The Many Gardens of Selby

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

Originally the home of William and Marie Selby, Marie Selby Botanical Gardens is an urban, bayfront oasis showcasing a living collection of rare and beautiful tropical plants. The gardens were much simpler when we opened in 1975, compared to the lushness we see today. Over the years, new features have been added, while existing gardens have been enhanced and unlike other botanical gardens, Selby is made up of smaller gardens within a garden. Here’s a preview…

Bounded on each side by a dense vegetation, Pender Path meanders through nearly a dozen different species of tropical clumping bamboos. Bamboo shoots may grow as much as 40 inches per day during their two-month growth period, and then stay the same size for decades. Giant Bamboo, the largest member of the grass family, was planted at the gardens by Marie Selby.

For one of the most peaceful experiences at Selby Gardens, pause along the circular walking trail in the Fern Garden and take a moment to fully appreciate the stunning variety of sounds, scents, colors and textures. A diverse showcase of low-lying ferns serves as a playground for darting lizards, while Australian tree ferns tower above and staghorn ferns make their home in the canopy.

The Ann Goldstein Children’s Rainforest Garden is a newly-created space for children and families to discover and develop a life-long appreciation for rainforest plants. This garden is elevated to allow visitors to experience treetop living. The children’s rainforest garden also features a waterfall, swinging bridges, field research station, an epiphyte canyon, caves for exploring and an adventure trail in addition to an Amazon village with an amphitheater.

In front of Payne Mansion, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is our enchanting Butterfly Garden. The garden was designed for the sole purpose of attracting butterflies. The success of this effort is evidenced by the dozens of flittering, gliding guests of honor who can enjoy the garden year-round thanks to Sarasota’s pleasant climate. In addition to its beauty, the garden also helps reestablish the native butterfly population.

We hope you have enjoyed this sampler of highlights from Selby Gardens! This is just a taste of what’s in store when you visit. Thank you for joining us and we hope to see you soon, in the gardens.