We are the Buxton Branch of the American Begonia Society, a non-profit horticultural organization. In 2018 we celebrated our 80th anniversary.
Our membership is open to one and all lovers of begonias. We will resume meeting in person on the first Saturday of every month (September through May), at the Framingham, MA Public Library (McAuliffe Branch). The library opens at 9:30AM and we set up refreshments, plants for sale/swap, and socialize. From 10-Noon, is our main presentation, and Plant of the Month presentation, followed by our business meeting.
For information on Membership and dues, and to access our Membership Form, please click here.
We are named Buxton in honor of the late Bessie Raymond Buxton, a great horticulturist, speaker, writer, Begonia Society member, promoter and lover of begonias. In 1939, a thick-stemmed begonia was named after her by T.H. Everrett, and we have taken that begonia as our society's mascot and logo.
The Greater Des Moines Botanic Garden, on March 5, 2013 wrote an article Grow More Begonias, that mentioned Bessie Buxton had said "If more people grew begonias, the world would be a better place." And we agree!
If you have any questions or comments, please contact us here.
Our membership is open to one and all lovers of begonias. We will resume meeting in person on the first Saturday of every month (September through May), at the Framingham, MA Public Library (McAuliffe Branch). The library opens at 9:30AM and we set up refreshments, plants for sale/swap, and socialize. From 10-Noon, is our main presentation, and Plant of the Month presentation, followed by our business meeting.
For information on Membership and dues, and to access our Membership Form, please click here.
We are named Buxton in honor of the late Bessie Raymond Buxton, a great horticulturist, speaker, writer, Begonia Society member, promoter and lover of begonias. In 1939, a thick-stemmed begonia was named after her by T.H. Everrett, and we have taken that begonia as our society's mascot and logo.
The Greater Des Moines Botanic Garden, on March 5, 2013 wrote an article Grow More Begonias, that mentioned Bessie Buxton had said "If more people grew begonias, the world would be a better place." And we agree!
If you have any questions or comments, please contact us here.
Begonia 'Bessie Buxton'
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Buxton Begonia Branch of ABS logo, drawn by Patricia McCann
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Who WAs Bessie Buxton?
The following is an extract from the article “Peabody Personage and a Gown of Renown” by Kathy McCabe, from the Boston Sunday Globe, 10 March 1991. The omitted material deals with the Peabody Historical Society’s acquisition and display of Bessie Buxton’s wedding gown. A clipping of this article resides in the Buxton Branch historical archives.
Bessie Raymond Buxton was born in Danvers on Jan. 22, 1877. Her mother died when she was a child. Bessie and a sister were raised by their aunt, Sarah Wilson, at 171 Lowell Street in Peabody. Buxton died in 1955.
[Rose Tierney Drysdale, president of the Peabody Historical Society at the time this article was published,] said that not much is known about Buxton’s early life. The only mention of her in the society’s records was under the name of “Mrs. H. H. Buxton,” for some delicate embroidery she did on a few dresses donated to the society.
On July 17, 1895, at the South Congregational Church that once stood in Peabody Square, Bessie Raymond married Henry H. Buxton. During the couple’s married life, the Buxton’s lived at the Huntington House on Andover Street and later build the Buxton Estate at 114 Central St. The couple donated a portion of their estate to the city to establish the Victory Gardens of World War II. Buxton led the establishment of the vegetable gardens grown to alleviate food shortages during the war, Drysdale said.
During her adult years, Bessie Raymond Buxton devoted much of her time to improving the quality of life in Peabody, a thriving industrial center known for its leather production in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
A leader in the beautification of a smokestack-filled city, Buxton was the founder and first president of the Peabody Garden Club, which is still active in the city. She was involved in the garden clubs on both the state and national level, serving as the corresponding secretary of the Garden Club Federation of Massachusetts and the National Federation of Garden Clubs.
As a horticulturist, Buxton traveled around the United States, lecturing to garden clubs and horticultural organizations. She wrote three books on gardening, “Begonias and their Culture,” “The Window Garden” and a “Glossary of 10,000 Species of Begonias.” She was also the editor of the “Garden Club News,” a publication of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society.
“She was in great demand as a lecturer. She lived a full and active life dedicated to research and writing and passing on her knowledge to others,” Drysdale said.
Buxton was also the author of “The History of the South Church in Peabody.” Copies of her books, on loan from the Peabody Institute Library, are included in the display, as well as the notes she used in writing them.
Although recognized for her contributions to horticulture, Buxton’s talents extended beyond the garden. An accomplished pianist and organist, she played numerous concerts held throughout the area. A great love of sea chanteys put her in touch with sea captains and crews to learn the songs and their origins. An avid traveler, Buxton visited Great Britain and Ireland on several occasions. She frequently lectured on her impressions of the countries and their traditions.