Happy Poké-hunting Guide
7/15/2016
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We’re so excited to introduce Bok Tower Gardens to a new generation of enthusiasts. Visitors have always said that everyone comes to the Gardens for a different reason. Some come for peacefulness and tranquility, others come for musical events, and with new garden spaces opening very soon we are ready to attract an even wider audience than ever before.
Welcome, Poké-hunters
Bok Tower Gardens was founded as a bird sanctuary, a haven for wildlife to live without the fear of being hunted. And that mission is not changing anytime soon. However, with the launch of Pokémon GO we are encouraging our guests to fill their Pokédex with plenty of digital bounty. Armed with only your smartphone, do your best to catch every last one of the little virtual Pokémon creatures that are highly attracted to places of arts and culture across the nation. Other gardens and museums are wonderful places to test your skills, so we’ve put together a short guide to help you on your way to an enjoyable safari through the wild of Bok Tower Gardens.
Dear members and friends…
4/27/2016
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Dear members and friends,
After 6 ½ years at Bok Tower Gardens, I am leaving my position as Membership Manager. This Friday, April 29, will be my last day.
I want you all to know how much I have enjoyed working at the Gardens. The personal relationships that I have formed with many of you have been very special to me. I will always treasure the wonderful memories I have made during my time here!
I am happy to announce that Marilyn Knowlton will be joining the department as Development Assistant. I know you will all enjoy getting to know her! Until her arrival mid-May you can contact Julie Diaz, Development Manager, with any questions regarding your membership at jdiaz@boktower.org.
I will miss seeing you at the Gardens!
Christine Foley
Please leave your fond farewells in the comments below.
The Art of Carillon
4/8/2016
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Are you the midnight musician? How wonderful! 
Thanks to a gift from Paul and Carol Collins, we have been privileged to have two Collins Carillon Fellowships at Bok Tower Gardens this year. These advanced students stay at Pinewood Estate and gain experience playing, composing, arranging and training under our Carillonneur Geert D’hollander. They also perform our live carillon concerts Mondays through Wednesdays in season. As an added perk, they get to enjoy lots of valuable after-hours rehearsal time in the Tower – a rare treat for carillonneurs whose instruments are located where playing hours are restricted.
“This must be the only carillon in the world where, if you play at 11 pm, you will later hear, ‘Are you the midnight musician? How wonderful!’ instead of ‘Grrr…please stop, we’re trying to sleep!'” muses Margaret Pan, our Collins Carillon Fellow from October to January.
Veggies, Fresh From Your Smartphone!
3/31/2016
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Do you want to know if it’s the right time of year to plant a vegetable? Want to buy Florida produce but you don’t know whether it’s in season? UF/IFAS has a new app to guide you!
It’s called the Florida Fresh veggie app, and you can now download it for free on any mobile device. The idea to create this new mobile friendly app emanated from one of the most popular Extension documents ever written: “The Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide.”
It’s pretty simple: enter your zip code, and the app tells you what vegetables to plant at that time of year. But the app’s uses go way beyond timely planting of vegetables. You can also discover the seasonal availability of Florida-grown produce. And there’s more. If you touch any of the photos, the app provides detailed information about each fruit and vegetable, including planting tips, best varieties for Florida and nutritional value. Additionally, the app gives you links to Extension documents about the plants, best practices for successful gardening and much more.
Bok Tower Gardens and UF/IFAS Extension are in a long term partnership to promote school and community gardening, native-plant and wildlife gardening, and garden classes through existing IFAS programs such as Florida Friendly Landscaping. Our goal is to create opportunities together to help your gardens and healthy lifestyle thrive!
July 11 to July 15, 2016, 9:00 am to 3:00 pm
July 18 to July 22, 2016, 9:00 am to 3:00 pm
July 25 to July 29, 2016, 9:00 am to 3:00 pm
August 1 to August 5, 2016, 9:00 am to 3:00 pm
$110 per session ($100 for members)
Looking for a series of engaging, outdoor programs for your child to attend this summer?
Discovery Days Summer Camp for Kids is a series of stimulating day camps for children ages 6-8 and 9-12 filled with discovery, exploration and imagination to keep young minds actively engaged and learning through the summer months. Informal, 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.
Bring on the Blooms!
1/19/2016
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Grab your cameras! Peak bloom season is just around the corner at Bok Tower Gardens, and it's one of the best times of year to visit!
During Peak Bloom, an annual rite of spring, visitors can observe more than 150 varieties of camellias and hundreds of azaleas along with nun’s orchids, irises, coral bean, Mexican flame vine, and other flowering plants as they create an explosion of color throughout the Gardens. Guests are encouraged to return throughout the bloom season to experience Mother Nature’s ever-changing palette of colors— and to take plenty of pictures.
“Our azaleas always steal the show, “says Greg Kramer, Gardens’ director of horticulture. “And the best time to visit is right now into the first few weeks of March while the bloom cycles for camellias and azaleas are overlapping.”
Violas, snapdragons, dianthus, delphiniums, holly hocks and other annuals also escort the arrival of spring with glorious displays of color. Trees in bloom include native plums and deciduous magnolias.