Overlooking the Boston Harbor and skyline, the 5-Star Encore Boston Harbor Resort, which opened in June 2019, is home to 671 finely appointed rooms, a 210,000 sf casino, 15 dining venues, indoor and outdoor event space and more than 8 acres of lushly landscaped gardens.

Guests arriving on the property experience an oasis of colorful flowers and verdant beauty, a significant design component of the Wynn Resort properties. The Oak Plaza promenade is lined with majestic spruce, Nellie Stevens holly, and fully-grown Japanese maple trees, as well as flower beds with seasonally changing color in a lush, park-like setting. Trees are strategically situated to allow unobstructed views of the marquee sign and river views beyond.

Once inside Encore Boston Harbor, the luxuriant interior garden is anchored by four voluminous, 20’ ficus trees which create a frame for the centerpiece – a colorful carousel designed by Preston Bailey.  Six thousand floral containers of annual color will change every 2-3 weeks, to keep the entry experience fresh and welcoming to all who visit.

The quarter mile, 17′ wide pedestrian harborwalk and parterre garden features an elegant gazebo, an abundance of benches and viewing opportunities, informational signage, boat dock access, connections to the many resort gardens, and lush verdant space with magnificent floral displays. The formal hedges wind among the seasonally changing flowers which offer year-round color, while grand, colorful red maple trees line the Southern portion.  Jaume Plensa’s three, 10’ tall bust sculptures accentuate the center of the promenade experience.

The South Lawn boasts 27,000 sf of functional lawn area for events of all sizes, enclosed in a bouquet of mature evergreen and deciduous trees and lined by an elegant flower-lined formal garden.

There is a unique 10,000 sf “green roof” garden that adds visual interest for the harborside hotel rooms and gym above. The oversized floral pattern, reminiscent of designer Roger Thomas’ familiar motif, are filled with thousands of vibrant and colorful flowers framed by boxwood hedges and white pebblestone borders.

The quality, beauty, and elegance of Encore Boston Harbor elevated the bar for the Boston area, and the evergreen landscape with its densely lush planting and colorful accents make the waterfront location truly iconic, inviting and special.

*Special thanks to Patrick Chadwick, Director of Horticulture and Floral, at Encore Boston Harbor; and Shadley Associates who served as the local landscape architect for entitlements and as designer of the Mystic Shoreline.

Photo credits: Barbara Kraft and Roger Davies