Boston Flora

  • Grandmothers’ Garden in Westfield

    The American Horticultural Society has announced the inclusion of Grandmothers’ Garden in Westfield as part of the AHS Garden Network. Located within Chauncey Allen Park, this historic 1935 design by landscape architect Thomas Desmond features a formal layout of geometric beds organized around a central Summer House. Designed in the Colonial Revival style, Grandmothers’ Garden is home to a vibrant mix of formal flower beds and delicate herb gardens. Each season brings new color and fragrance, from spring bulbs and perennials to lush annuals planted by dedicated volunteers. The blossoms and herbs offer beauty, texture, scent and timelessness, creating a living tapestry that recalls both the Garden’s history and the humanity that allows it to thrive.

    The history of the garden may be found at https://www.grandmothersgarden.org/home. Photography is encouraged – for policies, click HERE. The garden is located on Smith Avenue in Westfield, open daily from dawn to dusk.

  • Tuesday, August 18, 7:00 pm – 8:15 pm Eastern – The Beasts of the East: The Fall & Rise of America’s Eastern Wilderness, Online

    Before skyscrapers and smokestacks transformed the eastern United States, the region was home to an abundance of wildlife. Elk roamed Illinois, bison grazed the prairies of Indiana, and wolves and cougars moved through forests and wetlands stretching from the Northeast to the Deep South. Environmental writer Andrew Moore, author of The Beasts of the East, revisits this largely forgotten landscape and shows how, in just a few generations, industrialization and unregulated hunting pushed many of these animals to the brink of extinction.

    Moore follows conservationists, biologists, hunters, and local communities working to return these animals to their native habitats—from bison grazing on restored Illinois prairies to elk thriving in the hills of Kentucky and red wolves roaming coastal North Carolina. As wildlife begins a remarkable comeback, Moore holds that these efforts raise questions about conservation, coexistence, and the meaning of wilderness in a modern landscape shaped by cities, suburbs, and highways.

    This Smithsonian online presentation on August 18 at 7 pm is $25 for Smithsonian Associates, $35 for nonmembers. Register at www.smithsonianassociates.org

  • Thursday, August 13, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm – After Dark: Gardens

    Looking for evening of hands-on science, entertainment and discovery? Find it at After Dark, our monthly adults-only, after-hours event at the MIT Museum.

    On August 13, from 6-9 pm, join us for After Dark: Gardens, celebrating gardens, green spaces, and all things locally grown. Learn about local ecosystems, growing challenges, how to fuel your garden, and more through conversations, demonstrations, and interactive workshops.

    With pop-up shops, music, drinks, and bites, you won’t want to miss it! For more information visit mitmuseum.mit.edu

  • Thursday, August 27, 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm – Provincetown Conservation Trust 2026 Annual Meeting & “Green” Party

    At this year’s Provincetown Conservation Trust Annual Meeting we welcome Andrew Gottlieb, President of the Association for the Preservation of Cape Cod as our keynote speaker. He will present on the critical campaign his organization is undertaking to help preserve and protect the last 14% of developable land on Cape Cod. He will be introduced by friend, former State Senator, and Cape Air owner Dan Wolfe. The event takes place August 27 at the Harbor Hotel.

    We will have our popular silent auction featuring fantastic items donated from local businesses, complimentary food, wine and beer donated from local businesses. REGISTER TODAY. Genevieve Martin will receive the Trust’s inaugural Conservation Hero Award.

    The Provincetown Conservation Trust is a private, non-profit (501c3) organization, founded in 1980, dedicated to preserving the woods, wetlands, heathlands, dunes and forests of Provincetown, home to a great variety of native flora and fauna, some of it not found anywhere else. These natural habitats are an important Greenway, key links in the wildlife corridors of Cape Cod, and vital to the ecological health of the United States Eastern Seaboard. Our uplands provide habitats not found in the Cape Cod National Seashore.

  • Wednesday, August 12, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm – George Nakashima Woodworker: The Documentary

    The Westport Cultural Council is excited to host their annual Summer Film Series at Weatherlow Farms, 845 Sodom Road in Westport. Join them this summer for three Wednesday evenings inside The Barn, with the doors open to a warm summer breeze. This free event is open to the public. The doors open at 6:00 PM with the film beginning at 6:45 PM.

    A profile of the pioneering, master woodworker, architect and furniture maker, George Nakashima, is the focus on August 12.

    The Cultural Council will once again be joined by the South Coast Artists to present a profile of the master woodworker, architect and furniture maker, George Nakashima. The gifted and visionary artist pioneered the use of live-edge wood in furniture as well as creating exceptional, hand-crafted work from solid hardwoods. His is a timeless story for anyone who has a fascination with the creative process. Filmmaker John Nakashima will answer questions via Zoom after the film.

    There will be concessions available for purchase curated by the Weatherlow Farms culinary and farm store teams. Reserve your seat at https://www.weatherlowfarms.com/upcomingevents/summer-film-series-july-8-m946n-z46hm

  • Friday, September 25, 6:30 pm – 9:00 pm – Beer in the Barn

    SAVE THE DATE for Sudbury Valley Trustees’ third annual Beer in the Barn fundraiser on Friday, September 25, 6:30-9pm. We’ll have beer, non-alcoholic drinks, food, and fun! The Barn is located at 18 Wolbach Road in Sudbury. Visit https://www.svtweb.org/ for registration information.

    Every ticket sold helps support our mission to protect and care for natural areas and farmland in the 36 communities that surround the Sudbury, Assabet, and Concord Rivers.

  • Saturday, September 12, 11:00 am – 3:00 pm – Urban Agricultural Fair

    Boston Community Gardens and The Trustees invite you to this year’s Urban Agricultural Fair on Saturday, September 12 from 11 – 3. The venue is Roxbury Heritage Park, 183 Roxbury Street in Boston, and its free. Enjoy a harvest competition with case prizes, cooking demonstrations, garden workshops, music, food, and fresh produce from local farms. No sign up needed – just come!

  • Saturday, August 22, 10:00 am – 11:30 am – Biodiversity in the Solar Pollinator Meadow

    The Arnold Arboretum will host a members only event on August 22 from 10 – 11:30 in front of the Weld Hill Research Building with Naturalist Louise Miller. The Horticulture team planted the Solar Array Pollinator Meadow to provide a habitat for a wide variety of insects, birds, and other pollinators under and around the Weld Hill solar panels. Until recently, they had no good way of knowing just how well their experiment was working. Louise Miller took it on as a research project for her Mass Audubon Field Certification. She conducted a biodiversity survey of the meadow and recorded 70 species of plants and nearly 300 species of non-plant creatures, from snails and mushrooms to insects and salamanders. Join her to learn about the diversity she found here, view some of her incredible photographs, and get a chance to record some observations yourself. Visit https://arboretum.harvard.edu/events/ for more information, and if you aren’t already a member, join now.

  • Thursday, August 27, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm – Mrs. Trillium’s Book Garden with Alex Snodgrass

    Mrs. Trillium’s Book Garden: Signature Series invites you to an evening with Alex Snodgrass. The event takes place on August 27 from 6 – 9 at Trillium Fort Point in Boston. From $55.20. Register at Eventbrite HERE.

    Cookbook author and creator of The Defined Dish, Alex Snodgrass returns to Trillium to celebrate the release of her new cookbook, Everyday Eats. Known for her wholesome, flavor-forward recipes and practical approach to home cooking, Alex has built a trusted community of home cooks seeking meals that are both nourishing and crave-worthy. Everyday Eats delivers versatile, weeknight-friendly recipes designed to simplify mealtime without sacrificing flavor.

    Join Alex in Fort Point with Trillium Founder & CEO, Esther Tetreault for an evening of conversation, food, and celebration. The event will feature an engaging Q&A, a signed copy of Everyday Eats, a welcome beverage, and bites inspired by her fresh, approachable recipes.

    5:45 PM | Doors Open, Bites & Sips

    6:15 PM | Q&A with Alex, Followed by Signing

  • Wednesday, August 19, 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm – The Fungal Lens: An Interactive Primer on Nature Writing & Science Communication

    Aspiring writers and naturalists will enjoy this Polly Hill Arboretum interactive workshop on August 19 hosted by author Maria Pinto. Participants will learn how their interactions with the ‘more than human’ world around them equip them to be effective science communicators and nature writers. Attendees will analyze the work of seasoned writers and do a series of exercises to draw out their own lyrical and scientific encounters with our planet.

    Maria Pinto is an author and educator living in the Boston area. Maria has led workshops and lectures for mycological societies around the country, and leads regular forays at the Arnold Arboretum in Boston.

    Pre-registration required. PHA Members: $20; Non-Members: $30. Click here to register.