Another place I seem to end up whenever I have free time between conference sessions is the Boston Public Gardens.
Established in 1837, this Boston landmark was the first botanical garden in the United States to be open to the general public. In order to develop the 24 acres of marshland allotted for the garden, the city held a competition to determine who would create the design. George V. Meacham won first prize and his design was implemented, though over the years many changes have been made to the garden. The initial design, however, has been preserved as much as possible.
The garden is open all year long though you'll find the most colorful array of flowers from April through October. A fine variety of public art is on display at the Public Garden as well, including an excellent statue of George Washington.
In the Boston Public Gardens near Beacon Street and Charles Street lives a mother duck, Mrs. Mallard, and her eight little ducklings, Jack, Kack, Lack, Mack, Nack, Ouack, Pack, and Quack. The ducks from Robert McCloskey's Make Way for Ducklings (Viking, 1941; Caldecott Award, 1942) were immortalized in bronze by sculptor Nancy Schön. They are perhaps among the best known attractions in the Boston Public Gardens but there are others.
Over the years we have had the pleasure of visiting many public gardens on our travels. We found the Boston garden to be the most welcoming - a great place to sit on a shaded bench and watch the city interact with their beloved green space.
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