Back in 1921, Edward Bok used to spend winters in a residential community in Lake Wales, Florida. He especially enjoyed the tranquil beauty of this place and enjoyed taking walks to the top of a place called Iron Mountain to watch breathtaking sunsets and experience bird life. It was during one his walks to the mountain that he got the idea of creating a bird sanctuary and flower gardens on the hilltop, a serene and peaceful place.

To accomplish his quest, Edward Bok contacted a famous landscape architect by the name of Frederick Law Olmsted. He then proceeded to buy the land on the hilltop and told Frederick Olmsted to analyze that sand hill and turn it into a place of beauty. After laying water pipes for irrigation, loads of black soil was brought in. Wanting to create tropical gardens, the architect decided to plant trees and lots of bushes in order to provide food for the birds. These plantings are still there today and serve as a refuge for squirrels and hundreds of bird species.

The gorgeous garden is one of the greatest achievements of the famous landscape architect Frederick Olmsted. The gardens consist of 250 acres of tranquil resting places, shady areas, picturesque vistas and awesome splashes of color. Here you will also find many family friendly garden areas where children can learn about the gardens and play with butterflies and watch lots of different species of birds. There are also many acres of oaks, pines, ferns and palm trees that create different shades of green. In between all this greenery, you will see a spectacular array of magnolias, camellias and azaleas blooms that is magnificent.

The Bok gardens are known for the gorgeous landscape trails and gardens but you will also find human friendly squirrels that you can feed by hand. There is a place called ‘Window by the Pond’ where it might be the best place to see the garden’s native birds and wildlife throughout the place. This is a wooden building with benches and a large window and visitors are encouraged to observe butterflies, reptiles, and many species of birds in their natural habitat.

This historic Sanctuary is open daily and there is an admission fee of $10 for adults and $3 for children ages 5-12. Children under 5 years old are admitted free of charge. The Bok Tower Gardens is located about 50 miles south of Orlando in Central Florida. The gardens are open from 9 am to 5pm daily. For more information go to: http://www.boktowergardens.org

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