The Swellesley Report

More than you really want to know about Wellesley, Mass.

Storm tries to take down Wellesley Town Hall

by Leave a Comment

A quick but destructive storm moved through Wellesley on Thur. evening. Strong winds took down trees in neighborhoods throughout the area, including Town Hall. During a Fri. morning walk, we spied a sugar maple on the east side of Town Hall that had dropped a major limb which glanced the 137-year-old historic building, covering the exterior air conditioner compressor unit. There did not appear to be damage to the building. Within minutes of our phone call, a couple of DPW workers were on the scene to assess the damage. As they made plans to remove the limbs, I asked if the rest of the tree would have to come down. “Not today….,” was the wary answer, lest he be dealing with a rabid tree hugger.

Wellesley Town Hall, damaged tree
The massive sugar maple on the duck pond side of Town Hall gave up a couple of major limbs on Thur. night.
Wellesley Town Hall, damaged tree
The tree was clearly diseased as evidenced by the rot from the inside.

Wellesley Town Hall, damaged tree

Wellesley Town Hall, damaged tree
The air conditioner compressor unit was covered by downed branches. “Looks like a fire hazard that could have caused some serious problems on a long holiday weekend, ” I suggested to DPW workers. Golly, it was a good thing I called. I shifted from foot to foot, waiting for my medal. It was not forthcoming.

Wellesley Town Hall, damaged tree

Wellesley Town Hall, damaged tree
I’ll miss this grand old sugar maple. But when one tree falls, that’s the perfect opportunity to plant two in its place. I’m already crafting my email to town horticulturist Cricket Vlass with my suggestions.

MORE:

Storm brings Father’s Day gifts of downed trees

Mother Nature whacks Wellesley trees

Waban arches part of Wellesley post-storm clean up

 

Share
Linden Square, Wellesley
iCode, Wellesley
Write Ahead

Beyond Wellesley: a visit to Boston’s Arnold Arboretum

by Leave a Comment

I’ve missed out on all my favorite garden-related visits this spring — the Beacon Hill Garden Tour, the Art in Bloom exhibit at the Museum of Fine Arts, the Kelleher Rose Garden in Back Bay’s Fens area, all canceled or closed due to COVID-19 concerns. But there are still flowers and spring beauty to be seen out there in the world, this much I know. But how to do so without rubbing elbows during these socially distant times?

I’ve put a few common-sense practices into action to help me get out and about while staying socially distant. The tricks are to get moving early, stay off the beaten path, and and find the wide-open spaces. In my search for serenity in an outdoors setting I’ve found destinations that are far less crowded than the obvious popular hot spots. Let others embrace spoiled walks in Wellesley as they glare at those without masks and draw back in horror at the approach of others, later posting bitter complaints on social media. To them, I cede the Brook Path.

If you’re looking for a more tranquil experience, try out Arnold Arboretum in Boston, 10 miles from Wellesley Square. A recent Saturday morning visit left me refreshed and vowing to return to the 281-acre National Historic Landmark, owned by Harvard University. Parking can be found at various small lots around the perimeter of the property. I arrived at 9am and found a spot in the lot at the corner of Walter and Bussey Streets. When I came back to my car a little before noon, there were still spaces available. The Arboretum suggests that the savvy work around the peak hours of visitation of 4pm – 7pm on weekdays and 2pm – 7pm on weekends. The Arboretum is open dawn to dusk.

Arnold Arboretum, Boston
The Arboretum is open dawn to dusk. Pedestrians, runners, and cyclists are required to wear a mask or other facial covering. During my visit, everyone was in compliance. The only people I saw without a mask were very young children in strollers.

 

Arnold Arboretum, Boston
In what has become a familiar site everywhere, the Arboretum’s water fountains have been shut off and covered. There are signs on the benches recommending you not use them. The pubic restroom facilities are closed.
The Arboretum is famous for its collection of  almost 400 lilac plants representing 180 different kinds of the heavily perfumed bloomers. The season, which traditionally starts on Mother’s Day with the Lilac Sunday celebration,  extends over five weeks.

 

Arnold Arboretum, Boston
This mid-season lilac is named for Edmond Boissier (1810 – 1885), a prominent Swiss botanist, explorer and mathematician.

Arnold Arboretum, Boston

Arnold Arboretum, Boston
Seldom-visited spots await for those who venture off the wide, paved path that winds throughout the Arboretum. If it looks like Frederick Law Olmsted (1822 – 1903) was here, it’s because he was. The famed landscape architect had a strong hand in the arrangement and design of the Arboretum. The property was donated to Harvard in 1872 by the trustees of the will of James Arnold (1781-1868), a whaling merchant of New Bedford, Massachusetts.

 

Arnold Arboretum, Boston
Rhododendron Dell, a woodland landscape showcasing the Arboretum’s collection of over 200 plants, is in full bloom now.

 

Arnold Arboretum, Boston
A view of Boston’s skyline from the top of Peter’s Hill. The Arboretum’s website notes that it “was established in 1872 in a creative lease agreement forged between the City of Boston and Harvard in 1882. According to the terms of the thousand-year lease, the Harvard-owned land on which the Arnold Arboretum was established became part of the city park system, but control of the collections continued to reside with the Arboretum staff. The city was to maintain the perimeter walls, gates, and roadway system and provide police surveillance, while the Arboretum agreed to keep the grounds open to the general public, free of charge, from sunrise to sunset every day of the year.”

For pictures of spring blooms around Wellesley, see our Instagram page, @theswellesleyreport, and please follow us.

MORE:

Share
Page Waterman, Wellesley
London Harness, Wellesley

We can’t get enough of Wellesley’s flowering trees

by 1 Comment

The steady sunshine of the past few days has coaxed Wellesley’s flowering trees into full bloom and fragrance. The Hunnewell Tennis Courts area on Washington St. has several mature crabapples showing off their pink and white blooms. The flowers may be open, but the courts are closed for now due to coronavirus concerns. The last time the courts were closed was back in 2018 when they were renovated. All cracks were sealed and each court was re-painted at that time. So the courts do look fabulous. With nobody stomping around on them, the should be able to retain that youthful appearance.

Hunnewell tennis courts, Wellesley
Hunnewell tennis courts area, Washington St.

Hunnewell tennis courts, Wellesley

Hunnewell tennis courts, Wellesley

 

Share
Brother's Grocery Service, Wellesley
Linden Square, Wellesley

500 persimmon tree saplings have found good Wellesley homes

by 2 Comments

katerine notari persimmon tree upham
Katherine Notari, an Upham Elementary School 4th grader, proudly displays her new Persimmon tree sapling

 

Ever year, the Rotary Club of Wellesley purchases and bags 500 tree saplings for distribution to Wellesley’s fourth graders. Susy Jordon, Wellesley Town Horticultural technician, usually hands out the bagged saplings for to Wellesley fourth graders and  teaches a lesson on Arbor Day conservation.

Wellesley, Centennial Park
The bucket is there at Centennial Park, but the persimmon saplings have been all scooped up.

Then came COVID-19, after the Rotary Club had already placed their standing ordered, and the saplings had shipped.

After some fretting about what would become of the young trees, the Rotary Club, in partnership with the DPW placed the saplings in a bucket of water in five locations around town. The idea was for residents to feel free to take one for planting.

By 2pm on Friday, all 500 persimmon tree saplings had been placed in orange plastic containers and dropped off at the convenient spots. By 4pm each and every sapling had been scooped up, presumably by residents eager to put a weekend tree-planting project into action.

The original idea of this post was that I would direct you to the locations, and you would score a persimmon. The new idea of this post is to ask those of you who are planting a tree to send along a picture or two. Also, we wouldn’t say no to any pics of previously  planted by Wellesley’s 4th graders.

Suzy Littlefield managed to get one of the last persimmon tree saplings at Kelly Field (“Wow, they went fast.”). She says: “It is now safely planted with an anti-rabbit metal cage around it.  The sapling is pretty small but I have high hopes due to this tree,” a Spruce planted in 2001 when her son Billy was a 4th grader in Mrs. Gruenfeld’s class at Bates.

littlefield spruce tree 2001

Share

Sure sign of spring: Annual House & Garden Club of Wellesley plants sale

by Leave a Comment

In a welcome sign of normal times, the The House and Garden Club of Wellesley will hold its annual plants sale. Get your geraniums, New Guinea impatiens and mixed patio pots, sourced by the club’s trusted local grower. Ordering deadline is April 15.

Plants will be delivered to your home by garden club members, between April 30 and May 5, just in time for Mother’s Day, which falls on Sunday, May 10.

Wellesley House & Garden Club
Colors vary and cannot be specified.

This year the House and Garden Club is offering everyone its club member pricing, so take advantage of this special offer. The Club puts all the proceeds toward maintaining the butterfly gardens at three of Wellesley’s elementary schools — Hunnewell, Upham, and Schofield.

Last year the club raised over $2,000 for plants, mulch, and other materials needed to maintain the gardens.

Below you will find a cover letter and order form.  Fill in the information and send the order form along with your check to Deanna Szeto (341 Linden Street Wellesley MA 02481) by April 15th and the House & Garden Club will take care of the rest.
Wellesley House & Garden Club
Colors vary and cannot be specified.

Here is info on how to order:

[Read more…]

Share
Pandemic Aftermath, Wellesley author

Wellesley forsythia forcing follow up: it’s a bright-yellow party at my house

by 1 Comment

Last week I took Swellesley readers through a how-to on forcing forsythia, that workhorse shrub of cheerfulness that busts out its golden bells in early spring. In time, forsythia, will, of course, simply bloom all on its own outdoors. The earlier varieties are starting to do just that. Still, given my skill set, waiting on spring seemed unnecessary. My patience is being tested in so many ways right now, why must I wait for a riot of color in my life? I wanted to make something happen, to move and shake in some small way. I can’t control the flowering of a global pandemic, but I can control the flowering of forsythia. Gardener or a control freak? Sometimes I wonder.

Wellesley forsythia blooms

From the suburban wilds of my backyard to the confines of a vase, the forsythia shrubs got a good shearing all in the name of floral design. They were unwieldy anyway, their branches shooting out this way and that. A good cutting has made for a tidier shrub outside, and a wild-looking arrangement to be taken inside. The natural world turned upside down.

Forcing forsythia, Wellesley

Several days later, a party burst out in confined quarters. That’s what happens when you throw a bunch of branches together into a warm-water bath, a hot-tub for flowers, if you will.

Forcing forsythia, Wellesley

I do it all for Mr. Swellesley, who demands fresh flowers at his workspace at all times. My co-editor may be high-maintenance, but he gets results, so I put up with his demanding nature.

Forcing forsythia, Wellesley

On my kitchen windowsill, a secondary arrangement gazes out the window as yesterday’s snow starts.

Snowy topiary, Hunnewell, Wellesley

The best time to go for a walk while maintaining social distancing is most definitely during a March snow squall. Deer sightings outnumbered the people (8 to 6). I accessed the Lake Waban path from Pond Rd., and kept to the Hunnewell property part of the path so as to avoid Wellesley College. The school is closed to visitors now to protect the students who remain on campus, some of whom have medical conditions and take the need to quarantine themselves seriously.

Wellesley cows, Hunnewell

Cows at Hunnewell Farm. By this point in my walk I was weary and longing for a hot cuppa tea. The final stretch was a trudge, my sneakers wet, my vision blurred as I battled a headwind. I let my sodden gear drop on the mud room floor and opened the door to the house proper. A wall of central heating hit me as I made my way further into the coziness of hallway, family room, and finally, dining room.

“Hey there, how was your walk?” shouted the forsythia. It’s in full bloom now, and can’t keep quiet for anything.

“Quiet, lonely, desolate, blustery, cold,” I replied.

“Never mind that now,” said the forsythia. “Things are just fantastic here. I’m loving these warm temperatures you have going on. Very nice.”

That’s the thing about forsythia indoors. The blooms may be forced, but the cheerfulness isn’t. Just what I need right now.

MORE:

You Need Us, We Need You: Please consider contributing to Swellesley to sustain our independent journalism venture

Subscribe to The Swellesley Report’s daily email

Share

How to force Wellesley forsythia blooms when you’re forced to stay in

by Leave a Comment

 

Wellesley forsythia blooms

Years ago I scored several forsythia shrubs at the Wellesley Recycling and Disposal Facility (RDF) yard waste area. I took the small woody shrubs home and planted them at the edge of the woods, knowing it wouldn’t take long for an unruly stand of the early spring bloomers to take hold. Every March I shear off an armful of budding branches and bring them inside to force the buds into blooms. Clipping the branches has no negative effect on the outdoor display. In fact, giving the shrubs a trim keeps them under control and should be regarded as good garden maintenance.

Wellesley forsythia blooms

For tools, all you need are a pair of clippers and a hammer.

Wellesley forsythia blooms

When clipping the forsythia, do so at an angle. Cutting the stems at an angle, rather than straight across, allows for maximum water uptake. The hammer is for giving the end of the branch a light smashing.

Wellesley forsythia blooms

Forgive the blurriness of this shot, but you get the idea. I’ve lightly smashed the end of the forsythia branch to allow even more water uptake. This will encourage the forsythia to bloom more quickly than just cutting the stems at an angle. So will filling the vase with warm water.

Wellesley forsythia blooms

This vase is a favorite of mine. I found it at the RDF’s Reusables area, circa 2015. I like using tall vases when arranging branches because then there’s no need to fuss with flower frogs at the bottom of the vessel or a tape grid at the top to keep the branches in place. The branches practically arrange themselves, nice and easy.

Wellesley forsythia blooms

Here’s the finished arrangement. Since any hint of frolicking will get you criticized right now, I put together a staid and upright display. No loosey goosey stuff here, flopping around promiscuously. No siree. This is a display beyond reproach. The plant material understands the need for social distancing, comprehends that it must stand as an arrangement of forsythia only, times being what they are. Even though the forsythia would dearly love to get together with its good friend, pussy willow, that simply is not possible right now. They may nod gently in the wind to each other, (thank heavens I had the foresight to plant them six feet apart), but that’s it.

Nope, no forsythia busting out in party mode. It would do so only under force.

But in a diabolical twist, forcing the forsythia to bloom is exactly what’s happening here. Check back in a couple of days for an update. Rules are going to get broken real fast.

Wellesley forsythia blooms

Here’s my workspace after all the fun is done. Time to clean up. I took the leftovers and put them in a smaller vase, also from the RDF.

Wellesley forsythia blooms

My windowsill doesn’t photograph very well, what with all the backyard clutter visually mixing in my endless kitchen odds and ends, but it’s a cheerful spot. The sock monkey always brings a smile, and the spider plant clipping, brought by Uncle Jerry from Dorchester, thrives in its sunny spot. To the right of the bananas stands the secondary forsythia arrangement.

Let’s see how both arrangements do over the next few days. I’ll post an update soon.

Share