Bakewell Ottoman Garden

The Bakewell Ottoman Garden opened in summer 2006. Inside it, visitors will find a profusion of flowers that include classic Turkish tulips and drifts of bulbs, exotic citrus, aromatic herbs, pomegranate, and various perennials, set within a private courtyard fit for a sultan.

The plants represent what would have been grown in the 16th through 19th centuries in what is now Turkey. St. Louis and Istanbul lie roughly at the same 40-degree latitude.

Located in the secluded northeast corner of the Garden, beyond the Linnean House, the Ottoman Garden strives to preserve the authenticity of the period. Visitors find a stone pedestal fountain, or cheshme, inviting them to rinse their hands.

Brick walkways lead visitors through the flower-laden plots to the center fountain. A paved patio stands covered with a wooden arbor, or chardak, with a tiled roof and small dome. The walls display classic Ottoman murals of flowers.

The Ottoman Garden is the first of its kind in the nation and was made possible by a gift from the late Edward L. Bakewell, Jr.