If I had to recommend one garden out of all the gardens I’ve seen so far in Florida, this would be at the top of my list. It might even garner the top spot. Bok Tower Gardens is gorgeous, even when you miss the peak blooming season like I did. But you can’t tell that by the display at the entrance, can you?
There are lots of winding trails and plenty of places to sit and either gather your breath or take in all the gorgeousness surrounding you. I found that every bench had shade and/or flowers.
It shouldn’t come as any surprise that everything was created and placed with great care. The gardens were designed by Frederick Olmstead, Jr., the son of the landscape architect who designed Central Park in New York.
The Visitor Center told me the peak flowering months were February and March. Even so, each day they include a display of the flowers currently in bloom. I expected to be disappointed but was pleasantly surprised to see so much color and texture along the trails. One of the great things about this garden is that they have umpteen signs identifying flowers, shrubs, ferns and trees everywhere you look.
If you’re someone who likes to sit quietly by the water, they have plenty of places for that, too. If I didn’t know better, I’d think I was looking at Monet’s lily pads.
And then there’s the tower. It is 205 feet tall and has a 60-bell carillon at the top.
The lower section of the tower is the Founder’s Room, a space designed to be Edward Bok’s study.
The second floor houses the Chao Research Center Archives. This includes manuscripts, photos, memorabilia and history of the creation of Bok Tower and its surrounding gardens.
These spaces are only available to Bok Tower Garden members. Even though I’m not a member and can’t see inside, the outside alone is enough to take your breath away.
The tower’s brass door and iron gates were created by premier metalworker, Samuel Yellin. The tiles on the top third of the tower were designed by J.H. Dulles Allen and are meant to detail a balance between “nature, species and gender.” The sundial indicates the time by the shadow cast on the face. The hours are the 12 zodiac signs. The entire structure is an art deco and neo-Gothic theme. It’s a steel frame encased in coquina stone from St. Augustine, Florida. If you’re like me and don’t have a clue what coquina stone is, I looked it up. It’s a rare form of limestone made up of shell fragments from ancient mollusks and marine invertebrates.
If all that is not enough for you, there’s also El Retiro (“The Retreat”), a 1932 Mediterranean-style home on the grounds that boasts more Olmstead-designed gardens. It was bought by Bok Tower in 1970 and is listed on the National Registry of Historical Places. It was the home of Charles Austin Buck, the Vice President at Bethlehem Steel Company. Following his wife’s death, this became a sort of retreat for him.
The front entrance and foyer doors are carved cypress wood. They offer a view of the pantry and when you venture into the kitchen space, there is an original built-in General Electric refrigerator.
The dining room opens onto a private, walled-in “Moon Gate Garden.” Formal attire was required for dinner.
I’d have never made the guest list. Since retiring in Florida, my formal attire is track pants and t-shirts.
Even though the house had an intercom system installed on the walls of almost every room, Mr. Buck had a button in the dining room installed on the floor at his feet. That way he could call for the servers or butlers without getting up and disturbing the flow of the dinner conversation. I mean, who thinks of things like that?
The first floor also has an office, living room and music area with a wooden floor for dancing. Behind a hidden door, there is a staircase leading to Mr. Buck’s private quarters. This allowed him to quietly retire for the evening but leave his guests to carry on into the wee hours if they so desired. (I’m not quite sure that required a hidden staircase but it’s novel, that’s for sure).
The second floor has the private bedroom for Mr. Buck, two guest rooms with their own en suite bathrooms, a wing for the support staffs’ quarters and his daughter’s spacious bedroom overlooking the front fountain and gardens. She would frequently arrive two weeks early to make sure everything was stocked and ready for his arrival.
Once I’d explored the grounds of Bok Tower and toured El Retiro, I returned to the entrance to see if there was something I couldn’t live without in the gift shop. I’m a sucker for gift shops and should be banned because it seems like I always find something I have to have. In this case, it was the plants.
Take a look at this Pitcher plant. It is, frankly, kinda ugly but it was so unusual, I had to have it. My backyard garden is designed to showcase color, aroma, and texture. I water it often. This, in turn, attracts mosquitoes (well, maybe they’d be there regardless, who knows?). I figured this carnivorous Pitcher plant that loves wasps and mosquitoes would be just the ticket. I’ll keep you posted.
- 1153 Tower Blvd., Lake Wales, Florida
- 863-676-1408
- boktowergardens.org
- Hours: 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM daily (last entry at 5:00 PM)
- $20 entry fee / Free parking / El Retiro tour inside the house is $10
- There is a cafe – Blue Palmetto (open 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM) with outdoor seating
- The gardens are mostly wheelchair accessible but there are a few mulched paths I would say would be challenging. El Retiro’s 2nd floor is not accessible.
You can easily make a day of it at Bok Tower Gardens. It’s worth your time. Be sure to stay for the carillon concerts every afternoon.
And if you love the gardens but want something more than cafe food for lunch, head over to Lavender ‘n Lace in Lake Alfred (next blog post). It’s a quaint family-fun restaurant with excellent food.
Lisa Browder 
Leave a comment