Feature

The continuously growing body of experimental evidence that experiencing nature, being in the company of plants, natural light, and engaging in horticultural activities provides therapeutic and well-being benefits is unquestionable.  While there has been an abundance of research on the benefits of being in natural environments and/or engaging in people-plant…

Order forms BELOW or SCAN QR Code! 2025 Fall Camellia Pre-Order Form w. descriptions fillable 2025 Fall Plant Sale Pre-Order Form w. descriptions fillable…

Did someone say PRE-ORDER and FALL PLANT SALE? Why yes, we did! The time has come! Wilmot Botanical Gardens is pleased to announce the release of the 2025 Fall Plant Sale pre-order! We are offering a nice variety of azaleas, natives, grasses, shrubs, trees, edibles and camellias…

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s NHANES report dated April 16, 2025, revealed that the prevalence of depression in the U.S. has increased by 60% over the past decade.  Similarly, the 2024 American Psychiatric Association’s annual mental health poll found that 43% of adults felt more anxious than…

I was near the Japanese Maple Garden picking the Spanish moss from a podocarpus (Podocarpus macrophyllus) recently when a couple of ladies stopped to talk. One of them said, “He’s cleaning the moss off the tree?!” I laughed and told them I was indeed and that it was relaxing to…

For this issue, I have asked Sam Kaplan, one of our horticultural therapy interns and volunteer extraordinaire, to share his experiences at the Garden. Sam has given so much to the therapeutic horticulture program – not just his time, commitment, and energy, but also his extensive plant knowledge and positive,…

Greetings and welcome to this issue of the Wilmot Botanical Gardens newsletter.  Spring has come and gone, with its splash of color and the renewed urgency of leaves and shoots returning.  Now we settle in for what some come to dread—summer in Gainesville.  Some cope with the heat by decamping…

In this director’s message I am pleased to share with you some exciting news regarding steps that are being taken to guarantee the future of the Wilmot Botanical Gardens. In the fall of 2023 a detailed sustainability plan was formulated with the support of Dr. David Nelson, the Executive Vice-President…

People all over the world profess the physical and psychological benefits of gardening and interacting with plants.  Given the magnitude of such a vast body of anecdotal support for the therapeutic benefits of engaging in plant-focused activities, there remains limited scientific evidence for the physiological and psychological bases of said…

That would be a great subject line if this were an email.  Since it is not, I will begin by introducing myself.  I am Jim Stribling, the newest member of the WBG team, in the position of Assistant Director.  I am honored to have been selected to help steward this…