Review: Public Garden

What's the big picture?
A manicured Victorian daydream, the Public Garden is a delight to behold. In 1837, George Meachem won a contest for the garden’s design and his vision of a tree-filled haven dotted with over 80 species of colorful plants is still impeccably managed by Boston’s Parks and Recreation Department. The Commonwealth Avenue entrance serves as the park’s most enchanting introduction, with a statue of George Washington surrounded by flowers greeting you at the gate. In this pleasurable moment, remember that Victorian Bostonians found this park to be offensively bright. Oh, how times have changed.

Any fun features we should be sure to see?
The lagoon, which wanders almost the entire length of the garden, adds a swath of blue to this oasis of green. The Paget family has managed the lagoon’s Swan Boats for over a century, and the promise of a leisurely ride on their foot-peddled boats is an old-fashioned delight.

The famed ducks are also worth snapping a picture of. Make Way for Ducklings, the iconic children’s book by Robert McCloskey, tells the story of a family of ducks that make a home in the garden’s lagoon. In 1987, the park installed sculptures by Nancy Schön of Mrs. Mallard along with her eight duck children. All of the ducks don festive attire during holidays and big New England sports events.

Was it easy to get around?
Given its rectangular shape, the Public Garden is easy to navigate along any set of its walking paths. A plethora of benches make the prospect of a pitstop a good idea.

So, what should our plan of action be?
Bostonians breeze through the gardens as a shortcut from one side of town to the other. Follow their lead and take the paths en route from Back Bay to Beacon Hill. It also abuts the oldest park in the country, the Boston Commons, and it’s easy to walk both in one go.