Spring in New England passes all too fast for residents. We seem to go from bitter cold snowy day’s nights to sweltering hot days in the twinkle of an eye… and miss the drawn-out springs of the northern cities in Europe such as London and Paris.

But our adaptive fauna copes well with the sudden changes and makes the most of the growing season by bursting into show at the first glint of warmth.

With New England states now enjoying warmth here are two places for you to visit in Massachusetts where you can experience the unfolding beauty of their gardens.

Tower Hill Botanical Gardens:

Tower Hill Botanical Gardens is located in Boylston, Central Massachusetts. It is open year-round but spring and summer offer outstanding displays for the avid gardener.

Here you’ll discover 132 acres of gardens, meadows and woodland trails to stroll and enjoy a few hours respite at the weekend. There’s always an event of some kind going on when I visit - be it an organized tour of the gardens by one of the Horticultural Society experts, or one of their frequent special events sales of plants and flowers.

Your visit should include walks through the lovingly cared for gardens and trails with enticing names such as: “The Lawn Garden,” “The Secret Garden,” “The Inner Park,” “The Cottage Garden,” “The Wildlife Garden,” and “The Wildlife Refuge Pond and Woodland Trails.”

While they’re all worth a visit, you should not skip “The Systematic Garden.”

“The Systematic Garden is a one-of-a-kind educational experience where you’ll find plants arranged “systematically”, according to current scientific understanding of their evolutionary relationships. Designed in an Italianate style, this garden presents twenty-six distinct plant families, making it a virtual encyclopedia of the Plant Kingdom” – Tower Hill Botanic Gardens.

Garden hours are 10am - 5pm year-round: Tuesday through Sunday and Holiday Mondays - Wednesdays ’til 8PM (May through August only). Adult admission is $8 and $5 ages 6-18.

From Boston take the Massachusetts Turnpike to Exit 11A for Route 495. Take Route 495 north to Exit 25B for Route 290 west. Follow toward Worcester. Take Exit 24, Church Street, Northborough/Boylston. Follow to Boylston 3 miles. Entrance to Tower Hill on right; dark red sign designates entrance.

The Garden in the Woods:

Just a few miles west of downtown Boston in Framingham, Massachusetts is hidden away a rare wildflower garden.

The Garden in the Woods is operated by the New England Wildflower Society and is open to the public from April – October. Situated on 45 acres of woodland the garden is the largest landscaped collection of wildflowers in New England, containing more than 1,600 kinds of plants, including over 200 rare and endangered native species.

Wandering through the main trail of about a mile it’s difficult not to be captivated by the wildflower specimens and their brilliant hues of blues and violets dancing in the gentle breeze. For a moment you’ll feel you’re walking through a wilderness far from the crowds and noise of the shopping malls – even if they’re just a stone’s throw away.

Choices of tours are self-guided with a booklet you get with admission fee, or a guided tour given at 10:00am on weekdays and 2:00pm on weekends – again free with your entrance fee of $7 for adults and $5 for youths 6-18 years.

At this time of the year in bloom are Bloodroot, Virginia Bluebells, Pixie Moss, Celandine Poppy, Twinleaf and Wild Ginger.

From Boston take Massachusetts Turnpike. (Exit 12) to Route 9 E; go 2.4 miles to Edgell Road exit; turn left at the lights at the top of the exit ramp onto Edgell Road (Route 9 overpass); go 2.1 miles to the traffic lights; take a right onto Water Street and a left onto Hemenway Road. Go north 1.0 mile (the road name changes to Eisenhower Road, but keep going). Turn left onto Catherine, and left again on Hemenway after one block (up a one-way road) to the entrance.

For more information on things to see and do in the area check out my Massachusetts destinations section by clicking here.

Have a great week and I’ll see you here next week for more trip suggestions.

Cliff Calderwood
Executive Director
Guide to Vacations of New England