The Gardens at Elm Bank, home of Massachusetts Horticultural Society, occupies 36 acres of Elm Bank Reservation, a 175-acre recreational area of woodlands, fields, and former estate property on the Charles River. In 1987, the entire site was added to the National Register of Historic Places as "Elm Bank".
The distinct gardens featured at Elm Bank include Weezie's Garden for Children, which is a series of small spiraling gardens, and a restored 1926 Italianate Garden which was based on the original plans from the Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site, together with a numbered plant list - and even receipts - for the original trees and flowers planted in the garden.
The Noanett Garden Club, the New England Chapter of the Herb Society of America, and the American Rhododendron Society maintain collaborative demonstration and display gardens at Elm Bank. The Day Lily Society installed a garden in 2004. The Jim Crockett Memorial Garden, Godess Garden and Temple & Asian Gardens are favorites.
Plant breeding companies from all over the world contribute annuals the Trial Garden. Unreleased varieties compete for All-America Selections awards, previous winners are diplayed, and hundreds of cultivars submitted for evaluation by commercial plant breeders are grown.