Stop 11: SHRUB WALK

As you proceed along the Shrub Walk, most of the trees are labelled. The walk showcases an extensive collection of shrubs, both native and exotic, evergreen and deciduous. You will also see seasonal displays of daffodils, daylilies, and flowering trees. For help in identifying these, click on “Learn More”. The evergreen tree specimens along the walk include Giant Sequoia (which were propagated from the one in the Enclosed Garden), White Pine, Japanese Snowbell, White Spruce, Arborvitae, and False Cypress. To learn more about DeWolf’s path system, click on “Learn More”.

Many of the trees you see around you were planted in the late 1800s or early 1900s and are now venerable specimens. John DeWolf continued adding plants to the grounds right up to his death in 1913. The period after that year was a time of transition in many ways. With the death of John DeWolf, Bessie lost her long-term landscape collaborator. No major gardens were added after 1913, and the horticultural emphasis shifted to reworking old gardens. However, by this time, Bessie’s hard work was paying off, and she received growing recognition for her horticultural expertise. Garden clubs visited frequently and Bessie’s night blooming Cereus, in the greenhouse, was a popular attraction. She took great pride in the visit of the prestigious Executive Committee of the Farm and Garden Club from Boston in 1924.

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Continue walking up the path, passing an intersection that will take you back to the Water Garden. Continue until you see the Pecan, Walnut and Chestnut trees. This is the beginning of the Nut Grove.