Our August 25 Gardeners Exchange Meeting will be a tour of the heirloom orchard at Tower Hill Botanic Garden. The location is 11 French Drive, Boylston, MA. Please meet at the Garden Within Reach to the right of the entrance doors at 10:15am for our 10:30am tour.
The Orchard
Frank L. Harrington, Sr. Orchard and the Davenport Collection
https://www.towerhillbg.org/the-frank-l-harrington-sr-orchard/
The Harrington Orchard currently contains the Davenport collection of 119 pre-20th century apple cultivars (a variety of a plant that was produced from a natural species and is maintained by cultivation). It is a preservation collection, which came into the hands of the Society in the 1940’s. It found its permanent home in 1990 when the orchard at Tower Hill was prepared for planting.
The tree cultivars were collected by S. Lothrop Davenport who was a pomologist (a person who studies the cultivation of fruit). He was employed by the WPA to cut down neglected fruit trees that were endangering health of surrounding trees. He realized that if he cut all the trees down they would be gone forever.
With Worcester County Horticultural Society backing, he began a search for 100 older varieties which he grafted onto existing trees at his farm.
Our Guide
Rick K. has been a Tower Hill volunteer since the mid 1980’s. He was one of the original Garden Volunteers to help plant the Orchard and possesses a vast institutional knowledge of Tower Hill. Rick has volunteered in a number of capacities at THBG including Garden Volunteer, Docent, Information Desk Volunteer and Plant Show Volunteer just to name a few.
Details and Directions
The tour is at 10:30am on August 25, 2019. Please plan to meet us in the Garden Within Reach accessible garden to the right of the main entrance door at Tower Hill Botanic Garden, 11 French Drive, Boylston, MA around 10:15am so we can start the tour on time.
When entering Tower Hill inform the greeter that you are there for the Gardeners Exchange group tour of the orchard. Bring your Gardeners Exchange membership card just in case you are asked to show it.
The orchard tour will take about 45 minutes. When it is done, you are welcome to self tour the vegetable garden or other gardens at Tower Hill, enjoy lunch in the cafe, shop in the gift shop or stroll the grounds.
Information on parking and written directions are available at https://www.towerhillbg.org/planyourvisit/