Greetings all, and welcome to the latest edition of ‘Find Something Beautiful Today’. I have much to share with you all, so let’s jump straight in. I have previously written that to be a gardener, one must not just endure change but expect and embrace it. The summer of 2026 has been no exception. Here at Wilmot Botanical Gardens, we have seen important changes in both our Therapeutic Horticulture program, and our garden care team. We also welcome the familiar, as our fall plant sale draws near. Finally, in the category of things we all recognize instinctively as true, but researchers proved anyway, I recently came across an initiative backed by serious science that I would like to share.
First, I am excited to announce the appointment of Alexa Heilman, MSW, HTR, as Therapeutic Horticulture Program Coordinator for Wilmot Botanical Gardens. Alexa brings years of training and experience to bear in support of our mission of patient care, research and education. Our aim is to forge closer bonds with the UF Health Science Center, and UF Health at large to support patients, families, staff, and students through horticulture and connections to plants and nature.
We also welcome Dan Scholes as Gardener. Dan has been caring for the grounds at UF for more than 20 years and brings a wealth of experience and deep connections to the role, even getting married in the gardens.
Now, on to our upcoming fundraising plant sale. I cannot overstate the importance of these sales to the sustainability of this beautiful garden and its important mission. We derive most of our operating funds this way and importantly have fun doing it! As a former nurseryman, I thoroughly enjoy curating the plant list with a mix of familiar favorites and exciting new varieties. Please support us while doing something positive for yourself!
This brings us to something we all know to be true, that has now been studied and scientifically proven to be valid. By now, we are all accustomed to health guidance, like “get your 5 a day”, well now we have “get your 17 of green”. This time, it’s not nutrition, it is time with nature. A study, published in the journal Nature, reports that just 17 minutes in a natural environment brings measurable health benefits. These days, we tend to go from one chair and screen to another. To borrow (steal) a line from the Eden Project, the amazing place promoting this study in the UK, “turn screen time into green time”. So eat right, exercise, and for goodness’ sake get outside! Links below.
https://www.edenproject.com/our-mission/our-projects/nature-connections/greentime17
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-44097-3
This illustrates what is so wonderful about Wilmot Botanical Gardens. We provide both passive and active opportunities to improve physical and mental health right here on campus. Come visit, take a few minutes to linger. Don’t rush, take it all in, with all your senses, and most importantly,
Find Something Beautiful Today!
Jim Stribling
Director, Wilmot Botanical Gardens