Two New England Gems: Backyard Garden Trip #2

For this backyard garden trip, we are visiting two very different locations. The Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park was the summer residence of renowned sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens and is located in Cornish, New Hampshire. The second garden is known as Julia’s Garden, which is part of the World War I Memorial Park in North Attleborough, Massachusetts. 

Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park

The Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park is a fantastic place to visit. His summer (and eventually year-round) residence is open for tours. The gardens and landscaping are simply stunning. There are also walking trails throughout the grounds and the nearby woods, as well as a sculptor in residence whom you can watch work. The reason why most visit is to see the casts of Saint-Gaudens’ most famous works. These include the Robert Gould Shaw Memorial and Standing Lincoln. The whole Saint-Gaudens experience will be detailed in an upcoming article. 

Some visitors come to Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park just for the gardens! Flowers are planted outside his “Little Studio” and in formal garden plots in certain areas of the property. What is especially interesting about this estate is the landscaping. Throughout a series of hedgerows and an almost maze of plantings are casts of his statues. 

Hidden among the Gardens

Hidden among the flowers and bushes is the Robert Gould Shaw Memorial. This relief commemorates Shaw and the 54th Massachusetts regiment of the Civil War (memorialized in the movie Glory). The original faces the Massachusetts State House on the edge of Boston Common. 

Also in a secret spot is a personal favorite sculpture of mine, The Mystery of the Hereafter and the Peace of God That Passeth Understanding. The original location of this mysterious shrouded figure is Washington D.C.’s Rock Creek Cemetery on the grave of Marion Hooper Adams, placed by her husband, Henry Adams (who is also buried here). The statue is more commonly known as Grief much to Saint-Gaudens’ ire. This statue is the perfect mix of intriguing and creepy.

Take a while to wander among the flowers and through the maze of bushes and shrubbery at the Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park. The estate is located at 139 Saint Gaudens Road in Cornish, New Hampshire. 

World War I Memorial Park

Like Saint-Gaudens, this next park also offers a beautiful garden for roaming. Instead of commemorating a world-famous person, it is dedicated to Julia Cekala, a child from North Attleborough who died in 2003. Julia’s Garden‘s location is in the middle of the World War I Memorial Park in North Attleborough. This park also contains a small zoo (mostly farm animals), a giant slide, walking trails, and a playground. 

Walking under a trellis, your journey into Julia’s Garden begins. There are flowers of all kinds to look at. Although not large, there are a few paths to meander around the park. Butterflies are a theme at the park with sculpted butterflies on display. There is also a central area where visitors can sit on benches in the midst of the garden surroundings.

A Playground on this Backyard Garden Trip

The highlight for children is the large tubular slide that slopes down the hillside. Kids climb the path adjacent to the slide and enjoy the long ride to the bottom. At the top is a playground which is also part of Julia’s Garden. Everything in the playground area and garden is wheelchair accessible which was an important necessity in its design.

The garden is next to the zoo which contains such animals as pigs, ponies, and deer. The park, garden, and zoo are located at 365 Elmwood Street in North Attleborough. It is an urban woodland park. Drive by the stone entrance markers and follow the road to the zoo. After parking, the garden is located just past the small zoo.

Check out the first Backyard Garden Trip here.