Botanical gardens in Largo to add new children’s play garden

A brand new children’s garden is coming to the Florida Botanical Gardens in Largo.

The Florida Botanical Gardens Foundation will have a groundbreaking ceremony June 11 for the Majeed Discovery Garden. Construction is expected to take about eight months for a March 2023 opening.

The site on the northwest side of the gardens sits on more than two acres, between the Visitor Center building and McKay Creek off Ulmerton Road in Largo. The Majeed Discovery Garden will feature a 600-square-foot outdoor classroom, nature-themed play experiences, exploratory trails, a “Roots and Shoots” potting area and Florida-Friendly gardens and exhibits.

The play area, like the gardens complex, will be free to the public.

“Since the inception of the Florida Botanical Gardens in 2000, there has been a pressing need to add a specific children’s garden area,” said Vernon Bryant, executive director of the Florida Botanical Gardens Foundation. “It is good to finally see this important item moved toward a reality.”

The foundation provided $500,000 for the project to take root, and fundraising commenced in 2019. The namesake of the children garden, the St. Petersburg-based Majeed Foundation, has contributed $1 million, and about $700,000 has been secured from additional donors, the foundation announcement said. To learn more about the fundraising and the site, see flbgfoundation.org/childrensgarden.

If you go

Florida Botanical Gardens: The 150-acre site has formal gardens, scenic landscapes and native habitats found along an ADA-compliant walkway. Free admission. Open daily from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., except for the day after Thanksgiving and on Christmas Day. Leashed pets welcome. Entrances at 12520 Ulmerton Road and 12211 Walsingham Road, Largo.