THE RAMBLE

Boylston, MA

Ryan Associates, in collaboration with landscape architect W. Gary Smith, has designed The Ramble, a new 1.5-acre children’s garden at the New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill in Boylston, MA.

The garden is composed of a series of destinations set within a lush botanic collection and encourages engagement with nature through unscripted play. Garden features include an interactive water sequence and wildlife pond, an “outcrop” which is equal parts amphitheater and boulder scramble, and a “stumpery” that turns felled trees into natural play structures.

Designed with accessibility at the forefront, visitors of all abilities can discover nooks and crannies that reveal opportunities for active and passive play or creative pursuits such as rock stacking. Paths meander through the woodland setting and lead to the heart of the space, a sunlit circular lawn and perennial garden, which is positioned with views of the surrounding garden.

Photos by: Troy Thompson, NEBG, and Ryan Associates

Honor Award, 2024 Boston Society of Landscape Architects

Environmental Impact Award, 2023 Boston Society of Architects