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When last we left you in the land of Mickey Mouse in Orlando, Florida, we were visiting the
gardens surrounding the World Showcase at Disney’s EPCOT. In this second part of a two-part
series, we’ll read about two more gardens that I visited during the recent Garden Writers
Association of America symposium.
The former home and gardens of Harry Leu and his, wife Mary Jane were donated to the city of Orlando in 1961. A native of Orlando, Mr. Leu was an avid collector of exotic plants. He and his wife developed their estate into a local showplace featuring the already-mentioned camellias, as well as azaleas, towering moss-covered oaks and more. Today, the gardens are divided into several areas, and also includes a museum that originally was a late 19th-century farmhouse. Other gardens include an annual bedding plant garden, an all-white garden, a rose garden, a vegetable garden and others dominated by arid plants, herbs, tropical stream and a native wetland. The latter even includes alligators that live along the shore of Lake Rowena. Strolling along the shaded, meandering paths, framed by giant oaks and forests of camellias, it’s easy to lose yourself in the garden. For a West Coast gardener, viewing the flowing strands of Spanish moss dangling from the oak trees is a treat in itself. It seems that Spanish moss is actually a type of bromeliad that attaches itself to trees in the swamp land. I took a few samples of Spanish moss, which are currently gracing a crape myrtle tree in my backyard. I may be the only gardener in the area with Spanish moss draping a tree! The other garden stop was Bok Tower Gardens, a National Historic Landmark, located in Lake Wales, Florida. The 205-foot tower is the centerpiece of the garden. The tower, constructed of pink and gray marble and coquina stone, sits on Central Florida’s highest point, elevation 298 feet. Let me tell you, 298 feet is up there when you’re talking about the flat terrain of Florida! There’s even a moat that surrounds the tower. The surrounding 200 acres of gardens and grounds are quietly beautiful and serene. One can stroll along paths and enjoy a solitude that allows one to realize what the great naturalist John Burroughs meant when he said, “I come here to find myself. It is so easy to get lost in the world.” Go To Page: 1 2
The copyright of the article Mickey Mouse Gardens: PART 2. in California Gardening is owned by . Permission to republish Mickey Mouse Gardens: PART 2. in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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