Three Things To Do This Weekend In Wellesley

Secret Mantra backyard exhibit

For another few days, patrons of the arts can visit the Nagle home at 62 Glen Road to experience and enjoy "Secret Mantra", a maze of myriad-colored silk lanterns bearing Vietnamese calligraphy hung in the home's back yard. The exhibit is the work of Le Quoc Viet, an artist with the Vietnam Art Gallery. Viet's art is on display thanks to the efforts of his friend, Dan Thomas of Glen Road, who is also founder of the Indochina Arts Partnership.  

The exhibit is open to the public 9 a.m to 5 p.m. until Sunday, Aug. 22. Personal appointments, including evening viewings, can be scheduled by calling Thomas at 617-519-1372. "It's the most scenic in the evening," Thomas said.

Wellesley College Botanical Gardens

The Wellesley College Botanical Gardens are open every day of the year, and offer a verdant visual experience for visitors. The outdoor gardens are open to the public, and the greenhouses are open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free, donations are appreciated.

You can arrange a docent guided tour by contacting the gardens at horticulture@wellesley.edu or 781-283-3094; You can also take a self-guided tour. The gardens are on the Wellesley College campus, 106 Central St. Check here for directions and parking information.

Walk the Mass Horticulural Society gardens

The MHS gardens are open daily from 8 a.m. to dusk and are free to members.  There is a $5 per adult fee for the general public.  

Since 1996, MHS has installed many gardens for public enjoyment, including the All America Selection Trial Gardens, Weezie's Garden, The Bressingham Garden, The Italianate Garden, The Goddess Garden, The James Crockett Memorial Garden, and the Society gardens. 

The site includes open fields and meadows, streams and pools, wooded areas and formal gardens. Elm Bank Reservation is located at 900 Washington St.