When John and Sabreena Williams opened Springtime Farms Adventure Park at 10761 Aqua Vista Lane at the start of the year, they wanted to make it more than just a typical garden center.

They wanted to make it fun for the kids, because, let’s face it, shrub shopping might not be the most exciting thing in the world for youngsters.

So, they brought in lots of animals, including babies, and created a petting zoo, a jump pillow which is like an outdoor bounce house, and are in the midst of more expansion later in the year.

Megan Wendzel, manager, said the place opened just before the pandemic, and, until that point, the petting zoo and all that it comes with was a big hit.

“The owner wanted something for the kids. There isn’t much to do around here. There’s Naples and the Shell Factory, but they wanted something close by for the kids,” Wendzel said.

For the adults, there are hundreds of plants you would want for your garden or front yard. Obviously, there is no cover charge for this, and on a recent Saturday, many people came to do some work on their yards. They offer wholesale palm trees, shrubs, trees and much more.

For the kids there is plenty to do.

The Adventure Play area for children age 3 and up is $12, and includes the petting farm, jump pillow, butterfly and parakeet aviary, the chance to hold baby chick and catch chickens, guinea pigs, bunnies, quails, pet kittens and more.

The big focus is on the jumping pillow, which Wendzel believes is very unique to the area.

“It’s kind of a northern thing. They went on vacation one year and saw that and brought one here,” Wendzel said.

There are also weekday specials where the children can do all that for $8 Mondays and Wednesdays and $10 on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

The babies are separated so they get used to human touch. When they get older, they are transferred to the juvenile population, Wendzel said, adding the baby house and the cat house are the most popular.

Business has been great, in spite of the virus. The garden center helped keep them afloat, since it was allowed to remain open, Wendzel said.

“After everything was allowed to reopen, there has been a constant flow of people,” Wendzel said.

There is a lot of work going on, as there are huge plans for expansion. In the future, there should be more for the kids, including a sandbox, swing set and basketball court, along with cornhole, tetherball, hacky-sack and more.

Springtime Farms Adventure Park is off Palm Ridge Lane, a short drive from the Lee County Posse Arena. It is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

For more, call 309-0630 or go to jnmfencing.wixsite.com/escapeadventurepark