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Swan Lake Iris Gardens began in 1927 as a private fishing lake for wealthy businessman Hamilton Carr Bland, who also began landscaping his garden with Japanese Iris flowers. It is currently the only public park in the United States to have all eight species of swans—including Royal White Mutes, Black Necks, Coscorobas, Whoopers, Black Australians, Whistlers, Bewicks, and Trumpeters. |
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Below: The water fountain and Cypress Knees |
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Karen thought this would be a peaceful place to sit, relax and read a book. |
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There were several other critters around besides the swans |
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Below: Recovery |
Recovery is a monumental work by renowned sculptor Grainger McKoy, and it has taken flight at Swan Lake Iris Gardens. The sculpture stands almost 18 feet high from ground level. The actual wing is 14-feet in height and weighs about 1,500 pounds. The sculpture is visible from nearly every point of the south side of the gardens. Following an entire year's work, it was unveiled to the public on May 1, 2010 |
Note: Quotes about the Recovery Sculpture is from the brochure obtained at the gardens. |
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The stainless steel sculpture represents the wing of a pintail duck in flight. This is when it is least productive and most vulnerable, yet has the grace and beauty that exists nowhere else. The wing was inspired by an earlier sculpture, Pintails, and represents a step beyond the 6-fft Recovery Stroke that Mr. McKoy created in 2006. The Swan Lake Sculpture is more than twice the size of the one it was based upon. |
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