonesia, Bornean carnivorous pitcher plants and vanilla orchids from Mexico.
Selby Gardens has also turned into a favorite spot for weddings. Weddings can be held anywhere within the grounds, with the favored spots being the Schimmel Wedding Lawn and Pavilion & Bayside Oak. And still other areas of interest for wedding planners include the Great Room by the Bay as well as the Mansion Museum.
The Selby Gardens is open for viewing daily from 10 am - 5 pm. It is closed on Christmas day
811 South Palm Avenue
Sarasota, Florida 34236
(941) 366-5731
http://www.selby.org
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