Bamboo Brook

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Bamboo Brook Outdoor Education Center was known originally as "Merchiston Farm," the home of William and Martha Brookes Hutcheson from 1911 to 1959. The Center's 100 acres include fields, woodlands and a formal garden designed by Mrs. Hutcheson, one of the first women to be trained as a landscape architect in the United States. The Park Commission is just embarking on an extensive restoration of the gardens at Bamboo Brook.

Visitors can see mature specimens of such trees as the Japanese Scholar Tree (Sophora japonica) and American Hophornbean (Ostrya virginiana), as well as many native plants. Water features and a White Cedar allee are some of the attractions that make wandering through the garden a delight. In addition to the formal areas, there are trails that wind through the fields and along the brook. A wide variety of birds, butterflies and other animal life can be spotted during one's visit.