Considered by his contemporaries as one of Florida’s pre-eminent landscape architects, Wallis carved out of half-century-long career marked by designs for much of Leu Gardens, Orlando International Airport, the Orange County Convention Center and the Florida Mall. He died last week at the age of 81.
“He was a gentleman, an extremely skillful designer and a wonderful plantsman,” said Bill Baker, Wallis’ business partner for more than four decades. Several years ago, the two donated to the University of Florida hand-drawn landscape-design plans valued at more than $600,000.
One of Wallis’ early successes was landing the contract to create the master plan for Orlando‘s Leu Gardens. Baker said Wallis was an astute businessman and a favorite of former Orlando Mayor Carl Langford. After Harry P. Leu and his wife, Mary Jane, donated about 50 acres off Corrine Drive to the city in 1961, officials selected Wallis to design what would become the city’s most celebrated botanical gardens.
Baker described Leu as a “plantsman” who collected and studied plant species and who enjoyed working with Wallis on the designs.
From Leu Gardens’ renowned rose garden to its gazebo wedding setting, surrounded by trellises, topiaries, camellias, azaleas and exotic perennials, much of Wallis’ original plans stand today, said Robert E. Bowden, director of Leu Gardens, which serves about 150,000 visitors annually.
“A lot of what you see today — the floral clock, the landing, the expansion of the walkways to accommodate large crowds — those are the types of things he envisioned and that were necessary for the gardens if they were going to be a world-class destination,” Bowden said.
Wallis, a longtime member of the Rotary Club of Winter Park, worked hard to develop business relationships, Baker said. The two businessmen started making the connections to pursue the Orlando International Airport project years before the job was publicly announced, Baker added.
In the late 1980s, the American Society of Landscape Architects selected Wallis as a fellow, making him one of the few Floridians to earn that distinction. He retired at the age of 70, never gaining an affinity for computer-assisted landscape design, one of his sons said.
Whether it was creating the landscape design for landmark projects seen by millions of visitors, or tending the flower beds at his home or at Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Winter Park, plants were Wallis’ life.
“His hobbies were coming home and working in the yard,” said Frank Wallis, one of three surviving children. “He didn’t like sports or read books much. He was all hands-on with plants. He even donated his time at the church — cutting, trimming and weeding.”
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