Bok Tower Gardens has been a place of inspiration for the people of Central Florida since its inception in 1929. Motivated by the beauty and diversity of Central Florida, philanthropist Edward Bok purchased a large tract of scrub and pine land to create a bird sanctuary and a place that would “touch the soul with its beauty and quiet.” Although plantings have changed over time, the core of Bok Tower Gardens has remained remarkably unmodified since Edward Bok and Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. began collaborating in 1922. In 2012, NBW was brought to implement several projects identified during their recently completed master planning process. The landscape architect extended and advanced initiatives from the plan, prompting the design of a series of new garden spaces and improving access and circulation throughout while preserving and integrating the cultural landscape of Bok and Olmsted Jr. The new gardens engage and orient visitors, showcase native plants in both natural settings and domestic landscapes, and integrate educational narratives of species interdependence and ecosystem well being.
Collaborators: Mary Williams Wolf, Coyle & Caron LLC, Rico Associates, Envisors, LLC, Henkelman Construction, Southern Land Surveyors, The Natives, Inc., Archbold Biological Station, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida Urban Ecology, University of Florida Sustainable Development, General Asphalt, Cheyenne Asphalt, Lake/ Flato Architects
