Tower Hill Botanic Garden
Encyclopedia
The Tower Hill Botanic Garden, in Boylston, Massachusetts
, USA
, is a 132 acre (53.4 ha) botanical garden
with spectacular views of Mount Wachusett
and the Wachusett Reservoir
. It is located approximately 8 miles (12 km) north of central Worcester. It was founded in 1986 by the Worcester County Horticultural Society and is scheduled to be fully complete in 2040.
Tower Hill hosts a number of interesting plant collections and gardens. The Frank L. Harrington Sr. Orchard displays 238 trees of 119 pre-20th century apple
varieties. The Lawn Garden is a grassy sward bordered by 350 species and varieties of ornamental trees and shrubs, underplanted with sweeps of peonies, day lilies, Siberian iris, and ground covers. The Secret Garden contains a double pergola
, fountain, garden pool, statuary, and wide variety of grasses, perennials and annuals. The Cottage Garden is a collection of annuals, perennials and woody plants. The seasonal Vegetable Garden contains unusual vegetables and annuals. The Orangerie is a 4,000 square foot (370 m2) greenhouse in the 18th century style. The Orangerie, a stylized greenhouse, is Tower Hill’s primary wintertime display facility, featuring hundreds of sub-tropical plants and blooming bulbs. The Systematic Garden is a one-of-a-kind educational experience, where you find plants arranged "systematically", according to our 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. The half acre Wildlife Refuge Pond, along with 3 miles (4.8 km) of woodland trails, provide ample opportunity for visitors to observe and contemplate the natural world. Both native and exotic plant species are incorporated into this haven for wildlife, with plenty of benches to allow visitors a rest along the way. In winter, cross-country skiers are welcome. Several new additions have opened in 2010, including the Limonaia (Lemon House conservatory) and the Winter Garden—a 14000 square feet (1,300.6 m²) courtyard garden that features plants especially known for their winter attributes; a formal pool with twin turtle fountains is in the center of the Winter Garden.
The Stoddard Education and Visitors Center is the hub for all activities at Tower Hill. It houses a 100 seat theater with an orientation video for visitors; the third oldest horticultural library in the United States; and Twigs Cafe and Gift Shop.
Boylston, Massachusetts
Boylston is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 4,355 at the 2010 census.-History:Boylston was first settled by Europeans around 1706 in the north part of the present-day town, most notably by the Sawyer family...
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, is a 132 acre (53.4 ha) botanical garden
Botanical garden
A botanical garden The terms botanic and botanical, and garden or gardens are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word botanic is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens. is a well-tended area displaying a wide range of plants labelled with their botanical names...
with spectacular views of Mount Wachusett
Mount Wachusett
Mount Wachusett is located in the towns of Princeton and Westminster in Worcester County, Massachusetts. It is the highest point in Massachusetts east of the Connecticut River. The mountain is named after a Native American term meaning "near the mountain" or "mountain place". The mountain is a...
and the Wachusett Reservoir
Wachusett Reservoir
The Wachusett Reservoir is the second largest body of water in the state of Massachusetts. It is located in central Massachusetts, northeast of Worcester. It is part of the water supply system for metropolitan Boston maintained by the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority . It has an aggregate...
. It is located approximately 8 miles (12 km) north of central Worcester. It was founded in 1986 by the Worcester County Horticultural Society and is scheduled to be fully complete in 2040.
Tower Hill hosts a number of interesting plant collections and gardens. The Frank L. Harrington Sr. Orchard displays 238 trees of 119 pre-20th century apple
Apple
The apple is the pomaceous fruit of the apple tree, species Malus domestica in the rose family . It is one of the most widely cultivated tree fruits, and the most widely known of the many members of genus Malus that are used by humans. Apple grow on small, deciduous trees that blossom in the spring...
varieties. The Lawn Garden is a grassy sward bordered by 350 species and varieties of ornamental trees and shrubs, underplanted with sweeps of peonies, day lilies, Siberian iris, and ground covers. The Secret Garden contains a double pergola
Pergola
A pergola, arbor or arbour is a garden feature forming a shaded walkway, passageway or sitting area of vertical posts or pillars that usually support cross-beams and a sturdy open lattice, often upon which woody vines are trained...
, fountain, garden pool, statuary, and wide variety of grasses, perennials and annuals. The Cottage Garden is a collection of annuals, perennials and woody plants. The seasonal Vegetable Garden contains unusual vegetables and annuals. The Orangerie is a 4,000 square foot (370 m2) greenhouse in the 18th century style. The Orangerie, a stylized greenhouse, is Tower Hill’s primary wintertime display facility, featuring hundreds of sub-tropical plants and blooming bulbs. The Systematic Garden is a one-of-a-kind educational experience, where you find plants arranged "systematically", according to our 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. The half acre Wildlife Refuge Pond, along with 3 miles (4.8 km) of woodland trails, provide ample opportunity for visitors to observe and contemplate the natural world. Both native and exotic plant species are incorporated into this haven for wildlife, with plenty of benches to allow visitors a rest along the way. In winter, cross-country skiers are welcome. Several new additions have opened in 2010, including the Limonaia (Lemon House conservatory) and the Winter Garden—a 14000 square feet (1,300.6 m²) courtyard garden that features plants especially known for their winter attributes; a formal pool with twin turtle fountains is in the center of the Winter Garden.
The Stoddard Education and Visitors Center is the hub for all activities at Tower Hill. It houses a 100 seat theater with an orientation video for visitors; the third oldest horticultural library in the United States; and Twigs Cafe and Gift Shop.