7 minute read
26oN to 26oS
B
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by Paula Michele Wagoner
ATHE IN THE COOLNESS of a deeply shaded arch of dense tropical leaves. Let the fragrances waft through the natural air conditioning under the pink and white plumeria and the flowering vines of turquoise jade. Walk through the lush-filled zones of the lower latitudes. Notice the yellow butterfly following along landscapes of lily, lotus, cactus, and orchid-filled transitions, crisscrossing with moving water and pausing beside the colorful sculpture art by Steve Tobin, with its yellow wings glinting in early sunlight. Teleport into a remote jungle paradise.
Welcome to the Naples Botanical Garden, 90 acres of permanent conservation with a panoramic view of the Preserve: sights of birds drying their wings and vistas of Florida in all its Everglades-like wilderness. Eighty cultivated acres which represent the flora of various worlds existing between latitudes 26 degrees north and 26 degrees south of the equator are proffered for your appreciation.
The Brazilian, Caribbean and Asian gardens are bursting with tropical plant life, woven with winding pathways and dotted with shaded sitting areas. Any immersion for the patron will be a new experience and part of a changing and evolving world through the work of the horticulture and conservation teams. These teams monitor the plant collections to make sure they are healthy and nurtured at every stage of growth. Renée Waller, Director of Communications & Marketing, and my tour guide says, “The world underneath your feet, that you see here, is so critical to the work that we do. We relish in it.”
Each zone in the botanical garden offers a new sensory-filled, spatial experience that transcends something unexplainable, becoming a rereading of Emerson’s understanding of spirituality in nature. This place comes together like pieces of an eco-puzzle, from 12 years of collective labor, talent, and evolution in nature. However one describes the gardens, the gardeners, volunteers and wildlife, all work hard every day to bring visitors an experience of symbiotic splendor and personal interpretation.
An excited German Shepard named Rocky jogged past us with his mom, Patty, a teacher on summer break, in tow. They jutted over to the water chestnut tree along the lake edge of the Preserve. Since it was ‘Dog Day,’ a two-day-a -week event, Rocky excitedly took in the sights and smells amplified by other four-legged visitors nearby. Beyond Rocky in the distance, Lego®-like cubes indicated the new horticulture center under construction, which will house nursery space and seed banks. We passed an area wrapped in caution tape, where the horticulture team was working on a tree, before we entered the Buehler Enabling Garden.
The Enabling Garden provides opportunities for persons with disabilities to enjoy gardening. Pointing to the waist-high, flowering plant beds, Waller notes “We really make sure to remove those barriers regardless of your level of physical discomfort. We are passing some sensory beds here where everything is particularly fragrant. We have raised beds where reach is not an issue. We have alternative watering and carrying devices to really make sure gardening here is as accessible as possible.” The Botanical Garden is as interactive as a visitor wants it to be, including the ‘Ask a Gardner’ questions on chalkboards throughout the gardens, where you can get an answer in real time, enhanced audio tours and opportunities to learn more about specific plants through QR codes. Not only do they offer in-person education programs, but in a time of uncertainty, the Naples Botanical Garden accommodates even the most cautious public traveler. Waller states, “In an effort to come back bigger and better, all of our digital resources are put in place, even if you physically couldn’t come to the garden, we can bring the garden to you. We have a slew of educational, interpretational videos on YouTube, as well as on social media, such as our ‘Follow a
Gardener Around’ on Instagram, where you can keep up with our tropical fruit specialist. We also have our Earth Cam, so patrons can see the garden any time of the day.” From the Enabling Garden, we entered The Grove for a peak at the upcoming water lily contest pool, which was closed off to the public. We passed The Foster Succulent Garden — which reminded me of my poor luck with this popular plant
Patrick Doherty’s environmental installations of remarkable woven sculptures made of dried willow branches, will be on view in late November, until they naturally decompse over the next couple of years.
The LaGrippe Orchid Garden is a Tolkien-like world with a variety of orchids, bromeliads, and other epiphytes growing in the shade of the trees.
— before stepping into the Marcia & L. Bates Lea Asian Garden, where pieces were procured from Bali to enhance the experience of world travel without leaving a Naples zip code.
To pick a favorite spot would require another tasting trip, much like sampling wine with two sips and not one. Maybe what I loved most was the vanilla bean vine hanging off a fig tree, or the display of the mysterious ghost orchid, or the Codiaeum variegatum, known as the ‘Dreadlocks Croton,’ in the Enabling Garden, or their spectacular air-conditioned gallery of paintings and sculptures. Phew! I knew I needed to come back for a deeper perspective.
I thanked Renée for her insightful and thoughtful tour and arranged to come back with our dog Valkyrie. As I exited, I noticed that yellow butterfly again. There are many butterflies fluttering around the gardens, but whoever arranged for this one to see me out added a nice touch to my visit.
My husband and I returned with Valkyrie, who was glad for the cold water I brought, while Bryan was grateful for
the bug spray. As we walked and photographed, stopping for breaks beside shaded patches, and posing for pictures beside the Bali sculptures, we talked about the future of this place. Autumn 2021 will bring an exhibition change. The Steve Tobin display of striking sculptures will be removed for an upcoming showing of environmental installations by artist, Patrick Doherty. Doherty, along with his son Sam, will construct remarkable stick art made from dried willow branches. His work intentionally uses space dynamically with large organic, woven sculptures that also have a positive environmental impact, since these pieces naturally decompose. His work can be viewed all over the world, and installations will be on display at the Botanical Garden for the next couple of years. In November, Doherty’s team, and some volunteers from the public, will collectively create a sculpture unique to the Garden that will be open for public viewing around Thanksgiving.
The autumn is a perfect and cooler time for family visits to the Garden, especially when they are bringing back live music performances from 2-4pm every Saturday, starting in October. The Botanical Garden’s annual and magical ‘Night Lights in the Garden,’ when thousands of lights will illuminate the gardens, will be on view from November 26-December 23, December 26-30, and January 1 & 2, 2022. In the final moments of our return excursion, precious time was spent in the LaGrippe Orchid Garden. This Tolkien-like world enriched with a variety of orchids, bromeliads, and other epiphytes growing in the sunshades of the trees is the perfect habitat for a woodland elf. Valkyrie pressed against the cool, moss-covered, coral limestone, cascading with water, while Bryan sat on a misshapen bench under dangles of color from above. I took closeup pictures of the orchids a lá Georgia O’Keefe. A painter could have an eternity of references here. Being drawn into moments like this makes each visit feel brand new.
Plan your trip soon — and remember to bring water and bug spray. •
The Naples Botanical Garden is located at 4820 Bayshore Drive in Naples. The Graden is open to the public 9am-2pm daily, and for members only daily 8-9am. For information, call 643-7275.
Naples Botanical Garden is bringing back live music performances from 2-4pm every Saturday, starting in October.
