A very dear friend of mine has a love for all things orchids. So this year for her birthday I…read moredecided to surprise her with a trip to Smiley's Orchids. Smiley's it's located about an hour from Orlando in Clermont Florida. This nursery is well worth the drive to not only see the gorgeous nursery but Smiley is an absolute pleasure to meet. If you decide to visit, Smiley asks that you please call or email to schedule a time. The nursery is located on a residential type area so do give a call ahead. Upon arriving my friend was nearly in happy tears. We drove around back to the greenhouse area... There are signs to follow and we poked our heads in. We saw Smiley busy at work yet she greeted us quickly and with, you guessed it, a smile . Immediately my friend and Smiley bonded over all the orchid proper names as we were guided through the green house. There are so many gorgeous plants and flowers here... It really is an amazing site to see... and smells to smell. You can tell Smiley really has a passion for these orchids and other herbal plants. Quite honestly I get the feeling everything that Smiley is involved in is done out of passion and kindness. You can see this in her work and her many acts of kindness. She really was a joy to meet and she filled our day with priceless information on orchids and herbal plants. Each plant varies in prices from super low and affordable to much higher for large or rare options. Smiley is there to help you choose. It was raining when we were about to load our car up with our goodies, Florida's hard rain so we stayed longer. It was during this time Smiley extended her time and knowledge about more of her herbal plants. I thank the rain and Smiley for all this precious time. We were there for about three hours... 3 hours of what felt like a personal tour. I can't recommend Smiley's enough for all your orchid or herbal plant needs. I'm very impressed and will return!A

If you dream of a garden paradise, just come here and skip all the big box stores. This little gem…read morehas an adorable boutique in the very back of the first shop. In the front is a small gourmet coffee shop with a variety of pastries. The decor around the property from building to building gives a hometown country feel vibe. The next building is an indoor shop with tons of trinkets to decorate your garden and living space. Then onto the star of the show! The shrubbery, the trees, the succulents, the flowers. There is an indoor glass greenhouse with a variety of plants that thrive in low light and high humidity. When you exit to the outside sculpted walkway, you'll find pops of color that dazzle your eyes. I don't care if I was a carpenter bee or a bumblebee or a killer bee. I would definitely wanna live here.

Handcart Garden Center has built and opened up a new cafe and boutique called Miss Julie's Cafe and…read moreBoutique. This is within their same grounds and location as they are. It's a stunning masterpiece inside and out. They have tables and chairs, a menu full of pastries and some sandwiches, coffee, teas, & other drinks. You can hang out a bit, shop in their boutique the walk around outside at their beautiful garden of flowers and plants. We enjoyed our stop here, and everyone we came across was friendly and welcoming.