Gesundheit! Is Massachusetts Early Allergy Season Already In Full Bloom?
The sniffling, sneezing and chills can be heard and felt all over New England. Is Massachusetts early allergy season already in full bloom? According to experts, it is. Grab a…
The sniffling, sneezing and chills can be heard and felt all over New England. Is Massachusetts early allergy season already in full bloom? According to experts, it is. Grab a tissue and read on.
According to AccuWeather senior meteorologist Alan Reppert, "This year will start off much earlier than most years in the East. We could look at things to be a full month ahead of normal with tree pollen and still ahead with when grass pollen starts." Oh, great...I said while clutching a box of Kleenex and a bottle of Claritin. Here we go.
The 3 Phases
Here are the 3 phases what we can expect in Massachusetts, as reported in The Patch Massachusetts: Tree pollen: Above normal levels beginning in early May. Grass pollen: Below normal levels beginning in July and Weed pollen: Above normal levels beginning in August. Tree pollen is already happening in New England, but expect it to intensify soon. You would think with all the wind we would be spared a little, but it actually makes it worse.
The Symptoms
With the high tree pollen levels so early in the season, the Patch article explains, we could also see "a hyperactive weed pollen season." Massachusetts early allergy season could explain those headaches you've been having. Or maybe it's a runny or stuffy nose you've noticed lately. For me, it starts with a runny nose and red eyes. Then come the occasional chills. Have you had allergies you're whole life? Mine started in my early 30s and really took me by surprise. I love mowing the lawn in the summer, but now have to wear a mask to avoid inhaling all the mid summer grass pollen.
Hey listen, don't be down about the early allergy season. Knowledge is power, and now you are prepared to take it head on. (Sorry for the pun). Stock up on your supplies and enjoy any day outside that isn't pouring rain, as we have experienced lately. We may have a tough battle ahead, but at least it will eventually get warmer. Keep those thoughts next to your Kleenex box.
In case you hadn't noticed, Boston is in bloom. I hadn't noticed either until I went into the city over the weekend. Even with grey skies, Boston still dazzled in tulips, daffodils and rhododendrums. There's plenty of bling to see right now, but where are the best places to see the city and surrounding areas in full color? It's revealed, below...The absolute best places to see Boston in Bloom this Spring.
Charge up your phone battery, take the T and snap away. There's so much to see. With the help of New England With Love, Mommy Nearest, and my own eyes, I've listed 12 vibrant spots to visit, take photos and take in all that Spring has to offer, here at home. I'm sure you've been to some of these places, but it's always good to return. Sights to see include iconic spots like the Boston Public Gardens, a famous riverwalk, to not as well know locations, outside of Boston. So take a look at the absolute best places to see Boston in bloom, this Spring.
Boston Public Garden
4 Charles St. Boston
If the first thing you think of when you think Spring in bloom in Boston. The Boston Public Garden and Boston Common is the place to soak in the season. With 24 acress of green, pond, spectacular color found in the flowers, trees, and people. You also don't want to miss the opportunity to take a swan boat ride while visiting the Public Garden. Since 1837 residents and visitors have come to sit, walk and enjoy the beauty of America's first botanic garden. It never gets old.
Arnold Arboretum
125 Arborway Boston
A peaceful, colorful retreat in the city can be found at the Arnold Arboretom. Spring is certainly one of the best times to visit this 281 acre garden in Jamaica Plain. One of their biggest events is Lilac Sunday, every Mother's Day. But any day is a great day to visit, even winter!
Charles River Esplanade
Charles River, Esplanade, Boston
The Esplanade is a state run park in the Back Bay of Boston. Famous for it's beautiful walkways and bridges around the River, the Hatch Shell, where the Boston Pops and other events happen, it's community boating, and as a respite from city living. It truly is a city escape in the city. The trees, plantings and flowers make it pop in Spring.
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
25 Evans Way, Boston, MA
This is one of my favorite museums, and places on earth. No matter the weather, there's always a beautiful garden inside this historic museum. Inside the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, there are 3 floors of galleries, all emcompassing a fabulous garden courtyard, that blooms all year.
Rose Kennedy Greenway
Atlantic Ave, Boston, MA
Sandwiched between Boston's North End and Financial District and Faneuil Hall, The Rose Kennedy Greenway is a little slice of heaven in the hub. The Greenway comes alive with color, scent and life in the Spring. Everything from tulips to peonies, rhodeodendrons and more are now on display. and totally Instagram worthy. The roses are coming soon!
Kelleher Rose Garden
73 Park Drive, Boston, MA
This was one place I had never heard of and I've probably driving or walked by it dozens of times, going to Sox games. The Kelleher Rose Garden is a outdoor park, but it's hidden in the Back Bay Fens. It's "part of the Emerald Necklace that stretches throughout the city." Here, you can behold 1,500 roses in bloom! They line the walkways and trellises and there's even a "beautiful 1930s-style fountain in the center. Its central-but-hidden location makes it feel like a secret garden." (mommynearest.com)
Fenway Victory Gardens
1200 Boylston St. Boston, MA
What started during World War II to help with food shortages, is now an enchanting getaway. The flowers outnumber the vegetables, that used to reign in these gardens. According to Boston Discovery Guide, Boston's famous Fenway Victory Gardens are "located in a 7-acre plot at the north end of the Back Bay Fens, a large park designed in the 1900s by Frederick Law Olmsted as part of his "Emerald Necklace," a series of linked parks circling Boston.
The Gardens at Elm Bank
900 Washington Street in Wellesley, MA
The Gardens at Elm Bank are located on the Elm Bank Reservation
36 acres of beautiful gardens and fields to behold at this property in Wellesley. There are picnic tables and benches where you can eat, observe and just take it all in.
Garden in the Woods
180 Hemenway Rd, Framingham, MA
This special place in Framingham is part of the Native Plant Trust. It's "magical bontanic garden that showcases New England native plants in a beautiful natural setting." There's a pond, a brook and inspiration to be found at Garden in the Woods.
