The gardens began in 1921 when Edward W. Bok, editor of the popular women's magazine "Ladies Home Journal," and his wife, Mary Louise Curtis Bok, were spending the winter beside Florida's Lake Wales Ridge and decided to create a bird sanctuary on its highest hill (298 feet above sea level.)
Bok commissioned noted landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr., to transform what then was an arid sand hill into "a spot of beauty second to none in the country". The first year was spent digging trenches and laying pipes for irrigation, after which soil was brought to the site by thousands of truck loads and plantings began. The Olmsted plan included the planting of 1,000 large live oaks, 10,000 azaleas, 100 sabal palms, 300 magnolias, and 500 gardenias as well as hundreds of fruit shrubs and trees including blueberry, holly and kumquat. The meandering gardens of Bok Tower also include camellias, tree ferns, creeping fig, yaupon and dahoon holly with its bright red berries, Asiatic jasmine, spider lily, wax myrtle, date and sabal palm, papyrus, philodendron, blue plumbago and horsetail rush.
Under construction for over five years, Bok Tower Gardens was dedicated by President Calvin Coolidge on February 1, 1929. Edward Bok died in Lake Wales within sight of his beloved Singing Tower on January 9, 1930, and is now buried at the base of the tower.
Bay Oaks Social Seniors
Carmen, Helen, Cora, Margie, Violet, Jean and Irma at the entrance to
Bok Tower Gardens
The courtyard with the Visitors Center on one side and the Blue Palmetto Café along with The Tower and Garden Gift Shop on the other side
The fountain in the courtyard and pots of succulents on the ledge above it
Lin and Autumn at the Information Desk in the Visitor Center
Becky and the Christmas tree in the Visitor Center
Irma, Becky, Violet, Helen, Cora, Margie, Carmen, Don and Jean
in front of the Christmas tree in the Visitor Center
A sign with an Edward Bok quote at the entrance to the museum in the Visitor Center
Edward Bok’s Grandmother
In her words: “Make the world a bit better or more beautiful because you have lived in it.”
"Edward Bok was born in Den Helder, The Netherlands in 1863. When he was 6, Edward and his family left their native land settling in Brooklyn, New York. These words, of Edward Bok’s grandmother, to her grandson as he left for America, guided him throughout his life. They were often in his thoughts and were central to his concept of this garden. Making the world a bit better or more beautiful was consistent with his many other contributions to American life. It continues to be the guiding philosophy of Bok Tower Gardens."
A re-creation of Edward Bok’s Office, where there are historical documents which detail Bok’s family history, his time as editor of the Ladies’ Home Journal and his Pulitzer Prize-winning autobiography
A miniature replica of the Singing Tower explains what is housed on each level.
A closer view of the replica
Original keyboard for the carillon in the Singing Tower
The cut-out of the largest bell of the Singing Tower offers visitors a chance to compare their size to that of the bell, which stands more than six feet tall and weighs 11 tons.
The courtyard between the Visitors Center and the Blue Palmetto Café with Christmas poinsettias everywhere
A close-up of the courtyard on the left side with poinsettias both high and low
More red and white poinsettias
The right corner of the courtyard
The centerpiece of the courtyard
Check out the “air plant wall.” It’s a very creative use of air plants, and it’s functional as a background and a divider, too.
A close-up of the centerpiece of the courtyard
I was pretty fascinated by the use of these air plants.
This is a view of the centerpiece of the courtyard from the other side.
The Pine Ridge Nature Preserve and Trail is an ecosystem which extends for three-quarters of a mile and is typified by towering Longleaf Pine and a dense groundcover of perennial grasses.
Garden Art on nature trail
A myriad of plants and trees along the nature trail
The garden of Saint Francis
A fork in the nature trail, with one side leading to Pinewood Estate and the Holiday Home Tour
Symmetrically-arranged trees adjacent to Pinewood Estate
C. Austin Buck’s mansion on the Pinewood Estate grounds
Located in Bok Tower Gardens, Pinewood is the estate of one of Edward Bok's neighbors. Pinewood has been preserved as it was in the 1930s, and is a perfect complement to the Bok Tower visit. Pinewood Estate, which features a twenty-room Mediterranean Revival mansion, covers 8 acres of the Gardens. This mansion was built between 1930-1932 by C. Austin Buck, vice-president of Bethlehem Steel Co. in Pennsylvania, as a winter residence. Its original name was "El Retiro," and it has been restored to its 1930s appearance.
Robert “framed” at Pinewood Estate
A side courtyard decorated with poinsettias surrounding a small fountain.
Notice the suspended “poinsettia balls.”
A closer view of the fountain and poinsettias
Carmen, Cora and Don admiring the courtyard decorations
A pretty picture with Irma, Becky, Margie, Jean, Robert, Cora, Helen, Violet and Carmen
A small, picturesque grotto with a natural spring at the base of the plant
From November 25 through January 1, Bok Tower Gardens celebrates the season with a Holiday Home Tour at Pinewood Estate. The rooms are decorated for Christmas, but the decorations in each room bring to life moments from movie classics.
The theme in the pantry is “A Sip of Christmas,” and the decorations are sure to have your mouth watering for your favorite beverage, be it champagne or a spot of tea.
Anyone for hot chocolate or coffee?
The theme of the Dining Room is “Out of Africa."
The table is set for a dining expedition, echoing the setting of this Oscar-award winning film.
An “Out of Africa” Christmas tree is decorated with tiny stuffed wild animals.
The Round Room has as its theme “A Christmas Story.”
The classic 1983 film reminds us of a past holiday season, and its Christmas tree has the old-timey bulbs and decorations of another era.
The office of the owner of Pinewood, Mr. Buck, is decorated with the theme of Christmas in Hawaii with Elvis. The 1961 romantic comedy takes place on the beaches of “Blue Hawaii.”
A star-struck young fan is dreaming of Elvis
Audrey Hepburn’s little black dress alongside a tree in black and silver with blue Tiffany boxes calls up visions of the Oscar-winning movie “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”
“Breakfast at Tiffany’s” Christmas accessories
In the living room, there are preparations for a surprise Christmas party for a World War II General. The classic 1954 film “White Christmas” concludes with the toast,
“May your days be merry and bright, and may all your Christmases be white.”
The tables in “White Christmas” await men in the armed services.
On the porch, Snoopy and Woodstock play in their winter wonderland.
Mr. Buck’s bedroom showcases a winter scene complete with deer and snow from the 1945 classic comedy, “Christmas in Connecticut.”
Even the bathroom in this house gets gussied up for Christmas.
The “Christmas Love” we find in many Christmastime films is the inspiration for the decoration in this bedroom.
“Christmas Love” is all around in this room with red and white décor.
Scrooge lies asleep, unaware of the journey he is about to take when awakened by the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future, in the movie “A Christmas Carol.”
An old-fashioned trunk overflowing with glitzy, glittery gowns and shoes typifies the swanky 1930 musical, “Puttin’ on the Ritz.”
The Grinch flees Whoville in his giant red sleigh in “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.”
The Grinch must learn what Christmas is all about in order to celebrate the annual Christmas Whobilation on Christmas Eve.
After everyone finishes the tour of the home, they are invited to vote for their favorite room. This was a hard decision because there was something outstanding about several of the rooms. I thought the idea for “A Sip of Christmas” was stretching the movie theme a bit, but the decorations were very carefully crafted and displayed, and they showed a lot of attention to detail. “Out of Africa” was done by a professional designer, and the theme was beautifully carried out in the accessories. The jungle-animal tree was unique. “Blue Hawaii” conveyed the Christmas spirit through elaborate decorations specific to both Hawaii and Elvis. The decorations for “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” were sleek and sophisticated. I loved the forest scene with “snow” falling on the deer in “Christmas in Connecticut.” “Christmas Love” was lovely. The decorations for “The Grinch Who Stole Christmas” left not one inch of the room without ornamentation. The room was entirely transformed into a winter wonderland. Which room would you have chosen?
Beautiful pictures and a delightful tour of Bok Gardens - thank you!
ReplyDelete