For $20 you can rent a raised garden box in the Billie Dean Community Garden for one year…read more Although not located in the best part of Apopka the garden area is fenced and maintained. You are assigned a garden box which volunteers fill with compost rich soil. Water hoses and basic gardening tools are provided as well. You can plant whatever you like and are responsible for tending to your little garden. There is a nice sense of community every time we have visited our garden. People bring things to share with others. Each time we've been there when someone is harvesting their veggies we end up being given armfuls to take home! You'll find many of the local middle and high school agriculture teachers and students pitching in. There is plenty of land for this little project to grow, which we are excited to see. We have just planted our first set of summer veggies. Hopefully we have a nice little harvest come fall! Oh, and any extra produce is donated to Loaves and Fishes. Apopka finally gets something right!

Amazing. I almost don't want to share so that I can get the most wonderful organic and interesting…read moreveggies.

Amazing place fun place to go to you get to see plant's flowers and more it is a blast I recommend…read moregoing here just to hang out or just to relax it is a really cool amazing place and it is a beautiful place!

This is a plot of land located in the middle of Carrollwood Village. For $30 you could become a…read moresocial member or you probably pay a little bit more to use a plot and pull your own weeds and grow your own vegetables. There are numerous plots, beautiful beehive maintained by a local apiary and the honey is sold at their spring festival and other outdoor markets. No pesticides, beautiful surroundings very peaceful. Come visit. Talk to Jennifer.

Such a cute place to explore. Local gardeners were tending to the plant beds while I was there…read more There are a couple of areas to sit and relax, very cute! Informational cards / QR codes throughout as well. Will definitely be back

This community garden is located at the edge of the Greenwood Urban Wetlands and is by no means…read morelarge, but it is large in community spirit. There is decent parking and this is definitely a great addition to this community.

Foley Nature Preserve in Safety Harbor is a true hidden gem and an easy five-star experience…read more Tucked away in a quiet area, it's the kind of place that instantly slows things down and lets you enjoy a more peaceful side of Florida. The trails are well maintained and easy to walk, making it perfect for a relaxing stroll. Surrounded by native plants and shady trees, it feels like a little escape from the busier spots nearby. There's just enough nature here to make it interesting without being overwhelming, and it's great for spotting birds and enjoying some quiet time. What I really appreciated was how calm and uncrowded it felt. It's not one of those packed parks it's more of a low-key spot where you can clear your head, take a walk, and just enjoy being outside. Everything was clean and well cared for, which always makes a difference. If you're in the Safety Harbor area and looking for a peaceful place to walk or unwind, Foley Nature Preserve is definitely worth checking out. Simple, relaxing, and exactly what you want in a nature spot we'll be back for sure.

Folly Farm Nature Preserve is acknowledged as containing the best native butterfly gardens in the…read morearea. Plus, there are monthly events and native plant sales on the second Saturday of the month, 9am-12pm! There is a nice long peaceful trail, a huge gnome, and even more to be discovered! What will you find? Even more, there are animals like rabbits and goats for kids to enjoy! Please check the hours for the animals since there are professional hosts to help the animals and yourself enjoy the experience. Plus, it's all 100% free thanks to the family that donated this huge property to the city, the city of Safety Harbor and the many Safety Harbor Garden Club volunteers. How do I know all this? Well, I started volunteering for the Safety Harbor Garden Club two years ago. It's a great group of folks who enjoy being outdoors, enjoy gardening, are incredibly knowledgeable, are willing to share their time, expertise and passion, and have contributed so much to this park as well as another! Life is great when you volunteer and help make a positive impact in your local community!

Who doesn't love a community garden?? Really appreciate this local sustainability movement that…read moreOrlando has been pushing for the past few years. This one is located next to the Colonialtown Park Center/playground and Ferncreek Elementary School. This is another step forwards in the continued popularity of Community Gardens and urban agricultural green spaces in the Orlando Metro area. This is a mixture of local residents and an after school program that helps with educational activities. Love that. It's very active and full at the moment but don't hesitate to reach out if you want to get involved.

The park itself is just an open field with limited parking. I went to the Panda fest here and…read morewouldn't really recommend it. It seems like there are different events held here so if you go try to arrive early as there are limited paid parking spots around it. Since Florida currently has a drought the grass here is dead as you can see from my photo. So it doesn't look too great but I'm sure once the grass gets healthy again it'll look better.

This was such a nice Panda food festival. It was so packed out there. I enjoyed all of the food…read morethat I had tried. Especially the ramen soon as I got there. I should have paced myself a bit. I was full immediately after. Lol The ramen cups were metal with cute artwork. I also enjoyed the fresh lime sugarcane juice. The potstickers were made fresh and was flavorful. The only recommendation which I am pretty sure everyone who attended this event would say. Everyone around Orlando loves food and hope this event comes back. We would have wished to enjoyed the event without worrying about parking lot issues and the size of the event. I would recommend a new location that has parking available. Some people paid 20 bucks and some risked getting towed to park for this event.

A huge blessing to the staff and immediate families of staff to garden, especially if you can't…read morecreate your own garden where you live. There's direct sun, water and a fence to protect you from large animals (deer) but the birds, rabbits and smaller critters find their way in. I miss it - was part of the garden off and on since 2009 and left in 2017, sadly prime soil and raised beds as well as accessories will benefit the other gardeners as there was no more room in the moving truck!

The Jones Pier Conservation Area is a 16 acre parcel of land acquired by Indian River County in…read more2011. It is one of several culturally and naturally significant properties bought by the county with funds from the Indian River County Conservation Lands Program. Entrance to the preserve is located one-mile south of County Road 510 on the Historic Jungle Trail which is a State designated greenway and a byway of the Indian River Lagoon National Scenic Highway. The Jungle Trail is not paved and is frequented by bike riders so you must travel very slowly on it. Seaborn Jones was among the earliest settlers to the area. In 1889 the Jones family homesteaded 160 acres on Orchid Island where they farmed beans, mango, coconut, pineapple and citrus and sold it at their roadside fruit stand where it was purchased by tourists. Jones Pier was built in 1907 and was tended by three generations of the Jones family. It was a lifeline for shipping citrus to the mainland and getting supplies to the island before bridges were built. The family resided on the property for more than 115 years until Richard Milton Jones' death in 2011. The Jones family home is still on the property and there are plans to turn it into a museum The conservation area is currently undergoing a renovation. The pier has already been restored. Volunteers from the Pelican Island Audubon Society, Florida Native Plant Society, and University of Tampa students have been installing native plants and making other improvements to the site. 1.700 native plants and 50 live oaks were planted on the property. Soon to open will be a one mile hiking trail. To improve the health of the Indian River lagoon, a four acre salt marsh was dug out. It will eventually be connected to the lagoon through a series of culverts. The salt marsh was created to have different depths so different plants can grow that will filter and clean the water. An enhanced gopher habitat and community garden will also be added to the preserve. This preserve is a work in progress. I love how the history of the land is being preserved while at the same time improving the environment. I think the jones family would be happy to see that their generations long community service is being honored in a preserve bearing their name. I can't wait to go back when the hiking trail opens.