April 2018
You may have heard that New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill is growing. We have more annual visitors, more members than ever before, more program participants, more social media followers, and more daffodils in our field of gold than ever before. We’re also growing geographically.
Founded on 132 acres in 1986 on a drumlin overlooking the Wachusett Reservoir, New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill has added gardens, conservatories, and trails over the years, transforming the former dairy farm into New England’s only year round botanic garden.
Leadership has been working to preserve the serene nature of New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill and recently secured the purchase of two adjacent properties that will conserve areas that surround New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill in perpetuity. They new parcels bring New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill’s land to 171 acres.
Partnering with the Department on Conservation and Recreation, New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill was able to purchase 35 acres of forest that regular visitors would recognize as woodlands that fall behind the Belvedere, the New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill summit, the Inner Park, and the Folly. Not only does this preserve the natural beauty and tranquility of these popular spaces, but the conservation of this land as open space also helps to protect the Wachusett Reservoir’s sensitive watershed.
Another 6 acre parcel of woods that exists beyond the stone wall visitors see on the right while arriving up Fuller Drive was also added to New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill’s property in recent months.
“Maintaining the serene nature of New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill’s landscape has been a priority of the Board of Trustees for decades,” said New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill CEO Grace Elton. “We’re so grateful to everyone who played a role in making this happen, from the landowners to the DCR. It really takes a village to make a great garden. Taking these steps ensures New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill remains a peaceful and picturesque landscape for generations to come.”
New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill’s new Master Plan calls for new gardens and plant spaces on the central footprint of the property which is already developed and expanding passive recreation opportunities in the surrounding woodlands. This will enhance the visitor experience by providing more walking trails and educational opportunities.