Month: October 2026

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A Horticultural Walk Through Mount Auburn

mikevschiano

On a crisp October Saturday, members of the Driftwood Garden Club traveled to Cambridge to explore the horticultural treasures of Mount Auburn Cemetery. Thanks to Program Chairs Barbara and Cheryl, we joined the Horticultural Highlights Tour and spent the day discovering one of New England’s most beautiful and historically significant landscapes.

Led by our guide, Jim, we explored 175 rolling acres filled with more than 5,000 trees, shrubs, and plants from around the world. It was an outing that blended gardening, history, and nature in a way that left a lasting impression.

A Garden from the Very Beginning

Our tour began with a bit of history that particularly appealed to gardeners. Founded in 1831 in partnership with the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, Mount Auburn was America’s first landscaped garden cemetery. With its winding paths, ponds, and gentle hills, it offered a place for people to enjoy nature long before Boston developed public parks. Families once came here to stroll, picnic, and take in the scenery on Sunday afternoons.

Plants, Pollinators, and Lessons for Our Own Gardens

One of the highlights of the tour was learning how the grounds are maintained. Our guide explained how the staff manages irrigation, monitors plants for signs of drought stress, and plans for future generations of trees and shrubs through succession planting. The diversity of growing conditions across the property, from sunny hillsides to deep shade beneath mature trees, influences every planting decision.

Many members came away with fresh ideas for their own gardens and for the beds we tend at Abbot Library and Farrell Court. Mount Auburn is a wonderful example of how thoughtful planning and long-term stewardship can create a landscape that remains both beautiful and resilient.

Even late in the season, bees and butterflies were hard at work among the flowers and foliage. It was a reminder that well-planned gardens support wildlife as well as delight the eye.

Stories in Stone

As we walked the grounds, we admired statuary and memorials honoring the many writers, educators, and notable Bostonians buried there. One memorable detail was the number of graves adorned with dog statues. Our guide explained that dogs symbolize loyalty and devotion, making them a fitting tribute on many memorials. Despite appearances, no dogs are buried at Mount Auburn!

We also learned about the cemetery’s two chapels, Bigelow Chapel and Story Chapel, which still welcome families for services and quiet reflection today.

Our impressions were echoed in a recent Bloomberg CityLab article about historic garden cemeteries that are attracting visitors for walks, concerts, and nature programs. Mount Auburn’s executive director noted that many visitors arrive expecting a somber experience and instead discover a vibrant landscape filled with trees, wildlife, art, and history.

Check out the citylab article

We couldn’t agree more. We felt it on every path.

A Day Well Spent

Beyond the plants and history, the trip reminded us why club outings are so rewarding. Sharing discoveries with fellow gardeners, exchanging ideas, and appreciating a remarkable landscape together made for a memorable day.

Our thanks to Barbara and Cheryl, the Programs Committee, and our knowledgeable guide for making the experience possible. Mount Auburn changes with every season, and after this visit, many of us are already looking forward to returning.

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Floriography: The Victorian Language of Flowers.

joypurdin

We know that flowers are a way of expressing our thoughts and emotions on occasions both happy and sad; but most of us have never thought about where this tradition and the meaning of flowers first began. The speaker at our October program, Jessica Roux, opened our eyes and our minds to the world of floriography, a study in the Victorian language of flowers.

After our members gathered to socialize and share in the treats prepared by our hosts Andrea, Dawn and Joy, we found our places, and the meeting began. Our President, Susan, welcomed everyone and shared an invitation from the Marblehead Garden Club to join them for an upcoming lecture on bees  — a very nice collaborative gesture. Our Program Chair Cheryl then reminded everyone about our “Horticultural” field trip to the Mt. Auburn cemetery in Cambridge the following Saturday. With business out of the way, Cheryl introduced our speaker, Jessica Roux.

Jessica Roux, a graduate of Savannah College of Art and Design, is a freelance illustrator and a New York Times bestselling author and illustrator. She is also a prolific gardener in her home outside of Nashville, TN. Her passion, she told us, is the Victorian period where flowers began to have specific meanings, and floral bouquets were sent as a way to express feelings in a world where feelings were not expressed openly. And because this was her passion, she decided to pursue it by researching, illustrating, and publishing a book on just that — Floriography: The Victorian Language of Flowers.

In her talk, Jessica took us back to the Victorian period, where “plant hunters” went on expeditions to explore new worlds and bring back unique and exotic plants. With the invention of the Wardian Case (a small glass greenhouse), plants and seeds were able to be transported back to England and grown on a wider scale. It is during this period that the Victorian love of all things botanical grew. There were fern designs on wallpaper, walks outdoors with friends called “fern walking,” and the use of the tussy-mussy, a small hand-held vase of two or three sweet-smelling blooms, which women carried with them. It was at this time period that flowers began to have meanings, and bouquets were made expressly to send an unwritten message.

For example, because Queen Victoria wore a headdress of orange blossoms for her wedding, the orange blossom became the “it” wedding flower, an occasion of love and happiness. The willow tree meant “death” and was used on gravestones and jewelry to signify grief. The rose, of course, meant love, and different colors indicated levels of affection. Jessica held us spellbound while she explained varying flowers and their bouquets. Of course, all of this was complemented by her magnificent illustrations as she talked. The details and coloring of each flower and bouquet in her drawings were so intricate that you could feel Jessica’s passion in each one. It was amazing to see her talent and dedication to her art.

Our meeting had to end, but we all went home with new knowledge about this subject. And for those members who could not make the meeting, I encourage them to look up Jessica Roux, just to see her illustrations and other books she has published. You’ll be happy you did!