by Ellen Scheid, Horticulturist
One of ELA’s newest member organizations, the Mary May Binney Wakefield Arboretum is one of the best-kept secrets in the suburbs of Boston. Located in Milton, Massachusetts, next to the Blue Hills Reservation, the arboretum offers 23 acres of formal gardens, woodlands, wetlands, and beautiful historical buildings, including the original homes of the families who lived on the property since the early 18th century. One of the last descendants of the family, Mary May “Polly” Binney Wakefield, was responsible for the formal garden designs and the preservation of the property. Polly dedicated her life to the garden, educating herself and others about horticulture and the importance of staying connected to the natural world. One of her legacies that remains is a large collection of kousa dogwoods (Cornus kousa). With over 200 trees across the property, the arboretum still nurtures Polly’s collection of these dogwoods, including some of her own patented cultivars.
Polly was committed to lifelong learning and attended courses at the Arnold Arboretum for over 30 years. Not only did she seek to stay engaged with the ever-evolving horticultural industry, but she also was an avid plant collector, always searching for the next specimen to add to her collection. Some of the notable specimens in the arboretum, in addition to the hundreds of kousa dogwoods, include Persian ironwood (Parrotia persica), lace bark pine (Pinus bungeana), paperbark maple (Acer griseum), impressive, mature, thorny honey locust (Gleditsia triacanthos), approximately 100-year-old sugar maples (Acer saccharum) and red oak (Quercus rubra), both of which survived the 1938 hurricane. There are also several dawn redwoods (Metasequoia glyptostroboides)—the oldest four were gifted as seeds to Polly when she got married in 1952. Another unique feature of the arboretum is the dwarf conifer garden, planted along the side of the historical mansion. This conifer collection is a Reference Garden for the American Conifer Society, with over 50 unique specimens, including funky ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) cultivars, dwarf dawn redwoods, and showy spruces (Picea spp.). The dwarf conifer garden exemplifies the vision Polly had for the space.
With a staff of three, a clear vision of goals and aspirations, influenced by Polly’s wishes, steer our work on the property. Our focus includes managing the landscape to resemble the way Polly designed it while she was alive. This poses multiple challenges, including aging plants, species that Polly planted that are now considered invasive, and the impacts of climate change. Since Polly began designing the gardens in the early 1950s, hundreds of plants have been added, many of which were planted too close to one another, leading to poor structure caused by competition for resources. The collection has an abundance of black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) and Norway maple (Acer platanoides), two species that are now deemed invasive in the state of Massachusetts. The staff is constantly culling invasive species from the property to create room for more ecologically beneficial native plants. Modifications to the collection are ongoing to conform to environmental changes, including extreme temperatures and unpredictable precipitation. The 2022 drought, for instance, had a significant impact on our magnolia collection, and many of them had to be replaced. When choosing new plant material, we prioritize diversity and carefully consider how the replacements will benefit our environment while upholding the overall aesthetics of the arboretum.
The Mary May Binney Wakefield Arboretum strives to preserve history, educate the public, and maintain beautiful spaces for all to enjoy. We thank our board, volunteers, dedicated staff, and, of course, our visitors for recognizing and supporting the beauty of our gardens. Looking toward the future, it is imperative to document the changes that are implemented in the garden, in hopes that the arboretum can be sustainably managed for generations to come.
Ellen Scheid grew up exploring and working in the garden, whether it was weeding with her father or looking for critters between the plants, she has always had an affinity for the outdoors. In 2020, Ellen obtained a bachelor’s degree from Indiana University majoring in Natural Resource Management and is currently a Massachusetts Certified Horticulturist. She is now the lead Horticulturist at Mary May Binney Wakefield Arboretum where she cares for an extensive kousa dogwood collection, tends to the arboretum’s collection of more than 300 other woody specimens, and manages the plant records. Before her time at the arboretum, Ellen performed ecological restoration services in the greater Boston area and worked as a gardener at New England Botanic Garden. Her true passion is native plants and finding ways to use them unconventionally to create beautiful formal landscapes.