s a child, visiting the spring flower show became a cherished tradition. My grandmother would dismiss me from school for the day so we could go into Boston for lunch and then visit the show. The sights and scents inside the hall always felt like the first true sign of spring. Later, as an adult, I continued to look forward to the Worcester County Horticultural Society’s annual spring show at Horticultural Hall. What I remember most is how welcoming it felt, especially knowing that in its early years, the show was free to the public. It really felt like a gift to the community.

My first visit to Tower Hill came when the Worcester Garden Club arranged a trip to see the newly purchased property with the founding Executive Director, John Trexler. What struck me immediately was the view over the reservoir toward Wachusett Mountain. It was breathtaking. At that time, the Farmhouse had not yet been fully renovated for offices and meeting spaces, and the large barn still stood prominently on the hilltop, roughly where the Limonaia is today. Our meeting took place inside that barn. Its sturdy chestnut beams were still in excellent condition. John explained that there had been discussion about keeping it as a visitor or education space, but in the end, it was sold to someone who planned to disassemble and relocate it for a new use. I was glad it would be preserved rather than demolished.

Afterward, John walked us across the hilltop and described his vision for the garden. He spoke about an axis that would extend from the southern end of the lawn garden, through the front door of the farmhouse, and along a central path through what would become the Systematic Garden. At the time, the land felt like a beautiful blank slate. It was exciting to imagine what might grow there. Looking back now, I think that subtle sense of symmetry and structure has helped ground the design and guide visitors naturally through the hilltop gardens.

Not long after my term as President of the Worcester Garden Club ended in 2000, John called to ask whether I would consider joining the Board of Trustees at the Garden. I felt honored to be invited and was happy to become more involved at Tower Hill. Over the years, it has been deeply rewarding to watch the garden grow and evolve.

During my time as Board President, I had the opportunity to be involved in several important moments. One was when Phase IV of the original Master Plan was underway, and the Limonaia and Winter Garden began to take shape. That was very exciting. Another project that remains especially meaningful to me was chairing the Children’s Garden Committee. It was something people had hoped to see for a long time. The process took about two years because of some administrative changes, but working with landscape architect Gary Smith was an absolute joy. His enthusiasm was contagious, and he encouraged us to imagine what he called an authentic woodland experience. Although not every idea made it into the final plan, the process itself was inspiring. The Ramble that visitors enjoy today may be somewhat different from the original vision, but it has clearly become a place that people of all ages appreciate in every season.

Of course, there were also challenges along the way. Two periods stand out in my memory from when I was Board President. The first was the economic downturn in 2008. It was a difficult time, but fortunately, there were trustees with strong financial knowledge who helped guide the organization through those uncertain months. The second challenge came a few years later when John Trexler’s time as Executive Director came to an end. John had been hired in 1983 when he was just 32 years old and was given the enormous task of finding a site for a major botanic garden. The search took two years, and once Tower Hill was purchased in 1986, the garden truly became his life’s work. His creativity, horticultural knowledge, artistic instincts, and ability to inspire both enthusiasm and financial support were invaluable in those early years. Eventually, however, his health began to fail, and the Garden needed a different kind of leadership to continue growing. The transition was not easy, and I felt deeply for John during that time. Still, it has been remarkable to see how later administrations built on what he started and brought the garden to a level of regional and national recognition that we can all be proud of.

My connection to the Worcester Garden Club has always been closely tied to Tower Hill and what is now the New England Botanic Garden. From the time the property was first purchased, there has been a strong relationship between the two organizations. Many club members have served as trustees, and some of the Garden’s administrators have also been members of the club. The club has supported specific projects over the years and maintains an organizational membership, while encouraging individual members to join as well. I remember with pride that the club submitted proposals to the Garden Club of America’s Founders Fund to help support the Entry Garden. Years earlier, in 1980, the club also nominated John Trexler for a national award at their annual meeting in Cleveland, where he received the Mrs. Oakleigh Thorne Medal for Outstanding Garden Design. For many years, John also hosted propagation workshops at his own garden for club members, helping them prepare interesting plants to share at the Garden Club of America’s annual meetings. Even today, staff from the Garden are popular speakers at the club’s monthly gatherings.

Over time, my own relationship with gardening and with Tower Hill deepened in a very personal way. After my husband died in 1997, I found that visits to the Garden were emotionally restorative. It became a place where I could find quiet, beauty, and a sense of calm away from everyday life. When I walked through the grounds, I felt able to take a deep breath and reflect. Because of that connection, I often choose to make memorial contributions to the Garden. To me, it represents something lasting. It is beautiful indoors and outdoors in every season, and there is a reassuring sense of continuity in the life cycle of plants. They grow, flourish, perhaps fade back in winter, and then return again in spring.

As the Garden reflects on the people who have helped shape it over the past forty years, I believe it is especially important to remember the legacy of John Trexler. As the founding Executive Director, his vision laid the foundation for everything that followed. I have often thought it would be fitting for his portrait to be displayed in a prominent place in Stoddard, along with a brief account of his life and accomplishments. John was a fascinating person. Early on he had hoped to become an architect, and you could see that interest in the way he enjoyed collaborating with architects as buildings were created at the Garden. Somehow his path led him into horticulture, but he brought an artist’s sensibility to garden design. He was generous with his knowledge and often shared cuttings from his own garden.

Later in life, he developed a strong interest in Roman antiquity, which explains many of the Latin names, inscriptions, and classical elements that appear throughout the Garden, including Domitian’s Pool and the statues of Roman figures. He traveled frequently to Rome and formed friendships with well-known figures in horticulture both in the United States and abroad, including Rosemary Verey, Christopher Lloyd, and Fergus Garrett of Great Dixter. One of his greatest hopes was that Tower Hill would become known to people far beyond the local community. I think he would be very pleased to see visitors now coming from much farther away to experience the Garden he helped bring to life.