Families looking for an inexpensive outing might consider a visit to Eden Gardens State Park, site of the antebellum-style Wesley House and its ornamental gardens. With a $3 park entry fee—that’s for a carload—it’s a perfect place to take the kids to share a picnic lunch and discover the history of the Point Washington area while spending a relaxing day away from the frenzy of the beach scene.

Located in south Walton County one mile north of U.S. Highway 98 on County Road 395 North, Eden Gardens is one of Florida’s hidden jewels, offering a place for kids to romp, hold a cookout, take a hike and even fish.

But regular visitors know each season provides a reason to visit Eden. Lush green lawns and stately moss-draped oaks are beautiful year-round. However, the grounds are dazzling in mid-March when the azaleas and dogwoods are in full bloom. Just as those flowers begin to fade, the rose garden bursts into a riot of color. The camellia garden is a favorite spot from October through May. The gardenias’ fragrant scent fills the air in May and June, hydrangeas provide a delightful display from May to October, and the white blossoms of magnolias can be enjoyed from May through July.

But if a favorite plant is not in bloom, the hidden children’s garden, Eden Gardens Nature Trail, and the Wesley House offer additional opportunities for exploration. Kids of all ages can enjoy a game of hide and seek as they search in the hidden garden for the delightful bronze sculptures of children at play. The walking trail, which winds around the property’s border, begins near the hidden garden and leads to picnic facilities along Tucker Bayou. Maps are available at the Fig Leaf Gift Shop inside the Wesley House.

Many visitors that come to learn more of the historic nature of the state park begin with a tour of the Wesley House. The Wesley Lumber Company, one of the largest timber businesses operating from the late 1800s, was located on Tucker Bayou. Also on the property were a commissary and 20 company-owned homes built for the sawmill workers and their families. Near the mill, William Henry Wesley built a stately two-story mansion for his family in 1897. The 5,500 square foot home, with its elegant white columns and wrap-around porches, was one of the largest homes in the area.

Fire was a danger in the lumber industry. When the sawmill burned for the third time, it was not rebuilt. Today, only foundations of those buildings can still be found on the grounds.

In 1953, when Wesley’s wife Katie Strickland Wesley died, the house and 10.5 acres were sold. Lois Maxon discovered the home 10 years later and purchased it for $12,000. She renovated the mansion and filled it with her collection of Louis XVI furniture. Maxon enhanced the grounds with reflecting pools, camellia and azalea gardens. In 1968, in memory of her parents, she donated Eden Gardens to the state of Florida.

Eden Gardens State Park has expanded to 163 acres and is still being restored by the Florida State Park System with the assistance of the Friends of Eden. Residents and tourists looking for a change of pace from the hustle and bustle of modern day Florida will delight in a visit to Eden. For more information, go to www.floridastateparks.org/edengardens/default.cfm.

Friends Make a Difference

While Florida State Park rangers manage Eden Gardens State Park on a daily basis, the Friends of Eden, a Florida Citizens Support Organization, volunteer countless hours to assist the staff in maintaining the Wesley House and the grounds.

The Friends organization has also helped improve park facilities by adding the pavilion and a potting shed. The group hosts an Easter egg hunt and a candlelight open house in December. Friends of Eden’s Grounds Committee Chairman Wayne Carlisle is a member of the Gourmet Garden group that works in the gardens on Tuesday mornings – weeding, pruning and deadheading flowers – followed by a pot luck lunch.

On a much larger scale, the Friends have installed new sod, completed a lighted brick walkway from the house to the pavilion and revamped the landscaping in front of the house, Carlisle said. The Friends accomplish these goals through membership fees and fundraisers, but also through gift shop and plant sales.

When Friends past president Georgeen Newell discovered the Fig Leaf Gift Shop made $10,000 last year, she realized the small shop had the potential to raise more money for future Friends projects. But the shop, located in the Wesley House, needed to be renovated. Newell developed a proposal to upgrade and refresh the gift shop. Community members donated time and skills to remodel the shop, she said. Local retailers helped to improve the flow of the small space and stage the merchandise.

Thanks to a generous donation of glass display cases by Fusion Art Glass owner Russ Gilbert, and with assistance from local retailer Jim Ross, the shop has a new look and many new gift items. Local artwork is featured in the shop. There are also gardening items, floral themed gifts, books of local interest, and a display featuring wildlife-themed merchandise.

The wildlife theme has one unusual focus. Shoppers will find frog-related items on the shelves reflecting the park’s contribution to the Ray Milland horror movie, Frogs. The movie was filmed at Eden Gardens in the 1970s.

“There’s also a good selection of Eden items including T-shirts, tote bags, mugs and stationery,” Ross said.

The nursery in front of the potting shed has become a popular stop for visitors who want to take home a living part of Eden. Throughout the grounds, labels identify plants including rose, camellia and day lily varieties. Many of the plants are propagated by the volunteers and on display in the nursery.

“Rather than selling them,” Carlisle said, “the plants are available for an adoption fee.”

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