Whole Works of Art: Four Centuries in Three Gardens

Caption: Bok Tower Gardens, Lake Wales, Florida, photo by Nick Hubbard

Talk at 2:30 p.m. followed by book signing of "The Land Is Full: Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects" at 3:30 p.m. 

The Garden Conservancy is thrilled to bring the leading American landscape architect Thomas L. Woltz to West Palm Beach, FL this spring. 

Over the last 250 years, visionary American gardeners have broken the bounds of expectation by creating complete and immersive landscape experiences using natural landforms, water, and horticulture at scales that inspire awe and wonder. Thomas Woltz, Senior Principal of Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects, will present three American gardens spanning the 17th to 20th centuries: Middleton Place in Charleston, South Carolina, probably America’s largest Baroque garden; Olana State Historic Site, the 19th century landscape creation of painter Frederic Church in Hudson, New York; and Bok Tower Gardens, the early 20th century horticultural vision of Edward Bok, in Lake Wales, Florida. Each of these gardens left an indelible mark on their century and captured a unique vision of what an American garden could be. Using drawings and photographs, Woltz will discuss his firm’s work over the last 15 years to restore and expand each of these essential American landscapes while asking the question, what will the gardens of the 21st century be?

Location:

The Norton Museum of Art

West Palm Beach, FL 33401

About the Speaker

Photo: Dan Winters

Thomas L. Woltz, Senior Principal of Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects (NBW), leads a cross-disciplinary practice that integrates science and history to revitalize public landscapes across thirty states and twelve countries. By blending restoration ecology with cultural storytelling, Woltz’s award-winning designs reveal erased histories in urban parks, post-industrial sites, and educational campuses. An alumnus of the University of Virginia with master’s degrees in architecture and landscape architecture, his visionary work has earned him recognition as a WSJ. Magazine Design Innovator and ASLA Fellow. Currently serving as Co-Chair for The Cultural Landscape Foundation, Woltz continues to shape the sustainability of the public realm, most recently being honored with the 2025 Frederic Church Award.