Annual lecture celebrates 25 years of garden restoration

Bucks County Community College, which was founded on a former baronial estate more than 60 years ago, invites the public to the 17^th annual Tyler Formal Gardens & Landscaping Lecture at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 26.

The keynote speaker will be John Vick, Executive Director of Andalusia Historic House, Gardens & Arboretum in Bensalem Township. He will discuss how gardens and landscapes shape our understanding of the past and the role historic gardens play in building a happier, healthier future.

One of those historic gardens is right on the College’s Newtown Campus. The one-acre Tyler Formal Gardens were constructed in the early 1930s on the estate of George F. and Stella Elkins Tyler. Two hundred acres of the Tyler Estate later became the home of Bucks County Community College, which originally held classes in the mansion starting in 1965. In 1987, Tyler Hall and the Tyler Formal Gardens were placed on the National Register for Historic Places.

For the past 25 years, the gardens have been painstakingly restored to their original glory by the BCCC Foundation and the College’s Historic Preservation Program. Boxwoods, pear trees, irises and more have been planted based on original plans by Willing, Sims & Talbutt for the four-tiered, Italianate garden. The prestigious Philadelphia architectural firm also constructed the Tylers' mansion, service cottages, and support buildings.

At Andalusia, Vick oversees public site visits, ongoing preservation efforts, and research into more than two centuries of residency on the property and nearly 350 years of the Biddle family in America. Before coming to Andalusia in 2022, Vick worked at the Philadelphia Museum of Art for 13 years, curating and contributing to more than 20 exhibitions and books on diverse topics.

The lecture begins at 10 a.m. in the Zlock Performing Arts Center on the Newtown Campus, where there will also be an opportunity to purchase raffle tickets to win garden accents for your garden. An exhibition by Bucks County artists, “Garden Glories,” sponsored by the Hicks Art Center Gallery, will be on display in the Zlock lobby.

Tours of the historic Tyler Formal Gardens will immediately follow. Students from the College’s dance program will perform “Movement Expression of Praise” in the formal gardens.

Tickets are $15 for the general public, $10 for veterans and BCCC alumni, and free for BCCC students with current ID. To register, visit https://bit.ly/TylerGardens. For more information, contact foundation@bucks.edu or 215-968-8224.

All proceeds benefit the Stella Elkins Tyler Gardens Endowment and the Historic Preservation Program at Bucks. The College is located at 275 Swamp Rd., Newtown, Pa., 18940, where there is ample free parking. For a campus map and directions, visit bucks.edu/newtown.

About Bucks County Community College
Founded in 1964, Bucks County Community College is a two-year, public institution offering more than 90 programs of study that lead to either an associate degree or certificate, as well as many workforce training programs on campus, on site, or online. Successful graduates directly launch a career or transfer to four-year colleges and universities to complete a bachelor’s degree, depending on the major. Classes are offered on campus in Newtown, Bristol, and Perkasie, and worldwide through Bucks Online. To learn more, visit bucks.edu.