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Carolyn Kruse

Lilac Sunday Boston Returns For Mother’s Day And It’s Bloomin Beautiful

Author Carolyn Kruse

Admittedly, I haven’t been to this magnificent Massachusetts events in quite a few years, but it’s been on my mind. Lilac Sunday Boston returns for Mother’s Day, and yeah…it’s bloomin beautiful!

Hey lilac, you’re kind of a big deal. I mean, there’s thousands of people coming to see you in Boston and you even get your own day! Well, you will be sharing it with all the visiting mothers. This year, Lilac Sunday Boston happens on Sunday, May 12 at it’s longtime home, the Arnold Arboretum. Hours are 10am-3pm and this is a free event.

What You’ll Find At Lilac Sunday Boston

Make sure your phone has plenty of battery power because you’ll want to take a lot of pictures of mom and the stunning grounds of the Arnold Arboretum in Jamaica Plain. There, you can saunter through the premier collection of lilacs in North America.  There are literally thousands of flowering plants in the Arboretum this time of year, but only one gets singled out for a day of observance.

This will be the 114th Lilac Sunday at the Arnold Arboretum. And it’s all in celebration of the seemingly delicate but actually hearty Spring blooming shrub. The park has hundreds of deliciously fragrant purple lilacs. Don’t miss them in peak bloom.

This is the only day of the year at the Arboretum that you can bring a packed lunch and enjoy a picnic on their grounds. You’ll find 407 lovely lilac plants representing 173 taxa (kinds), according to Harvard University’s Arnold Arboretum website. Whether you go with mom, your kids or by yourself, you will appreciate the overwhelming beauty of nature on display.

Are There Guided Tours on Lilac Sunday Boston?

Yes, there are guided tours available. As explained on the Arboretum website, an expert is available for guided tours of the lilac collection. And those tours will depart between 10:00am–2:30pm from Arborway Gate and the Ponds.

Certainly, you are welcome to guide yourself and there is clearly marked signage in the landscape that lets you know about the specific lilacs.  Print a self-guided tour map HERE.  The Arboretum has thought of everything, directions to parking, T-stop info, accessibility and more and it’s all HERE. 

Bring mom, your kids, your dog (they are allowed but on-leash only). Bring a picnic lunch and enjoy fragrance, flowers and Mother Nature in all her glory this Mother’s Day.

 

The Absolute Best Places To See Boston In Bloom This Spring

  • Boston Public Garden

    4 Charles St. Boston

    If the first thing you think of when you think Spring in bloom in Boston. The Boston Public Garden and Boston Common is the place to soak in the season. With 24 acress of green, pond, spectacular color found in the flowers, trees, and people. You also don’t want to miss the opportunity to take a swan boat ride while visiting the Public Garden.  Since 1837 residents and visitors have come to sit, walk and enjoy the beauty of America’s first botanic garden. It never gets old.

  • Arnold Arboretum

    125 Arborway Boston

    A peaceful, colorful retreat in the city can be found at the Arnold Arboretom. Spring is certainly one of the best times to visit this 281 acre garden in Jamaica Plain. One of their biggest events is Lilac Sunday, every Mother’s Day. But any day is a great day to visit, even winter!

    Homepage

    The Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University is a museum of trees teaching the world about plants. A 281-acre preserve laid out by pioneering American landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, the Arboretum stewards one of the world's most comprehensive and best documented collections of temperate woody plants.

     

  • Charles River Esplanade

    Charles River, Esplanade, Boston

    The Esplanade is a state run park in the Back Bay of Boston. Famous for it’s beautiful walkways and bridges around the River, the Hatch Shell, where the Boston Pops and other events happen, it’s community boating, and as a respite from city living. It truly is a city escape in the city. The trees, plantings and flowers make it pop in Spring.

    The Esplanade Association (EA) | Boston's Charles River Esplanade

    The Esplanade Association (EA) works to restore and enhance Boston's Charles River Esplanade and to activate this historic riverfront park.

  • Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

    25 Evans Way, Boston, MA

    This is one of my favorite museums, and places on earth. No matter the weather, there’s always a beautiful garden inside this historic museum. Inside the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, there are 3 floors of galleries, all emcompassing a fabulous garden courtyard, that blooms all year.

  • Rose Kennedy Greenway

    Atlantic Ave, Boston, MA

    Sandwiched between Boston’s North End and Financial District and Faneuil Hall, The Rose Kennedy Greenway is a little slice of heaven in the hub. The Greenway comes alive with color, scent and life in the Spring. Everything from tulips to peonies, rhodeodendrons and more are now on display. and totally Instagram worthy. The roses are coming soon!

  • Kelleher Rose Garden

    73 Park Drive, Boston, MA

    This was one place I had never heard of and I’ve probably driving or walked by it dozens of times, going to Sox games. The Kelleher Rose Garden is a outdoor park, but it’s hidden in the Back Bay Fens. It’s “part of the Emerald Necklace that stretches throughout the city.” Here, you can behold 1,500 roses in bloom! They line the  walkways and trellises and there’s even a “beautiful 1930s-style fountain in the center. Its central-but-hidden location makes it feel like a secret garden.” (mommynearest.com)

  • Fenway Victory Gardens

    1200 Boylston St. Boston, MA

    What started during World War II to help with food shortages, is now an enchanting getaway. The flowers outnumber the vegetables, that used to reign in these gardens. According to Boston Discovery Guide, Boston’s famous Fenway Victory Gardens are “located in a 7-acre plot at the north end of the Back Bay Fens, a large park designed in the 1900s by Frederick Law Olmsted as part of his “Emerald Necklace,” a series of linked parks circling Boston.

    Fenway Victory Gardens | Boston Discovery Guide

    Boston's Fenway Victory Gardens contain 500 small Edens overflowing with flowers, trees, fountains, and veggies. Find out how to visit this almost-hidden oasis near Fenway Park.

  • The Gardens at Elm Bank

    900 Washington Street in Wellesley, MA

    The Gardens at Elm Bank are  located on the Elm Bank Reservation 

    36 acres of beautiful gardens and fields to behold at this property in Wellesley. There are picnic tables and benches where you can eat, observe and just take it all in.

     

  • Garden in the Woods

    180 Hemenway Rd, Framingham, MA

    This special place in Framingham is part of the Native Plant Trust. It’s “magical bontanic garden that showcases New England native plants in a beautiful natural setting.” There’s a pond, a brook and inspiration to be found at Garden in the Woods. 

Born and raised at Country 1025. Carolyn is a concert-lovin’ country music fan. Plus, an avid New England sports fan. Count Kruser in for standup comedy, movies, and cosmos, but family is #1 for her. Wife, mother of 2- plus Zoey the dog, unpaid cook, cleaner and organizer of chaos. Kruser likes to write about country music, New England lifestyle and trending topics.

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