Houghton Garden: A Landscape Treasure

 By Richard B. Primack

 

“Gardening is civil and social, but it wants the vigor and freedom of the forest and the outlaw.” Henry David Thoreau in A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers

 

The Houghton Garden is an easily overlooked landscape treasure in the middle of Chestnut Hill. The garden was once recognized as one of the most outstanding private gardens in the country. While most of the flower displays are long-gone, the network of trails, groupings of evergreen plants, streams, and pond still create a magical environment in every season and one that is unlike anywhere else publicly accessible in Newton. 

 

In a recent article in the Newton Conservators Newsletter, Michele Hanss and I described the features of the garden, and its design, development, and subsequent decline. We also reported on the acquisition of the property as conservation land by the City of Newton and current management issues. 

 

While the garden is particularly beautiful in spring when the shrubs are flowering, it is also wonderful in the winter when rhododendrons and other evergreens stand out against the snow.

 

Photo 1: Rhododendrons covered with snow along a path.

 

Photo 2: The outline of Houghton Pond is readily apparent in winter, when it is covered with ice and snow and framed with evergreen shrubs. A tall, bald cypress with spreading branches, reminiscent of southern forests, can be seen growing on the opposite side of the pond.

 

Photo 3: At the base of the bald cypress are curious above-ground root structures called "cypress knees."

   

Photo 4: One of the garden's special plants is a large umbrella pine growing near the pond.

 

Photo 5: A close-up of the distinctive leaves and branches of the umbrella pine.

Here is a link to the article: LINK

Winter “Snow Wings” and Owls

By Richard B. Primack 

 

“Take long walks in stormy weather or through deep snows in the fields and woods, if you would keep your spirits up.” Henry David Thoreau in “A Winter Walk”

 

A January snowstorm with almost no wind allowed the snow to create wonderful scenes in the Webster Woods. The branches of trees and shrubs looked like a cotton-covered lattice work. 

 

Photo 1: Wintry scene at Bare Pond.

The snow-covered twigs of red maple trees appeared to be “snow wings.”

 

Photo 2: "Snow wings" at Bare Pond.

A great horned owl took up residence at the western edge of the woods near Elgin Street, hooting in the late afternoon and evening from its perch in a large pine tree. At times it could be seen perching on an exposed branch halfway up the tree. It was even visible on a series of photos taken with an iPhone from 150 yards away. 

 

Photo 3: The pine tree from 150 yards away. Can you see the owl?

 

Photo 4: The owl among branches of the pine tree.

 

Photo 5: A blurry photo of the owl.

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Brookline Faces Climate Change

 By Richard B. Primack and Pamela H. Templer

 

“The life in us is like the water in the river. It may rise this year higher than man has ever known it, and flood the parched uplands.” Henry David Thoreau in Walden.

 

As we discuss in a recent article in the Brookline Greenspace Alliance Winter newsletter, climate change is already affecting Brookline and these effects will become even more severe in coming decades.

 

The increasing frequency and length of heat waves means that air conditioners have become more of a necessity rather than a luxury, especially for vulnerable populations like the elderly and people facing health challenges. Outdoor sports, gardening, and other work activities are sometimes cancelled or rescheduled to avoid extreme heat. 

 

 

Figure 1: Hot spots in Brookline are concentrated north of the Green Line D Branch, and are found mainly in areas near Harvard and Beacon Streets.

With earlier Springs and later Autumns, people can enjoy more time gardening and cultivating a wider variety of plants. However, longer growing seasons can also increase the prevalence of plant and animal pests, invasive species and diseases, putting native species at risk. 

 

Less snow during milder winters does mean less work shoveling snow, however, less snow makes it harder to sustain winter sports like outdoor ice skating and skiing, and means a smaller snow pack which is an important source of water.

 

More rain is now falling in stronger downpours, increasing the risk of basement flooding and streets becoming impassable rivers, especially near the Muddy River and Chestnut Hill. Below-ground stations of the train systems could fill with water, putting the T out of action. 

 

As sea levels continue to rise, and hurricanes intensify, the Boston area becomes more vulnerable to coastal flooding. If Boston gets hit by a hurricane during high tide, seawater could flood much of the Back Bay area and along the Muddy River to Brookline Village.

 

 

Figure 2: Flood zones, historic wetlands, and historic brooks in Brookline. Note that the entire northeast of Brookline in the vicinity of the Muddy River is susceptible to flooding.

Climate change will also result in more droughts, increasing the risk of ground fires in brushy areas. Fires in surrounding communities can create clouds of smoke and hazardous air quality in Brookline.

 

To address all of these problems, we need to reduce our emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, make sure that infrastructure is designed and maintained to deal with the changing conditions, and plant more trees to cool local temperatures. We should also continue to talk about climate change and the need to both slow it down and adapt. 

 

Here is a link to the article: LINK

 

Visit to the Fairbanks Museum Part 3: The Nearby St. Johnsbury Athenaeum

 By Richard B. Primack

 

“To affect the quality of the day, that is the highest of arts.” Henry David Thoreau in Walden.

 

A short walk from the Fairbanks Museum is the St. Johnsbury Athenaeum, an extraordinary late 19^thcentury building representing Victorian French Empire style.

 

  

Photo 1: The building has a strong Victorian outline.

 

The Athenaeum contains a library in the front half and an art gallery in the back half.

 

 

Photo 2: Black walnut woodwork, spiral staircases and balconies, and elaborate moldings and carvings give the library a distinct 19^th century impression. 

 

The back of Athenaeum contains an art gallery with paintings by European and American artists. 

 

 

Photo 3: Gilt-framed paintings are shown in natural light coming in from a large skylight above.

 

Photo 4: The art gallery is dominated by the enormous painting Domes of Yosemite by Albert Bierstadt.

 

Many of the American paintings were associated with the Hudson River School. 

  

Photo 5: Autumn on the Ramapo River – Erie Railway, 1876 by Jasper Francis Cropsey.