Finding bliss at Naples Botanical Garden, anchor of Bayshore Drive

Diana Biederman, Naples Daily News
·3 min read

I have friends who’ve lived here for decades who’ve visited Naples Botanical Garden but once.

None of those friends have eaten at the Garden’s terrific Fogg Café, one of my top 10 restaurants in town.

This unofficial statistic doesn’t surprise the Garden’s Director of Community Relations Kara Laufer, who said: “When you've got something spectacular in your town, it's like ohh next weekend, next weekend, next. The next thing you know, a year’s passed.”

Led by President and CEO Donna McGinnis, it’s Bayshore Drive’s anchor and most popular attraction, averaging 260,000 visitors annually.

Bliss among the blossoms

I try to visit each season for many reasons, including discovering something new, getting inspiration, seeking tranquility, and given my daily beat, eating.

Numerous studies, including a Jan. 2 article from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, confirm that spending time in nature benefits the body and soul.

The mind too: According to Heather Eliassen, professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the School, “spending time in nature has been linked to better mental health and a decreased risk of psychiatric disorders among adults and children.”

When the 170-acre Garden was created in 2009, construction and mindful design made it usable for those with physical challenges.

Now, it’s among the most accessible facilities for every demographic and generation.

But it wasn’t always that way.

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A Garden for All

Kara Laufer, director of community relations for Naples Botanical Garden, at the Buehler Family Foundation Enabling Garden.
Kara Laufer, director of community relations for Naples Botanical Garden, at the Buehler Family Foundation Enabling Garden.

In 2017, the Garden polled its visitors and discovered it wasn’t as inclusive as they thought.

Laufer described the then-typical Garden goer as a “woman of a certain age, 50 to 65. It wasn't reflective of our community.”

That dilemma was addressed in 2019 with “Garden for All,” comprising several initiatives to broaden its appeal to the community, including:

  • Signs, audio tours, and brochures are in English, Spanish, and Creole, reflecting the neighborhood's residents.

  • Quiet hours, when equipment is shut so those disturbed by loud noises can revel in peace.

  • Providing easy navigation and access for wheelchairs, which can be borrowed, and scooters that can be rented.

  • Creating exhibits so everyone can bliss out with nature. Case in point: the sensory Buehler Enabling Garden, where plant beds are raised for touching and smelling botanicals.

  • Supplementing free admission days and weeks with more affordable family memberships. Single-visit summer admission for Collier, Lee and Charlotte County residents from June 1 to Sept. 30 is $15 for adults and $5 for kids, which can still be too much for neighborhood residents.

Pro tip

If you’ve never visited or it’s been years, mark your calendar for November when tickets go on sale for Johnsonville Night Lights in The Garden, a month-long display that's the most magical way to spend an evening.

Where to find Naples Botanical Garden: 4820 Bayshore Drive, 239-643-7275; naplesgarden.org

This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Naples Botanical Garden: Bliss among the blossoms on Bayshore Drive