ABC7 Archives - Marie Selby Botanical Gardens

Experience the Beauty of Brazil at Selby Gardens

Team Selby — Fri, 12 Aug 2016 13:51:12 +0000

All eyes are on Brazil now that the Olympics are in full swing, but for those who can’t make it to Rio, Selby Gardens has many beautiful plants and flowers that come from the region. From colorful bromeliads to delicate orchids, flora from Brazil can be found throughout the gardens. Changes expected in current laws prohibiting the export of plants from Brazil will mean an even more diverse collection at the gardens. Find out more in the segment below.

Selby Gardens is featured weekly on ABC7 News at Noon. Tune in Thursdays to see more informative segments like this one.

The post Experience the Beauty of Brazil at Selby Gardens appeared first on Marie Selby Botanical Gardens.

Other Gardens Interested in Selby’s Corpse Plant’s Pollen

Darren Erickson — Tue, 09 Aug 2016 13:41:40 +0000

It’s rare to have an Amorphophallus titanum (corpse flower) in your botanical collection, more so to have a pair, and it’s really something special when they bloom almost simultaneously. While botanical gardens in other parts of the nation saw their corpse flowers bloom, all took note of Selby Gardens’ blooming pair. To keep the cycle going, pollen from Selby Gardens’ “Seymour” was collected and about a week later, as “Audrey” bloomed, horticulture staff dabbed the pollen onto her receptive flowers. Find out more in the latest ABC7 segment.

Selby Gardens is featured weekly on ABC7 News at Noon. Tune in Thursdays to see more informative segments like this one.

The post Other Gardens Interested in Selby’s Corpse Plant’s Pollen appeared first on Marie Selby Botanical Gardens.

Rotting Corpse Plant Blooming

Team Selby — Mon, 25 Jul 2016 14:55:33 +0000

Have you ever smelled a rotting fish or even sweaty socks? That’s usually a scent you run away from, but that is exactly the smell that is drawing so many to Selby Gardens right now. The putrid scent belongs to the infamous corpse plant, Amorphophallus titanum, are rare plant from Sumatra. While this plant usually only blooms every three to seven years, there are two preparing to bloom right now, giving Sarasota an unforgettably smelly experience.

Selby Gardens is featured weekly on ABC7 News at Noon. Tune in Thursdays to see more informative segments like this one.

The post Rotting Corpse Plant Blooming appeared first on Marie Selby Botanical Gardens.

The Unique Sculptures of Selby Gardens

Team Selby — Fri, 15 Jul 2016 16:35:29 +0000

Selby Gardens is famous for its plants and trees, but nestled among them are many unique and fascinating sculptures. From the somber Thinker, made from Italian marble and resting in the shade of a banyan tree, to the fierce Javanese flying lion, carved from lava stone and crouching behind the bamboo near the koi pond, these beautiful sculptures can be found all around the Gardens. Kids in particular love the Santa Claus face carved in Indonesian lava stone and the colorful animals in the Children’s Rainforest Garden.

While these sculptures add beauty and another dimension to the grounds, they also highlight the many gracious donations that make Selby Gardens such a wonderful place.

Selby Gardens is featured weekly on ABC7 News at Noon. Tune in Thursdays to see more informative segments like this one.

The post The Unique Sculptures of Selby Gardens appeared first on Marie Selby Botanical Gardens.

Managing Mosquitoes in Florida’s Landscape

Team Selby — Fri, 08 Jul 2016 13:30:06 +0000

Mosquitoes are as much a part of Florida summers as the heat is, and while the chance of catching tropical diseases in Florida is rare, reports of Zika in the tropics has raised mosquito awareness. In this week’s ABC7 segment, Selby Gardens’ Director of Horticulture Mike McLaughlin shows us simple ways to not only avoid getting bitten, but also how to safely reduce mosquito breeding habitats in your backyard. From simply eradicating any standing water outside your home to crushing the leaves from plants such as lemon balm and peppermint and rubbing it on your skin, you’ll find spending time out in your yard much more enjoyable.

Selby Gardens is featured weekly on ABC7 News at Noon. Tune in Thursdays to see more informative segments like this one.

The post Managing Mosquitoes in Florida’s Landscape appeared first on Marie Selby Botanical Gardens.

The Koi Pond Bell

Team Selby — Tue, 05 Jul 2016 17:19:30 +0000

Looking at the ornate bell by the Selby Gardens’ koi pond, you’d think it would have a fascinating back story. However, it wasn’t until a woman visiting from the University of Michigan and read its inscription did we know what that story was. To her great surprise, she discovered it came from her home town back in Japan. She sent photos back to her family, and by sheer coincidence, her father knew the son of an 80-year-old monk at the Buddhist temple where the bell originally came from. Through their gracious efforts, the full story of the 117-year-old bell and it’s narrow escape from getting melted down during World War II, as well as how it got to Selby Gardens, can now be told. Originally rung to mark the beginning of temple ceremonies, the bell can now be rung when visiting the koi pond.

Selby Gardens is featured weekly on ABC7 News at Noon. Tune in Thursdays to see more informative segments like this one.

The post The Koi Pond Bell appeared first on Marie Selby Botanical Gardens.

Summer Camp Lookout

Team Selby — Tue, 05 Jul 2016 15:00:22 +0000

With our steamy Florida summer in full swing, kids are spending more time indoors to escape the heat. Selby Gardens has been working to change that “screen time” to “green time” with Summer Camp Lookout. Each summer, three one-week sessions are offered to kids 6-11. This year’s focus has been on the native plants and creatures of Florida, and the kids spent five hours a day examining the plants in the gardens and venturing out into the bay for a truly hands-on nature experience. With experts guiding them and explaining what they’re looking at, a whole new world maybe not noticed before is revealed to them, and many reserve spots for the following year.

Selby Gardens is featured weekly on ABC7 News at Noon. Tune in Thursdays to see more informative segments like this one.

The post Summer Camp Lookout appeared first on Marie Selby Botanical Gardens.

Creating a Tropical Oasis

Team Selby — Fri, 03 Jun 2016 14:39:43 +0000

Those who know Selby Gardens know you have to look both up and down to fully appreciate the grounds, and this week, the Gardens’ Director of Horticulture, Mike McLaughlin, shows you how easy it is to start your own “sky garden”. With its focus on epiphytes (plants that grow on harmlessly other plants), wandering the grounds of Selby Gardens provides plenty of ideas for adding orchids, bromeliads and tillandsia to trees in your own backyard. Not only do they add beauty and dimension to your landscaping, they are relatively easy to mount and maintain.

Selby Gardens is featured weekly on ABC7 News at Noon. Tune in Thursdays to see more informative segments like this one.

The post Creating a Tropical Oasis appeared first on Marie Selby Botanical Gardens.

Selby Gardens’ Botanical Research Library

Team Selby — Fri, 20 May 2016 13:47:34 +0000

Quietly tucked away at Selby Gardens is a vast collection of over 7,000 books and 14,000 periodicals – some dating back as far as 1744. The Selby Gardens Botanical Research Library is a vast resource for scientists and researchers around the world, particularly those focused on epiphytes and orchids. While the library’s not open to the general public, the upcoming Selby’s Secret Garden exhibit will feature many rare and beautiful books from the collection. The exhibit is sponsored in part by Williams Parker, The Sarasota County Tourist Development Council, The Frank E. Duckwall Foundation and the Florida Department of Cultural Affairs.

Selby Gardens is featured weekly on ABC7 News at Noon. Tune in Thursdays to see more informative segments like this one.

The post Selby Gardens’ Botanical Research Library appeared first on Marie Selby Botanical Gardens.

Selby Gardens 36th Annual Photo Competition

Team Selby — Fri, 13 May 2016 12:23:00 +0000

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens has been displaying an annual juried photography competition since 1980. The cash prizes are awarded to talented amateur and professional photographers who capture one-of-a-kind nature scenes. This year, as The Gardens celebrates our 40th anniversary, all of the entries were captured here at Selby Gardens! The entries are carefully judged by professional photographers. And then the best of the best are put on display in the Museum of Botany & the Arts, where they are enjoyed by thousands of Gardens visitors.

Selby Gardens is featured weekly on ABC7 News at Noon. Tune in Thursdays to see more informative segments like this one.

The post Selby Gardens 36th Annual Photo Competition appeared first on Marie Selby Botanical Gardens.