Life in the Public Garden
I had noticed with some disappointment how few visitors to the Public Garden took much time to look at the majestic statue of General George Washington or even the carefully prepared arrangements of flowers. Yet the Public Garden was founded, in fact, to be a respite from busy urban life and a place of fun and enjoyment for Boston residents. The vitality of the Public Gardens comes not just from the landscape but from the people inside it. After all, pretending that the Public Garden is part of nature is preposterous. Originally a swampland where colonists hunted for clams, flooded into a useless mudhole, and artificially reserved from the growing urban land around it, the Public Garden has several layers of man-induced change. Thus it is fitting that the Garden today serves tourists from around the globe and workers on their lunch break; families with small children and musicians playing for spare change. The cultural landscape is tied up in the culture of Boston, from victorian wealth to grimy decline and eventual renewal. Although there are few concrete remnants, both parks have the story of Boston reflected in their inhabitants.