Nature Coast Botanical Gardens, Spring Hill’s Garden Oasis
Nature Coast Botanical Gardens encompasses 4.5 acres just off Spring Hill Road, the main east-west roadway in Spring Hill. The property at the corner of Parker Avenue and Alderwood Street includes a nursery on one acre and the botanical gardens on 3.5 acres.
Though small, the facility is packed with 22 distinct, themed gardens organized along a looping walkway. The Gardens are a project of the Spring Hill Garden Club and are supported 100% by grants, donations, and the twice-weekly plant sales. They are maintained entirely by volunteers.
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I first “heard” about the gardens while driving past a small sign pointing in the general direction of the gardens. Always on the lookout for the best botanical gardens in Florida, I filed this away to come back, and finally made it a couple of weeks later.
I parked in an unpaved lot, swung my camera bag on, and walked towards an open gate following a sign with an arrow on it pointing out “gardens”. Another sign pointed towards a paved lot and read “plant sale”. The twice weekly sale is held on Mondays and Saturdays and includes plants grown in the Garden Club’s nursery.
If you’re familiar with large, well-funded botanical gardens like Florida Botanical Gardens, the facility at Nature Coast Botanical Gardens might seem a bit…inadequate. At first. They did to me. This is a first reaction I often find I have and one that is often incorrect. “We are not responsible for our first thought, but we are responsible for our second thought and our first action.”
In these gardens, the more I walked through and explored, the more I stopped and observed, the more I fell in love with the distinct personality of each garden and with the obvious care taken in creating and maintaining them. Come take a quick tour with me and enjoy the gardens.
Welcome Center at Nature Coast Botanical Gardens
Walk through the gate of the Nature Coast Botanical Gardens into the Welcome Center area to the left. This portion of the gardens provides brochures and other information about the gardens. There is also a donation box here if you choose to make a donation. Entry to the gardens is free, but donations are welcome. Here you’ll also find tables with chairs and a couple of benches.
Herb Garden
The herb garden is a central herb wheel with several herbs growing in it. Around the perimeter of this area other plants grow, drawing in pollinators and adding color. A few vegetables grow here as well. Benches provide a spot to sit and take in the sights and scents of this area.
Rose Garden
The rose garden in the center of Nature Coast Botanical Gardens leads one on a journey around a centrally-placed gazebo. A huge variety of roses and camellias explode in color around the gazebo, while along the outer perimeter of the garden, deep green foliage frames the rose garden. To enjoy the view even more, skip the gazebo and sit for a spell on the red bench overlooking the entire rose garden.
Rainforest Garden
The rainforest garden winds among various plants and trees commonly found in tropical climates. Among those, numerous ferns and vines, bamboo, and other beautiful green plants growing in a canopy that shades the walkway beneath.
Desert Oasis
Ironically, the Desert Oasis is located beside the Rainforest Garden. A small space filled with small plants and lots of gravel, the highlights of this garden are the agave with a huge flower stalk, the prickly pear tree, and the howl-at-the-moon art wall. I’m still in awe of the agave and the prickly pear tree. I had no idea either would grow so big!
Butterfly Garden
The butterfly garden is a beautiful wild chaos of amazing colorful plants. The butterflies approve as the garden was filled with them. Besides the plants, the butterfly garden at Nature Coast Botanical Gardens has several pieces of art in it. From butterfly sculptures to a bottle tree, the flowers, insects, and artwork are a delightful riot of color and texture.
Secret Garden
On a hot summer day, step into the Secret Garden for a shady and scent-filled respite from the heat. The Secret Garden feels like one of the largest gardens in the park, perhaps because it fills every corner allotted to it. Through an archway, pine bark walkways pass beneath oak trees and among a number of different unique and interesting plants. Think trumpets, gingers, and other unusual plants. Around each curve in the path, you’ll find a chair or bench on which to rest and take in the beauty of this garden.
Palm Garden
The Secret Garden exits into the lush Palm Garden. In the center of this garden, a wooden bench is surrounded by mature palms, such as queen palm, foxtail palm, and more.
Wildflower Garden
The Adirondack chairs outside of the shed in the Wildflower Garden beckon one to sit for a while and enjoy the wildflowers surrounding the shed. What will you find here? All the wildflowers you would normally find growing in fields and roadsides across Florida.
Florida Native Plant Garden
If you know me, you know native plants are near and dear to me. I was thrilled to find a large corner of the Nature Coast Botanical Gardens dedicated to native Florida plants. With a tiny boardwalk, lake, and bench, this garden is also a great place to sit and reflect on life or just enjoy the scenery.
Asian Garden
I really enjoyed the quiet peace of the Asian Gardens. The bamboo surrounding much of the garden served as a sound buffer. Or perhaps the peaceful solitude was all in my mind. Either way, these gardens are criss-crossed with a low boardwalk and feature a pagoda with bench as well as several water and air features.
Memorial Garden
The Memorial Garden was the first garden created at Nature Coast Botanical Garden when it was first created in the 1990s. This garden pays tribute to all of the servicemen and women who have fought for this country and sacrificed for our freedoms. Memorial bricks can be purchased to be include in the brick walkway in the Memorial Garden.
Other Plants in Nature Coast Botanical Garden
The previously-mentioned gardens do not include all of the gardens at Nature Coast Botanical Gardens. I found the lighting was too bright and harsh by the time I made my way to the last gardens and the photos just didn’t turn out great. These included the Bromeliad Garden, Fantasy Garden, and Parker Street Garden.
What to Know Before You Go to Nature Coast Botanical Gardens
- Address: 1489 Parker Avenue, Spring Hill, Florida
- Hours: Dawn to dusk, 7 days a week
- Cost: Free. Donations welcome.
What did you think of our quick tour of Nature Coast Botanical Garden? Have you visited? If not, put it on your list for the next time you’re passing near Spring Hill. In fact, if you’re headed to Weeki Wachee, this isn’t too far from there and makes a lovely morning outing.
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Amazing! I know nothing about traveling all over the country, what a wonderful looking place to explore.
What gorgeous pictures!!! It looks like a dreamland! I love visiting botanical gardens all over due to the wide variety of plants and flowers native to the area and it looks like they’ve done a great job of making it a beautiful place to visit!
I love visiting them, too. It’s one of my goals now to visit all of the botanical gardens in Florida.
So glad you were able to find it! I’m trying to visit more botanical gardens whenever I travel and this one looks beautiful!
can’t believe you managed to get pics of those precious fluttery butterflies so upclose! They’re so beautiful!!