FOREVER IN BLOOM Marie Selby Botanical Gardens celebrates half a century of breathtaking beauty By Heather Turk
Boasting two beautiful bayfront sanctuaries that connect people with the air plants of the world and native nature, Marie Selby Botanical Gardens offers guests a serene escape from the hustle and bustle of Sarasota.
Marie Selby Botanical Gardens is the only botanical garden in the world dedicated to the display and study of epiphytes or air plants
The gardens’ 15-acre downtown Sarasota campus is the world’s most biodiverse botanical garden per acre. Celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, the campus features a variety of gardens and habitats displaying tropical and subtropical plants from around the world. Meanwhile, the gardens’ 30-acre Historic Spanish Point campus is one of the largest waterfront preserves showcasing native Florida plants that is open to and interpreted for the public. Visitors also can explore 5,000 years of Florida history while strolling through the picturesque campus. “Each of our two campuses is truly a bayfront sanctuary,” said Jennifer Rominiecki, Marie Selby Botanical Gardens’ president and CEO. “When first-time visitors get into the heart of either campus, many say, ‘I had no idea this was here.’ And then, when they get their first water view, they’re sold!” 26
nonstoplife
Did You Know: Marie Selby Botanical Gardens’ two campuses were established by forward-thinking women of their time: Sarasota resident and gardener Marie Selby and Chicago businesswoman Bertha Palmer.
