Friends of Mackay Gardens and Lakeside Preserve

06/20/2026

In the late 1920s, the Mackay family played a quiet but meaningful role in supporting community life here in Lake Alfred. Edith Mackay, wife of Alexander Mackay, and Grace Mackay, his daughter‑in‑law, were active members of the Lake Alfred Woman’s Club, which met in the clubhouse pictured in this photo.

During this time, the club launched a beautification project to improve the lawn and grounds around their building. To help them get started, Alexander Mackay donated $50, a generous contribution for the era, to establish their new beautification fund. He also provided plantings from his own Lake Alfred property, giving the club both the resources and the inspiration to begin transforming the space.

It’s a small chapter in the larger Mackay story, but one that shows how deeply the family was woven into the early civic and social life of Lake Alfred.

06/18/2026

In the 1980s, Susanah Mackay‑James captured these photos of the Cathedral of Trees on the Mackay property in Lake Alfred, a space designed decades earlier by her mother, Rosemary Mackay‑James, granddaughter of Alexander Mackay. Rosemary created this Florida version as a tribute to the original Cathedral of Trees on the Mackay estate in Scotland, designed by her grandfather. A member of the Royal Scottish Horticultural Society, Rosemary shared his deep love of nature and carried his horticultural vision into a new generation. After Rosemary’s passing, the Cathedral of Trees slowly declined. But thanks to the dedication of MGLP volunteers, the space has been restored and cared for.

The Cathedral of Trees at Mackay Gardens & Lakeside Preserve is a living connection between Lake Alfred and the Mackay family’s roots in Scotland.

06/12/2026

One of the most intriguing spaces inside the historic Mackay house is the upstairs room long known as the “billiards room.” Despite the name, no billiards table ever sat here. Instead, this room — part of the home’s original floor plan — became a flexible space the Mackay family used whenever the house was full of visiting relatives and friends.

At times it served as an extra bedroom, at others a quiet retreat tucked above the main floor. One of its most distinctive features is the exterior door that opens onto an upstairs porch overlooking Lake Rochelle, offering a private view of the water.

06/04/2026

06/03/2026

If you’ve spotted a splash of color along the MGLP trails, you’re seeing the work of our own local artists: Bill Bissett, John Dame Jr., and Margaret Wheaton.
They’ve transformed several benches into vibrant, trail‑side artworks that make every rest stop a little more special.
Be sure to look for them on your next visit.

05/29/2026

Have a gardening question you’ve been meaning to ask? A Master Gardener will be on hand the first Monday of every month at MGLP to help with plant care, landscape ideas, and Florida‑friendly tips. Visit the Ask a Master Gardener booth, located near the Florida‑Friendly Demonstration Garden.
See the flyer for more information and join us for this monthly learning opportunity.

05/28/2026

These two photos from the 1970s offer a rare glimpse inside the dining room of the historic Mackay house, shared with us by Susanah Mackay‑James, a descendant of the family who once called this place home.

Long before the estate became part of Mackay Gardens & Lakeside Preserve, this room was the setting for family meals, visiting guests, and the quiet routines of life overlooking Lake Rochelle. The 1970s decor adds a moment in time layered on top of the home’s 1917 original build.

Images like these help us see the house not just as a historic landmark, but as a lived‑in home with stories stretching across generations.

05/20/2026

A quiet glimpse into the past — the sunken water garden at the Mackay estate, captured in the 1950s. Once a shaded retreat of stone, water, and lush plantings, it’s no longer functioning today, but photos like this remind us just how much beauty and intention shaped the original Mackay grounds.

05/13/2026

The newest edition of the Beautyberry Post is out, and it includes an in‑depth look at the important restoration work happening inside the Mackay Gardens & Lakeside Preserve. From invasive plant removal to preparing the landscape for a safe prescribed burn, this issue explains how these efforts protect wildlife and keep the preserve healthy for future generations.

Read the full May/June 2026 newsletter here:
https://www.mylakealfred.com/DocumentCenter/View/2578/MayJune-2026-Issue?bidId=

05/12/2026

In the early 1900s, Florida newspapers served as the community’s social ledger, recording everyday movements of residents and winter visitors. One such social note appeared in the Tampa Tribune in December 1917, noting that Alexander Mackay had arrived in Lake Alfred to spend the winter in his newly completed home, finished only a month earlier. To the editors of the time, this was news worth printing: a Scottish landowner returning to his citrus property, a new winter residence occupied for the first season, and another sign of the region’s growing appeal to seasonal residents.