The Maple Hill Hop 106

Welcome to 

The Maple Hill Hop.

This is a hop for folks who love the outdoors.

Feel free to post about anything that's going on

OUTSIDE

in your neck of the woods,
no matter the season.

(Please share only outdoor posts.)

*Grab the button above to link back to Maple Hill 101.*

On Sunday, Faye, Lynn and I took the day off from Farm School
to go on a little field trip to Bok Tower Sanctuary.
It's a spectacular botanical garden and educational center in nearby Lake Wales.
 (I apologize for the quality of some of the pictures.
Apparently there was something on the camera lens.)

This garden always inspires visitors
by showcasing new and unique plants.
Take this bamboo orchid for instance.

The flowers alone were gorgeous,
but what also appealed to me was the wonderful texture and height.

An array of various colors, compositions and fragrances
await the senses.
Botanical gardens are a wonderful resource 
for gathering ideas for future home garden plots.
The arrangement is the most challenging aspect of gardening for me,
so I appreciate being able to witness these well designed plantscapes.

These are Amazon water lillies,
which float seasonally in the koi pond surrounding the tower.

Aren't they amazing?

Pathways lead to all sorts of treasures.

It may be early November,
but there were plenty of blooming beauties.

These chartreuse zinnias were so unusual.

A favorite of pollinators (and myself),
zinnias seem to come in every color of the rainbow.

A new favorite at Maple Hill,
these Tithonia sunflowers have a velvety texture
and a big bold splash of color. 
We often use them for bouquets to bring into the house.

Here they had them staked,
as they were towering upwards of 4 feet or more.

 It was a day well spent,
even though we did play "hooky".

All in all, I can't imagine doing anything better
than enjoying a beautiful garden
with two of the most dear people on this earth.
Feeling mighty blessed.

That's what's happening outside where we are.
How 'bout you?
HOP on!

  

    An InLinkz Link-up

  

The Tower Tour

Last Friday, I was invited to a special event.
My friends, Faye & Lynn,
have a membership with Bok Tower in Lake Wales.

You can read about this magical place here.

I'd been here before,
but never ventured into the tower.
This is a yearly event that is by invitation only.
What an honor.

We learned about the masterful work that went into every detail 
of this amazing structure.

 The tower is known for its carillon, which plays the most ethereal music,  
in the highest part of the tower.
Each bell for the instrument was brought through an opening in this wall
and hoisted up the main lobby to be placed in the uppermost story.
It must have been quite a feat.

The only word I kept thinking of was "majestic"
to describe the detailed craftsmanship in this unique piece of artwork.

Each piece of ironwork was hand forged.

The stairwell even looks good from the bottom.

This is the oldest working Otis elevator in Florida.

The tile floor is littered with various critters native to the area.

 

The resting place of Edward Bok, the founder of Bok Towers and Gardens.

The lily pads in the nearby pond
are a summer staple, and they can span 6 feet in diameter.

 The gardens here are nothing short of stunning.
You can see pix from some of our past visits here and here.

I'm so glad that Edward Bok had a dream.
Even better was that he was willing and able to share it with his fellow Floridians.
It's a beautiful place to spend the day.

Bok Tower Sanctuary

It's been a while since we visited Bok Tower.

Since Mimi (my mom) has been staying with us,

I've been wanting to take her to Bok Sanctuary.

She used to love gardening,

and she's had a very difficult time adjusting to living here,

so I thought it might cheer her a bit.

We weren't disappointed.

Love this color combo!

Look at this amazing wall of air plants!



It was a wonderful stroll.
We even managed to arrive just as
the carillon concert was going on.
I think Mimi felt just a bit better after our tour.
What a blessing a garden can be.

For those who observe Easter,
enjoy your holiday.
Have a stupendous weekend, y'all!