A Living Museum

Now is a great time of year to visit one of our many local parks, arboretums and horticultural sites to get you back in touch with nature. Garden in the Woods is one such place, an amazing living museum and outdoor classroom. It is known for having the largest landscape collection of native plants in the region, including rare and endangered plants. We also found them to be adept at cause marketing, which not only fulfills their mission, but also helps them engage with visitors through education, research and advocacy.

When you visit the Garden make sure you bring your camera. It presents an ever-changing tapestry of flowers and foliage during the spring, summer and fall. Its gardens and habitats offer wonderful opportunities for the whole family to explore and learn. Don’t forget to pick up a scavenger hunt sheet. Kids will enjoy trying to find the various plants and animals in the Garden.

Just outside the Garden Shop is the Bloom Board, for those curious about what’s in bloom this time of year. To the left, past the Mazur Stone and Water Fountain, is Curtis Path, the main trail that runs throughout the Garden. Along the path we found a number of interactive signs that provide a wonderful understanding of the gardens and habitats, including questions and answers about local plants and animals.

In the Idea Garden you are asked to, “Look up! Why do you think we have plants growing on the roof?” Innovative uses of native plants like a rooftop garden, container gardening, lawn alternatives and edible native species encourage visitors to use native plants in unique and creative ways.

Further down the trail we walked through the Woodland Garden towards the Lily Pond, where turtles sunned themselves on floating islands. There we found the largest, most beautiful Yellow Lady’s Slippers we’ve ever seen. They brought back memories of finding one while on a Brownie Woodland Scavenger Hunt. Our troop leader made it very clear that the Lady’s Slipper was NOT on our list and should NEVER be picked. The caretakers of this Garden would agree. Beside the flower was a small red nameplate that told us it was a rare plant in the wild.

Further up Curtis Path we came upon a number of trails: Ridge Trail, Lady-Slipper Loop, Hop Brook Trail and Lost Pond Trail are all about 10-minute walks that bring you deeper into the woods but then loop back around to the main path. Dotted along these trails are rustic benches where we sat and viewed the spacious landscape.

On the north side of Curtis Path we came upon another example of the Society’s mission to educate their visitors. The Invasive Plant Jail showcases plants like Japanese barberry, burning bush and yellow flag iris that threaten the integrity of our environment. These plants have invaded New England with few predatory insects to hold them at bay. 

As we came full circle on Curtis Path, we found ourselves in front of the Education Center where families rested with picnics on the patio. The Center has intimate indoor spaces where green industry professionals can meet with amateur botanists, gardeners and teachers to share their knowledge of New England's precious native flora. The Garden also has children and family programs that offer hands-on activities. If your interest in nature goes deeper, you might consider enrolling in their Certificate Program in Native Plant Studies.

Whether it’s their mission of promoting conservation of native plants or their passion for sharing that knowledge, New England Wild Flower Society makes creating meaningful connections with their audience look easy. They won us over. We’re still talking about our visit with family and friends. So whether you are interested in conservation and restoration of natural areas or simply looking to create a beautiful and diverse habitat for your home garden, Garden in the Woods is a “must visit” this summer.


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Have you ever visited Garden in the Woods, or a place like it that uses education as a tool to connect with its audience? Share your stories of those places with Élan’s online community by posting a comment to this blog.