Public Botanic Garden on the campus of the UF/IFAS North Florida Research and Education Center. The Garden mission is to serve as a living laboratory, a living classroom, a regional showcase, and a germplasm repository for you to 'Learn, Wonder, and Explore'. Gardens of the Big Bend is a partnership among the UF/IFAS North Florida Research and Education Center, the UF/IFAS Environmental Horticulture Department, and the non-profit volunteer organization, Gardening Friends of the Big Bend.