My Instagram feed is always full of tantalizing images like double cheeseburgers with thick bacon slices and plump portabella mushrooms, cake cones piled high with ice cream under an avalanche of sprinkles, beaches with thick, pillowy sand and the bluest of waves, and commanding mountains that reach into the heavens to give some examples. In the midst of all this grandeur and gluttony, a post managed to catch my eye and interrupted my strolling- a post with the largest and greenest water lilies I had ever seen with huge koi swimming under and around them. The post belonged to Kanapaha Botanical Gardens in Gainesville Florida- a garden that I had heard of before and actually wasn’t too far from my home in Jacksonville, Florida.
Normally when I see a post about a place that’s easily reachable, I make a mental note or follow the account as a reminder that someday I need to visit and check this out. There was an urgency to this post though because the description explained that Victoria water lilies are only at the gardens during the hot summer months, and it was already mid-July. Yes, that seems like plenty of time, the summer is only about halfway through, but knowing my memory and the likelihood of getting preoccupied with other trips, I became concerned about the time remaining to see those water lilies.
Shortly after, my husband and business partner London and I sat down to decide where to film that weekend. He had many ideas- Cocoa Village in Cocoa, Florida, staying near home and filming around Jacksonville, perhaps even running up to Orlando because there’s always something to do and see in Orlando. I mentioned I was interested in Gainesville, Florida, and I tossed Kanapaha Botanical Gardens out as an idea and explained that the Victoria water lilies, what I really wanted to see, were only there during the summer. The idea sounded kind of silly to me, I admit. There were many other well-known and possibly more popular places to visit in Gainesville. Plus some of those places were indoors too which would be nice since every morning for the last month there seemed to be a heat advisory popping up on my phone. London easily sensed my excitement though and grabbed on to the idea and we made plans that weekend to face the blistering heat to witness the Victoria water lilies at their peak.
Kanapaha Botanical Gardens is comprised of 64 acres. The gardens are made up of 24 collections and are divided between the east and west gardens. Since the Victoria water lilies are located in the west gardens we began our exploration there. Although we had quite a few gardens to walk past like the rose garden, the children’s garden, and the butterfly garden on the way to the water lilies, our anticipation was kept at bay by the beauty and color of these gardens.
Another benefit of visiting the botanical gardens during the summer is that the months from June to September have the most color. After strolling through half of the west gardens, we arrived at the bridge where the Victoria water lilies gracefully floated below the water.
The Victoria water lilies were even more astonishing in person than they looked on my iPhone screen when I first noticed them on my Instagram feed. The brilliance of the green and the near-perfect symmetry of the Victoria water lilies were far more profound in person. These were actually giant Victoria water lilies, the world’s largest water lilies capable of growing six feet or more in diameter. These water lilies were not even at their largest and still were extraordinary. The turtle and the active and colorful koi that swim under and around the giant Victoria water lilies completed this scene that looked like it belonged in a children’s nursery book.
While in the lobby, before entering the gardens, we purchased food to feed the koi. The koi, I imagine famished from joyfully swimming under the lilies and the bridge, swam to the pellets that were thrown in the water by my kids. The aggressiveness of the koi racing toward the food turned that serene scene originally destined for a page in a children’s book into a live comedic skit! The kids and I laughed as we watched the koi battle for position during the chomping free-for-all.
After running out of food for the koi and to make room for other guests who were walking on the bridge, we left this seasonal and beautiful site and continued to explore the remainder of the west gardens and then the east gardens.
The remaining gardens- the bamboo garden, hummingbird garden, and the woodland garden to name only a few were stunning yet the serenity and excitement that we felt at the bridge overlooking the giant Victoria water lilies could not be matched. We saw beautiful flowers and vivid colors we could only sheepishly describe with words, yet the kids- tired from walking and drained from the excruciating heat- quickly grew disinterested and impatient.
Despite the grief from the kids, the excessive sweating, and the nearly two-hour drive, the visit to Kanapaha Botanical Gardens was most definitely worth it. The giant Victoria water lilies are unique and truly a remarkable plant normally seen in their native South America and having the opportunity to view this one-of-a-kind plant in Gainesville, Florida is an extraordinary experience. Walking beside and under all of the other incredible plants and trees at Kanapaha Botanical Gardens was just an additional perk of our trip.
I consider being in these gardens and in the presence of these Victoria water lilies a bucket list item, a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Although this feels like a bucket list experience for me, an experience I will cherish and remember for a lifetime, I believe this will not be my last trip to Kanapaha Botanical Gardens. I can definitely see myself making the nearly two-hour drive next summer and again facing the blistering heat to witness the enormity and loveliness of the giant Victoria water lilies.
To watch and fully explore Kanapaha Botanical Gardens along with us, click here!