The Garden Path

Making The World Better:

Celebrated Chef Series

Paradise Found at the

Three Decades of Conservation

Kicks off with Chef Emily Ellyn

23rd Int’l Carillon Festival

Volume 9 Issue 1 Spring 2017

Young at Heart

Bok Tower Gardens ushers in the next generation

Volume 9 Issue 1 Spring 2017

David Price President

Letter from the President

Randall Rupert Editor & Graphic Designer

Erica Smith Editor

Editorial Contributors Geert D'hollander Julie Diaz Jaime Fogel Greg Kramer Christopher Lutton Tricia Martin Cheryl Peterson Erica Smith Rose Young

Photo Contributors Chad Baumer Austyn Harben Emily Plank David Price Randall Rupert

Mission

To inspire a better and more beautiful world by sharing Edward Bok's legacy.

Vision

To reach out in beauty to the people, and fill their souls with the quiet, the repose, the influence of the beautiful.

Every year, Painted Buntings visit the garden at my house. These little flying rainbows have been coming for over 15 years. I marvel at the fact that these families travel so far and know how to find my garden every year.

Sometimes they eat the seed so fast I feel like I run a restaurant that I need to keep stocked with millet seed. I am sure that I have gone through several generations of Buntings over these years, each generation teaching the next about the garden and the millet feeder.

My garden is but a stop on the journey these little birds make each year as they migrate. I do wonder what these birds will do as the climate changes and development takes over their habitat and feeding grounds. Yesterday I saw a hawk in the garden, the Blue Jays let everyone know he was there with their loud protest. He was regal in his appearance but menacing nonetheless.

The jays do their part and I do my part for the Buntings, together we create community.

Generations of visitors have been coming to Bok Tower Gardens. Word of mouth has always been our best marketing. Like birds, visitors have found sanctuary in the Gardens. With the new garden spaces now open, many young families are visiting and becoming members. Family membership has increased 30% in a year. Hammock Hollow children’s garden is a place that is safe for children to explore and discover. I enjoy watching children get lost in their play there. I call it slow play. There is a focused attention to what they are doing, not the frantic hyperactivity that our electrified world encourages.

What has surprised me most in creating this new garden is how respectful the children have been to the place. With the art and design of the garden we have respected the sensibilities of children and they have reflected that respect back.

Eighty-eight years ago today, Edward Bok dedicated the Gardens as a sanctuary for man and nature.

The world then was cold, consumptive, and impersonal. The way of the world has not changed; we must still work to find kindness David Price, President February 1, 2017 and respect for all, as we create community.

cover photo by Emily Plank

Do you have questions about your membership to Bok Tower Gardens?

Maximize Your Membership

Contact Marilyn Knowlton at mknowlton@boktower.org or 863.734.1233

Making A Difference With Our Share The Gift Fund! member story of Sabrina McClellion, Big Sister As a volunteer with Big Brothers Big Sisters, I recently received a pass to visit Bok Tower Gardens with my “little sister.”

I was very surprised to learn the pass was for an entire year not just one day.

My little sister is 10 years old, and she has never been to Bok Tower Gardens; however, I have been a visitor for many years. As this would be our first trip to the Gardens, I was not sure how much she would appreciate the experience so I also made plans to stop by the local mall play area after the visit.

Upon arrival, we went to the Visitor Center and checked out a kid’s discovery backpack. She was amazed at all the activities! During our visit, she made sure to tell me several times how much fun she was having. She was full of questions about the Gardens and the Tower and kept remarking how beautiful it was. We took lots of pictures for her memory book!

During our tour, we completed all of the activities included in the backpack and fed the fish! We had lunch at the

café where she asked me more questions about the Gardens and Tower. Lunch was perfect. After three hours in the Gardens, I told her if she wanted to go to the mall, we would have to leave soon. Her response was “why can’t we stay here?”

We extended our visit for two more hours and went home with a pepper plant from the gift shop!

On our way home, we bought a pot and potting soil. This activity really opened her eyes to gardening and led to many questions about the plant. My advice to this budding master gardener was to perform research like a scientist and learn the proper care for pepper plants. Our visit has inspired plans for planting a small garden together.

Bok Tower Gardens has been our favorite outing. Thank you for providing us with the opportunity to visit such a beautiful place and we both truly appreciate the membership pass! We will be back for another visit again soon.

In 2008, the Share the Gift Annual Fund was created for unrestricted annual giving in support of four critical Gardens needs: conservation, preservation, operation and membership.

Your gift to this fund can be put to use immediately and have a direct impact on organizations like Big Brothers Big Sisters. Plus, because Bok Tower Gardens is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, all gifts to this fund are tax-deductible.

Support the Share the Gift Annual Fund by making a donation today at boktowergardens.org/donate.

For more information contact Julie Diaz at 863.734.1212 or jdiaz@boktower.org.

We thank our wonderful sponsors, without whom many of our events and programs would not be possible.

Visit Central Florida . Duke Energy .

Winter Haven Honda . Florida’s Natural Growers . Citizens Bank and Trust . Dr. and Mrs. John Salud .

Salud and Associates . Pat and Don Jones . Marilyn Newell . Robin and Jean Gibson . The Ruth V. Marchione Foundation . Bok Tower Gardens Amaryllis Club . Chip Thullbery .

Mitch and Ann Sheets . Southeastern University . La Flor de Espana Bakery .

Allen & Co. . Terrie Lobb Catering .

Iceberg AC & Heating . Veterinary Healthcare Associates . Lake Wales Chili’s . Lake Wales IHOP . Lake Wales Medical Center . Manning & Napier Advisors, LLC . Florida’s Natural Growers Foundation .

Lightsey Cattle Company . Hill Ward Henderson . Six/Ten Corporation .

Oakley Transport . Dorothy Welch .

GiveWell Community Foundation .

CapTrust . Duke Energy Foundation .

Kim Bepler . Thomas McCance .

Paul and Carol Collins . Lawrence and Genevieve Dimmitt . Dr. Frank and Carol Drake . Harmony on Lake Eloise . Harmony Institute . Jordan & Associates Consulting . JR Davis Construction . Foreman Consulting Inc. . Raymond Stangle . State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture

www.boktowergardens.org 2

Memoirs of a Horticulturist in Cuba

3 Spring 2017

The Garden Path

photo by Greg Kramer

As I reflect on my journey to Cuba, there are two memories that I will never forget; the diversity within the Cuban culture and the abundance of native wildlife. The trip was sponsored by The Florida Native Plant Society in partnership with the Florida Keys T.R.E.E. Institute and was titled “The Gardens and Plants of North Cuba.” Our group consisted of 23 travelers and we toured the island for seven days.

by Greg Kramer, Director of Horticulture

On the first day, the group arrived at José Martí Airport via Miami International Airport. The fact that I was arriving to Cuba on May 1 was very impactful as May Day is International Workers’ Day, one of the most celebrated holidays in the country. Our first destination was the province of Pinar del Río and the Viñales Valley. At this location the group visited Soroa Orchid Garden and Las Terrazas UNESCO Biosphere. The next day, we enjoyed a tour through Viñales National Park, a stop at a local organic tobacco production farm and a visit to a botanical garden that has been cared for by the same family for over a century.

We also toured the Zapata Swamp or as what Americans know as “The Bay of Pigs.” It was a long journey, and upon arrival most of the group went for an early evening swim in the Caribbean before dinner and bed. Our exploration of the swamp started very early as the group went out looking for indigenous birds and insects with two local ornithologists and entomologists. Cuba is home to many native species of birds that can only be found on the island. Our birding adventure included seeing the following species: Great Lizard Cuckoo (Coccyzus merlini), Cuban Pygmy Owl (Glaucidium siju), Ferandina’s Flicker (Colaptes fernandinae), Cuban Emerald Hummingbird (Chlorostilbon ricordii), Cuban Kestrel (Falco sparverius), Black Whiskered Vireo (Vireo altiloquus), and the Cuban Trogon (Priotelus temnurus); which is the national bird

of Cuba. In the afternoon, the group went to La Cueva de los Peces for lunch and bird watching.

However after departing and while in mid-route to Havana, the group was informed that there had been a sighting of several Bee Hummingbirds (Mellisuga helenae) at a private residence, and the troop quickly detoured to see the world’s smallest bird. Measuring an average 1.8 grams, these hummingbirds are often outweighed by only two paperclips. We were not disappointed as there were several Bee Hummingbirds feeding on hibiscus flowers. After the excitement, the group continued the journey to Havana.

On our final morning in Cuba, we enjoyed a walking tour of Old Havana and an afternoon trip to an organic farm followed by a stop at Hemingway’s home Finca Vigía. When translated, the name Finca Vigía means Lookout Estate. Our final tour stop included a visit to the National Havana Botanical Gardens. Unbeknownst to me, this garden is the third largest botanical garden in the world. During this tour, we also learned how Cuba is preserving several nearly extinct endemic species of plants.

Cuba has something to offer everyone including: history, architecture, gardens, wildlife, art, great food and music. I look forward to keeping in contact and exchanging ideas with my Cuban friends and fellow members in the tour group. I also anticipate a return trip to the island next year to visit the natural areas and gardens on the east side of the island. You never know…you might just find the elusive Ivory Billed Woodpecker (Campephilus principalis) hiding in uncharted Cuba.

www.boktowergardens.org 4

In 1986, Bok Tower Gardens’ then‑president Jonathan Shaw had the foresight to realize the vital role garden institutions would have in addressing the increasing number of plant species facing extinction. The Gardens became a participating member in the Center for Plant Conservation, began preserving seeds and plants of endangered species, and established a part-time, one-person endangered plant conservation program.

Today, 30 years later, our Rare Plant Conservation Program has become a multi-staffed, well-respected member of state, national, and international conservation networks. In addition to preserving rare plant material in a curated collection, our Program heads up scientific research, leads rare plant rescues, engages in student and public education, restores critical habitats, and establishes new populations of rare species onto protected lands.

Rare species conservation is often challenging, requiring perseverance and hard work. Available grant funding for even the most critical projects is extremely limited.

Important projects are necessarily long-term, often taking years of tedious work to gather information needed to inform conservation decisions. And, successful species conservation can only be achieved as a community effort, through committed collaboration with many project partners and volunteers. These efforts are especially important in Florida, which is nationally ranked as third behind only California and Hawaii in the number of rare species threatened with extinction.

Over the past three decades, we’ve worked hard to build a strong, successful and professional

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Conservation Program at the Gardens.

All of our conservation strategies are calibrated using guidelines of Botanic Garden Conservation International, the Center for Plant Conservation, the state of Florida and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. We’ve built an extensive network of partners and collaborators that include academic institutions, government and non-governmental agencies, corporations, private citizens, landowners, parks and preserves, and dedicated volunteers. Many of our initiatives are communitybased, engaging local citizens in the study and protection of the unique habitats and species found within their communities.

As Florida’s population continues to increase, so do our conservation challenges. It is a race against time to prevent the loss of much of Florida’s natural legacy. Our irreplaceable species and natural areas serve to support healthy human communities, as healthy and biodiverse habitats recharge our water, sequester carbon, provide homes for some of the pollinators we rely on for our food crops, and purify our air.

We’ve come a long way. Over the past thirty years, we’ve preserved over 2 million seeds of nearly 100 species, rescued thousands of plants and hundreds of thousands of seeds, created 28 protected populations using 14,000 greenhouse-propagated plants of 10 species, and helped restore critical habitat within five counties. We’ve uncovered new biological findings on many species, and developed seed storage and propagation protocols for dozens more. We’ve published in books and peer-reviewed journals,

Worldwide it is estimated that one‑third of plant species are threatened with extinction...and the rate of plant extinctions is expected to increase rapidly.

This silent loss of plant diversity receives little attention...and there is very limited allocation of financial resources to reverse the trend of plant loss. Faced with this mounting pressure, gardens have a key role to play.

- Botanic Gardens Conservation International, 2010

worked with students to complete graduate degrees, and helped train the next generation of conservation biologists through internships. Our Program has won several awards, and has helped students win first place science awards.

As we continue to grow, strengthen our partnerships, and employ new innovations and technologies, we look forward to thirty more years of making the world a bit better and more beautiful.

Notes: Please see our “Conservation in Progress” on the Conservation pages of our website for bi-annual highlights of our current projects. All of the work in the Rare Plant Conservation Program is funded primarily through grants and donations; please contact our Development Department to help support our efforts.

Towards Making The World a Bit Better: Three Decades of Conservation

by Cheryl Peterson, Conservation Program Manager

Former Rare Plant Curator Glen Bupp and volunteers tend the National Collection Beds photo by David Price www.boktowergardens.org 6

A Leader’s View... from the Treetops

The goal of our educational programs is to spark curiosity and invite participants to look more closely at nature. These programs are designed to create several introspective connections: ·· ·· ·· ··

connection with nature connection with themselves connection with community connection with humanity

Over the next months, visitors to the Gardens might see students dangling from the mighty branches of one of our giant oak trees and wonder… what’s up with that? Getting a different perspective can be life changing and that is what we aim to do in our Building Character field trip programs.

Students engage in team building activities and are invited to overcome

their fears through tree climbing challenges. One student from the Lake Wales High School wrote, “I learned how to persevere and lead others.”

We’ve teamed up with Pathfinder Outdoor Education to implement these programs. Pathfinder is a non-profit organization dedicated to building personal, social and environmental responsibility through the power of shared experience.

Students also learn how to encourage each other and they sometimes gleefully watch as teachers and administrators struggle with the tree climbing challenge. Best of all, students are learning and growing in nature through these experiences.

Lake Wales High School administrators summarized, “Wonderful day, very well planned and executed. Gave all students an equal opportunity to achieve and be a better leader.” Another administrator wrote, “Students who would not normally interact helped and encouraged one another.”

These programs meet a growing need by creating unique leadership and educational experiences. According to a recent New York Times article penned

by Marc Brackett, director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, “Today’s students are ill equipped to compete in a global business economy.” Research has shown the

some pledges from our recent student visitors I can make the world a better place by respecting and helping the people in my community.

7 Spring 2017

I wi ll ma ke th e wo rld better by helpi ng ot hers an d cooperating to geth er

as a team . Teachin g helpi ng , an d co mm un icatio n ca n have an im pa ct on ma kin g th e wo rld mo re beautif ul.

The Garden Path

t By looking a nd everything a ca n I thinking: how beautiful. make it more

orld w e h t ke I wil ttmear by beinogn. a be sitive pers po

Be Help others. empathetic & Create a enthusiastic.

Laugh, it ’s positive vibe. e confident. contagious. B lp animals.

Be kind & he

photo by Chad Baumer

by Tricia Martin, Director of Education culprit behind this crisis is increasing levels of personal stress and a lack of emotional intelligence.”

Brackett continues with this interesting perspective, “emotions drive learning, decisionmaking, creativity, relationships and health. Mastering the skills of emotional intelligence paves the way for greater well-being, better relationships and overall effectiveness — for college students, for students from kindergarten through high school and for the adults who surround them, including educators and parents. The Nobel Laureate James J. Heckman has written that teaching ‘noncognitive’ skills, including recognizing and regulating emotions would be a cost‑effective way

By being a servant leader and teaching the values of servant leaders to others.

to increase work force productivity and quality.”

We’re working to expand the program and build an Edward W. Bok Leadership program that seeks to share Bok’s timeless and pertinent advice with the young people of today. Bok’s own words and leadership advice from his books Twice Thirty and Successward are still relevant more than a century after publishing in the late 1890’s.

He wrote, “Great successes have been made as often in quiet as with the blare of trumpets…The truest success is that which is earned slowly, but which surely strengthens itself.” Bok sought to encourage young people to do something ennobling, to apply their efforts and be dedicated to the reward of work hard.

er nsid o c o n t ns , Lear pinio o s ls. r oth e mo r a d n s, a view th e ha t t w ake Kn o at m h t e gs ma k t thin n e iffer ue . us d niq us u

The way I could make the world better or more beautiful is by doing some of the things I did today like helping others and team work. I’ve seen some amazing things today. Helping others is a good thing and to be helped was even better.

Standing the test of time, his message continues to vigorously resonate in a cluttered digital world. In Twice Thirty, Bok advises young people to focus on schooling for the first 30 years of life; then career for the next 30 years and finally to devote themselves to giving back. This straightforward formula for a successful life is as powerful today as when he was building his publishing career and philanthropic endeavors.

At the conclusion of Building Character, we ask students how they will make the world better or more beautiful. Their pledges are below: now that’s inspiring!

To review the New York times article please visit www.nytimes.com/2016/06/23/education/ todays-students-may-be-emotionallyunprepared.html

Start organizations that promote things like this.

I will m ake the world m ore beau tiful by helpin g to pr otect our envir onment. www.boktowergardens.org 8

UF/IFAS Celebrated Chef Series Chef and culinary educator Emily Ellyn is the Home Economics teacher you’ve always wanted! She’s the mother of Retro Rad cooking and encourages everyone to dig through their mother’s recipe box, find the old, and make it new. She takes the retro, remixes it, and makes it RAD!

upcoming events with Emily Ellyn

With her quirky persona and trademark cat-eye glasses, you’ll find this Retro Rad Diva cooking up fun and inspiring audiences at food events around the world; all while developing her culinary TV career and finishing her Ph.D. in Food Service Education. She’s gained a loyal following through appearances on Food Network’s “Food Network Star,” “Cupcake Wars,” “Cutthroat Kitchen” and a cameo cartoon appearance on “The Simpsons!”

Sippin’ and Suppin’ with Chef Emily Ellyn

Preserving Through The Seasons

Kids in the Kitchen: Learning Tomato Wisdom

$150/person • Fri., March 24 • 6pm

$15/person • Sat., March 25 11:30am, 1:30pm and 3:30pm

$25/child • Sun., March 26 • 11am - 1pm

Spend the evening feasting on chips and salsa made from the Edible Garden, beer-buzzed shrimp and scallop ceviche with citrus and fresh avocado, honey-beer-glazed pork tacos topped with fennel slaw, Mexican street corn salad, and Emily Ellyn’s awardwinning cupcakes. Chef Emily will be joined by Chef Matt Fulwood and the Blue Palmetto Café team. Meal includes unlimited beer and wine and will be served family style.

Join Chef Emily Ellyn as she reveals a world of limitless flavor combinations using fresh ideas that bring homemade recipes to life.

Each session will feature a different recipe whipped up by Emily Ellyn and participants will receive delicious samples and takehome recipe cards.

Aspiring junior chefs will enjoy a culinary tour of the Edible Garden, a live cooking demo, an overview of how to grow tomatoes and special lunchtime reading of Tomato Wisdom with Chef Emily Ellyn! Lunch and a copy of Tomato Wisdom, a children’s book that teaches tolerance and acceptance through the varieties and imperfections found in the garden, are included. Lunch features homemade tomato soup, decadent grilled four cheese sandwiches, Emily Ellyn’s own green tomato chutney, fresh lemonade and more.

Culinary Arts

9 Spring 2017

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Discover a World of Learning This Summer Bok Tower Gardens “Discovery Days” Summer Camp June 19 – July 21 Fun will be in full force as Bok Tower Gardens Discovery Days Summer Camp for kids returns with a series of stimulating day camps for children ages 6-8 and 9-12. The camp curriculum is filled with discovery, exploration and imagination to keep young minds actively engaged and learning through the summer months.

Week-long sessions for each age group feature activities to help

children discover the world of Bok Tower Gardens through art, science, cooking, gardening, and sensory explorations.

Camp tuition is $130 per session/per child ($117 for Bok Tower Gardens members) and registration is available online now through June 9 at boktowergardens.org/discoverydays.

For more information, contact Becky Mallison at bmallison@boktower.org or by phone at 863.734.1221.

Fur, Feathers, Fins & More

Team Building & Beyond

Grow it! Cook it!

Eat it!

Creative Expression in the Garden

June 19 - 23, 2017, 9am - 3pm

June 26 - 30, 2017, 9am - 3pm

July 10 - 14, 2017, 9am - 3pm

July 17 - 21, 2017, 9am - 3pm

Go wild and explore all the creatures that call Bok Tower Gardens their home.

Campers will have fun learning about our animal residents and their habitats through hands-on activities and garden exploration.

Squirrels, birds, butterflies, and fish, oh my!

Teamwork, curiosity, and perseverance are important in today’s world. This week will be spent going on adventures in the gardens to discover the importance of working together.

Campers will catch the spirit of fun and friendship while learning about themselves too.

Take the journey from plant to plate this week at Bok Tower Gardens as campers dig into food! Campers will learn how to plant seeds, care for a garden, harvest the tasty colors of the rainbow, cook in our new outdoor kitchen, and then…the best part—eat it!

Find inspiration at Bok Tower Gardens! Campers will tap into their creativity to produce unique works of musical, performance, and visual arts. Throughout the week campers will get to express themselves through a variety of mediums, collaborate with others, and share their creations.

Forty lucky middle school students from Bok Academy were the first to attend a cooking class at Bok Tower Gardens’ new Outdoor Kitchen last spring. The students helped to select fresh produce from the Edible Garden and then turned those ingredients into delicious wood-fired pizzas under the direction of University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Chef David Bearl.

in the Outdoor Kitchen

The student cooking class was part of an ongoing experiential educational partnership between Bok Tower Gardens and UF/IFAS Extension. As an added bonus, Lake Wales High School Culinary Arts Students served as student mentors and assisted Chef Bearl with the kitchen operations.

The Outdoor Kitchen will be a focal point for many of our educational programs. Information on our culinary classes, Fresh Bites food adventures and special garden to table dining will be published in our activities guide and on the Bok Tower Gardens website. www.boktowergardens.org 10

Say Hello to Hammock Hollow!

And across the span of nearly one hundred years there comes the voice of her who gave the message to her children, which has become the heritage of her grandchildren: ‘Make you the world a little more beautiful or better because you have been in it’: a proof that man creates an immortality of the hand and brain as God creates an immortality of the soul.”

- Edward W. Bok, from Two Persons, 1922 11 Spring 2017

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photos by Emily Plank

We know from Mr. Bok’s writing, he envisioned Bok Tower Gardens becoming one of America’s most enduring public gardens. Excerpts from his books include “make of it the most beautiful spot where the bird and the human can rest and find themselves,” providing a clear indication of his vision and mission. His desire to create a place that celebrated the connection between man and nature continues with this beautiful passage “and in the gentle quietude of the setting sun the mountain became a sanctuary for the pent-up humans of the earth and for the tired little singers of the sky.” The opening of Hammock Hollow children’s garden marks a huge milestone in our 88-year history and provides a platform for introducing the next generation to Mr. Bok’s monumental gift.

stone mosaic entrance

by Kevin Carman

Learning through nature play is the goal and this full sensory environment is designed to be enjoyed by visitors of all ages.

Celebrated author and environmentalist Richard Louv writes in his book Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder, “Passion is lifted from the earth itself by the muddy hands of the young; it travels along grass-stained sleeves to the heart. If we are going to save environmentalism and the environment, we must also save an endangered indicator species: the child in nature.”

Hammock Hollow was created to serve this very vital purpose – to provide a full sensory experience for nature play unlike most children’s gardens. To accomplish this goal, Robin Moore of the Natural Learning Initiative at North Carolina State University led workshops with staff, members and the public to develop the ideas for the garden.

The three-acre native plant garden, designed by the landscape architecture firm of Nelson Byrd Woltz, in collaboration with Coyle & Canon and Mary Wolf Landscape Architect, has a sense of place as a Florida hammock forest with logs, rocks, and water to explore. This garden adventure conveys the importance of plants to animals and to humans for food, shelter, and happiness.

Reflecting the art and spirit of Bok Tower Gardens, Hammock Hollow incorporates cooling water features, vibrant plantings, a boardwalk, play areas with climbing features, a stage for little performers, and plenty of space to build, dig, create and explore.

These new garden experiences are delightful for the young and young-at-heart.

Located a few steps away from the children’s garden entrance, The Alexander Discovery Center offers a contemporary meeting and gathering space for educational programs, small classroom learning, and staging for field trips.

After more than six years of planning and construction, it is time to say HELLO Hammock Hollow! www.boktowergardens.org 12

left to right: JF Bryan IV, Margaret Burns, Thomas Woltz, Robin Gibson, Dr. Tomas J. Bok, Eric Bok, Annika Bok, Albert Menendez, Cindy Alexander, Joshua Webb, David Price, Dr. Nick Place

Grand Opening Celebration New Gardens Now Open

September 10, 2016 could not have been any brighter as Dr. Nick Place, Dean and Director of University of Florida IFAS Extension (UF/IFAS) and David Price, President of Bok Tower Gardens, along with members of the Bok Tower Gardens Board of Directors and great-great-grandchildren of Edward Bok cut the ribbon to officially open the new garden areas and spotlight the UF/IFAS and Bok Tower Gardens partnership.

After years of planning, coordination and months of construction, visitors reveled in the opportunity to visit the Pollinator Garden, Hammock Hollow Children’s Garden, Wild Garden, Outdoor Kitchen, and Edible Garden.

Reverend Tom Seitz, Sr. provided a special garden blessing during the ceremony followed by addresses from Cindy Alexander, Board Chair; Dr. Tomas J. Bok, Board Vice

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Chair and great‑grandson of Edward Bok; Dr. Nick Place; and David Price.

The Outdoor Kitchen was a center of activity for visitors providing culinary demonstrations with celebrated UF/IFAS Chef David S. Bearl and the Polk County Master Gardeners. Special guest 12-year-old Tyler Zager, a Florida native and recent winner of the Food Network’s Kids BBQ Championship also joined the culinary brigade with his award‑winning recipes.

More than 5,000 visitors enjoyed a full day of guided tours, animal encounters, live music, creative play activities, Sandy Music Girls in concert and more. Polk County Master Gardeners were also on hand for gardening tips and question and answer sessions

Upcoming Culinary Opportunities Healthy Cooking Classes with Chai Canaglia: Raw Veggie Wraps March 9, 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

During this hands-on cooking class, you will learn how to prepare 3 different veggie wraps and how to pair different veggies and fruits with a scrumptious homemade sauce.

UF/IFAS Celebrated Chef Series with Chef Emily Ellyn March 24-26

Read more on page 9.

Fermentation Festival, April 1 All sessions include samples.

Kombucha: 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Spend the morning with brewers from Mother Kombucha learning about the benefits of Kombucha, a living, probiotic tea that has long been associated with wellness and vitality.

Outdoor Kitchen Excitement

Cheese Making: 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Maria and Tony Iannucci with AM Acres of Lake Wales will be demonstrating how to make Chevre, a soft goat milk cheese that is made with cultures and takes about 3 days to produce.

All About Beer: 2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Learn about the beer making process, the ingredients that determine the various colors, aromas, and flavors of beer and the difference between ales, lagers, and ciders.

Healthy Cooking Classes with Chai Canaglia: Gnocchi of Nonna Cecilia April 13, 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

“Gnocchi” is a type of “pasta” dish served with different sauces served in Italy for centuries. In addition to the gnocchi recipe, you will learn how to prepare two typical sauces to pair with the “gnocchi.”

Excitement continues by dinner and exquisite wines of at the Outdoor Kitchen the region. as events, programs and Proceeds from A Night in Tuscany classes delight visitors support the Frog Fountain Restoration with delicious culinary Project that is currently underway at opportunities. In November, Pinewood Estate.

A Night in Tuscany, a fundraising dinner sponsored Many exciting

by Kim Bepler, provided culinary events an amazing evening of are scheduled this Tuscan‑inspired fare season. Register prepared by award-winning online now!

Chef Nicoletta Grippo of New York City. Attendees were entertained with a handmade pasta For more information about supporting the Frog demonstration followed Fountain Restoration Project, contact Julie Diaz at jdiaz@boktower.org or 863.734.1212

The new Wild Garden is a natural extension of the historic Olmsted Gardens and was planted to attract wildlife and showcase Florida native plants. The quiet walk takes visitors through five distinct ecosystems including the upland pine savanna, pine flatwoods, oak hammock, wetland prairie and bog. A connecting walk leads to the Pine Ridge Preserve and the main walk takes visitors to the original 1923 entrance to the Gardens.

Nancy Bissett of The Natives Nursery, located in Davenport, FL, joined forces with Bok Tower Gardens Chief Horticulturalist Greg Kramer to create a truly native garden. This undertaking was no small feat as most of the plantings have been grown from the seeds of many different Florida ecosystems. “You just can’t go out to your local home store and find these

rare, indigenous plant species. With permission, we searched through miles of native terrain looking for the plants that would be a part of this new garden creation,” explains Bissett.

“We traveled to the panhandle of Florida to find some of the rarer species, in fact, it was my birthday wish to travel north in search of the seeds that became the foundation of the bog,” she continued. Adding to her challenge, many of seeds could not be completely sourced until they bloomed. “We wanted to find a variety of plants that are showy and would provide color and interest throughout the year so waiting for the plants to bloom and set seed added time to the planting process.”

Native showstoppers like white-topped sedge (Rhynchospora colorata) and cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis)

provide a beautiful contrast to the native grasses and other green plantings in the wetland prairie. “Collecting the seeds for the cardinal flower plantings was especially challenging. My friend had to collect the seeds for me You can’t and she was a just go out to your really great local home store and sport. She find these rare, had to cross indigenous plant this very species. tricky creek and retrieve the seeds from the muddy banks,” remarked Bissett. When in bloom, the cardinal flower with its scarlet, spiky plume is also a natural attractor of hummingbirds.

The largest area of native planting can be found in the upland pine savanna and according to Kramer “was inspired by the plant palette found along the

Wild By Nature by Erica Smith, Director of Marketing

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Pine Ridge Preserve.” He continued “the groupings are reminiscent of what might be seen in nature; however, the density is much greater. Over time, plants will find their place and the entire area will blend together and become very natural.” Bissett echoes his comment and provided “there is more variety in these With the areas than we exceptional originally biodiversity, visitors planned. will see something With the different every time exceptional they visit. biodiversity, visitors will see something different every time they visit.”

The upland pine savanna features 40 different species of plants and wildflowers planted in clusters for a very dense ground cover. Bissett

and Kramer included many varieties of milkweed (Asclepias tuberose). In addition to their beautiful orange blooms, the plant also attracts Monarch butterflies and native bees. “The pine savanna will be the most beautiful during the fall months with a riot of color from the wildflowers,” Bissett shared. In the coming months, native prickly pear cactus (Opuntia humifusa) will also be added to the area. “The waxy yellow blooms of cactus plants provide a perfect bed for bees as they sleep inside flowers,” she shared.

“Gopher tortoises also like to eat the blooms,” Kramer added. This area will be periodically burned with prescribed fire to encourage flower bloom and discourage weeds.

The species count in the bog and wetland prairie tops the charts with 135 different plant species. “We wanted

to fine the actual genetic species that can be found in the wild and not hybrids,” said Bissett. “Visitors will be enchanted by this area because of the wild nature of the plants. Plants with funny names like ‘frog fruit’ (Lippia nodiflora) are really interesting with dainty purple and white flowers when in bloom, but more importantly, the plant is a host for White Peacock Butterflies (Anartia jatrophae). Be sure to look close to the ground as the entire boardwalk will be a-flutter!”

The Wild Garden will be an ever changing canvas of plant diversity and will attract a wide variety of wildlife including the rare Florida Sand Skink (Neoseps reynoldsi), Gopher Tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) and native birding species including American Kestrels (Falco sparverius) and Snowy Egrets (Egretta thula).

We need the tonic of wildness...At the same time that we are earnest to explore and learn all things, we require that all things be mysterious and unexplorable, that land and sea be indefinitely wild, unsurveyed and unfathomed by us because unfathomable. We can never have enough of nature.

- Henry David Thoreau, from Walden, 1854

photo by Emily Plank

www.boktowergardens.org 16

Paradise Found!

23rd International Carillon Festival: March 4-12 Celebrating more than 88 years of musical and cultural heritage, Bok Tower Gardens presents the 23rd International Carillon Festival March 4-12.

The highly anticipated music festival features worldrenowned carillonneurs performing daily concerts at

1 & 3 p.m. The Visitor Center also features historical exhibits on the history, construction and sound of the carillon from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Festival concerts are included with general admission. A complete listing of festival events has been listed below.

photo by Chad Baumer

Hidden Garden Melodies March 4-5, 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Included in general admission Enjoy internationally-inspired live music on the Blue Palmetto Café Terrace.

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Sunset Mix & Mingle Carillon Concert

Singing Tower Exterior Tour

March 5, 6 p.m.

March 6-10, 12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Concert: $10 per person; free for members

Included in general admission

Concert & Reception: $35 person; $25 member

Learn more about the Singing Tower’s history with a guided tour of the exterior of the Singing Tower highlighting its history, artistry, architecture and construction.

After the tour, enjoy a half-hour carillon concert.

Celebrate one of the most unique musical experiences with a Moonlight Concert under the light of a full moon with cocktail reception to follow in the Gardens Outdoor Kitchen where guests can meet the artists.

Paradise Found! World Premieres of Rediscovered Compositions

World Premiere Commissioned Compositions

This year’s carillon festival features the exciting debut of five original carillon pieces composed in 1930’s for the Singing Tower by famed composers Rosario Scalero and Gian Carlo Menotti that were recently rediscovered in the archives of the Curtis Institute of Music. The Curtis Institute of Music was founded in 1924 by Mary Louise Curtis Bok (1876-1970), wife of Bok Tower Gardens’ founder Edward Bok. A partnership between the two organizations allowed for Curtis Institute students to study composition and carillon performance at Bok Tower Gardens.

Several of Scalero’s students, including Gian Carlo Menotti, Nino Rota, and Samuel Barber, were among the students selected to come to Florida to study with Bok Tower Gardens’ first carillonneur, Anton Brees. Scalero also visited Bok Tower Gardens in 1931 and composed several pieces for carillon. None of these pieces were published and were thought to be lost. Gardens’ Carillonneur Geert D’hollander will perform the world premiere of two Scalero compositions on Saturday, March 4 at 1:00 p.m.

Menotti also composed several pieces for carillon during his time at Bok Tower Gardens. Six of those pieces, Six Compositions for the Carillon, were published in 1934. Three additional unpublished pieces were rediscovered in the Curtis Institute archives and all three will be performed by guest carillonneur Lisa Lonie on Thursday, March 9 at 3:00 p.m.

In addition to the rediscovered music, Gardens’ Carillonneur Geert D’hollander will play two world premiere compositions commissioned for the International Carillon Festival and written in 2016 and 2017 by recent Blanchard Fellowship recipient Julie Zhu and Collins Fellowship recipient Joey Brink. The world premieres of these compositions will take place on Saturday, March 4 and Sunday, March 12 during the 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. concerts.

The 23rd International Carillon Festival is supported and sponsored in part by The State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture, Visit Central Florida. Koen Cosaert is sponsored by Don and Pat Jones. Frans Haagen is sponsored by Paul and Carol Collins. Ellen Dickinson is sponsored by Dr. Frank & Carol Drake. Lisa Lonie is sponsored by Lawrence and Genevieve Dimmitt in memory of A. Bronson Thayer, past board chairman of Bok Tower Gardens.

Talented Carillonneurs From Around the World The festival features daily concerts by four outstanding professional carillonneurs, Koen Cosaert, Frans Haagen, Lisa Lonie and Ellen Dickinson who are all first-time festival performers and leading

international performers among their peers. Each guest carillonneur will present four concerts each, some of them will be digitally-synthesized music with live bells, various themed recitals carillon duet concerts and

more. Together with Geert, these accomplished guest carillonneurs will perform throughout the nine-day festival at 1:00 & 3:00 p.m. daily.

Goldfish Carillon Children’s Concert

Moonlight Mix and Mingle Carillon Concert

Hidden Garden Melodies

March 8, 10:00 a.m.

March 10, 7:30 p.m.

Included in general admission

Concert only: $10 per person; free for members

March 11-12, 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Children are invited to experience a musical presentation of interactive carillon music, meet the artists, learn about the Singing Tower and enjoy light healthy snacks.

Concert & Reception: $35 person; $25 member Spend an evening beneath the live oaks as carillon melodies float down from the Singing Tower and the moon beams illuminate the Singing Tower with cocktail reception to follow at Pinewood Estate where guests can meet the artists.

Included in general admission Enjoy internationally-inspired live music on the Blue Palmetto Café Terrace.

www.boktowergardens.org 18

Few stories are more unique and heartwarming than that of Edward Bok and Usaburo Tsujita (affectionately called “Tsuda” by the Bok Family) who served as an attendant in the Bok home during the 1920’s. His service to the family was brief, only three short years; however, their relationship would last a lifetime as Tsuda considered Mr. Bok to be a father figure. His friendship with the Bok family spanned several decades and Tsuda corresponded often with Mary Louise Bok as their letters date into late 1950’s. It was Mr. Bok’s promotion of world peace and betterment that inspired Tsuda to commission the sculpting of the magnificent Peace Lantern.

The creation of the memorial lantern required seven years of savings which he proudly provided a lasting tribute to his honored mentor.

After his service to Mr. Bok, Tsuda traveled throughout Japan lecturing about his friend and mentor. He captured his life story in a manuscript he wanted published. A collection of two decades of lively letters and his unpublished manuscript was donated

to the Bok Tower Gardens archives by the Bok family.

lore, birds were viewed as the sacred creatures that carry souls to heaven.

According to letters between Tsuda The carving and construction of the and Mrs. Bok, the plan called for a lantern took over a year to complete lantern standing 15 feet; however, and was eventually shipped to the he opted for a higher quality stone United States. In 1955, the Peace requiring more time and care from the Lantern was lovingly placed within stone mason. The final size was 9 feet. view of Mr. Bok’s grave in front The stone for the lantern was handof the Tower. quarried and sculpted in I should be very happy, if you could place it the Ibaraki where the glimpse of the late Mr. Bok’s tomb could Province be seen from the lantern, because the lantern is a located in the part of my spirit and you know, I want to watch Kantō region. In him and must run to his side whenever he Japanese, lanterns are needs me for something. called dai-doro and the Peace Lantern - Usaburo Tsujita, 1955 was designed in the Kasuga style which can be recognized by the symbols of a The endearing relationship between stag, the sun and moon carved around Tsuda and Mr. Bok is an indelible the sides of the fire box. example that friendship, loyalty and One of the more unique aspects of the love should have no boundaries. The Bok Tower Gardens Peace Lantern can Peace Lantern will inspire generations be found underneath the fire box where

by Mr. Bok’s legacy of a more peaceful, six different carvings of doves represent beautiful and fulfilling life. the hope and spirit of world peace. It is also interesting to note that in Japanese culture, doves are said to have the power to fly back and forth between the living and the dead and in ancient

In December 2013, Bok Tower Gardens was awarded a Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) Grant to catalog the vertical files of the Anton Brees Carillon Library (ABCL). For the past three years, we have been working hard to process and catalog more than 150 linear feet of materials, which has resulted in the creation of nearly 1,100 finding aids!

These are searchable via the library’s digital collections website at boktowergardens.org/library/collections.

C.L.I.R. Grant Comes to a Close

by Jaime Fogel, Collections Manager

Prior to this project, the ABCL had no tools for creating encoded archival description (EAD) finding aids. Many of the most popular tools for creating EAD finding aids

19 Spring 2017

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photo by Randall Rupert

Lighting the Way

quarry

Tsuda and stone masons

rtis Bok

Mary Lee Cu

are not feasible options for smaller collecting institutions and open source software databases require knowledge of computer programming, investment of funds, or server storage space and support. We were able to use Microsoft Access to create finding aids at a low cost.

Research uncovered a free Access database offered by the National Library of Medicine. After some modifications, including changing medical subject headings for Library of Congress subject headings and

adding the functionality to export to PDF, we have found the database to be an extremely useful tool. When installed on a shared server, an Access database allows multiple users access simultaneously. Simple forms allow users to easily input information.

Finding aids can be exported as XML or PDF with one click, and then imported into a variety of other systems.

database, along with the initial set up instructions and user manual, for FREE to anyone who’s interested!

The database and accompanying documentation can be downloaded at boktowergardens.org/library/resources.

Please email library@boktower.org to learn more about the project, for research inquiries, or for questions about the Finding Aid Creator database.

We thought other collecting institutions might benefit from this tool so we are offering this www.boktowergardens.org 20

Board of Directors Cindy Alexander, Chair

Community Volunteer - Lake Wales, FL

Four Best Buds

by Jane, Lynn, JoRene, and Carol, Volunteers

Tomas J. Bok, Ph.D., Vice Chair

President - Cambridge Analytics LLC - Somerville, MA

Richard D. Wood,Jr., Secretary Retired - Wawa, Inc. - Wawa, PA

Board Members Michael Aloian

President - Charlotte State Bank Trust Department Tampa, FL

JF Bryan IV

Principal - The Bryan Group - Jacksonville, FL

Paul Collins

Retired - PJC Partners - London

Susan de Saint Phalle

President - Webb Corporation - Perrysburg, OH

Lawrence M. Dimmitt III

Retired - Dimmitt Chevrolet - Clearwater, FL

Frank Driscoll

President/CEO - Driscoll Group - Winston-Salem, NC

Robin Gibson

Senior Partner - Gibson Law Firm - Lake Wales, FL

Heather Jordan-Holmes

CEO/President - The Omnia Group, Inc. - Tampa, FL

Albert Menendez

CEO/President - M Group International - Miami, FL

Alexis Pugh

Community Volunteer - Winter Park, FL

John Stoetzel

President - Mountain Lake Corporation - Lake Wales, FL

Joshua C. Webb

Attorney - Hill Ward Henderson Law Firm, Tampa, FL

Emeritus Members J. Shepard Bryan Jr.

Attorney - Holland & Knight LLP - Atlantic Beach, FL

Nancy J. Davis

President & CEO - McArthur Management Company Miami, FL

Senator Bob Graham

Senator - U. S. Senate - Miami, FL

M. Lewis Hall Jr.

Partner/Attorney - Hall & Hedrick - Coral Gables, FL

Joan Wellhouse Newton

Chairman Emeritus - Regency Centers Corporation Jacksonville, FL

Jane Henderson, Lynn Hamel, JoRene Nevitt and Carol Livezey had not met before joining our volunteer family; however, through their volunteer efforts a wonderful friendship has been cultivated. Edward Bok was a huge proponent of volunteerism and he described in his autobiography the idea of service to others as the “third period” in his vision for a successful life. It is with great joy we share Jane, Lynn, JoRene and Carol’s own words describing how volunteering at Bok Tower Gardens can be a transformative experience.

What a privilege it has been for us to volunteer at Bok Tower Gardens and Pinewood Estate! Our lives have been greatly enriched by the experience. Currently, we are all Garden guides from November through April, and docents and hostesses at Pinewood through the Christmas season.

Each one of us has come from different states and from varied backgrounds.

The miracle is that we have forged a friendship that would never have happened without Bok Tower Gardens and the Volunteer Program. At some point, volunteer work for us became much more. Our chance meeting as Garden guides has grown into a family affair. As with any family,

we have traveled together, celebrated special occasions, and encouraged and consoled each other in sorrowful times.

From the beginning, we were mentored by other Garden guides and received expertise from the Horticulture and Education staff. Over the years, the Pinewood Managers have shared their historical knowledge, and it is so exciting to share that information with visitors.

Bok Tower Gardens is always in need of new volunteers to help with our visitors’ experiences. We have a critical need for volunteers with carpentry, woodworking, painting and construction skills.

Do you want to learn more about plant species and plant identification? How about becoming more aware of native plant collections or Florida vegetable gardens? We have a position just for you!

Various volunteer positions are available throughout the Gardens and we can accommodate an array of interests and abilities. If you are interested in volunteering at Bok Tower Gardens, please contact Roxanne Andrews at randrews@boktower.org or 863.676.1408 ext. 2258.

A friendship that would never have happened without Bok Tower Gardens.

JANE HENDERSON travels from Poinciana, but makes the trip faithfully. She was an English and foreign language teacher, and worked in her family’s entertainment business.

She brings those skills to her garden tours, and even has developed some tour “groupies” over the years.

CAROL LIVEZEY was a Master Gardener in Ohio, and also provides tours for the Florida Flywheeler Antique Engine Club.

Her Garden tours often include visitors who are in wheelchairs, young moms with strollers, or visitors who just want a slower experience on the new paths.

JORENE NEVITT is a former music teacher who lovingly supports her minister husband. Her beautiful singing voice carries over to her tours as she shares the stories of Edward Bok and Charles Austin Buck.

LYNN HAMEL has been a world traveler with her Navy husband.

As a former florist her skills are put to good use throughout the year, and she is a member of the Holiday Home Tour Design Team. She also enjoys escorting school groups through the Gardens, even in the hot summer.

www.boktowergardens.org 22

Non-Profit U.S. Postage

PAID

Lakeland, FL Permit No. 1

Contact Us Main Desk boktowergardens.org 863.676.1408 Tickets & Reservations boktowergardens.org/tickets 863.734.1222 Membership boktowergardens.org/membership 863.734.1233 Education boktowergardens.org/education 863.734.1221

Hours Open 365 Days a Year!

8 a.m. - 6 p.m. with last admission at 5 p.m.

Member discount

On September 1, the Bok Tower Gardens/ UF IFAS Extension Partnership launched the Polk County School and Community Garden Association with 30 participating gardens. By joining the association, these K-12 schools and non‑profit community gardens receive access to free garden education and resources.

Members receive a 10% discount at the Tower & Garden Gift Shop, Blue Palmetto Café and on most programs and events.

Bok Tower Gardens, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, is supported by tax-exempt gifts and contributions and is sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture.

CTP/8M/0217

Tourism Partners