FRAMINGHAM - With Autumn well underway, there is still plenty of time to check out what many consider a hidden gem here in Framingham: Garden in the Woods. Tucked away in the hustle and bustle of Framingham’s northern suburbs, Garden in the Woods is part of the Native Plant Trust, a not-for-profit organization with a mission to conserve and promote New England’s native plants.

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Director of Public Programs for the Native Plant Trust, Bess Paupeck lit up as she explained the NPT’s mission to educate visitors on what “ecological horticulture” is.

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“Essentially at its very most basic, selecting plants that support the environment around them.”

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“Them” being not just the plants themselves, but the living things that rely on their presence to thrive.

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“For the environment, it’s very helpful for the birds, bugs, bees, right? Like plants feed, and the bugs feed the birds. There’s a whole cycle that we need to be aware of.”

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Nancy Jaysane has been a volunteer at Garden in the Woods since 2009. She adds that there is plenty we can all do to support the interconnected ecosystems around us.

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“There is a whole movement to change the backyard into something that actually is alive and dynamic, and not a lawn with plants that are exotics that don’t really provide. Because of course, we know so much about the way plants, insects and animals evolve together.”  

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Garden in the Woods is located at 180 Hemenway Road in Framingham, MA 1701. Their hours are 10am-5pm daily. The 2023 season at Garden in the Woods comes to an end on October 15, as they are closed through the winter until the spring of 2024.

You can learn more by visiting their website at https://www.nativeplanttrust.org/visit/garden-woods/