Boston Flora

  • Thursdays through Sundays, November 21 – December 27, 4:00 pm – 8:00 pm – Sparkling Lights at The Breakers

    This holiday season, the landscape of The Breakers will dazzle visitors like never before.
    Sparkling Lights at The Breakers, which delighted thousands of visitors when it debuted, will be twice as large when it opens Saturday, November 21. The colorful spectacle and holiday music will be expanded to the southern portion of the historic Serpentine Path. Photo opportunities will abound, from the expanded, 50-foot-long Tunnel of Light to the Van”deer”bilt Selfie Station. The back terrace will be part of “Sparkling Lights” for the first time, with warming stations, adult beverages and s’mores kits available. In all, Sparkling Lights will cover more than half of the 13-acre property, with nearly 100,000 lights and plenty of surprises along the way. Sparkling Lights at The Breakers will be displayed primarily Thursday through Sunday evenings, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., from November 21 through December 27.

    Tickets are now on sale through NewportMansions.org. Click on the green “Tickets” button on the upper right, then choose “Event Tickets” if you are not a Preservation Society member, or “Member Tickets” if you are. You will be asked to choose a date and time; admission for “Sparkling Lights” will be timed at intervals between 4:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. The “Sparkling Lights” ticket includes the interior house tour. For more information, go to https://www.newportmansions.org/events/sparkling-lights-at-the-breakers-2026/

  • Saturday, November 28 – Opening of Kinney Azalea Gardens Festival of Trees

    We know fall has only just begun, but consider getting involved in this year’s Kinney Azalea Gardens Festival of Trees in Kingston, Rhode Island.
    Decorate a tree, volunteer, join us with your caroling group or Scout troop, or sign up to read stories. There are so many ways to be part of the magic.
    Festival of Trees sign-ups are live on our website. The event runs until early January, 2027.

    Kinney Azalea Gardens in Rhode Island is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and celebrating the beauty of native and uncommon plant life across its enchanting 16 acres of whimsical woodland trails.

    Home to over 500 species of unique and rare azalea cultivars, the gardens also boast diverse habitats and ecosystems, an arboretum of notable trees, and abundant native plantings that flourish in harmony with the land.

    Each winding path offers visitors a chance to explore vivid seasonal interests and discover the rich tapestry of life that makes Kinney Azalea Gardens a botanical treasure.
    https://www.kinneyazaleagardens.com/festival-of-trees

  • Saturday, November 14, 9:00 am – 11:30 am – Nature Journaling & Sketching

    Step outside at the Drumlin Park Wildlife Sanctuary with notebook in hand and learn how to translate nature’s story onto the page. Begin with a guided walk around the sanctuary, slowing down to notice the seasonal happenings around you: changing light, plants shifting color, moving birds. Then, settle in to capture what you’ve discovered through sketches, observations, and written musings with inspiration and tips from a naturalist.

    This program will be offered multiple times, with different things to discover each session in different areas of the sanctuary as the seasons shift. The specific program highlighted today takes place November 14 from 9 – 11:30. Whether you’re a seasoned journaler or picking up a notebook for the first time, you’ll build your own record of the natural world while connecting with a community of like-minded nature enthusiasts and tapping into your creative side. Mass Audubon member price $22, nonmembers $26. Registration required at https://www.massaudubon.org/programs/drumlin-farm/104013-nature-journaling-and-sketching

  • Saturday, December 5 – Monday, December 21 – Mount Auburn Cemetery Solstice: Reflections on Winter Light

    SOLSTICE: Reflections on Winter Light is an annual event at Mount Auburn Cemetery, 580 Mt. Auburn Street in Cambridge, that includes an outdoor journey with large-scale light and sound artworks created by MASARY, and an indoor experience with live music and candle lighting. Guests are invited to walk through the light-filled landscape, explore the Winter Solstice atmosphere, and to reflect on moments of change as the year ends and a new cycle begins. Connect to a landscape of exceptional beauty, consider an intention for the new year, or commemorate the memory of a loved one. Let SOLSTICE light your way as you encounter the unique spirit of Mount Auburn. Tickets are $25 – $45, depending on time slot and availability. Tickets at https://www.mountauburnsolstice.org/

  • Monday, January 26 – Wednesday, January 27 – Culinary Retreat: New England Seasonal Cooking

    Join Milk Street January 25 – 27 in Peterborough, New Hampshire for three days of cooking that celebrate the ingredients, flavors and techniques we turn to in a New England winter. What’s included in your Culinary Retreat ticket:

    A festive welcome dinner.
    Two days of hands-on cooking and baking lessons with Milk Street and the Cranberry Meadow Farm Inn team featuring seasonal produce, meats and grains from New England.
    Monday dinner; Tuesday lunch and dinner; and Wednesday brunch. Breakfast on Tuesday and Wednesday are provided by Cranberry Meadow Farm Inn.
    Assorted wine, beer, bubbles and non-alcoholic beverages with meals.

    Tickets purchased through Eventbrite (from $1,208.66) are for meals, cooking lessons and field trips only and do not include lodging. Participants are required to stay at Cranberry Meadow Farm Inn in Peterborough, New Hampshire, for a minimum of two nights. Each ticket is for one traveler, but you have the option to select either a double-capacity or a single-capacity room. If you select a double-capacity room ticket, you will be prompted to note in your registration who your traveling companion is. All rooms have either queen or king size beds. There are a limited number of single-capacity options available. Please book your room(s) directly by calling the inn at (603) 784-5766.

    For complete information, biographies of the presenter, and other details, visit HERE.

  • Monday, November 9, 1:30 pm – 3:00 pm Eastern – Inside the Secret Garden at Lambeth, Online

    Discover Lambeth Palace Garden’s 1,000-year history with the head gardener Nick Stewart, exploring heritage, change and urban wildlife.

    Lambeth Palace Garden is located by the River Thames in one of the busiest areas of central London. It’s a hidden oasis of calm in the midst of all the urban commotion, a green site that has been continually cultivated for more than a thousand years. What is it like to be a gardener working from day to day through the seasons in such a place, one with a history that stretches back for so many centuries?

    This talk offers a rare opportunity to see behind the medieval walls and towers, and to explore a little of the enclosed space in the company of the head gardener entrusted with its care. Some questions we will consider over the course of this talk are:

    • How might the gardeners on the present 10-acre site keep alive the links to the garden’s long and varied history?
    • Is it desirable to allow the space to evolve and change through time? If so, how might that be done?
    • Are there practices and measures that can be put in place to benefit the diverse urban wildlife found within the garden and neighboring areas?

    After completing his degree at Warwick University, Nick Stewart Smith went to live in Barcelona where over the next five years he took his first steps into professional horticulture as a gardener in the city’s celebrated Parc de la Cuitadella.

    Returning to England, he became head gardener for the National Trust at Overbecks, a stunning subtropical garden on the south Devon coast. From there, he took on a similar role at Chequers in the Chilterns, the Prime Minister’s country residence, and then went back home to London to take charge of the Archbishop of Canterbury’s historic ten acre garden at Lambeth Palace.

    He now lives in North Kent where he works as a freelancer involved in various nature projects.

    He is the author of two books, The Thousand Year Old Garden: Inside the Secret Garden at Lambeth Palace (The History Press, 2023) and Wildflowers of London (Murmur, 2025).

    This London Parks and Gardens Zoom talk takes place Monday, November 9. £5 – £10. Register at Eventbrite UK HERE.

  • Saturday, October 31, 12:00 noon – 3:00 pm – A Wickedly Botanical Halloween

    This Halloween, discover the darker side of the plant kingdom at Wicked Plants: A Botanical Halloween, a free family-friendly event on Saturday, October 31 from 12:00–3:00pm on the Hunnewell Lawn at the Arnold Arboretum. Visitors of all ages are invited to explore some of the most surprising and sinister species in our living collections and learn how plants use extraordinary strategies to survive. From trees and shrubs armed with formidable thorns to plants that ooze sticky latex or wield powerful chemical defenses, these botanical marvels will leave you spellbound. Guests will also discover species that poison nearby competitors, launch seeds explosively, or even glow under black light. Drop in anytime during the afternoon to enjoy hands-on activities and fascinating plant stories and bring young explorers to a special story time at 1:00pm. Whether you’re a plant enthusiast, a Halloween fan, or simply looking for a fun seasonal outing, join us to explore some of nature’s spookiest plants. No registration is required. In the event of inclement weather, this program may be rescheduled: check this event page for the latest updates. The rain date is November 1, 2:00 to 4:00pm. Free, but register at www.arboretum.harvard.edu

  • Saturday, November 7, 5:30 pm – 12:00 midnight – Peabody Essex Museum Gala: Where Wonder Takes Us

    The gala dinner and after-party play a vital role in sustaining PEM’s vision: to serve as an engaging and welcoming gathering place where individuals feel inspired to learn and connect through experiences of wonder, joy and contemplation.

    This year’s gala is inspired by the spirit of boundless curiosity, cross-cultural exchange and wonder reflected in East India Marine Hall. Join us as we celebrate the journeys we take, the sparks of innovation we discover and the perspective-shifting power of looking beyond time and place.

    We are delighted to announce longtime PEM supporters Tim and Joanie Ingraham as the 2026 gala honorees.

    The funds raised at the PEM Gala make the museum’s mission a reality by providing essential annual support to our vital initiatives. Exhibitions, public programs, school visits, community partnerships, internships and stimulating, life-enhancing experiences of creativity – your support makes it all possible.

    For more information, or questions about corporate sponsorship, please contact Lauren Fairweather at lauren_fairweather@pem.org. Dinner and after-party tickets are are sold out. Get on the waiting list by emailing rsvp@pem.org.

  • Saturday, November 14 – Saturday, January 2 – Gardens Aglow

    Gather your family and friends and experience the magic of a Maine winter at Gardens Aglow at the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens. This year’s theme, Gathered in Maine, celebrates the traditions, landscapes, and natural connections that bring us together, all brought to life in a dazzling display of light.

    Join us from November 14 through January 2, on Thursdays through Sundays and on select additional dates. Weekends and holidays do sell out, so you’ll want to purchase your tickets early to get your ideal day and time!

    Looking for an extra-special evening? Add the Gardens Aglow VIP Upgrade for flexible arrival times, unlimited ticket exchanges, a cozy fire pit experience with s’mores, and exclusive Gardens Aglow swag. The VIP upgrade is a separate, additional per-ticket item that you can add at the time of purchase. Add it to your cart with your tickets to unlock exclusive extras this Gardens Aglow season. Passes are limited and will sell out. Visit https://www.mainegardens.org/

  • Saturday, November 14, 10:00 am – 11:30 am – Hands-On Floral Workshop Design: Your Thanksgiving Table

    Discover the joy of floral arranging in this creative workshop series led by Lorraine Walsh and Mary Lou Ashur of Artistry Floral. With backgrounds rooted in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Lorraine and Mary Lou bring a wealth of experience and artistry to each session.

    Each hands-on class explores floral design fundamentals—from developing structure and balance to working confidently with color, texture, and movement. Whether you’re looking to refine your skills, create a meaningful handmade gift, or simply try something new, you’ll leave inspired—and with a beautiful seasonal arrangement to enjoy at home. Various dates are scheduled now through March 27 – learn and register at https://www.cognitoforms.com/MassachusettsHorticulturalSociety/_2026FWHandsOnWorkshopsFloralDesign. The one we are highlighting today is Your Thanksgiving Table on November 14.

    Lorraine and Mary Lou met in 2016 while working as floral associates at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, where they designed art-inspired installations for galleries, restaurants, special events, and holiday displays. Today, through Artistry Floral, they create distinctive bouquets, tablescapes, and large-scale installations rooted in seasonality and high-quality blooms sourced from both local growers and global producers. Their work reflects a commitment to environmentally responsible practices and thoughtful, client-centered design.

    All levels are welcome—beginners encouraged.
    Class size is limited; registration closes one week prior to allow time for materials preparation.