Tower Hill Botanic Garden

I had a lovely day touring Tower Hill Botanic Garden with my dear, longtime friend Celia who is visiting from Hawaii. What could be better than sauntering through a beautiful garden, catching up on conversation and enjoying a delightful al fresco lunch on a lofty terrace with spectacular views of  mountains and the Quabbin Reservoir. The weather was a perfect 71 degrees, sunny with a thin scrim of clouds to tone down the intensity of the near to solstice sunlight and a light breeze that carried the scents of flowers and newly mown grass. Sigh...

 

I've never been to Tower Hill this time of the year before and although it doesn't have as much drama as later in the season when all the tropicals and temperennials from the conservatories are outside, hardened off and strutting their stuff, there were hundreds of blooming shrubs and trees that made for a great walkabout.

 

Beautiful specimen of  Euphorbia tirucalli (Stick Plant) and Aloe ferox (Cape Aloe) in the entrance garden.

 

 

Some of the conservatory collection gettng hardened off for ther outdoor summer locations

 

 

 

 

A beautiful specimen of Cedrus atlantica 'Glauca Pendula' (Atlas Cedar)

 

I wish I had room for this one in my garden!

 

They have many beautiful specimens of Fagus sylvatica (Purple Columnar Beech) throughout the gardens

 

Great grouping with Spirea 'Ogon' in the foreground

 

 

 

 

 

 

I want to find some of these great little Allium karataviense (Kara Tau Garlic)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Enkianthus campanulatus, love this shrub!

 

Lovely blooming Aesculus carnea (Red flowering Horsechestnut tree)



 

The splendid double arbor and stairway.

 

 

I've decided I'd like to get over here once a month or so during the growing season to see how the emerging perennials and new annuals fill in and change over the season.  Of course I'll have to have another al fresco lunch on the beautiful terrace...