The sixth presentation in our seven-part series "Facets of Mount Auburn: Celebrating 175 Years of a Boston Jewel," will concentrate on The Pleasure, Art and Science of Birding.

The program is free to the public and will begin promptly at 6:00 PM in the Rabb Auditorium of the Boston Public Library in Copley Square, followed by a reception with the moderator and panelists and a chance to enter to win Mount Auburn-related raffle prizes and a special item related to the lecture, which will be revealed later.

Co-sponsored with the Harvard Museum of Natural History and Massachusetts Audubon Society.

Also in April, celebrated horticulturist and author Daniel J. Hinkley will speak about The Asian Connection and the influence of Asian horticulture on Western landscapes such as Mount Auburn Cemetery. This lecture will be held on Tuesday, April 10, at 6:00 PM in the Rabb Auditorium of the Boston Public Library and is co-sponsored with the Arnold Arboretum, Massachusetts Horticultural Society, New England Wildflower Society and Wellesley College Botanic Gardens.

Space is limited for both events and registration is requested. Please call 617-607-1995 or visit www.mountauburn.org to register for these programs. To ensure a seat in the auditorium, please plan to arrive early for the lectures.

Learn more about Mount Auburn's 175th Anniversary .

One of the earliest shrubs to bloom every spring at Mount Auburn, the Hamamelis x intermedia, or witch hazel is noted for bright, fragrant, star-like bursts of crisp yellow flowers which grow nearly one inch in length and unfurl like confetti against the clear blue skies of early spring.

The generic name Hamamelis derives from the Greek hama (together with) and melon (fruit) which refers to the fact that this year’s flowers bloom alongside fruit ripening from last year.

The common name, witch hazel is believed to come from the centuries old practice of using branches of the plant to dowse or divine for water. Extracts of witch hazel, a distant relative of the notable Sweet Gum tree (number 54 on the Mount Auburn Cemetery "Unusual Trees" map), have been used as herbal remedies for hundreds of years.

A hybrid between Chinese and Japanese witch hazel, the Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Arnold Promise’ was initially discovered at Harvard University’s Arnold Arboretum and was designated a cultivar in 1963.

Learn more about Mount Auburn's horticultural collections.

Arbor Day activities at the Cemetery are free and will include a walking tour focusing on "Mount Auburn's Magnificent Trees" at 1:00 PM and a Tree Planting Ceremony at 2:30 PM.

Location of the tree planting will be announced at the Entrance Gate on Arbor Day. Maps showing the locations of unusual and notable trees are also available.

Learn about programs and events at Mount Auburn.

Emmet, author of So Fine a Prospect: Historic New England Gardens (University Press of New England), answers that, “Mount Auburn is a vast garden, arboretum, horticultural paradise, birders’ Elysium, and 175-acre open-air museum of historic sculpture and architecture.”

A photo essay of Mount Auburn by Maude Schuyler Clay with text from the Alan Emmet article can be seen online at the House & Garden website.