Garden In The Woods

Hidden in the Boston suburbs, a small patch of woods is a garden where rare and endangered wildflowers and plant life grow.

About 15 miles west of Boston, along Route 20 in Framingham, a small sign off the side of the road points to "A Garden In The Woods."

Follow the markings, and you end up at what looks like it could be a clearing for camping. The spot is actually a section of land developed by the New England Wildflower Society to grow more than 1500 varieties of plants - some native to other areas of the country, and many rare and endangered species.

The group charges a $7 admission fee, which includes material for a self-guided tour. Or, visitors can join in on one of the group tours for no extra cost.

The garden also includes displays from other regions, such as this one showing plant life native to the Southwest.

A main trail about one mile long takes you through the clusters of various species of wildflowers and vegetation, marked with signs showing their names and origin. Sometimes you will get a lesson on how to look at the nature around you. For example, at one point, a sign describes the evidence of logging over a century before, still apparent on nearby trees. The same sign also points out that the artificially steep slope of a hill was caused by builders of a nearby railroad track.

Getting There

The Garden is open April through October. To get there from Route 128, travel Route 20 west into Framingham. Take a left onto Raymond Road (at the "Garden In The Woods" sign). Take a right on Hemenway Road. See the Web site for more details and for hours.
- C. Danko

Web Links

New England Wildflower Society

Author: C. Danko
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