A Winter Respite

There comes a point in every New England winter – especially one that features multiple feet of snow on the ground – when sanity requires a dose of greenery. There are multiple ways to get a shot of green but most of them start with a pat-down by a TSA agent. Having neither the time nor the inclination to fly the unfriendly skies, we ventured instead to the Tower Hill Botanic Garden.
Tower Hill is the home of the Worcester County Horticultural Society, a venerable organization that barely registered on the radar screen of not-for-profit institutions until it decamped from downtown Worcester for a 132-acre former farm on a hilltop in Boylston, some ten miles northeast of that city. A visitor center opened in 1994 but it was the unveiling of the 4000-square-foot Orangerie in 1999 that made Tower Hill a winter destination for me.

Tower Hill's new Limonaia

Last November, Tower Hill augmented its credentials with the opening of the 3500-square-foot Limonaia (pronounced, I was informed, lee-mon-NIGH-ya). The opportunity to see a camellia show at the site was sufficient impetus to make the 40-mile journey this past Saturday.

Reduced to its simplest, both the Orangerie and the Limonaia are, essentially, large open indoor spaces with lots of plants in containers. Well, yes, but then the Venus de Milo is a chunk of sedimentary rock to which someone took a chisel.



The Orangerie at Tower Hill



Both are extraordinary spaces, light-filled and airy, and classically proportioned. The new Limonaia has a bit more exposed concrete than I care for, but that’s quibbling. Mostly, it’s the plants that make the space such a welcome respite. We’re talking containers with mature, subtropical trees and shrubs; artfully arranged to form a garden. There are occasional fountains and statuary, with garden-appropriate tables and chairs scattered about, but the plants are the main attraction.

A garden of pots
in the Orangerie

True to its name, the first thing you see in the Limonaia is a lemon tree heavy with bright yellow fruit. Camellias in flower march along the walls in rows. And, everywhere there are interesting botanical specimens. Palms soar to the ceiling, yucca aloifolia – what I called ‘Spanish bayonets’ growing up – tempt children. The mix of foliage and bloom colors is pitch-perfect.

The Orangerie hardly looks picked over for Tower Hill’s expansion. As the nearly photos suggest, it was as lushly tropical on this visit as when the Limonaia was just an excavated pit.

The Camellia Show at Tower Hill

The camellia show – our ostensible reason for visiting – was a delight. Camellias are native to eastern and southern Asia and Sandy Kautz, the show’s organizer and arranger, brought in a trove of Chinese and other Asian-influenced objets d’art to capture the eye.

Camellias are not easy to grow in New England – this is not a tree you park in the nearest sunny window and expect it to thrive. Its roots and branches are hardy down to well below zero, but leaves and buds are susceptible to winter burn, making it more of a Zone 6 or 7 plant. In other words, a cool greenhouse is a nice accessory to have if you’re interesting in pursuing camellias as a hobby.

There were hundreds of specimen blossoms on display and judges still at work when we arrived. We watched them work, marveling at their attention to detail. All in all, a very satisfying visit.

Tower Hill is, of course, far more than a winter destination. But in summer there are parks and reserves that are much closer and offer comparable experiences. At least for me, winter is Tower Hill’s time to shine.