Unearth The Voyage
There is a place along a Florida highway where handcrafted iron sculptures rise from garden beds, peacocks wander the grounds, and the whole property feels like it belongs in a storybook. I had driven past it more times than I care to admit before finally pulling off the road to see what was going on.
What I found was one of the most charming and creative outdoor spaces I have come across in all my travels through the Sunshine State. From custom metal gates to a petting zoo tucked in the back, this spot manages to be a working ironworks studio, an outdoor gallery, a nature walk, and a growing event venue all at once, and it pulls all of that off with genuine warmth and personality.
Finding the Place on FL-60
The address is 1501 FL-60, Plant City, Florida 33567, and if you are driving east from Tampa, you will spot the sculptures before you even see the sign. Metals and Nature sits right along State Road 60, and the sheer variety of ironwork displayed along the roadside acts as its own billboard.
Plant City is best known for strawberries and small-town Florida charm, and this place fits that spirit perfectly. It is not hidden behind a shopping center or tucked into a business park.
The property announces itself with big, bold metalwork that catches your eye at highway speed.
The hours are Thursday through Sunday, 10 AM to 4 PM, so plan accordingly if you are making a special trip. The phone number is +1 813-737-1692 if you want to call ahead, and the website at metalsandnature.com has more details on upcoming events.
The Family Legacy Behind the Ironwork
This place has roots that go back further than its current look suggests. The ironwork tradition here was started by an earlier generation of the family, and the craft has been carried forward with real dedication and pride.
Owner Vicky and her husband have taken what was built before them and expanded it in thoughtful ways, adding new features without erasing what made the original property special. The sculptures on display were created by artist Diego Smude, whose handcrafted pieces in steel and iron fill the two-acre property with personality and skill.
When you talk to Vicky during your visit, she is happy to share the family history, and that conversation alone adds a layer of meaning to everything you see on the grounds. Knowing the story behind a place changes how you look at it, and here that story is worth hearing from start to finish.
Two Acres of Outdoor Gallery Space
Two acres sounds like a lot until you start walking the property and realize just how much has been placed here with care and intention. The grounds are organized so that sculptures, plants, gates, and decorative pieces all coexist in a way that feels natural rather than crowded.
Every turn on the walking trail reveals something new, whether it is a large custom iron gate leaning against a tree or a small ceramic piece tucked between potted succulents. The whole place is well shaded, which is a genuine relief if you visit during a warm Florida afternoon.
What stands out most is that nothing feels like it was thrown together. Each section of the property has a visual rhythm to it, and the combination of handmade metalwork and living plants creates an atmosphere that is hard to find anywhere else in central Florida.
The Ironwork on Display and for Sale
The range of metalwork here is genuinely impressive. Custom iron gates and fencing anchor the larger displays, while wall hangings, plant holders, and decorative steel animals fill in the spaces between them.
The craftsmanship is visible in every weld and curve.
One thing that surprises most first-time visitors is the pricing. Larger custom pieces and gates carry a higher price tag, which makes sense given the labor involved, but much of the wall art and ceramic work falls in the fifteen to forty dollar range.
There are even bins of mix-and-match leftover iron pieces priced as low as a dollar or two.
The solid steel construction here is not the same as standard wrought iron decor from a big-box store. These pieces are built to last outdoors for decades, and the shop will also do custom work and shipping if you fall in love with a style and want something made to your exact specifications.
Garden Statues and Concrete Sculptures
Alongside the ironwork, the property features a strong collection of concrete statuary that ranges from small decorative figures to large statement pieces. These are displayed throughout the garden in context, meaning you can see exactly how they would look in your own backyard or patio space.
The concrete pieces complement the metal art rather than competing with it. A stone-finish garden figure placed next to a steel planter holder shows how the two materials work together, and that kind of real-world staging makes shopping here a genuinely useful experience.
Some of the statuary is purely ornamental, while other pieces serve a practical purpose as fountains or planters. The variety is wide enough that a visitor looking for something understated will find it just as easily as someone hunting for a bold garden centerpiece.
Browsing through this section alone could take a comfortable thirty minutes.
Plants, Pottery, and Smaller Finds
Not everything here requires a truck to take home. The smaller finds scattered throughout the property are some of the most charming pieces on the grounds, and they are priced to make an impulse buy feel completely reasonable.
Succulents in hand-painted pots, ceramic drawer knobs, small wall plaques, and decorative pottery are tucked into corners and displayed on shelves throughout the garden. A succulent in an artsy pot can run as low as ten dollars, making it an easy souvenir for anyone who wants a living reminder of the visit.
The plants themselves are healthy and well-maintained, and many of the tropical varieties on display are not easy to find at a standard garden center. Picking up a unique plant alongside a piece of ironwork feels like the natural conclusion to a walk through the property, and the combination of the two is hard to resist.
The Animals That Call This Place Home
One of the most delightful surprises here is that the animals are part of the experience from the moment you walk in. Peacocks wander the grounds freely, and their iridescent feathers against the iron sculptures create a visual combination that is genuinely hard to describe.
Turkeys have been known to follow visitors around the property, which is either charming or mildly alarming depending on your relationship with large birds. Doves, chickens, pigeons, and parrots round out the free-roaming cast of characters you might encounter along the walking trail.
The animals are clearly well cared for, with clean water, fresh food, and tidy enclosures where applicable. Running into a peacock on a garden path between two iron sculptures is the kind of moment that makes you reach for your phone, and honestly, the photo opportunities here are some of the best in central Florida.
The Petting Zoo in the Back
Tucked toward the back of the property is a petting zoo that has become one of the most talked-about features of recent visits. For a small entry fee of around three to five dollars per person, visitors get a big bowl of food to hand-feed the animals directly.
The lineup includes goats, sheep, a miniature horse, an emu, and a large fluffy cow that looks like it wandered in from a children’s book. There is also a small playground area nearby, making this section especially good for families with younger kids who need something hands-on to keep them engaged.
A hand-washing station with soap is set up at the entrance to the petting zoo area, which is a thoughtful touch. The animals are in good condition, the pens are clean, and the whole setup feels like it was designed by people who genuinely care about the animals in their care.
The Atmosphere and Walking Trails
The trails that wind through the property are one of the main reasons people come back more than once. The path takes you through sections that feel distinctly different from each other, moving from dense plant displays to open areas anchored by large sculptures.
The shade coverage is excellent throughout, which matters a great deal in Florida where the sun can be relentless. Tall trees and dense plantings create a canopy that keeps the temperature comfortable even on warmer days, and the whole walk has a quality that feels more like exploring a private garden than shopping at a market.
The overall atmosphere has been described by many visitors as enchanting, and that word genuinely fits. The combination of handmade metalwork, living plants, free-roaming wildlife, and the sound of rustling leaves creates something that is hard to manufacture and even harder to forget after you leave.
Metals and Nature as a Wedding and Event Venue
Beyond shopping and strolling, this property has been developing steadily as a wedding and event venue, and the transformation makes complete sense once you see the grounds in person. The garden setting, the ironwork details, and the overall atmosphere give it a built-in elegance that most event spaces have to fake with rentals.
Owner Vicky handles event inquiries with a level of responsiveness and warmth that stands out. She has offered virtual walkthroughs for couples who cannot visit in person, answering questions patiently and walking through the space in detail so that clients feel confident before committing.
The venue is still growing, with new improvements and expansions in the works as of the most recent updates. For couples looking for an outdoor wedding location with genuine character and a team that genuinely cares about getting the details right, this spot deserves a serious look before booking anywhere else.
The Mossy Hollow Market and Seasonal Events
One of the most creative events hosted here is the Mossy Hollow Market, a seasonal outdoor market with a fairy-tale theme that draws vendors and visitors dressed in full fae costume. The event turns the already magical property into something that feels entirely otherworldly.
The Mushroom March, held during the February 2024 event, became a crowd favorite and gave the market a signature moment that vendors and visitors still talk about. The combination of the natural garden setting, the iron sculptures, and the costumed crowd creates a visual experience that is unlike any other market in the region.
Smaller events and pop-ups happen throughout the year as well, with local vendors and community partners rotating through the space. Checking the website or social media before your visit is a good way to find out what is coming up, since the event calendar here is always expanding.
Custom Work and Shipping Options
One of the most practical things to know about this place is that the metalwork does not have to stay in Florida. The shop offers custom fabrication and shipping, which means a piece designed to your specifications can be made here and sent directly to your home anywhere in the country.
Custom iron gates and fencing are among the most popular commissions, but wall art, plant holders, and decorative steel animals can also be made to order. The quality of the standard pieces on display gives a clear sense of what to expect from a custom order, and the craftsmanship is consistently high.
For anyone renovating a backyard, adding a garden feature, or looking for a statement piece for a front entry, commissioning something here is worth the conversation. The team is approachable, the pricing is more reasonable than you might expect, and the finished product is built to last outdoors for a very long time.
What to Expect on Your First Visit
A first visit here works best if you give yourself at least an hour, though most people find that two hours passes quickly once they start walking the trails. The grounds cover two acres, and there is enough to see in every corner that rushing through would mean missing a lot.
Admission to browse the property is free, which makes it an easy stop even if you are not planning to buy anything. The petting zoo in the back has a small entry fee, and that is the only cost you will encounter unless you find something you cannot leave without, which happens to most visitors at some point during the walk.
Wear comfortable shoes and bring a water bottle if you are visiting during warmer months. The shade is good, but Florida heat is Florida heat, and staying hydrated makes the whole experience more enjoyable from start to finish.
Meeting the Owners
Part of what makes this place feel different from a standard retail experience is the people running it. Vicky and her husband Arlie are present and engaged during visits, and talking with them adds genuine context to everything on the property.
Vicky is known for being warm, communicative, and genuinely invested in the experience of every person who comes through. Whether you are browsing for a garden piece, asking about a custom order, or considering the venue for an event, she takes the time to answer questions fully and without making you feel rushed.
Her husband brings his own enthusiasm to conversations about the metalwork itself, especially the technical side of the fabrication process. The combination of the two of them creates an atmosphere where you feel welcome to linger, ask questions, and really engage with what the property has to offer rather than just walking through and leaving.
