Welcome if you’re new here and welcome back if you’re not! This week’s hidden gem of Orlando is the Lukas Nursery and Butterly Encounter!
I love gardening and being outside so I’m always on the hunt for some new plants to add to my collection. I was at a friends house so I was looking up nearby nurseries I could visit. I stumbled upon Lukas’ and visiting was the best choice I’ve made this week!
After browsing the plants for a bit, I went into the little garden knick knack shop they had on site. Inside the shop I saw pinwheels and cute garden gnomes. What really interested me was the butterfly encounter. Open from 9 am to 4 pm each day, the butterfly encounter is an opportunity to have a personal experience immersed in nature for only six dollars.
Right when you walk in there are a tons of beautiful plants and butterflies to be seen. To the right, there is an area where button quails and doves roam free, and beautifully colored finches that thrive in their aviary.
It was a bit chilly so a bunch of the finches were hidden away in their bird houses. I can’t blame ‘em!
After spending a while in the aviary, I walked into the main butterfly area and began my quest for the day: to hold a butterfly in my hands.
Butterflies I saw were so gorgeous and I even got to see some tiny caterpillars! The majority of the butterflies I saw were painted ladies or monarch butterflies. Upon entrance you’re given an identification guide but I was way too focused on trying to touch a butterfly. Butterflies are very delicate so I had to be careful! After trying in the main area for about an hour, I walked over to a screened area where I found my saving grace. I could dip my fingers into gatorade & put it near a perched butterfly’s feet. IT WORKED.
I finally got a butterfly to hang out with me! It was getting pretty late for the shop & the encounter was closing soon so I had to leave. There is no doubt in my mind that I will be returning to Lukas’ Nursery.
Always remember: it’s great to live like a local.
Orlando Gems 