I’ve missed out on all my favorite garden-related visits this spring — the Beacon Hill Garden Tour, the Art in Bloom exhibit at the Museum of Fine Arts, the Kelleher Rose Garden in Back Bay’s Fens area, all canceled or closed due to COVID-19 concerns. But there are still flowers and spring beauty to be seen out there in the world, this much I know. But how to do so without rubbing elbows during these socially distant times?
I’ve put a few common-sense practices into action to help me get out and about while staying socially distant. The tricks are to get moving early, stay off the beaten path, and and find the wide-open spaces. In my search for serenity in an outdoors setting I’ve found destinations that are far less crowded than the obvious popular hot spots. Let others embrace spoiled walks on crowded paths as they glare at those without masks and draw back in horror at the approach of others, later posting bitter complaints on social media. To them, I cede the trail.
If you’re looking for a more tranquil experience, try out Arnold Arboretum in Boston, 13 miles from Natick Center. A recent Saturday morning visit left me refreshed and vowing to return to the 281-acre National Historic Landmark, owned by Harvard University. Parking can be found at various small lots around the perimeter of the property. I arrived at 9am and found a spot in the lot at the corner of Walter and Bussey Streets. When I came back to my car a little before noon, there were still spaces available. The Arboretum suggests that the savvy work around the peak hours of visitation of 4pm – 7pm on weekdays and 2pm – 7pm on weekends. The Arboretum is open dawn to dusk.
The Arboretum is open dawn to dusk. Pedestrians, runners, and cyclists are required to wear a mask or other facial covering. The mask vibe here is one of compliance. The only people I saw without one were very young children in strollers.
In what has become a familiar site everywhere, the Arboretum’s water fountains have been shut off and covered. There are signs on the benches recommending you not use them. The pubic restroom facilities are closed.
The Arboretum is famous for its collection of almost 400 lilac plants representing 180 different kinds of the heavily perfumed bloomers. The season, which traditionally starts on Mother’s Day with the Lilac Sunday celebration, extends over five weeks.
This mid-season lilac is named for Edmond Boissier (1810 – 1885), a prominent Swiss botanist, explorer and mathematician.
Seldom-visited spots await for those who venture off the wide, paved path that winds throughout the Arboretum. If it looks like Frederick Law Olmsted (1822 – 1903) was here, it’s because he was. The famed landscape architect had a strong hand in the arrangement and design of the Arboretum. The property was donated to Harvard in 1872 by the trustees of the will of James Arnold (1781-1868), a whaling merchant of New Bedford, Massachusetts.
Rhododendron Dell, a woodland landscape showcasing the Arboretum’s collection of over 200 plants, is in full bloom now.
A view of Boston’s skyline from the top of Peter’s Hill. The Arboretum’s website notes that it “was established in 1872 in a creative lease agreement forged between the City of Boston and Harvard in 1882. According to the terms of the thousand-year lease, the Harvard-owned land on which the Arnold Arboretum was established became part of the city park system, but control of the collections continued to reside with the Arboretum staff. The city was to maintain the perimeter walls, gates, and roadway system and provide police surveillance, while the Arboretum agreed to keep the grounds open to the general public, free of charge, from sunrise to sunset every day of the year.”For pictures around Natick see our Instagram page, @natickreport, and please follow us.
