Conservation at the Singing Tower The conservation efforts of Bok Tower Gardens

My visit to Bok Tower Gardens began with a quick stop at an entry gate and then, a drive between orange groves and empty fields. Along the route to the visitor center, I was able to see the tower off in the distance, standing above the grassy hills, overlooking Lake Wales, Florida. It was easy to see how such a beautiful landscape inspired the founders of the gardens to design such a beautiful place for people, plants, and wildlife.

Edward Bok was born in the Netherlands. He and his family moved to the United States when he was a child, and he eventually became an American editor and Pulitzer Prize-winning author. During his travels, he often came through Lake Wales, and the same view I saw on my visit inspired him to create the tower and gardens. While pondering these thoughts of the rich history of the area, I arrived at the visitor center, a masterfully crafted entrance with detailed architecture and landscaping greeted me.

The visitor center is composed of three different buildings, a museum, the Blue Palmetto Café, and the Bok Tower gift shop. Separating these buildings is a partially covered walkway and an intrinsically designed water fountain. Air plants hang on strings from the top of the walkway that seemed to fall like a curtain. Air plants don’t require soil or containers, just a supportive area to hang. Greenery surrounds the fountain, as the water flows down it with a relaxing rhythm.

I walked through the visitor center and past the buildings to take a path that would lead me to the tower. Once I was through the walkway, I followed the main path to an oval, a round-about of sorts with multiple paths leading to different areas of the gardens. The oval has two paths to choose from that would lead to the tower.

After a short pause to consider both choices, I took the most direct path which was delightfully shaded by trees and tall plants. Since it was a cool day, the birds’ whistles could be heard through the breeze blowing in the trees. The path is mostly clear, but I did pass a few other guests on my trek. I could hear the bells of the tower ringing in the distance.

The singing tower at the gardens houses a musical instrument known as a carillon. A carillon is composed of at least 23 bronze bells that are precisely tuned and fixed in place. A carillonneur plays this instrument on a keyboard, similar to a piano. The tower at the gardens has a carrion with 60 bells that is played every hour and half-hour.

I left the paved path and ventured onto a mulch area by a pond that provides the perfect view of the tower in the distance. This pond is called the reflection pool, and it is designed to reflect a picture of the tower and create a picture-perfect moment for guests. It is surrounded by an ornate metal guard rail and seamlessly merged with the rest of the gardens.

As I stood admiring the view, I could smell the fresh mulch that landscapers must have recently spread. I could see every level of the tower from this vantage point. The tower is so tall that I wouldn’t be able to view all of it at once, if I were any closer.

I moved forward along the paved path to the lawn in front of the tower. This is arguably one of the most beautiful places in the entire garden. Large oak trees with moss swaying in the breeze provide shade over benches. A mulch path leads from the tower to the edge of the hill that overlooks the entire city.

I walked down the path and sat on a bench in the shade. It occurred to me that this would be a perfect spot to read a book or have a nice conversation with a loved one.

After sitting a bit longer, I decided to visit the endangered plant garden. As I followed the path from the tower, I was brought to a part of the gardens called the wetland boardwalk.

The wetland boardwalk is 170 feet long and goes over an artificial wetland that was made to help keep a nearby pond clean and clear. As I walked over the wooden planks of the boardwalk, I read several informational placards explaining how the wetland acts like an aquarium filter. Water from the pond is circulated to the high end of the wetland where it can be filtered through the many layers of plants, soil, and media. The clean water then re-enters the pond from the low end of the wetland.

From the boardwalk I could see a portion of the pond that the wetland filters. I could see the fish swimming near the surface trying to stay warm. The end of the boardwalk looped back around to the path.

As I continued on the path, I came to an area known as the window by the pond. The window by the pond is a small observatory where visitors can sit and look out onto a Florida pond ecosystem filtered by the artificial wetland. Many time birds, reptiles, and other animals coexist in their native habitat, but due to the colder weather, there was not much activity today.

After visiting the window by the pond, I continued on the path to the endangered plant garden. The path winds through the gardens and eventually leads to a circle full of approximately 30 rare plants from Florida. As soon as I started to walk through the endangered plant garden, I could smell the Apalachicola Rosemary, a strong minty odor, that overtook the smells of any other plant. Apalachicola Rosemary, also known as Florida Rosemary, is a scrub plant that is endemic to Florida.

The endangered plant garden is methodically designed like the rest of the gardens. A circular path runs around the perimeter, but there are two paths that lead to the middle from either side. In the center is an analemmatic sundial, which used my shadow to display the hour depending on the month. I stood on the abbreviation “Feb” that was etched into the ground and watched my shadow land on the current hour.

The endangered plant garden showcases some of the rare and endangered plant species that Bok Tower Gardens works to cultivate and conserve.

Bok Tower Gardens participates in plant conservation as a cooperative effort between government agencies, private companies, and landowners.

Bok Tower Gardens has participated in many conservation efforts. They are a part of the Center for Plant Conservation and have a rare plant garden. Bok Tower Gardens also contributes to reintroducing endangered and rare plants to their habitats. The rare plant garden is used for research and cultivation and is available by appointment to tour.

After my visit with the endangered plant garden, I wanted to continue viewing some of the native Florida wildlife and Bok Tower Gardens’ conservation efforts. The path from the endangered plant garden led me to the Pine Ridge Preserve Trail.

The Pine Ridge Preserve Trail is 1.5 miles long and engages visitors in one of Florida’s most endangered ecosystems. Some of the trail is composed of original Longleaf Pine forest, while some is a former citrus grove being restored into Longleaf Pine forest. The trail has informational signs that explain different aspects of the ecosystem and ways it is conserved.

I next hiked to the trailhead in the gardens. As I walked down the dirt path, I was surrounded by the Longleaf Pine ecosystem. The breeze loudly blew through the pine needles and made the moss sway. I caught a faint scent of oranges from the neighboring groves.

As I continued to walk, I noticed the Scrub Lupine that was growing in many areas. The plant is among the endangered species that Bok Tower Gardens works to conserve. The Pine Ridge Trail is a part of the Lake Wales Ridge.

The Lake Wales Ridge is a unique ecosystem in central Florida and many species of plants and animals can be found here. The Lake Wales Ridge is located 298 feet above sea level. It is believed that many plant and animal species can be exclusively found here because in ancient times the Ridge would have formed island chains, isolating these species from other parts of Florida.

Along my walk I noticed several Gopher Tortoise holes in the sand. The excavators are very important parts of this ecosystem. Gopher Tortoises burrow in the sand which helps create a nursery for germinating plants. Their burrows also provide for other animal species. Scientists have found 350 different wildlife species living with Gopher Tortoises.

One of the endangered species that can be found in a Gopher Tortoise burrow is the Eastern Indigo Snake. The snakes are the largest non-venomous snake in North America and their survival is dependent on the preservation of the Lake Wales Ridge.

Bok Tower Gardens helps to protect endangered animal and plant species by creating habitat conditions that enhance their survival.

Approximately 95% of the Longleaf Pine habitat in the southeast has been destroyed, so the protection of the remaining habitat is crucial.

I continued walking down the path, littered with pine needles that crunched under my feet. I came upon an informational placard that explained some of the ways that Bok Tower Gardens preserves this habitat. Bok Tower participates in an annual collection of seed, propagation, and reintroduction of native plants. The workforce of volunteers and employees also use annual prescribed burns to keep the habitat healthy.

The Pine Ridge Trail looped back to the visitor center at the entrance of the gardens. I walked back to the Blue Palmetto Café. This time, I noticed the River of Stone, which is a unique pathway that winds through the visitor center. I decided to order a sandwich and some coffee for lunch, before heading home.

I entered the quaint café and stepped toward the line to place my order. The smell of freshly brewed coffee wafted through the air teasing me as I waited for my turn to order. After I placed my order at the counter and waited for my food and drink. The café has indoor seating and an outdoor patio. Today was the perfect day for an outdoor lunch.

As I sat outside enjoying my food, I couldn’t help but notice the patio’s nearness to Bok Tower Garden’s pollinator garden. The garden is full of flowers in bloom, experts in attracting insects to spread their pollen from plant to plant with the allure of their nectar. Some days, dozens of different types of pollinators can be found in this area.

As I ate my freshly made sandwich, full of flavor and nutrition, I pondered what I had learned on my visit to Bok Tower Garden. I believe that what Bok envisioned for this garden sanctuary has come to pass.

Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. masterfully designed the beautiful landscape and gardens. While changes and additions have been made over the decades, the main purpose of the garden remains. Bok Tower Gardens offers guests an escape to nature and has created a protected ecosystem for birds, plants, and other animals.

The Singing Tower serving as the main attraction of the vast gardens, is only the beginning of the uniqueness and specialty found here. The thoughtfulness that went into the design of the gardens leaves visitors considering their role in conservation and wildlife.

After seeing most of what the Garden has to offer, it is no wonder that Bok was so inspired by this landscape. He wanted to preserve the sunset over Lake Wales by turning a sandhill into an attraction of beauty and conservation.

Bok said, “Wherever your lives may be cast, make you the world a bit better or more beautiful because you have lived in it.”

He is famously known for this quote and his life reflected his intentions behind it. Bok was a true visionary and his legacy is still lived out today through the beauty of the gardens and The Singing Tower. The habitat conservation and preservation that his legacy provides has made the world better and more beautiful.

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