Friday, December 6, 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm, and Saturday & Sunday, December 7 & 8, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm – Holiday Marketplace

An eagerly awaited tradition continues at Berkshire Botanical Garden on Friday evening, Saturday and Sunday, December 6 – 8, with Holiday Marketplace featuring the legendary Gallery of Wreaths.

The festivities begin Friday evening, December 6, with the Holiday Wreath Preview Party 5 to 7 p.m. The party includes early wreath-buying opportunities, live music, hors d’oeuvres, libations, and merriment! This is a pre-registered event. Members: $75/Non-Members: $100. The Marketplace runs Saturday and Sunday, December 7 and 8, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Register at www.berkshirebotanical.org

Select from a collection of 100 unique, one-of-a-kind designer wreaths as well as an assortment of holiday-blooming amaryllis and paperwhites in decorative and clay containers, succulent arrangements, garlands, hanging terrariums and gift items presented by regional artisan vendors. Picture courtesy of the Berkshire Edge.

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Through Monday, December 2 – 90 Years Young: Berkshire Botanical Garden 1934 – 2024

Berkshire Botanical Garden’s 2024 Art/Garden series continues with “90 Years Young: Berkshire Botanical Garden 1934-2024,” an exhibition featuring historical photos, film and other artifacts that trace the garden’s growth and elevation.

The exhibition continues through December 2, in the Leonhardt Galleries in West Stockbridge.

From its auspicious founding (as the Berkshire Garden Center) by a large group of civic-minded local organizations, Berkshire Botanical Garden has remained a community resource like no other. The Harvest Festival, begun in 1935 to raise much-needed funds, quickly became the quintessential Berkshire marker of fall. Our display and trial gardens, along with dedicated educators, have inspired generations of gardeners and garden lovers. And over the decades, our buildings and grounds have changed to meet the needs of our community. In this exhibit, we honor our long history and the people who made BBG what it is today.

Berkshire Botanical Garden’s Leonhardt Galleries are open seven days a week, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. until Oct. 31. From Nov. 1 to Dec. 2, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information visit https://www.berkshirebotanical.org/90-years-young-berkshire-botanical-garden-1934-2024

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Tuesday, December 3, 4:00 am – 5:30 am Eastern (but recorded) – Humphry Repton: From Picturesque Provocateur to Regency Ornamentalist, Online

The Georgian era is often seen as the pinnacle of garden design in England, as the formal, baroque style of the late 17th century gave way to the looser, more naturalistic designs of what became known as the English Landscape Movement. It was a style that spread around the world.

This Gardens Trust online series will trace the development of the landscape style, beginning with early examples full of decorative garden buildings and classical allusions, and then the impact of England’s most famous landscape designer, Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown, who laid out vast parklands with rolling lawns, serpentine lakes and clumps of trees. As we’ll see, the century ended with a clash between the wild, rugged aesthetic of the Picturesque and the start of a return to formality and ornamentation in garden-making.

As well as examining individual gardens and designers, we will explore some of the myriad social and economic influences at work on Georgian design. These included political upheaval, changing land use, foreign trade and the lure of exoticism, alongside the impact of the European ‘Grand Tour’ undertaken by wealthy men, which instilled an admiration for classical art and poetry, and for French and Italian landscape painting.

Humphry Repton (1752–1818) initially styled himself Capability Brown’s successor: the next great improver of landed property. This was a bold and ambitious stance, which opened him up to persecution from the new school of Picturesque aesthetes. These men championed a Romantic appreciation for rugged and sublime topography, and a disdain for the manicured lawns of Brown and his contemporaries which had come before.

Ultimately forced to develop an entirely new aesthetic, Repton’s later designs were crowded with terraces, trellises, bowers, bowling greens and gravel walks. He called this new style ‘Ornamental Gardening’. Immortalized by Jane Austen in her novel Mansfield Park, Repton’s ingenious Red Books, with their ‘before and after’ overlays, helped nurture an appreciation for landscape amongst his Regency clients. This lecture traces Repton’s career from his early entanglement with the Picturesque writers, to the progressive ornamental style of the turn of a new century.

Dr. Laura Mayer will lecture on December 3 for The Gardens Trust. Register HERE

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Saturdays, December 14 & December 21, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm – Planting Design Studio

This Berkshire Botanical Garden course, offered Saturdays, December 14 and 21, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., teaches students how to design a planting plan for private and public garden spaces. Explore the manipulation of space by using plant material through a series of exercises dealing with form, color, and texture. Students will consider the nature of plant characteristics in specific design settings. Style of house will be used for a source of inspiration while honoring the horticultural needs of each plant. Students will make presentations for each project, and class critiques will be positive, instructive, and essential to the learning process. This is a participatory class and will include completing various design projects throughout the course. Taught by Tom Smith of Springfield Technical Community College.

Tom Smith teaches at Springfield Technical Community College.  His past career adventures include precision machining, HVAC ductwork fabricator, installer and apprentice service technician, and the U.S. Navy.  He also wore many ‘hats’ within a small landscape company as a designer, estimator, salesperson, horticulturist, and construction crew leader.  

The fee for this two session class is $215 for BBG members, $240 for nonmembers. Register at https://www.berkshirebotanical.org/events/planting-design-studio

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Wednesday, April 30 – Friday, May 9, 2025 – The Netherlands & Belgium: Cheese, Chocolate & Brews Tour

Join Anna Juhl and Tenaya Darlington of Cheese Journeys in Belgium and the Netherlands for a unique spring getaway during tulip season, April 30 – May 9, 2025. This tour is for artisan food and drink enthusiasts who love to explore and experience at every opportunity. We’ve curated meet-ups and tastings with some of the world’s greatest cheese affineurs, beer producers and chocolatiers. Plus, we’ll uncover Amsterdam’s canals, historic neighborhoods and thriving food scene.

This tour is open to all travelers. For complete itinerary and details, visit www.cheesejourneys.com

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Saturday, December 7, 12:00 noon – 3:00 pm – Making Evergreen Arrangements with Native Plants

December is a dark month and makes us crave light and color. In this December 7 Native Plant Trust class at Garden in the Woods in Framingham, we will create evergreen arrangements to brighten our spirits. There will be an emphasis on creating a visually pleasing arrangement as we both repeat and vary flower shapes, sizes, and colors. We will also appreciate the wonderful variety of evergreen textures. Please join us to discover the breadth and depth of your creativity. $51 for NPT members, $60 for nonmembers. Annette Huskins will instruct. Register at https://www.nativeplanttrust.org/events/making-evergreen-arrangements-with-native-plants/

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Sunday, December 8, 11:00 am – 12:30 pm – Conifer Collection Tour at the Arnold Arboretum

The conifer collection at the Arnold Arboretum is a magical place to visit at any time of the year, as it is especially rich in history and diversity. Docent Cristina Squeff will lead participants through this collection explaining key identification features and sharing relevant stories about individual trees. The walk takes place December 8 at 11 am, beginning at the Bussey Street Gate. Register at www.arboretum.harvard.edu

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Monday, April 21 – TEAM Esplanade & The Boston Marathon

The Esplanade Association is proud to be a part of the Boston Athletic Association’s Bank of America Boston Marathon® Official Charity Program for the 129th Boston Marathon presented by Bank of America on April 21, 2025.

The Esplanade is the premier running trail in Greater Boston. Each year, the excitement builds for the Boston Marathon runners who turn to the Esplanade’s riverfront pathways and footbridges as the setting for their training runs. 

Join us for a fun and positive life-changing experience of running the 129th Boston Marathon® presented by Bank of America with TEAM ESPLANADE! In 2024 we had 17 amazing runners who raised over $197,000!  Sign up now at https://esplanade.org/bostonmarathon/

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Saturday, December 14, 7:00 pm – 12:00 midnight – Holiday Dinner Dance 2024

The Preservation Society of Newport County will hold its annual Holiday Dinner Dance event on Saturday, December 14 at 7:00 pm. This black-tie evening will begin with delicious hors d’oeuvre and cocktails amid the grandeur of The Breakers, which will be lavishly decorated for the holiday season. After drinks, guests will be seated for a holiday-inspired four-course dinner in the Great Hall and Dining Room, followed by dancing in the Music Room. To purchase tickets, call the Special Events Office at (401) 847-1000, ext. 150 or ext. 140.

Tickets will not be available through the Newport Mansions website. Questions? Email Events@NewportMansions.org. $1000 Patrons. $600 Preservation Society Members, $750 Non-Members

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