(CREDIT: WINK News) Waterlily Weekend is happening Saturday and Sunday at Naples Botanical Garden. Many people look forward to seeing the beauty of tropical plants come to life at the Naples Botanical Garden. This labor day weekend people will see them firsthand as they tour the 170 acres they live at. But there’s more to these blooming beauties at the Naples Botanical Garden. Mary Helen Reuter, the Curator of Education and Visitor Experience said, “If people don’t know about plants, right, how are they supposed to care for them? How are they supposed to advocate for them?” Reuter said their mission is conservation and education. “We are, you know, across the globe, losing plants at an alarming rate. And so the conservation of those plants, especially in the tropical and subtropical regions of the world is extremely vital right now,” Reuter said. That includes water lilies which provide shade keeping the water cooler, and preventing algae. Every color, shape, and size some with pads 10 feet across and flowers the size of your head. Joanna Heffler loves the view so much that she’s a member of the Naples Botanical Garden “I love the Brazilian garden it is so colorful and this time of the year there are the huge lily pads and they’re getting bigger and bigger,” Heffler said. Kathy Cahill is the aquatic areas manager she told me their goal isn’t to be the biggest or the best but to collaborate the most. “Naples Botanical Garden, plants, and people thrive together. And so we’re looking to connect plants with people,” Cahill said. And do it in a garden paradise spanning over 170 acres. The water lily festival takes place this weekend at the botanical garden. Nearly 500-diverse specimens will be on display. The event runs from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.