December is all about celebrating the season with light displays both on the inside and outside. As you drive all around Marco Island, animated lighting catches our attention. But if you want to take your holiday lighting experience up a notch, be sure to check out the fun, festive and spectacular lights at the Naples Botanical Garden. It is back for its 12th year and a “can’t miss family holiday tradition.”
My personal wow favorite over the years has always been the Kathleen & Scott Kapnick
Brazilian Garden featuring many plants from South America such as palms and bromeliads.
The winding concrete pathway flanked by a water feature takes you to the iconic Roberto Burle Marx mosaic wall of bright colors. From a distance, the scene is similar to a lighted stage with the surrounding foliage bathed in orange, red, blue and turquoise – a reflection of the color palette on the mosaic wall. I usually sit and linger as I gaze mesmerized by the enchanted colors of the water lilies.
Another personal favorite is the Kapnick Caribbean Garden, which is an arbor of jacarandas, Queens wreath and when in season, blooming purplish blue sky vine flowers dangle profusely.
For the night light – the arbor is draped in the magical colors of purple and white lights creating a luminescent tunnel effect. It complements the Stickwork structure nearby.
It looks like the Garden’s creative staff is trying to create new ways to highlight the plants in each garden focusing on lights that bring out their nighttime beauties.
Marianne Foley of Marco Island said that she has not visited Night Lights in the Garden in years and thought that this year was so much better. Her favorite was the Orchid garden. She took two steps in and stopped dead by the magical effect of the lights. “I noticed things that I might not have noticed during the day. Some leaves looked gigantic and the veining on some plants really stood out.”
Janet Watson, also of Marco Island, enjoyed seeing the leaves lit in monochromatic patches of color.
The Lea Asian Garden is all about the culture of Southeast Asia combining both its present and ancient culture with Balinese rice goddess, a lotus pool and Javanese temple ruins. The plants glow in bold red and orange. During the day, you’ll see an extensive collection of crotons, ginger, ixora, crepe myrtles, mussaenda, magnolia and assorted palm trees.
Did you know that the Bromeliad Holiday Trees on the Performance Lawn was assembled using over 400 bromeliads of greens and red varieties along with 90 “Tillandsia xerographica.” This makes the perfect spot for a family photo and will always look spectacular whether taken at night or during the daytime.
A visit to the Naples Botanical Garden during the Night Lights is an enchanted experience. And during the day, the garden’s 15 acres of plants, winding pathways, sculptures and water pools are a rediscovery of nature and unique ecosystems.
If you plan to visit the Naples Botanical Garden, suggest that you make advance reservations as the Night Lights are selling out fast. But don’t forget, the plants are just as spectacular during the day!
