Last week, I hit the road with my boyfriend and our dear friend to take on Boston. We hoped to learn about Boston’s history, tour Fenway Park, explore the New England coast, check out Quincy Market, drink some beer and eat some really good seafood (lobster rolls, clam chowder and lobster mac & cheese were on my list). We managed to do all of this, and a heck of a lot more! Though it was a bit cooler in Boston than it was in Pittsburgh that week, Bostonians are definitely gearing up for summer. Which really means, beautiful fragrant flowers everywhere! I was in Heaven.

Beacon Hill is arguably Boston’s most picturesque neighborhood, and we were lucky to snag a cheap Airbnb right in the middle of Beacon Hill. This historic neighborhood is known for its Federal-style row houses, brick sidewalks and cobblestone side streets. Running around Beacon Hill was like taking a step back in time. The steep hills were a little intimidating at first (even for a Pittsburgher), but we loved calling this quaint neighborhood home for a few days and living like the locals. If you’ve explored Beacon Hill in the spring or summer, you can’t help but notice all of the colorful window box arrangements.

Not only do window boxes spruce up a boring home exterior, they welcome garden-y views and flowery smells right outside a window. I’ve never seen so many unique window box plantings. I need window boxes now! If you’re looking for window box inspiration, check out some of the photos I took on my trip.

The bottom photo isn’t a true window box, but I love this boxy, cement-colored container. Great plant choices too.. so many beautiful colors and textures!

If you’re a garden lover, here’s a few other places to check out in and around Boston:

–Boston Commons (the oldest city park in the U.S.) and the Boston Public Garden (the first public botanical garden in the U.S.). Christopher Columbus Park in Boston’s North End is a great spot to take some beautiful pictures, and it’s right by the New England Aquarium and some seriously mouth-watering food offerings. Hit up Mike’s Pastry for dessert. We stopped into Mike’s twice on our trip for their cannolis!

-Fenway Park. Yes, really!! Fenway has its own edible rooftop garden. Fenway Farms, maintained by the Green City Growers, provides fresh, organic fruits and vegetables to Red Sox fans dining at Fenway Park’s EMC Club restaurant. They also donate much of their produce to food banks and shelters. The farm launched on opening day in 2015, and it was the very first rooftop garden at a major league baseball field.

–The House of Seven Gables in Salem, MA. Learn about author Nathaniel Hawthorne, his relatives and the oldest surviving 17th century mansion in New England. The beautiful seaside gardens showcase colonial period plants and are a great place to relax while taking in the Salem harbor.

If you’re looking for some New England garden-inspo, check out Maine author Kerry Mendez’s Right Size Flower Garden.

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