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Hollis Garden

"Hollis Garden is a botanical display garden set in a neo-classical architectural environment complete with patterned flower beds, public art, and ornamental fountains. Hollis Garden is a formal garden, a 1.2-acre site located within historic Lake Mirror Park. Here you will find over 10,000 flowers, ornamental shrubs, and native trees."

Hollis Garden is a public botanical garden divided into 16 themed sections or "rooms" with plantings being rotated throughout the year. Not all of the rooms feature heavy planting, for example the Gazebo and Trellis area displays the Tuscan style, neoclassical architectural design elements. Some of these rooms showcase water features including The Grotto, which is a shady section of garden that houses tropical ferns and orchids; the Rosette Plaza and Fountain, a grand, open-spaced central display; Bowls and Runnels, a long gravity fed fountain that takes water from the Rosette Fountain down to Lake Mirror; and the Lily Pond, a small secluded koi pond surrounded by rustling bamboo. There are rooms named after the colors they feature inside including the Red, Yellow, and White Rooms. Other rooms are named after their planting types like The Vegetable Room, The Tropical Room, and The Herb Rooms, and Patterned Flowerbeds. Two of the rooms, Sustenance Orchard and Trees of Americana, showcase the unique botanical heritage of Florida and the United States. The trees featured in the Trees of Americana Room are all relatives of famous trees of American history including a Water Oak from Helen Keller's home, a Sycamore from Susan B. Anthony's grave, an Oak from 16th U.S. President Abraham Lincoln's birthplace, a Weeping Willow from the famous musician Elvis Presley's front yard, and, previously, a tree associated with the poet Edgar Allen Poe, which unfortunately died. Lastly, the Butterfly Garden is designed and dedicated to the local pollinators such as butterflies, moths, and bees. Each room and area are connected by labyrinthine walkways that connect the garden to the surrounding Lake Mirror complex. The staff there maintain a growing collection of unique plants from around the world including several incense plants like the Frankincense Tree and the Balm of Gilead, and edible plants like the Blackberry Jam Fruit and the Peanut Butter Fruit.

Location

Hollis Gardens facing west.

Hollis Garden is operated by the City of Lakeland under their Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Arts division and is located at 614 E. Orange Street, Lakeland, FL 33801. This small but scenic botanical garden is situated along the Frances Langford Promenade on the shores of Lake Mirror in downtown Lakeland. Many of the City of Lakeland community events are held here due to its scenic location and it is also available to be rented for weddings and other engagements.

Hollis Garden is a part of a larger Lake Mirror complex that includes the Frances Langford Promenade, a site built in the 1920's and dedicated to American actress and Lakeland local Frances Langford, in 1946; the Magnolia Building, a city owned formal event space built in 1938, originally known as the Lakeland Community Center; Garden Bistro, a local cafe located in the lower level of the Magnolia Building facing Lake Mirror; Barnett Family Park, an all-ages park that includes multiple playgrounds, a splash-pad water feature, and the Sunflower Preschool Playground; the Lake Mirror Auditorium, home to the Lakeland Community Theatre; and the Peggy Brown Building, an informal outdoor event space.

History

Lakeland's Lake Mirror Promenade, now known as the Frances Langford Promenade, was built as a part of the United States' widespread City Beautiful Movement that swept the nation in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It was designed by Charles Wellford Leavitt, a student of the famous landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, who also designed New York City’s Central Park and San Francisco's Golden State Park. A grand two phase project completed in 1928, the original plans for the promenade included a tennis court, a new city hall, an auditorium, shuffle board, lawn bowling and carpet golf although many of these elements no longer exist. The designs also included a large garden but due to Florida's 1926 economic crash the plans had to be limited and it wasn't until the year 2000 when the "long planned for" garden of Lake Mirror was finally constructed.

The garden is named after the philanthropic Hollis Family who wanted to give back to their community by finishing the original design plans of the Lake Mirror Promenade (now the Frances Langford Promenade) 74 years after construction was first completed. Lynn and Mark Hollis, a former president of Publix, provided the generous one million dollar donation to the City of Lakeland through their Hollis Trust in the Community foundation of Greater Lakeland, Inc. and also provided a perpetual care fund of $500,000 in Publix stock in order to keep the garden operating independent of the city's budget. In 2017, the fund had almost reached the point of self-sustainability just on the interest. The neoclassical design of the garden was inspired by the Hollis Family's travels, specifically a trip to New Zealand. Its formal dedication ceremony was held on December 8th, 2000 and was open to members of the public.