The Public Garden
The Public Garden, established in 1837, is the first public botanical garden in the United States. Today, with its plant material chosen for ornamental excellence as well as its botanical diversity, it forms a green and flowering oasis in the heart of a great metropolis. No visit to Boston would be complete without a stroll in the Garden which is maintained by the Boston Parks and Recreation Department in cooperation with the Friends of the Public Garden.
Its 24 acres, developed from what was once marsh land, is the landscape design of George V. Meacham, winner of a public competition for which he received an award of one hundred dollars.
Through the years, modifications to accommodate the increasing traffic and availability of new plant material have been made with the initial design always in mind. Flower beds provide glorious color from early April until the frosts of October, and the thousands of plants grown in the city greenhouses maintain a continuous ever-refreshing variety. Numerous works of public art adorn its winding paths that skirt its three acre lagoon.
In 1859, by an Act of the Massachusetts Legislature, the Public Garden was preserved forever as an open space for the citizenry.
