New Sculpture Garden Dedication Slated to Enhance Downtown Linear Park

Courtesy City of Lake Wales

One of several new gazebos in the downtown park offers visitors a pleasant place to rest and enjoy the blooming beauty of the area.

Ongoing efforts to restore Lake Wales' reputation as "A City in a Garden" will get another boost on Friday, June 20 as the Parks & Recreation Department will dedicate a new downtown pollinator and sculpture garden.

The new installation will enhance the newly-relandscaped "linear park" parallels Cypress Gardens Lane just across from the Lake Wales Public Library. City horticulturist Kevin Polk redesigned the park to include a winding sidewalk that weaves in and around various types of pollinator plants.

The attractive park features rehabilitated gazebos, new irrigation and security fencing, enhanced lighting, and a newly-paved parking lot. "We want this park to be an attraction for the community," Polk said. "The plants we chose will attract butterflies, hummingbirds and other pollinators."

Robert Connors

Lynn Oakley

Robert Connors

Tommy Oakley

The garden also doubles as a sculpture and topiary garden. A ten-foot Disneyesque butterfly topiary will be unveiled at the park during the dedication. Another sculpture in the park is animated by the wind, drawing the attention of visitors and residents alike.

Courtesy City of Lake Wales

The framework of a butterfly will soon be filled with blooming flowers as a major enhancement to the newly-redesigned linear park downtown. The sculpture garden was made possible in large part by a grant from the Oakley family.

A $100,000 donation from Lynn and Tommy Oakley of Oakley Transport Inc. helped make the sculpture garden possible. Another $49,000 was awarded to the city by the T-Mobile Mobile Hometown Grant Program.

"Our vision for the garden started in 2022," Stephanie Lutton, parks and recreation director said. "It's an innovative component of our 'City in a Garden' concept."

The trail winding through the park loops around the library to connect to the Park Avenue Trail at two points, thereby connecting to the Lake Wailes Trail as well. The growing trail network will eventually extend southward to the Lake Wales History Museum.

The dedication ceremony will take place at 10 a.m. at the intersection of Cypress Garden Lane and East Crystal Avenue, across from the Lake Wales Public Library.

Courtesy City of Lake Wales

This large sculpture in the downtown linear park is animated by the breeze, making it an eye-catching and ever-changing interest.