Public Garden left to ‘many caring hands’
Dear Editor:
It was pleasing to learn from your excellent report that the readers of TripAdvisor had ranked the Public Garden among the top 10 public parks in America. The article gave a fine description of the Garden and its place as a special oasis in the heart of the city. It is important, however, to know that its beauty and appeal are the work of many caring hands.
One part of the Garden’s nurture has been the efforts of the Horticulture Committee, a joint committee of the Friends of the Public Garden and the
Boston Parks Department, which in planning and planting has transformed a space all but abandoned, into the handsome display of today. The work of the Friends would not have been possible without donations, over four decades, from many local citizens. Another group, known as the Rose Brigade, has tended the rose beds for over 25 years, and brought them this summer to a more stunning level than ever before. And at the Garden’s heart the Swan Boats, operated since 1877 by the Paget family, give pleasure to still another generation of children.
We are indebted to the staff of the City Greenhouses, which each year outdoes itself in presenting splendid floral displays, and to the Garden staff, which, undermanned as it is, manages somehow to provide in all seasons the best of care. These and many others have made the Garden a place in which we may all take pride, and no opportunity should be lost in giving them heartfelt thanks.
Henry Lee
President Emeritus
Friends of the Public Garden