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Just beyond Natick: a visit to The Gardens at Elm Bank

September 29, 2020 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

I was recently lucky enough to be invited along to tour  The Gardens at Elm Bank at the Massachusetts Horticultural Society’s Wellesley headquarters, located at 900 Washington St. in Wellesley (a major part of the site is located in Dover). It had been a long time since I’d wandered the 36-acre property, listed since 1987 on the National Register of Historic Places, so I jumped at the chance. The Gardens at Elm Bank are leased from the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, which maintains the 175 acres that include the Gardens, the woodland along the Charles River, and fields.

Tour highlights included a turn around Mass Hort’s Trial Garden; the Goddesses Garden; the kid-friendly Weezie’s Garden; the Italianate Garden; and the Bressingham Garden, created by British design powerhouse Adrian Bloom in 2007.

Here are some pics:

Elm Bank Reservation, Wellesley
The tour started off at the Trial Gardens, a cooperative effort between Mass Hort, the Massachusetts Flower Growers’ Association, and the University of Massachusetts. In this space, a wide variety of annuals, perennials, and vegetables are grown as a trial to see how they will do in the New England climate. New, unreleased, and old standard types of each variety are grown side-by-side and judged on how they perform. Results can be found at All-American Selections.
Elm Bank Reservation, Wellesley
Mass Hort’s Hartley Botanic Victorian Lodge has been a centerpiece of the Trial Gardens since 2017. The 19′ x 11′ handmade aluminum structure was made possible in part by a generous donation from Mass Hort Trustee Scott Bierney’s. Bierney wanted Mass Hort to have a place where for visitors where flowers would brighten gloomy days in winter and give hope that spring was on its way.

Elm Bank Reservation, Wellesley

Elm Bank Reservation, Wellesley
Weezies Garden, installed in 2004. The active garden space designed for outdoor place-based youth education includes  an Enchanted Woodland, a Tea Party Garden, a Pollinators Garden, Sandbox Archaeology area, green arbors and plant tunnels, water features, and more. Kids of all ages love this area, which was extensively renovated in 2015.

 

Elm Bank Reservation, Wellesley
The Elm Bank manor house, viewed from Bressingham Garden. The garden was installed in 2007 and installed over two very hot summer days by over 200 volunteers. Designed by plantsman Adrian Bloom of Bressingham, England, it is a four-season garden that uses mass planting techniques to create visual impact.
Elm Bank Reservation, Wellesley
Bressingham Garden
Elm Bank Reservation, Wellesley
The Italianate Garden’s Copper Beech hedge provides the “walls” of the garden.
Elm Bank Reservation, Wellesley
The New England Unit of the Herb Society of America maintains this teaching garden.
Elm Bank Reservation, Wellesley
Autumn interest in the herb garden.
Elm Bank Reservation, Wellesley
Ceres and Pomona, two of the three Roman goddess statues that stand guard at Mass Hort.

 

Elm Bank can always use volunteers looking for a meaningful and rewarding experience. They need help with everything from weeding and mulching to helping out in the library and the office. You don’t need a green thumb — the staff trains and guides volunteers.


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Filed Under: Beyond Natick, Gardens, Volunteering

Fran's Flowers, Framingham
London Harness
Linden Square, Wellesley

Beyond Natick: Andres Institute of Art in Brookline, New Hampshire

July 30, 2020 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

In a small New Hampshire town on the Massachusetts border, art-lovers flock to a long-abandoned ski area. There, they wander the  woods to view sculptures made of stone, steel, wood, and other materials in the same setting where, decades ago, thrill-seekers sped straight down black diamond trails.

Andres Institute of Art in Brookline, NH
Andres Institute of Art in Brookline, NH is a 501(c) (3) charitable organization. To find the spot, GPS this address: 98 Rte 13, Brookline, NH 03033

At the Andres Institute of Art in Brookline, NH, artists from all over the world have contributed pieces to what is New England’s largest outdoor sculpture and hiking park. And new art is created and installed on the 140-acre hill every year at this hidden gem, which is  free, fun, and open to the public year-round, dawn to dusk.

Over 100 thought-provoking, original works of art are nestled along walking trails all over the mountain, just waiting for visitors to view and enjoy the experience of a personal connection with nature combined with a chance to see large-scale art created on-site.

Andres Institute of Art in Brookline, NH
“Tuttaposto,” by Bernie Carreño, USA, 2014. Artists are invited to create works integrated with the landscape.

The park is the brainchild of engineer and innovator Paul Andres, who in 1996 purchased Big Bear Mountain and moved into the house at its peak. There, he was able to combine his lifelong love of nature and passion for art to devote a portion of the property to a sculpture park. Once Andres joined forces with sculptor and long-time Brookline resident John M. Weidman, there was no stopping the pair, and the Andres Institute of Art was born. What started as a few works in the front yard of Andres’ house has turned into a full-blown outdoor museum, with art placed among the many trails that criss-cross the mountain.

Andres Institute of Art in Brookline, NH
“Human Boulder,” by Norman Jager, Germany, 2014. The Institute is a great way to introduce art to kids in a non-stuffy environment.

Start your visit by picking up one of the maps available in the parking area. An Andres Institute trails map is a curious thing — all at once necessary, inscrutable, and practically useless. Maybe the map is itself a work of art, and I’m too obtuse to understand it. I don’t know. Sometimes it map helped. But sometimes I consulted mine, looked up and around, and wondered if I had perhaps strayed to the edge of a flat world, one where beyond there were beasties  waiting to devour me. Still, you need one of those maps if you’re to have a chance of really enjoying the place. Think of it as just one tool. Having your hiking wits about you is another. Basically, you can’t get all that lost on a 613-foot-high, 140-acre mountain, right? Also, there are signs here and there, so that’s one more tool in your kit.

Andres Institute of Art in Brookline, NH
My personal favorite, “Old Man in the Mountains New Home,” Alak Roy, Bangladesh, 2014. For those unfamiliar with the story, the Old Man in the Mountains was a part of Cannon Mountain in NH that, from one location, a visible profile of a face could be seen. Known as a symbol of NH, on May 3, 2003, the iconic landmark collapsed.

Relax, you’re here to hike and enjoy art. If you bring children, fantastic. They can run and shout and actually touch the art. Even normally reluctant, complaining young hikers will be kept so busy looking for the next sculpture that before they know it, they’ll be at the top of the mountain and it will be time for a snack or lunch. If you bring a dog, also great. Just keep that member of the family on a leash, and it’s all good.

Andres Institute of Art in Brookline, NH
The backside of “Old Man in the Mountains New Home.”

During my visit, I walked the Summit Loop with the goal of enjoying my bagged lunch with a view of the Monadnock Mountains range. Pro tip: when you get to the cell phone towers, you’re at the top, it just might not be 100% obvious. Here’s where your hiking wits come in. Where are cell towers placed? At the tippy top of wherever it is they are — church spires, sky scrapers, mountains, right? OK, you’ve got this. Walk a little further, poke around a bit, and before you know it, the Monadnock range will be arrayed before you, over a dozen peaks, great and small. To the left, there’s Barrett Mountain. Straight on, there’s Mt. Monadnock. Over to the right, Pack Monadnock. What you’ve got in front of you is a whole list of future adventures.

Old Man in the Mountains, NH
Old Man in the Mountains, NH. I miss the old lug. Photo credit: Library of Congress.

All that and art, too. You made it. Plop yourself down on the old bowling alley seating and enjoy the amazing view that include, of course, a perfectly placed, massive stone sculpture.

Andres Institute of Art in Brookline, NH
“Phoenix,” by Janis Karlovs, Latvia, fabricated from found granite on the mountain, 1999. Artists immerse themselves in the rural setting and are given the time and space to create their art on the property at a location of their choosing.

How the art gets there

Once a year, several artists from all over the world travel to the Institute to immerse themselves in its rural character and create their art as part of the Bridges and Connections International Sculpture symposium. The artists travel to the Andres Institute for a 3-week stint to craft what are often multi-ton works. The program is part short-term residency, part cultural exchange. Artists stay with locals who sponsor their stay, and work with volunteers who groom and prepare sculpture sites, and operate the heavy equipment needed to properly place the works.

Andres Institute of Art in Brookline, NH
“Conscious,” by Isadore Batu Siharulidze, Republic of Georgia, 2012

According to the Andres website, “The artists are paid a small stipend for their attendance, but the real reward is that they are allowed to create whatever sculpture they like and to place it wherever they want on the mountain. The Institute provides tools and materials to help each artist realize his or her vision.”

The result is beautiful art hidden in plain sight among the natural backdrop of a New Hampshire forest.

Andres Institute of Art in Brookline, NH
“She Lifted Her Heart and Floated Away,” by Cheryl Ann Lorance, USA, 2018

The best part about the Andres Sculpture Park is that it’s unique and charming, with an original sculpture at every bend. The mountain itself, immovable and unchanging, serves as host to a this constantly growing work-in-progress that attracts an increasing number of artist applicants who vie for the four coveted spots per year.

We arrived for our visit to the Institute late-morning on a Saturday and enjoyed an easy, breezy socially distanced experience. The mountain was peopled but not crowded, and visitors were quick to don their masks upon approaching others. We’re told that a nice side trip is to stop off at the New Kun Garden Chinese Restaurant down the street for their Thai ice cream roll, followed by a dip at Potanipo Pond. We opted to hit one of the many farm stands in the area for organic produce and homemade baked goods.

Details:

Andres Institute of Art
98 Rte. 13
Brookline, NH 03033
603-673-8441

Open year-round, dawn to dusk.

Parking is plentiful.

There is a port-a-potty in the parking lot, but it was off limits when we was there due to COVID.

There is no water available, so be sure to bring your own.

This is a carry in/carry out park.

Downloadable maps are available online.

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Filed Under: Art, Beyond Natick, Kids, Outdoors

Page Waterman, Wellesley

Beyond Natick: a visit to Boston’s Arnold Arboretum

May 28, 2020 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

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.

Arnold Arboretum, Boston
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.

 

Arnold Arboretum, Boston
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.

 

Arnold Arboretum, Boston
This mid-season lilac is named for Edmond Boissier (1810 – 1885), a prominent Swiss botanist, explorer and mathematician.

Arnold Arboretum, Boston

Arnold Arboretum, Boston
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.

 

Arnold Arboretum, Boston
Rhododendron Dell, a woodland landscape showcasing the Arboretum’s collection of over 200 plants, is in full bloom now.

 

Arnold Arboretum, Boston
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.”

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Filed Under: Beyond Natick, Gardens, Outdoors

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