Open House at the 1851 Boutwell House in Groton Features House Tours & Garden Strolls, July 20, 11-2

The Groton History Center hosts its July 20th Open House at the home of Governor George S. Boutwell (1818-1905) and his family, 172 Main Street, from 11 to 2. Take a guided tour to learn lesser-known facets of Groton history, or meander the rooms on your own to savor the fine collection of art and antiquities. The gardens, too, offer much to enjoy. Currently cultivated and cared for by professional gardener Karen Brackett, the Boutwell House grounds possess the grace and charm of an informal home garden with a rare pedigree. It was not always so. Nature had taken over when in 2013, landscape architect Lorayne Black drew up a plan to restore the front and side gardens, and the accessible entrance that welcomes visitors today. The Groton Garden Club generously donated the plants and labor for the improvements. Six years later, the Groton Business Association raised nearly $10,000 to restore the extensive back garden, based on a landscape design again developed by Lorayne Black in collaboration with Bob Pine, of Pine & Swallow Associates, in Groton. Preserving a garden requires daily attention, imagination, and vision. In recent years, GHC Board member Karen Brackett has been quietly lending her expertise to tame, refine, and beautify the grounds, thanks to additional plants donated by Simmons Farm & Greenhouse in Dunstable. Among her many projects: clearing invasives to allow the decorative trees, shrubs, and flowers to flourish, and creating new pathways. Open to the public, with its benches, smooth paths, and exquisite views of Gibbet Hill, Georgie’s Garden is a refuge in busy downtown Groton. All are welcome free to the Open House, thanks to the Groton Commissioners of Trust Funds. For more information visit grotonhistory.org, [email protected]/Facebook, or call 978-448-0092. (Universal access to the first floor, gardens, and grounds.)

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