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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. As of May 2019, this is 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. Also seen here are lots of flowers and the famous
Recovery Sculpture by Grainger McKoy. |
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Below: The water
fountain and Cypress Knees |
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Below: Karen
Duquette thought this would be a peaceful place to sit, relax and read
a book. |
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Below: 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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Below; 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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