Elm Bank Horticulture Center facts for kids
The Gardens at Elm Bank is a beautiful place where you can explore many different types of gardens. It's the home of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, a group dedicated to plants and gardening. The gardens cover about 36 acres of land. They are part of the larger Elm Bank Reservation, which is a 175-acre area with forests, fields, and old estate grounds. This whole area is located along the Charles River. The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation takes care of it.
You can find the entrance to Elm Bank at 900 Washington Street (Route 16) in Wellesley, Massachusetts, United States. Most of the gardens are actually in the nearby town of Dover. In 1987, the entire Elm Bank site was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's a special place recognized for its history.
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History of Elm Bank Gardens
Early Owners and Elm Trees
Records show that people have owned this land since 1732. Back then, it was known as the Natick Plain. In 1740, Colonel John Jones bought the property. He planted many elm trees along the river, which is how the place got its name, Elm Bank.
Over the years, different families owned the land. In 1874, Benjamin Pierce Cheney bought the property for $10,000. He was a very important person who helped start American Express, a big delivery company.
Cheney Family and Grand Designs
When Benjamin Cheney passed away in 1895, the property was huge, covering over 200 acres. In 1905, his oldest daughter, Alice, inherited it. Alice and her husband, Dr. William Hewson Baltzell, wanted to build a grand house. In 1907, they hired famous architects, Carrère and Hastings, to design a Neo-Georgian manor house.
They also hired the Olmsted Brothers firm. This company was known as the best landscape designers of their time. They planned the estate's layout and designed new gardens. They also improved the gardens that were already there.
Later Uses and State Ownership
In the 1940s, Elm Bank became a seminary. This was a place where a group of Stigmatine Fathers lived and studied. They built a school and ran a summer camp in the 1960s and 1970s.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts bought the property in the mid-1970s. For a while, it was home to the Quinobin Regional Technical School.
Massachusetts Horticultural Society Takes Over
In 1996, Dr. John C. Peterson, who was the President of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, had a big dream. He wanted to find a new place for the society to have educational programs and gardens near Boston.
Dr. Peterson worked hard with different state groups. He created a plan to show why the Horticultural Society should get a long-term lease for Elm Bank. Because of his efforts, the state government agreed. They passed a law that allowed the Massachusetts Horticultural Society to lease 36 acres of the Elm Bank Reservation for 100 years.
Developing the Gardens
After getting the lease, the Horticultural Society began a multi-year project. They worked with Pieter van Loon, a famous garden landscape architect from the Netherlands. Together, Dr. Peterson and Pieter van Loon created a Master Plan for the Elm Bank Horticulture Center. This plan was a vision for how the gardens and facilities would look. It made Elm Bank the first dedicated garden and education center for the Massachusetts Horticultural Society in its long history.
Next, they started raising money. With donations and grants, the society began to develop the site. They fixed up old gardens and buildings. They also built new educational gardens and places to grow plants. New buildings were made for training programs, events, and educational activities for members and the public.
Growing and Expanding
Under Dr. Peterson's leadership, the society worked with many plant societies, garden clubs, and plant companies. This helped to make the Elm Bank Horticulture Center even better. It added more gardens, programs, and facilities. These improvements made the Massachusetts Horticultural Society a key place for plant lovers in Massachusetts and the New England area.
As the gardens grew and became more important, the society started charging an entrance fee in 2010. Today, visitors over 12 who are not members pay $10 to enter. The money from entrance fees, special events, and private rentals (like garden weddings) helps to maintain the beautiful gardens.
Gardens to Explore
Elm Bank has several unique gardens for you to discover:
- Weezie's Garden for Children
This garden is made up of small, spiraling sections. Each part lets kids plant, water, or play with the garden's elements. Special classes for children are held here in the spring, summer, and fall.
- Mass Hort Trial Garden
This garden is a team effort between the University of Massachusetts, the Massachusetts Flower Growers’ Association, and the Massachusetts Horticultural Society. Plant companies from all over the world send annuals here. Both amateur and professional gardeners can come to see them. This garden also tests new plant types that are competing for All-America Selections awards. It shows off past winners and grows hundreds of different cultivars sent by plant breeders.
- Italianate Garden
The Italianate Garden was first designed in 1926. Its restoration was based on the original plans found at the Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site. They even had a list of the original trees and flowers, and receipts for them!
- Display Gardens
Several groups help maintain special display gardens at Elm Bank. These include the Noanett Garden Club, the New England Chapter of the Herb Society of America, and the American Rhododendron Society. The Day Lily Society also created a garden here in 2004.
See also
In Spanish: Centro de Horticultura Elm Bank para niños
