LARGO, Fla. – It’s the time of year for a beautiful walk outside. Enjoying the weather and the great outdoors is what fall and winter in Florida is all about. Pinellas County’s Parks and Conservation Resources Department would like to suggest a stroll through the scenic paths at the Florida Botanical Gardens.
“Everybody gets excited when we say fall color, and they think that they have to head up north, but really they don’t,” said Mia McCormick.
She is the Executive Director of the Florida Botanical Gardens Foundation, but in her heart, she’s a gardner with a love for all the plants in the park, from the flowers to the fruit trees.
“We have lots of fall color in Florida, you just have to know what to look for,” she said on a recent guided tour.
Timeline:
“The first week of October is when our Silk Floss tree bloomed for the first time,” she shared, stopping at the tree covered in pink flowers. “This is a tree that is native to South America. It’s known for the big spines on its trunk. It really looks threatening. (But) when you see the flowers on the top, they are gorgeous.”
The blooming tree is just one of many different ones to see along the shaded trails and footpaths through the 100-acre gardens.
Florida’s fall means that the tropical fruit garden is in bloom. Fruit fans can see how many fruits are on the vines, trees and bushes all along the venue.
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There are jack fruit, elephant apples, pomegranate, several different types of bananas, mangoes, lychee, and even sugar cane.
McCormick recommends a visit as a chance to check out the “crazy” of the outside world for a moment.
“This is the perfect time to reconnect with nature, slow down a little bit, reconnect with your family,” she said, “Just come out and take a stroll through the gardens before we rush into the busy season.”
If you’ve visited before, she also promised that it is different this time.
“The gardens change every time you come. That’s what’s so amazing about coming here. There’s so many different varieties and collections of plants that each time you come I guarantee you’ll see something different.”
What you can do:
To visit the Florida Botanical Gardens, you will find them at 12520 Ulmerton Road in Largo. They are open seven days a week from 7 a.m. until 5 p.m.
For more information about them, click here.
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The Source: This story was written based on in-person interviews with Mia McCormick at the Florida Botanical Gardens.
Pinellas CountyFloridaWild NatureLifestyle
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