HANDCRAFTING OUR WINTER WONDERLAND • THE RETURN TO EDEN: THE STORY OF SAVANNAS MINT
The
Vol. 4 | Issue 3 | Fall 2012
Stewarding theFuture A newsletter from Bok Tower Gardens www.boktowergardens.org
Photo by Sarah Lingwall
Photo by David Price
Rufous hummingbirds have been recently spotted in the Gardens.
Geert D’hollander performing on the Singing Tower carillon.
A Letter from the President
Volunteers working in the Joan Wellhouse Newton Greenhouse. The Singing Tower and Victoria water lilies.
With this newsletter I am excited to announce we have hired for three key positions. Geert D’hollander has been hired as Carillonneur. With an international reputation, Geert is a top composer, performer and teacher. We have also hired Greg Kramer as Director of Horticulture. With over 15 years of experience in public gardens, Greg has a passion for plants, learning and teaching. Brian Ososky has been hired as Director of Marketing and Public Relations. Brian has 20 years of experience in arts and cultural tourism. We continue to build our team stronger, as our staff and volunteers are vitally important to the quality of what we do. Edward Bok placed the Tower and garden “under the protection of the public.” We are all stewards of the garden. The garden has a life that continues and grows with the spirit of the people who care for and protect the sanctuary and the reason it was created. The first time I came to the Gardens, I was moved and humbled by the people who protect this place. There are countless players working for the common goal of perpetuating the gift that Bok gave the American people. There are staff tending the grounds and buildings, caring for our visitor’s needs, and administering the business of the organization. But the staff is just the tip of the iceberg when considering the nearly 400 volunteers we have working on projects such as leading tours, taking photographs, greeting visitors, answering phones, driving carts, gardening,
growing plants in our nursery, and even leading this organization as our Board of Directors.
Our Board has been working hard with staff on laying the groundwork to carry out the first phase of our Master Plan. They steward the future for the generations to come. Even our many visitors are stewards when they bring guests, purchase memberships to give as gifts, or just tell friends about the Gardens. This is as much stewardship as is tending the plants or feeding the birds. Members support the Gardens with their memberships and donations. We are fortunate to have so many good people working to make this place what it is and sharing the gift of the Gardens.
David Price, President
Cover photo of the Lee Lawrie sculpture “Young Man Feeding Birds” by David Price. 2 | Fall 2012
Board Welcome: Frank Driscoll Frank E. Driscoll, President and CEO of Driscoll Associates Inc. and Founder and Chairman of Mebane Packaging Corporation has joined the Board of Directors of Bok Tower Gardens. Frank was born and raised in Winston-Salem, North Carolina where he currently lives with his wife, Mary H. Cain. He is a father to three children Dale, Mark and Margaret and grandfather to eight. Frank sits on the Board of Visitors of his alma mater, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, assisting the Board of Trustees and Chancellor to advance the University’s mission. Frank has also taken a leadership role in his community by holding positions in his church, Rotary Club and The Winston-Salem Symphony.
Introducing Brian Ososky, Director of Marketing and Public Relations He’s only been here a few weeks, but tourism and non-profit organizations are right up his alley—and he brings the passion and experience necessary to take Bok Tower Gardens to the next level. Brian graduated from the University of South Florida with his bachelor’s in mass communications and worked in group sales at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center (now the Straz Center) where he interned his senior year. He has held the director of marketing & public relations position for the Sarasota Ballet of Florida, Knoxville Symphony Orchestra, and American Shakespeare Center in Staunton, Virginia. Transitioning from arts to tourism, he was also the executive director of the Shenandoah Valley Travel Association. Now at the Gardens, Brian will continue moving forward. “There are a lot of new opportunities here and I’m excited to be a part of that growth,” Brian said. “I have some ideas for strengthening community partnerships, working with tourism groups and accommodations, and enhancing our social media programs.” He comes with a lot of experience in public relations and none in plants or gardens, but that hasn’t stopped him before. “I never knew much about ballet, or classical music, or Shakespeare, but I knew about marketing and how to promote,” he said. “Everything else I learned from the experts.” As far as the projects he has planned next: “We already have several new initiatives planned for 2013. It’s still too soon to share details, but let’s just say we’re taking things to the next level.”
David Price President
Melanie Shoults Editor
Martin Corbin Graphic Design
Editorial Contributors Jennifer Beam Martin Corbin Emily Nettnin Earle Christine Foley Rachel Henderson Steve Jolley Greg Kramer Sarah Lingwall Heidi Mandelin Katrina Noland Brian Ososky Bill Parken Cheryl Peterson David Price Nicole DeMaris Sharp Joan Thomas Chris Vandello Rose Young
Mission To share Edward Bok’s gift of a beautiful and serene garden with music, architecture and nature, so that all who visit will be inspired by his vision: “Make you the world a bit better or more beautiful because you have lived in it.” 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 Affairsorida Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts. CTP/7M/1012
Fall 2012 | 3
Did you know… •
•
•
•
A gift of $50 would provide a membership to an Alzheimer’s caregiver to visit the Gardens for renewal and rejuvenation for one year. A gift of $75 would help fund the preservation efforts of original manuscripts of carillon music composed by influential artists in the carillon world. A gift of $100 would help provide scholarships for 20 children to participate in the Gardens’ annual Earth Day Celebration which promotes conservation and encourages young people to respect and appreciate the natural beauty all around us. A gift of $250 would provide pots, labels and soil to propagate 400 Savannas Mint onto protected lands, ensuring that the rare and endangered plants of Florida will be around to provide joy for future generations.
4 | Fall 2012
Share the Gift:
Stewarding Community Outreach by Emily Nettnin Earle, Development Manager Bok Tower Gardens holds special meaning for all of us. Everyone has their own unique stories and memories of their visits to the Gardens and when you give to the Gardens, you become a part of it and its story.
sales and food sales only cover 55% of the Gardens’ annual operating budget so we depend heavily on our endowment, grants, sponsorships and individual donors to help make up the remaining 45% needed in unrestricted income.
It is an important and special time for us. We are sharing the vision of our Master Plan, celebrating our members with special “Members Only” events, and have committed to increase access and engagement for all who come to the Gardens. The Share the Gift Annual Fund, which was established in 2008 as a repository for unrestricted monetary gifts, has been helping us do that.
The gifts that have been given to the Share the Gift Annual Fund help support four key areas: Conservation, Preservation, Operation and Membership. In the four years that the Fund has existed, these gifts have helped to 1) replace plants in the core gardens; 2) expand our resources for the preservation of rare historical papers related to the development and construction of Bok Tower Gardens; 3) provide support for a new educational program, the Fairchild Challenge, which motivates students to think critically about environmental issues and to create responses that are innovative,
It takes a great deal of resources to maintain and preserve Bok Tower Gardens. Tickets, memberships, program fees, gift
55% 39% Tickets, memberships, program fees, gift shop and café sales
Endowment
6%
Sponsorships, grants and individual donors
effective and remarkable; and 4) offer memberships to teachers, families, people with disabilities and caregivers whose experiences here have been touching testaments to the impact of the Gardens for those who, without this program, would otherwise not be able to come and create memories of their own. A gift to the Share the Gift Annual Fund can be put to use immediately and has a direct impact on the work we do every day, and because Bok Tower Gardens is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, all gifts to this fund are tax-deductible. Enclosed in the fold of this month’s Garden Path Newsletter is our Share the Gift Annual Fund pledge card/envelope. As members, you understand the deep and rich connection the Gardens has with its community and its desire to “make you the world a bit better or more beautiful.” As the holiday approaches, we invite you to make a gift to the Share the Gift Annual Fund and help steward the Gardens’ future.
Dear Bok Tower Gardens, On behalf of the Alzheimer’s Association-Florida Gulf Coast Chapter, I extend my sincere appreciation for the partnership with Bok Tower Gardens and my Chapter. The 2012 Caregivers Day Out was a wonderful event and like last year proved to be very beneficial to caregivers. As indicated by data collected, we served more than 60 people affected by Alzheimer’s disease or related dementia. In addition, admission passes will be presented to caregivers in need of a visit to the Gardens. The Share the Gift program is making an impact on many lives, including those affected by Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia. At the Gardens, people experience stress reduction first hand, which in return lessens the burdens of caregiving. I look forward to working with Bok Tower Gardens for the 2013 Alzheimer’s Association Caregivers Day out. Thank you for the continual support and partnership. Sincerely,
Stefanie A. Thompson Senior Program Specialist Alzheimer’s Association Florida Gulf Coast Chapter Polk County Office. Fall 2012 | 5
Introducing Geert D’hollander by Melanie Shoults, Editor
Please welcome our new carillonneur, Geert D’hollander, internationally acclaimed composer, performer and instructor.
The bells were in his blood. Geert D’hollander’s father, also a carillonneur, introduced him to the majestic instrument as soon as Geert could walk. Born and raised in Belgium, Geert was fascinated by his dad’s job.
“The Gardens is an oasis of rest and the perfect natural concert hall.”
“I grew up with bells. But in the beginning, I wasn’t interested in the notes,” says Geert. “I was more interested in climbing all those medieval towers and touching doors that no one had opened for a hundred years.” Not surprisingly, when Geert was 13 he decided to pursue a career in carillon and started classes at The Royal Carillon School in Mechelen, Belgium while still in high school. Four years later, at only 17 years old, he was the youngest person to graduate with a degree in carillon from that school. He first saw the Gardens in 1982 right after his graduation, when his father toured him around the United States, visiting carillons throughout the country. The first carillon he played in America was the Singing Tower. “I was very impressed with the instrument, the whole setting, everything. It was like nothing I’d ever experienced before.” His career has taken him to various countries and carillons. He was appointed carillon professor at the University of California Berkeley where he performed and taught. Most recently he was the carillonneur at the Antwerp Cathedral and Belfry of Ghent.
6 | Fall 2012
Geert is an acclaimed carillonneur and has been the first prize winner in about 30 international competitions for carillon and/or composition. In 2008, Geert was awarded the “Berkeley Medal of Honor” for “Distinguished Service to the Carillon,” which is The University of California’s top honor. It’s presented a maximum of four times per year to individuals whose work reflects the ideals of the University, whose careers have greatly benefited the public, and who have performed above the required service to the University. In 2011, he won the prestigious Dutch “ANV-Visser Neerlandia Prize” with his carillon composition “Ciacona.” While living in Belgium, Geert was the carillon composition teacher at the Royal Carillon School in Mechelen; the same school he studied at as a teenager. He was also a guest carillon teacher at the Dutch Carillon School (Amersfoort) and at Roosevelt Academy (Middelburg), both in The Netherlands. He frequently gives master classes in Europe and the USA and he has visited the Gardens numerous times, including playing at our International Carillon Festival for five years. “In Europe, our carillons are in the middle of the city and there’s a lot of noise, a lot of people, a lot of energy, and you have to play very different music,” says Geert. “If I were to play slow music, people wouldn’t hear it, so I have to play faster and louder. But the Gardens is an oasis of rest and the perfect natural concert hall.”
Introducing Greg Kramer by Melanie Shoults, Editor
Greg Kramer, Director of Horticulture, plans to preserve the past while cultivating the future when it comes to growth in the Gardens. He brings his experience and knowledge to Bok Tower Gardens and is engaged in all aspects of his new position.
Greg’s passion for plants began with his grandfather. “My whole family hates gardening and insects, however my grandfather was an avid gardener,” says Greg. “When I was growing up, I spent a great deal of time with him and he understood a lot about food production, farming and designing. He sort of passed that on to me.”
“Horticulture is kind of like medicine; there’s always something to learn, always more research out there to implement.”
Even still, he wasn’t sure horticulture was right for him. He started college majoring in marine biology but by his second year, he returned to his roots and changed his major to botany. He earned his undergraduate degree in botany from the University of Miami, and his Masters in environmental horticulture from the University of Florida. He has worked as the director of horticulture at Tavern on the Green Restaurant in New York, as well as the New York Restoration Project, and as a horticulture instructor at Miami-Dade College.
“One day it’s planting with the gardeners, and the next day it’s planning with the architects…. Horticulture is kind of like medicine; there’s always something to learn, always more research out there to implement,” Greg comments. “Anyone who tells you they know everything about horticulture is lying. No matter how long you’ve been gardening, there is always more to learn. It keeps you on your toes.” While working full time at the Gardens, Greg is finishing his doctorate in plant medicine from the University of Florida. He has loved his first few months at the Gardens and already has ideas for the future. “I plan to stick to the original Olmsted plan…. I’d like to research a little more about the original plant palette, what was used and what’s not here now. Maybe we can bring some of that back.”
Greg also plans to implement conservation techniques like better management of fertilizer and water. “I’m a big advocate of bio control for insects rather than spraying chemicals. But with that comes a lot of monitoring because you have to understand what’s out there before you can implement a program,” Greg says. Greg welcomes staff and visitors to approach him if they see him walking through the Gardens. He is looking to meet everyone and share his knowledge of not just plants, but birds and insects as well. He is a renaissance man of nature.
Fall 2012 | 7
“The Nature of the Holidays” is the theme for this year’s design. Room Design Partners from around Central Florida have chosen elements that range from naturally glitzy to naturally organic. Following this year’s overall theme, Pinewood volunteers are focusing on making the décor classy and simple, like nature itself.
dc n a H
r
n i t af
W
g
r e t in
Wo n d
Volunteers will handmake many ornaments and decorations displayed in Pinewood and in the Visitor Center. Ornaments will feature natural materials.
Our
d n a l er
by Jennifer Beam, Director of Visitor Services & Programs This Christmas season at Bok Tower Gardens is sure to excite guests of all ages. Visitors will be greeted by a 12-foot Christmas tree in the Visitor Center, decked out with natureinspired ornaments designed and handcrafted by Bok Tower Gardens’ volunteers. Holiday carillon music can be enjoyed throughout the Gardens. At Pinewood, guests will enter a holiday wonderland.
Many of the creative ideas used this year were inspired from social websites such as Pinterest, making sharing holiday inspiration even easier.
Pin it! Follow Bok Tower Gardens on Pinterest for some of our favorite décor ideas at pinterest.com/boktowergardens
In addition to the Holiday Home Tour, visitors are welcome to participate in a range of fun and entertaining holiday events. Join us for classes in hand making your own natural Christmas ornaments. At only $10 per person, the classes include all the materials you need to find inspiration and begin transforming your home into a natural holiday wonderland.
Calling all “Angels”
We need more than 200 volunteers to assist during this year’s Holiday Home Tour. Find out how you can help online at boktowergardens.org/volunteer.
The Holiday Home Tour at Pinewood Estate will delight visitors with fresh and contemporary designs inspired by nature within the historical backdrop of the 1932 house.
Membership Matters Membership Matters
Give the gift of Bok Tower Gardens
Get A Free Subscription!
Don’t make shopping for a gift stressful! Give a gift that will provide your family, friends and co-workers with a year’s worth of beautiful music and picturesque gardens. Gift memberships are offered throughout the year and are a great way to introduce someone new to Bok Tower Gardens. Current members can purchase a gift membership for $5 off regular prices through May 1, 2013. Visit boktowergardens.org/membership to purchase a gift membership for someone special today!
New and renewing members can receive a free one-year subscription to Better Homes and Gardens magazine. This offer is available through our partnership with the American Public Gardens Association and will run through December 31, 2012. Members will receive a subscription card with their membership materials.
8 | Fall 2012
April 2011 BHG.com
Fresh Ideas
For Your Garden, Home, and Table
Garden-to-Table Recipes From Chef Jamie Oliver Sweet Ideas for Spring Baking Easy Easter Decorating Get Fit! Solutions to Real-Life Roadblocks
Photo by Bill Parken
This August we called on our members, volunteers and the community to help us plant 4,500 native grasses and wildflowers. Some of the species planted include like Liatris (Liatris laevigata), Chapman’s goldenrod (Solidago odora var. chapmanii) and Twinflower (Dyschoriste oblongifolia). This wildflower planting will be part of the Bok Tower Gardens Preserve Trail that is soon to open.
4,500 Native Plants and Wildflowers Added to New Nature Preserve While the effort to preserve lands surrounding the Gardens might go relatively unnoticed, the impact is evident as you approach the Gardens on our entrance road, winding through citrus groves, pine forests and fields. These open areas and views are part of the garden experience. Our efforts to preserve these lands for future generations to enjoy are made possible through our continued conservation partnerships with Green Horizon Land Trust and the Florida Communities Trust.
A wide variety of participants were involved in this project, ranging from individuals and families to Boy Scout troops and the Ridge Rangers – a group of volunteers who focus on helping restore and support the Lake Wales Ridge ecosystem. “Without the support of these dedicated volunteers, it would be difficult to complete such a large task,” said Katrina Noland, land steward at Bok Tower Gardens. “Not only were these volunteers able to make a lasting impact on the enviornment, they also received a firsthand education and experienced the nature of this threatened ecosystem.”
Legacy Giving One of our Tower Key Society members quietly “made the world a bit better or more beautiful” this past spring by leaving a gift of $50,000 in her estate to Bok Tower Gardens. A 20-year Gardens Member and resident of Lake Wales, this woman faithfully made her anonymous gift to the Gardens each December. When she passed away in early 2012, we were surprised and touched to learn she had left this provision – we wished we could have thanked her for this gesture during her lifetime. By placing her gift into our permanent endowment, it will grow and support the Gardens in perpetuity. What a beautiful way to “share the gift” of the Gardens with future generations. If you would like to receive information on including Bok Tower Gardens in your will or trust contact Joan Thomas, CFRE at 863.734.1213.
Save the Date! All Members:
Sustainer level and above:
Friday, October 19 from 5 - 7 p.m.
Saturday, November 10; Saturday, December 8; Friday, February 15; Saturday, March 16
Members Only: Boktoberfest Plant Sale Preview Get an exclusive sneak peek at the Plant Sale before it opens to the general public. Meet the vendors, skip the crowds and get first pick to buy plants and other natural products. Geert D’hollander will make his debut carillon performance at 5:30 p.m. and greet members at the Plant Sale Preview immediately following.
Founder’s Room Tours
Join this exclusive tour of the Founder’s Room inside the Tower including a new tour date on the day of Sunset & Symphony. RSVPs are required for this event. Contact Christine Foley at cfoley@boktower.org or 863.734.1233 to make your reservations. Fall 2012 | 9
2012
BOARD OF DIRECTORS CHAIR William G. Burns Lake Wales
VICE CHAIR Michael Aloian, President
TREASURER Tomas J. Bok, Ph.D., President
Cambridge Analytics LLC – Somerville, Mass.
SECRETARY Frank M. Hunt II, Chairman of the Board Hunt Bros. Cooperative – Lake Wales
BOARD MEMBERS Cindy Alexander, Community Volunteer Lake Wales
J. F. Bryan IV
The Bryan Group – Jacksonville
Paul Collins, Retired PJC Partners, London
Frank Driscoll, President/CEO
Driscoll Group – Winston-Salem, N.C.
Derek Dunn-Rankin, President
Sun Coast Media Group, Inc. – Charlotte Harbor
Robin Gibson, Senior Partner Gibson Law Firm – Lake Wales
Chip Elfner, President
Mountain Lake Corporation – Lake Wales
Mark Clayton Hollis Jr. Vice President, Public Affairs
Publix Super Markets, Inc. – Lakeland
L. Evans Hubbard, Chairman of the Board A. Friends’ Foundation Trust – Orlando
A. Bronson Thayer, Chairman of the Board Bay Cities Bank – Tampa
Photo by flickr.com/wmjas
Charlotte State Bank Trust Department – Tampa
Shooting Star Clerodendrum Clerodendrum quadriloculare
This shrub is indigenous to the Philippines and is planted in many tropical and subtropical climates worldwide. Many people consider it to be one of the most beautiful clerodendrum species in cultivation. The plant produces large clusters of terminal flowers that are white with a blush of pink. The large green leaves are a dark purple underneath and add to the beauty of the tree either when in flower or not. The shrub blooms late December through the end of winter.
Brazilian Red Cloak
Megaskepasma erythrochlamys
This large shrub is native to southern Venezuela and has gained popularity in the last 15 years. The huge dark green leaves act as a foil for the showy, red, foot-tall inflorescence. This plant is best used where its large stature and showy flowers can be enjoyed. The shrub will begin flowering mid-fall and will continue throughout the winter months. by Greg Kramer, Director of Horticulture
Dick Wood, Retired
Wawa, Inc. – Wawa, Penn.
EMERITUS MEMBERS Louise B. Adams Lake Wales
J. Shepard Bryan Jr., Attorney
Holland & Knight LLP – Atlantic Beach
Nancy J. Davis, President & CEO
McArthur Management Company – Miami
John Germany, Attorney
Holland & Knight LLP – Tampa
Robert Graham, Senator U. S. Senate – Miami
M. Lewis Hall Jr., Partner/Attorney Hall & Hedrick – Coral Gables
Joan Wellhouse Newton, Chairman Emeritus Regency Centers Corporation – Jacksonville
Special thanks to the following donors of Florida native plants and the property owners who allowed BTG to survey for and collect native plants, May-Aug 2012: Real Estate Management Division, Orange County Chris Bertoch, Winter Park Orange County Public Schools CSX Transportation, Inc. Murry & Marsha Crawley, Clermont Raun and Nancy Treible, Clermont Richard Gonzalez, Windermere David & Nancy Leuschner, Montverde Wendy L. Roberts, Montverde Dave and Dayna Williams, Orlando Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Tallahassee
The efforts of Rare Plant Conservation Program are primarily funded by grant awards and private donations. Below is a list of supplies we are currently seeking to acquire for our work to preserve Florida’s rare plant species. Crew Cab 4wd pickup Dual Purge pressure regulation system for seed desiccator
$25-35,000
$1,900
Portable artist/display tent
$400
Dino-Eye AM423 - 1.3MP Digital Microscope Camera
$280
Adobe Pro
$280
Digital Game Camera
$120
A Return to Eden: The Story of Savannas Mint by Cheryl L. Peterson, Conservation Manager Chris Vandello Florida Department of Environmental Protection The natural habitats of Florida have long been considered an Eden-like home for many unique native plant species, but now Eden really does exist in Florida. “A place or dwelling of great happiness, a paradise,” as defined by the Oxford Dictionary, Eden is an aptly-named 23-acre section of the Savannas Preserve State Park in Port St. Lucie. Although a parcel of sand pine scrub habitat doesn’t exactly sound like the Eden that comes to mind, it has been designated a haven for rare and native plants, including the Savannas Mint. A Savannas Mint in bloom.
Hundreds of potted plants ready for their population introduction.
Eighteen years ago, Savannas Mint was discovered accidentally in a housing development by biologists from the Institute of Regional Conservation. It is the only known site where Savannas Mint are naturally found. These plants were imperiled. Preventing extinction of a very rare species like this necessitates that new populations be introduced onto protected, public lands. Thanks to the partnership between Savannas Preserve State Park, the State of Florida, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Bok Tower Gardens’ Rare Plant Conservation Program, a trial population of Savannas Mint was introduced at Savannas Preserve State Park in 2006. Over the past six years, it has shown great success with a high survival rate and good seedling recruitment. This summer, a second population of Savannas Mint was introduced into the park. This planting wouldn’t have been possible without the financial support of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the continued partnership.
A close-up of a Savannas Mint flower.
In preparation for the planting, park staff and volunteers conducted a prescribed burn on the Eden site. These burns open the canopy and are part of the natural cycle that these plants need to thrive. Gardens staff, park staff and volunteers have planted a total of 670 mint plants at Eden. They appear to be thriving and will hopefully be the start of a second healthy, self-sustaining protected population. Thanks to the partnership working hard for its preservation, it could be said that Savannas Mint has truly returned to Eden.
A total of 670 mints have been planted at Eden.
Fall 2012 | 11
1151 Tower Boulevard Lake Wales 33853
1
2
3
4
1. Our Discovery Days were a hit this summer with children
3. We went to the dogs for a good cause during our second
of all ages participating in weekly programs that focused on
annual Dog Day of Summer. A portion of the proceeds were
reading and outdoor play.
donated to the Humane Society of Polk County from each of the 160 dog admissions that day.
2. All of our Live at the Gardens: Summer Music Series performances sold out. Audiences enjoyed concerts by Musical
4. More than 60 volunteers showed up to help clear exotic
Snapshot, Friends of Jazz, The Porchdogs (pictured), Vintage
species from preserve lands at the Gardens during National
Hearts with Ramblin’ Rose, and Juniper.
Public Lands Day.
www.boktowergardens.org • shop.boktowergardens.org