..and man was I terrified! Any Florida native would tell you that seeing an alligator is no big deal, but I was very surprised to see one during my family outing to the Naples Botanical Gardens. Despite the quality (thank you Galaxy 7 Edge) I am heavily using the zoom here.. did not want to get to close! 🙈

https://steemitimages.com/DQmbPDBBz8NQfsVPUx9Z8ax5fM43JGvkDnDKHUqyEzk9oLd/Zoom%20In%202.jpg

Now if seeing an alligator isn't enough nature for you, don't worry!.. the Naples Botanical Gardens has much more to offer.

The grounds actually contain 9 smaller gardens, of those I was able to capture some lovely photos at the Water, Orchid and Children's Garden. If you're looking to see your own alligator check out The Preserve, this area has been left mostly wild and boasts a number of native plants and animals.

Water Garden

"The Water Garden is located in the heart of the Garden, atop of the Mary and Stephen Byron Smith Family River of Grass. A landscape reminiscent of Claude Monet’s water lily pool, the garden showcases colorful blooms from around the world, varying throughout the season." - www.naplesgarden.org

Whats most interesting to me about this description of the garden is that I have actually had the pleasure of visiting Claude Monet's water lily pool right outside of Paris. With that in mind, I will comment that while this water garden is lovely, the lilies are far more scarce and spread apart as compared to the the ones I observed in France.

Regardless, I couldn't help but capture them!

The bright pink flowers present a gorgeous contrast in these next two images.

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https://steemitimages.com/DQmddrcHixThDNFN1A4SSVvCFAQgav4vJ3Fvg4DjccfPQi8/20171226_134333.jpg

I especially love this image, the water is so still and clear the lilies seem to be floating in the air!

https://steemitimages.com/DQmUMbyd8cQd9ydbLVykaSuZepvWooLGZyiDS44ZFWhwwS5/20171226_134458.jpg

The water is a bit more disturbed here, but I still like how the sky is reflected. Very pretty..

https://steemitimages.com/DQmddrcHixThDNFN1A4SSVvCFAQgav4vJ3Fvg4DjccfPQi8/20171226_134333.jpg

It took a bit of digging but below is a bonus picture from by 2015 trip to the Claude Monet lily garden. It clearly has far more lilies, but I see where Naples is trying to go with their version.

https://steemitimages.com/DQmXc6nLAa8nPWy55VfsM4fCRWK8nPPzo6s2nCuBmw9q1cb/Giverny%20Claude%20Monet%20.JPG

LaGrippe Orchid Garden

"The LaGrippe Orchid Garden features myriad colorful and fragrant orchid species and cultivars from around the globe. This garden showcases the many different types of orchids, ranging from dainty, leafless plants and inconspicuous, green flowers to plants with giant, showy blossoms that perfume the air. [...] Native stone water features made with Florida coral limestone provide sounds of gently cascading water, allowing you to immerse yourself in the tranquil nature of this garden. There is always something new blooming in the Orchid Garden." - www.naplesgarden.org

The flowers I saw in this garden were gorgeous and they certainly did "perfume the air". I took so many photos of these lovelies that I decided to group them up for your viewing pleasure.

https://steemitimages.com/DQmZz3MbScH5BQFHdMHUUqvbDT9ADkVgmKUdEN3J5C1oKZP/Orchid%20Group%201.jpg

I really felt that the color of these were almost unnaturally vibrant.. breath taking!

https://steemitimages.com/DQmTrQQeCjcCH4r9LEDXdMfysxLCd7cPVk4zooqrXxCb5PJ/Orchid%20Group%202.jpg

So glad I was able to capture the cute little ants on the middle flower.

https://steemitimages.com/DQmUKG7rqBqm45fb7FQ9NxF5KubtuZ1K8bnAQakQxQMTYbG/Orchid%20Group%203.jpg

Children's Garden

"The Vicky C. and David Byron Smith Children’s Garden is a playful and interactive world of vibrant flowers, bountiful vegetables, colorful butterflies, and native landscapes created for the child in all of us." - www.naplesgarden.org

The children's garden was all fun and games! We visited the butterfly tent and saw many different species, I was even able to snap a few close ups of them.

https://steemitimages.com/DQmTsVEpHLoXqb6MDmeTWWbnPeLr8K4u749hjzD5RFG6sNY/20171226_145348.jpg

https://steemitimages.com/DQmNzM3GdwVSeiB22NCWu9s6iUSYQCH8fiZkfSXJJbNR9Do/20171226_145412.jpg

While the family and I spotted many lizards during our visit, this little guy was kind enough to pose for me.

https://steemitimages.com/DQmbxahZ5jK4NLQe3XyUYiXavAP6fqMPxRMpDi13aMJa11i/20171226_143521.jpg

In the children's garden, adjacent to an out door fountain for the kids to play in, was this tiny pink and purple house. I immediately fell in love.💜💜💜

Obviously @SlickWilly will have to get one for me.. 😘

https://steemitimages.com/DQmYcuXNSAcZavE9K8yYaAuG4dUsokH89r6Zp9GZd7tT17n/20171226_145819.jpg

The Preserve

"Less than three miles from Old Naples, the Preserve’s towering pines, twisted mangroves, and unspoiled marshes provide a vital habitat for hundreds of species of animals – from eagles and otters to tree frogs and gopher tortoises. To date we have cataloged nearly 300 species of native plants growing in the Garden’s diverse preserves, many of them rare." - www.naplesgarden.org

Okay yes this is the alligator part!

Within The Preserver area is a nice sized pond that visitors can walk around and this where I had my alligator encounter. 🐊

https://steemitimages.com/DQmfERQXeTMDco2mnFPcyKsRBaj4f7Qf8QDYHemsnZ11Faj/20171226_135736.jpg

After that lovely warning, you would think that my family would be cautious about making loud noises or walking near the underbrush surrounding the lake..but some of us (i.e. my mother) did not take the warning to heart.

As we rounded the corner she scared one into the water and I spotted it!

https://steemitimages.com/DQmY54fr3wxfqkQcbupUnCU51AAnqut4Sqg8LLSAzv8zkzr/20171226_140931.jpg

Now what does a family of tourists in Florida do when they see a dangerous wild animal?

We get closer for a better picture! (Sorry Floridians we ARE those people)

https://steemitimages.com/DQmU4T7dMiLRNQbSxychS3FJac3u1x1HBJbGcXfTvbmYteD/20171226_141030.jpg

Thankfully our approach scared it further away.. or I may not have been able to share my visit with you. 😇

https://steemitimages.com/DQmYaxfLp8KBA9ek4iw7zPyxM8ujKu8GyecPdQF19uVAwJB/20171226_141028.jpg

In sum, I had a lovely visit to the Naples Botanical Gardens where I got see pretty flowers, cute lizards, and DANGEROUS WILD BEASTS.. fun for the whole family right?

Now aren't you curious to go? 😉

~Thanks for reading

https://steemitimages.com/DQmR4rCo68SXA1gWZ1osfxyHZK3VzrZuBD6LtRaxQwELrtF/Curiouser.jpg

curiouser