For a day of tranquility, visit Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden.

Established in 1999, Daniel Stowe is a display garden, grouping plants and flowers aesthetically rather than by the typical genus and family arrangement favored by other botanical gardens.

“We have 380 acres, including 10-12 acres of manicured gardens and areas divided into various garden rooms," says Jim Hoffman, director of marketing and guest services for Daniel Stowe. "People arrive, pay admission and step out into a pavilion and are immersed in a beautifully landscaped garden.”

Paths and trails wind through the banana trees, palm trees and winterberry while the newest addition to the garden is the orchid conservatory. At more than 8,000 square feet, visitors can wander among the more than 10,000 species of the flower. Even more unique to the center is their collection of talanzia.

“We have the largest collection of talanzia, a plant that doesn’t grow in soil,” says Hoffman. “Their nutrients come from the air or from the water in the air. We have 14,000 of those in a real creative display.”

The acres of landscaped beauty date back to 1989, when retired textile executive Daniel J. Stowe established a foundation to develop the garden in Belmont. He set aside the property, site work began in 1995, and the first gardens opened to the public in 1999.