The Garden Club of the Back Bay’s April program will take place Wednesday, April 23 at The Gardens at Elm Bank in Wellesley. This is a rain or shine event. Join Club members for a visit to the Massachusetts Horticultural Society’s Garden at Elm Bank during their Tulip Festival. We will begin our visit with a lecture from Melissa Pace, who will recount the history of tulips as well as how they are commercially grown and harvested in today’s world. Melissa will share with us how to grow tulips both in containers and in the landscape in New England and where to purchase the best bulbs. Attendees will receive a handout summarizing the talk and the many tips on how to grow and enjoy tulips at home.
After the talk you have the option of joining Melissa on a spectacular tour of over 65,000 tulips! The trial gardens will be bursting with thousands of blooming tulips of all colors! On the way to the lower tulip cutting fields, we will pass through and discuss some of the other gardens at Elm Bank. Upon reaching the lower fields we will see thousands more tulips in full bloom.
The tour moves at a slow pace and is about 45 minutes. There are seating areas within the garden for individuals that might not want to do the full tour. The path will be paved until we reach the lower field. Sturdy shoes are recommended but the walking is easy. Members will receive cut tulip stems in floral sleeves to take home.
Melissa Pace is a Garden Educator for Massachusetts Horticultural Society. She is a MA licensed teacher and a University of Rhode Island Master Gardener since 2007. As a horticulturalist, she has judged and competed in many garden and flower shows, from Philadelphia Flower Show to the Bolton Fair. She has been a presenter for numerous garden clubs and civic organizations throughout New England since 1995. Melissa has authored articles published in Old Farmer’s Almanac, Yankee Magazine and the Massachusetts Hort blog.
This is a members only event but you may join the Club at https://gardenclubbackbay.org/.
Please note that on Thursday, April 24, the Boston Committee of the GCA will also hold its Spring Meeting at Massachusetts Horticultural Society, which is a separate, ticketed event.
