Good Thymes

Omar Zakaria, a recent University of Florida graduate, strolled up to the Summer House of Kanapaha Botanical Garden on Monday, Mar. 22, 2021. Kanapaha Botanical Garden is a 68-acre garden in Gainesville, Florida. This facility is comprised of 24 garden collections, including the largest display on bamboo in the state and the largest herb garden in the Southeast. Kanapaha Botanical Garden is the perfect venue for weddings, retreats or relaxation time!

Out the back door of the Summer House is a wrap-around porch. Several white rocking chairs wait for visitors to recline on them and overlook the gardens. Construction on the gardens began in 1978, and the facility opened to the public in October 1987.

The Azalea-Camellia Garden was in full bloom. As one weaves through the trials, giant bushels of gorgeous flowers leaned into the paths.

Extravaganza Camellias were beautiful. This bud held onto its branch while most of the tree’s flowers laid on the garden ground.

Vince Lawson, a resident of Gainesville, Fla., sat in a vine-covered gazebo. He admired one of Kanapaha Garden’s many waterfalls. As he sipped on his Coca-Cola, Lawson listened to the water trickle down stacked rocks onto lily pads in the pond.

In the Oriental Garden, a single hardworking bee flew from flower to flower, collecting nectar for its colony.

Zakaria overlooks the largest herb garden in the Southeast. This garden collection has hundreds of herbs! The garden comprises three sections: medicinal herbs, scent herbs and a knot garden. A knot garden is viewed from a raised platform to see the geometric layout of the plants.

Zakaria passed under a trellis that hung heavy with Japanese Wisteria. This trellis bordered the entrance of the Hummingbird Garden.

A flower (species unknown) isn’t quite ready to bloom, but it soaks up the sun.

The paved path that leads visitors throughout Kanapaha Botanical Garden ends at the side door of the Summer House. Visitors could go in the gift shop and purchase shirts, seed packets and other trinkets to commemorate their visit.