Opened in 1975, the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens is the legacy of Mrs. Marie Selby and her husband, oil and gas industry multi-millionaire, William Selby. William and Marie, who hailed from the Midwest, came to the Sarasota area in the 1910s and purchased several acres of property bordering Sarasota Bay and Hudson Bayou. After decades of living in the Spanish-style home they built there and tending its ornate gardens, the property was donated to the community after Marie's death in 1971. Her wish for a garden built for "the enjoyment of the general public'' was fulfilled a few years later.
Today, Selby Botanical Gardens, at 13 acres (including the house), is almost twice the size of Marie's original garden, and after consultation with experts from the University of Florida and the New York Botanical Gardens, it was determined that these gardens would specialize in epiphytic plant - plants that do not root in soil, such as orchids, mosses, and bromeliads. This specialty sets these gardens apart from any other botanical garden in the United States.
About 20,000 plants grace the premises of this colorful garden, including nearly 6,000 orchids. The facility is both open-air and under glass, so visitors can roam the expansive outdoor area and also explore the eight greenhouses located there. Many of the plants were collected on a series of scientific expeditions to tropical rainforests and other locales.
The Tropical Display House is a favorite with visitors of all ages and features a rain forest atmosphere. Kids especially enjoy the Selby Garden's collection of dart frogs located there.
The Fernery includes 10,000 species of fern from around the world and the Cycad Display is a showcase of conifer-like ancient plants that have existed in subtropical locations since the days of the dinosaurs. The Banyan Grove gives visitors a look at this native African tree that has been widely cultivated throughout southwest Florida and the Bamboo Garden is an impressive display of this fast-growing Chinese plant, a member of the grass family.
A stroll around the gardens will also put visitors face to face with a beautiful outdoor butterfly garden, a colorful koi pond, and a magnificent hibiscus garden. There's even a canopy walkway through giant fig trees.
Indoors, guests can explore the Christy Payne Mansion, a 1970s addition to the Marie Selby Gardens, now housing the Selby Museum of Botany and Arts. Around the outside of the mansion are an azalea garden, a tropical food garden, an herb garden, and a small fragrance garden.
Guests can enjoy refreshments in the historic Selby House, including light lunches, snacks, and coffee or tea. The gardens also hosts a large number of community classes for adults, lectures on a variety of horticultural and other subjects, and several monthly children's classes geared for different age ranges. There are also week-long summer camps held at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens for kids up to age 11.
Sincerely,
Ruby Weinberg