EXPERIENCE SUMMER AT THE GARDEN

Every season brings its own sort of magic to the Garden experience, but there’s no doubt summer is a special time of year. From June through August, the Garden grows into a plant-lovers paradise, a summer getaway that not only offers beautiful scenery around every corner, but an array of exciting exhibits and events for guests of all ages and backgrounds to enjoy. 

SCIENCE OF THE SEASON

An important component to how plants stay cool is through regulating leaf temperature. During photosynthesis, plants absorb light energy through their leaves to create what they need in order to survive, however excess light energy can cause leaf temperature to increase. In order to cool its leaves, a plant will often close its stomata, or leaf pores. This conserves moisture, but because stomata are used for gas exchange, bringing carbon dioxide in and sending oxygen out, closing stomata can also disrupt the future photosynthesis ability of a plant. To avoid this plants have also evolved other creative ways to stay cool. 

Lamb’s ear (Stachys byzantina), for instance, has a lot of adaptations for heat tolerance. The plant’s silvery color helps reflect the sun’s rays and its hairy leaves shade the stomata and reduce contact from hot air. Other adaptations plants possess include transpiring—releasing water through the stomata to cool the leaves, having leaves that are oriented in a more vertical position, or growing hairs or a waxy coating on their leaves. 

Here at the Garden, thousands flock in early spring to catch a glimpse of the Field of Daffodils—a stunning meadow that becomes a sea of gold and white as more than 25,000 daffodil bulbs bloom in April. But come May, the daffodils are gone, withered away and mowed over. In their place, common milkweed and other native plants sprout up. What was once the Field of Daffodils grows into a beautiful summer meadow and a pollinator’s paradise. 

The meadow has many purposes, not to just look pretty. Meadows play an important part in the local ecosystem by functioning as early successional habitat. In recent decades, biologists have noted the decline of several species throughout the northeastern region as these habitats disappear due to increased development and repression of fire and other ground disturbances. In areas such as meadows, ground disturbances spur the growth of certain species that provide important resources to wildlife and contribute to the overall health of the ecosystem. At the Garden, we initiate these disturbances by mowing our meadows every few years and tracking the growth of certain plant species and wildlife that call them home. Soon, you’ll see Rudbeckia hirta or black-eyed Susan throughout the meadows. The short-lived perennial thrives in disturbed environments but is often outcompeted by larger perennials and grasses as meadows mature. This means that the plant’s ability to survive is dependent upon the initiated disturbances. 

Drought, disease, and invasive species all pose threats and challenges that put pressure on plants. Due to climate change, summers have begun to get warmer and the risks of drought grow more common. With our changing climate, Massachusetts experiences the increased presence and shifting range of invasive species. Spongy moth (Lymantria dispar), for example, used to be restricted when early spring rains would enable an insect killing fungus (Entomophaga maimaiga) to keep spongy moth populations limited. Without the necessary rain, the moth can continue to thrive with minimal barriers. Spotted lantern fly, English ivy, and Hemlock wooly adelgid are some other invasive species that have become more prominent in the region over the past few decades thanks in part to our changing climate. 

THINGS TO DO

SUMMER EVENINGS: Extended Hours on Wednesdays and Thursdays | June – September 2024
Thursday Summer Evenings return, back by popular demand, and — new this year! — Extended Wednesday Evenings offer even more opportunities to savor the summer.

SWING NIGHT: Dance Concert on the Lawn | Tuesday, August 6
Enjoy a high-energy evening of timeless big band swing with the 18-piece Beantown Swing orchestra, and learn basic swing moves to dance the night away.

SUMMER PLANT SHOWS

  • New England Rose Society Show & Sale | Saturday, June 15
  • New England Daylily Society Show & Sale | Saturday, July 13
  • New England Lily Society Show & Sale | Saturday, July 20 and Sunday, 21
  • Buxton Branch of the American Begonia Society and the New England Chapter of the Gesneriad Society Show & Sale | Saturday, September 21 and Sunday, 22 

  • GREEN, New Paintings by Marie Anthony Inspired by the Garden: Join us to celebrate the work of Marie Anthony, an abstract artist located in Boston. This unique body of work focusing on botanical abstractions was directly influenced by the shapes and patterns she found here at the Garden. These dynamic oil paintings will adorn the Milton Gallery from June 1 through August 11, 2024.
  • NEW ENGLAND WILDFLOWERS, New England Society of Botanical Artists: Come learn more about the native and introduced wildflowers found throughout New England in an illustrated exhibit featuring artwork created by the New England Society of Botanical Artists. New England Wildflowers will adorn the Fern Gallery from June 8 through September 3, 2024.
  • FLORA IN FLIGHT, Aerial Art by Poetic Kinetics: Experience a collaboration between art and nature. Get ready to explore a lively trilogy of kinetic art that’s sure to move you. Open June 22 through October 31, 2024
  • Lilac blooms beside the pergolas of the Lawn Garden.
  • A family walks hand in hand down Pliny’s Allée toward The Ramble.
  • White flowers bloom in the late summer of the Secret Garden.
  • Two visitors walk along the paths of the Lawn Garden.
  • Yellow Itoh peonies bloom in the Cottage Garden.

GARDEN PLANTS TO DISCOVER THIS SUMMER 

This summer, stop and smell the roses (and daylilies, and mint, and more!) Wander the formal gardens to view enchanting summer designs and vibrant color palettes. Cool down in the naturalistic spaces gathering inspiration in the Shade Garden or pack a picnic and see how many pollinators you can find on the plants of the Lawn Garden. As you explore the Garden this season, keep a look out for these summer favorites.

Pink peonies with yellow centers bloom in June.Peony (Paeonia spp. and cultivars)
These perennials are known for their large showy flowers in late spring and early summer. Beautiful, but short-lived, peonies will flower 7-10 days. The genus is comprised of more than 30 species. Different cultivars and species of peony have varying bloom times. At the Garden, these beautiful flowers typically show up toward the end of May through mid-June. You can find peonies throughout our garden spaces, including the Lawn Garden, Secret Garden, Cottage Garden, Shade Garden, and Garden of Inspiration. 

Pink coneflowers with orange centers bloom in a bed of the Garden of Inspiration. The Orangerie sits behind the flowers in the distance.Coneflower (Echinacea spp. and cultivars)
The genusEchinacea has seven species all from eastern and central North America. Attractive to butterflies and other pollinators, coneflowers come in an array of different colors such as pink, red, purple, yellow, and white. These flowers often bloom anywhere from July to September and can be found throughout the Garden including the Lawn Garden, Secret Garden, Cottage Garden, and Garden of Inspiration.

Rhododendrons and azaleas (Rhododendron spp. and cultivars)Flowers of a rhododendron bloom in a cluster.
There are 500-900 species in the genus Rhododendron that include what are commonly called rhododendrons and azaleas. Most are evergreen; however, many are deciduous. True rhododendrons have 10 stamens in a flower, while azaleas only have five. Their showy flowers, with colors of white, pink, red, and purple, and attractive winter foliage make them a great plant for year-round interest. Rhododendrons and azaleas can be found throughout the grounds in the Shade Garden, Wildlife Refuge Pond, Inner Park, Lawn Garden, and Cottage Garden. 

False goat’s beard (Astilbe spp. and cultivars)Pink Astilbe blooms in the Secret Garden.
These herbaceous perennials are native to eastern North America and eastern Asia, although most astilbe used in gardens are hybrids of species from Japan and China. With more than 30 species, astilbe are often characterized by tiny, densely packed flowers packed into plume-like strands. These flowers are alluring to bees, butterflies, and other pollinators—a great addition to any garden looking for pollinator-friendly plants. You can find false goat’s beard in the Lawn Garden, Secret Garden, Garden of Inspiration, and Shade Garden.

A white and purple iris stands in the early morning sunlight of the Garden of Inspiration.Iris (Iris spp. and cultivars)
Whether bold and showy or humble and modest, the intriguing flowers of the iris are always a sight to behold. Irises come in every color of the rainbow and boast vibrant details along their petals. The Garden is home to a number of different species including I. sibirica, I. ensata, and I. germanica, all of which bloom from late May through June. You can find irises in the Secret Garden, along the Secret Garden ramp, and in the Garden of Inspiration.