Bok Tower And Gardens

In 1921, Edward W. Bok was spending the winter months in the residential mountain lake community located adjacent to the highest hill of Florida's Lake Wales Ridge, 298 feet above sea level. He enjoyed taking evening walks to the top of "Iron Mountain," among the virgin pines and sandhill scrub, to enjoy Florida's dramatic sunsets and bird life. The idea came to him to preserve this hilltop and create a bird sanctuary - a place of beauty, serenity and peace.

Integral to Bok's idea was the availability of a famous landscape architect, Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. Having made arrangements to buy land on the hilltop, Bok commissioned Olmsted to change this arid sandhill into "a spot of beauty second to none in the country." The first year was spent digging trenches and laying water pipes for irrigation, after which rich black soil was brought by the thousands of loads.

With the requisite conditions for a subtropical garden in place, planting of bushes and trees was begun that would provide food for visiting birds. Today, these plantings provide shade to visitors as well as refuge for squirrels and more than 100 bird species.

The reflection pool was created to entice wild life to take residence. The Reflection Pool gives visitors one of the most memorable experiences in the Sanctuary. Its location captures the reflection of the Tower and offers the first image visitors have when entering the gardens.