Sometimes there are truly jewels within our own backyards. No, I’m not encouraging you to dig up your backyard in search of treasure. Instead, sometimes beauty is overlooked in places that may seem mundane or commonplace. Such is my experience with Burton Park in Plymouth, Massachusetts.
Living in the Watson Hill neighborhood of town, my typical dog walks involve the training green and at times, crossing South Street to the Mount Pleasant neighborhood. Recently I noticed the renovations happening at Burton Park. This was formerly a Frederick Law Olmsted-designed green space named for a beloved superintendent of schools. After years of overgrowth, controversy stirred here a few years ago.
An Accidental Park
The developer who renovated the Mount Pleasant School across the street into condos chopped down trees in the lot across the street to provide ocean views for its residents. Not knowing this overgrown area was once Burton Park, he took measures to right his wrong. Providing the funding for this town park, he oversaw the renovation project.
Burton Park: A Neighborhood Gem
Today Burton Park is truly a neighborhood gem. It features a walkway with granite benches for seating. Plants and flowers including hydrangea bloom in the summertime. No longer does the park tumble down the hill as it once did, but this version of it provides a fine place for quiet reflection, sitting among the flowers.
This Backyard Road Trip to Burton Park is practically in my own backyard. Sometimes the unexpected is literally right in our own neighborhood..
For more garden trips, check out these Backyard Garden Trips: Garden Trip #1, Garden Trip #2, Garden Trip #3, and Garden Trip #4.
