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Brevard Discovery Garden: when to visit and what to look for
Free self-guided tours in Cocoa offer ideas for Florida gardens. Check the garden’s two weekly visiting windows before heading out.
Brevard Discovery Garden is beside the UF/IFAS Extension office at 3695 Lake Drive in Cocoa. UF/IFAS lists free self-guided tours on Wednesdays and Fridays, 9–11 a.m., excluding holidays. Those are the garden’s published tour hours; the Extension office’s weekday 8 a.m.–5 p.m. schedule is different.
Pick up a handout at the office or in the garden and follow the marked route. The demonstration areas include native plants, coastal and shade gardens, pollinator habitat, herbs, an orchard and composting with worms.
Choose a question for your visit: which plants might suit a shady spot, how could a small yard support pollinators, or what could grow in an edible garden? Use the relevant demonstration areas as a starting point and note questions for the Master Gardener volunteers, who are often working there. Volunteer availability is not guaranteed.
UF/IFAS advises calling 321-633-1702 before traveling. Check its separate program listings for workshops and special events rather than assuming their dates, fees or registration rules match the free tour. For accessibility, toilets or other facilities important to your visit, ask the office before making plans; this guide does not verify those details.
Update note: This guide replaces the earlier general summary with official visitor information and practical ways to plan a visit.