Stop and smell the roses, literally, it’s National Garden Week. Plant some seeds, visit a local garden, or simply appreciate the flowers, trees, fruits, and vegetables around you. If you’re local to the Sarasota/Manatee area, here are a few places to visit this week:
The club is hosting an open house on Tuesday. At 10 a.m., Mayor Wayne Poston will proclaim the week National Garden Week, and members will be offering tours of the grounds including a beach-themed garden. At 1 p.m., there is a workshop on floral design. It costs $20, but you get to bring home your work.
Bring a picnic and stop to smell over 1,200 roses. Admission to the art museum is free on Mondays, but the grounds are always free. Take five minutes or five hours to wander under the banyan trees and stare out at Sarasota Bay.
Marie Selby Botanical Gardens
It’s well worth the $17 admission. I’ve visited and blogged about the gardens on more than one occasion, but here’s something about Selby I didn’t know until today: they offer yoga classes on Monday mornings. At $55 for members and $75 for non-members, it’s a lot pricier than on Siesta Key Beach where yoga is free four mornings a week, but it sounds positively dreamy to inhale floral scents on the upswing of a sun salute.
The Garden Room at Shoogie Boogies
Barring a rainy day, this is the cafe for all occasions. Stare at your boyfriend under the stars, have lunch with your best friend or bring your little girl for a tea party. Shoogie Boogies covers the gamut, and it truly is a garden room. Outside, succulents line the entry wall; flowers bloom in an old-fashioned claw tub; and the brick patio is uneven due to the roots of a 20-30 year-old tree that shades the whole far end of the seating area.
The Sarasota Garden Club
In my experience, you can stop by any day of the week, but Fridays are encouraged. Members are on hand until noon to answer questions in the butterfly garden, identify mystery clippings and offer gardening advice. The garden club is located by G.Wiz and the Van Wezel where the recreational trail runs along the bay. It’s one of my favorite quiet spots to walk Luke. I had walked through the butterfly garden outside the club several times, but the flaming red and orange tree flowering next to their building drew me inside. The volunteer was so nice that not only did she identify the tree as a Royal Poinciana, she gave me a tour right there on the spot. They have a pretty elaborate indoor garden with a bridge and water features. People get married there…a bride could only look more beautiful standing in front of this tree. 
