Beacon Hill's hidden gardens

Tucked behind historic brick homes, completely hidden from public view, are the gardens of Beacon Hill residents. In this elegant Boston neighborhood, where Massachusetts Senator John Kerry hangs his hat and writer Robert Frost once pondered roads not taken, these gardens offer an urban oasis. But they come at a price – homes in the area range from $1 million to $10 million. While these gardens are much smaller than most suburban gardens, they are more expensive to keep up because almost all of them are shade gardens and require frequent replanting, according to Paula O’Keeffe, a hidden garden owner.
Tucked behind historic brick homes, completely hidden from public view, are the gardens of Beacon Hill residents. In this elegant Boston neighborhood, where Massachusetts Senator John Kerry hangs his hat and writer Robert Frost once pondered roads not taken, these gardens offer an urban oasis. But they come at a price – homes in the area range from $1 million to $10 million. While these gardens are much smaller than most suburban gardens, they are more expensive to keep up because almost all of them are shade gardens and require frequent replanting, according to Paula O’Keeffe, a hidden garden owner.
(Photo: Mark Micheli/Boston.com Staff; Text: Bianca Strzelczyk/Boston.com Correspondent )

About the book

Boston's Secret Spaces offers tantalizing peeks into places ordinary mortals rarely see. Published in partnership with The Boston Globe and based on the exceedingly popular Boston.com feature (3.7 million page views and counting), the book takes readers behind the scenes at several sports hot spots, historical landmarks, and offbeat Beantown locales.