The Public Garden has been recognized as a 2014 “Editors’ Choice 2014 Home & Garden Award” winner in Yankee Magazine’s March/April issue. This exclusive designation recognizes Yankee’ editors’ favorite New England home & garden shops, public gardens, garden ornaments & furniture, garden accessories, and restaurant gardens.
“This special recognition of the Public Garden is a testament to the good work of the Parks and Recreation Department’s staff and to the many people who support the work of the Friends of the Public Garden,” said Elizabeth Vizza, Executive Director of the Friends of the Public Garden, a parks advocacy group formed more than 40 years ago to protect and enhance the Public Garden, Boston Common, and Commonwealth Avenue Mall. “We have been fortunate to play a significant stewardship role in collaboration with the Parks and Recreation Department to maintain this historic green space and facilitate wonderful enhancements.”
Boston’s Public Garden is the first public botanical garden in America, established in 1837. Its form, plantings, and statuary evoke its Victorian heritage. Today, the rich green landscape includes more than 500 trees, representing dozens of species and more than 100 varieties. The Garden is also home to significant sculptures, arguably two of the most notable being George Washington on horseback dating back to 1869, and the ducklings sculpture which celebrates Nancy Schön’s bestselling book Make Way for Ducklings. The much-visited statue of mother duck and her ducklings represents the part of the story in which they journey to an island in the Garden’s lagoon. The Public Garden is also well known for another set of Boston icons that reside there in warmer months, the Swan Boats, which take passengers for rides on the lagoon.
