Date: Saturday, May 31, 2025 (my birthday visit!)
Location: Cedar Lakes Woods & Gardens, Williston, FL — a stunning botanical garden built in an old limestone quarryA Beautiful Birthday Walk Through Nature
For my birthday, I spent the morning at Cedar Lakes Woods & Gardens, a unique botanical garden carved into a century-old lime rock quarry. The garden had subtle Japanese design elements—like stone lanterns, peaceful ponds, and wooden bridges—blended into Florida’s lush greenery. It was a perfect, calm way to celebrate.
Before you even get to enter the parking lot, you are greeted with a whole bunch of cows!! You can get super close to them for pictures:)
🌿 Water Features & Garden Design
The garden is filled with cascading waterfalls and small koi ponds surrounded by palm trees and native foliage. I loved how the stone walkways curved around the water, leading you through colorful flowers and ferns. The whole space felt peaceful and grounded, like a Japanese garden but with a tropical Florida twist. I even got to see this adorable family of swans.
🌸 Flower & Greenery Highlights
Everywhere I looked, there were vibrant blooms—bright petunias, zinnias, and tropical flowers tucked among lush greenery. The garden beds were filled with ferns, palms, and flowering shrubs. It felt like stepping into a living painting.
🌳 Edible-Inspired Features
While there weren’t formal orchards, I saw fruiting or fruit-like plants tucked in around the trails—things like papaya and citrus peeking through the greenery. It reminded me of how fruit can be incorporated into ornamental garden design.
Final Thoughts
Walking through Cedar Lakes on my birthday felt like a natural reset. The combination of water features, stonework, palm trees, and hidden flowers made it feel both wild and carefully designed. It showed me a different kind of garden; one that blends beauty with a touch of edible potential in a unique quarry setting. This visit definitely inspired me to think more creatively about how gardens can combine fruit, design, and nature in unexpected spaces. I recommend this place 100 times over and over again!
