Bok Tower Gardens in Lake Wales will drain the moat surrounding its namesake edifice on June 16 as part of a preservation project.
Historically, the moat around the 205-foot-tall Singing Tower was drained yearly during the slow season, but it has not been drained since 2010, Bok Tower Gardens said in a news release. After the draining, members of the facility team will thoroughly clean the moat and inspect it for tree root damage or leaks.
The moat will be empty for a projected two to three weeks, the release said. Once all inspections and repairs are made, the moat will be refilled with water.
Bok Tower Gardens is carrying out a State of Florida preservation grant, the release said.
The attraction’s original landscape designer, Frederick Law Olmsted Jr., included many masonry planters in his design for the tower moat, envisioning lush water gardens filled with aquatic plants, the release said. Over time, the planters may have crumbled and been removed without archive notation, or the project was never fully realized.
Early photos from the dedication in 1929 and vintage postcards do not show the water gardens, the release said. But Olmsted’s drawings and plans clearly illustrate his vision for the moat.
While the moat is drained, the Bok Tower Gardens facility and horticulture teams will add several planters with aquatic plants to the moat, which will act as a natural filtration system.
During the project, the koi fish that inhabit the moat will be cared for by High Alert Institute’s “Fins4Good” program. A Lake Wales nonprofit located in Tiger Creek Nature Preserve, the High Alert Institute specializes in caring for and rescuing koi, the release said.
A local veterinarian will supervise the group as they safely capture the fish and transfer them to their temporary home.
The coin-operated fish feeders will be removed June 16, and the fish will be relocated approximately three days later as the water reaches six inches deep, the release said. While at the High Alert Institute, the supervising veterinarian will give the koi wellness checks.
The project is sponsored in part by the Department of State, Division of Historical Resources, and the State of Florida, the release said.
Gary White can be reached at gary.white@theledger.com or 863-802-7518. Follow on X @garywhite13.
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Bok Tower Gardens in Lake Wales will drain moat around singing tower for preservation project
Reporting by Gary White, Lakeland Ledger / The Ledger
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