Free Walking Tour Back Bay

The History and Landscape of the Back Bay Fens

Aug. 26, 2012 1 p.m. at Shattuck Visitor Center
From foul muddy flats to the parkland of today-- the Fens has undergone many transformations in the last 125 years. Join Emerald Necklace docents as they talk and walk the historic landscape. Includes stops at the Kelleher Rose Garden, with its 1,500+ roses, and the oldest World War II Victory Gardens in continuous operation in America.

Flora of the Fens

Aug. 12, 2012 1 p.m. at Shattuck Visitor Center
Explore the plant life in the Back Bay Fens with Emerald Necklace docents. Stroll among cherry trees and crabapples, see (and smell!) 200 varieties of roses in the Kelleher Rose Garden; view recently planted native species such as oakleaf hydrangea, sweet and hay-scented fern, witch hazel, common snowberry, and mountain laurel on the slope at Mother’s Rest; and meander through the Victory Garden for an eye-popping array of blooms and veggies. You may want to bring along a camera and notebook!

The Changing Landscape of the Back Bay Fens

Aug. 19, 2012 1 p.m. at Shattuck Visitor Center
Frederick Law Olmsted turned a foul-smelling tidal creek and swamp that periodically flooded into "scenery of a
winding, brackish creek, within wooded banks; gaining interest from the meandering course of the water." Much has changed to Olmsted’s landscape over the years. Hear the fascinating story of the Fens on this guided walk.