Florida Flowers and Gardens: FRÄBEL IN THE GARDEN at Naples Botanical Garden

Naples Botanical Garden is 170-acre, world-class garden that is home to more than 300 species of exotic plant life from Brazil, Asia and the Caribbean and native plants from Florida. The Garden was founded in 1993 by a group of eight local plant enthusiasts who dreamt of creating a world-class botanical garden. In 2000, the late Harvey Kapnick, Jr. donated $5 million for the purchase of 170 acres of open space 3 miles from downtown Naples. Construction on the first phase began in 2008. In October of 2014, the implementation of the master plan was completed. The Garden consists of six gardens, 2.5 miles of walking trails, and 90 acres of preserve with seven ecosystems including mangroves, marshes and forests. Today the Garden welcomes over 220,000 visitors per year to experience themed gardens that represent the culture and flora of the tropics.

Entry Pavilion to the Visitors Center at the Garden

The docent explained to members of the Estero Island Garden Club that Naples Botanical Garden features plants of the tropics and subtropics between the latitudes of 26 North and 26 South.

Reflections on Glass: Fräbel in the Garden brings a collection of glass sculptures and installations by flamework glass artist Hans Godo Fräbel to Naples for the first time. A flameworker melts rods and tubes in a flame and then shapes the softened glass into a variety of objects, from glass animals and beads to ornaments and sculptures. This exhibition features botanical pieces, playful figures, and ornate geometric shapes. Fräbel’s works can be found in public and private collections in over 80 countries worldwide.

KATHRYN’S GARDEN

Orchid arch at the entry pavilion

Orchid arch

Orchid lovers from the Garden Club taking pics of the arch

'Cavorting Clown Fountain’ in Kathryn’s Garden

For these opaque pieces, Fräbel sandblasts the art, which creates tiny indentations on the surface of the glass, creating an optical illusion that tricks our eyes into thinking the glass has a whitish tint.

'Jesters on Branch’ in Kathryn’s Garden

‘Jesters on Branch’

IRMA’S GARDEN

Irma’s garden features plants whose forms are striking, whose flowers are captivating and whose colors are eye-catching.

‘Fantasy Flowers’ in Irma’s Garden

There are red and blue glass flowers in the water, but they are hard to distinguish because of the riotous color and plentiful vegetation all around them.

‘Abstract Butterflies’ in the Reflecting Pool

‘Circle of Friends’ bronze garden sculpture by Gary Lee Price

“Animals are an essential part of our happiness on this planet. By including an animal from each of the 7 continents, I’ve represented the entire world and our need for interaction and cooperation.” Gary Lee Price

THE LAGRIPPE ORCHID GARDEN

The LaGrippe Orchid Garden features many colorful and fragrant orchids from around the world. Featured alongside orchids are some of the Garden’s large collection of bromeliads growing in the canopies of the trees. Water features made with Florida coral limestone provide sounds of cascading water.

LaGrippe Orchid Garden

Estero Island Garden Club members listen intently to the docent in front of Kapnick Hall

THE WATER GARDEN

The Water Garden is located in the heart of the Garden, atop the River of Grass. The landscape is reminiscent of Claude Monet’s water lily pool. The boardwalk bisecting the garden features a soundstage which is used for outdoor performances.

‘Balancing Act’ in the Water Garden

‘Balancing Act’

‘Balancing Act’

The grassy area behind the water lily pool is the Performance Lawn.

THE ASIAN GARDEN

The Asian Garden reflects the rich botanical diversity of Southeast Asia. The garden features a Javanese temple ruin and ancient plaza in a landscape filled with banyan trees, bamboo, and groves of tropical Asian edibles. The central part of the garden has a Thai pavilion set in a lotus pool and a stepping stone path through a water garden leading to the Balinese shrine, a tribute to the goddess of rice and fertility.

Our Docent & Buddha Tree

The spiritual teacher who became known as “the Buddha” is said to have attained enlightenment under a large and ancient fig tree.

A temple ruin set amidst the Asian Garden

Balinese shrine

‘Longfellows on Branch’

'Single ‘Longfellow’

‘Wavy Bowls’ in lotus pool

‘Wavy Bowls’

‘Wavy Bowl’

‘Longfellow Fountain’

‘Longfellow’

Garden Club members in the Thai Pavilion

FLORIDA GARDEN

The Florida Garden reflects the diversity of plants that flourish in Florida. Visitors can linger in two large Chickees and enjoy the view.

‘Large Cube with Imploding Glass Spheres’

‘Large Cube with Imploding Glass Spheres’

‘Large Cube’ with Chickee

‘Large Cube’ with a stream of water cascading over a rock garden

THE SUCCULENT GARDEN

‘Blue Calla Flare’ close-up

‘Blue Calla Flare’ in its environment

Flamingo topiaries

An array of succulent plants cleverly used to cover an alligator

THE CARIBBEAN GARDEN

The Kapnick Caribbean Garden features a collection of palms, tropical fruits and vegetables. The garden captures the history of the islands told through plants.

Queen’s Wreath climbing vine on pergola

THE KAPNICK BRAZILIAN GARDEN

Burle Marx is considered one of the most influential landscape architects of the 20th century or the “father of modern landscape architecture”. He drew inspiration from the beautiful plants and landscapes of Brazil. The Kapnick Brazilian Garden features a significant collection of South American palms, aroids and bromeliads.

‘Longfellow Gravity’, glass tube cubes and Longfellows in the Brazilian Garden