Daily Archives: September 15, 2009

Saturday, September 19, 2:00 – 3:30 pm – Modest Spaces: Mount Auburn’s Beautiful Public Lots

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Join Dee Morris, Social Historian, on a walking tour of Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, Massachusetts on Saturday, September 19, from 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm.  As Mount Auburn developed, it set aside four public lots containing single graves. Victorians of  modest means were then able to afford a final resting place in pleasant proximity to generous family lots. Named after Saints, these lots embraced such notables as Peter Banner, the architect of Boston’s Park St Church, Thomas Grundy, a hardworking brass finisher from Stoneham, and the genteel Austin sisters of Garden Street in Cambridge.  Join Dee on this late summer stroll to learn more about some of the fascinating individuals buried in these public lots. Meet at the Entrance Gate.  $5 charge for Friends of Mount Auburn, $10 for non-members.  For more information, you may call 617-547-7105, or email friends@mountauburn.org. You may register in advance at www.mountauburn.org by clicking on to Calendar of Events.

Monday, September 21 – Fog, Cloud and Mist

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The Photography of John Borchard

Why does water vapor evoke such emotions? Scenes that are so prosaic in the broad light of day take on such mystery in a mist. John Borchard creates images that project an intense sense of place, that irresistibly position one in the world of the image, whether crisp, with every atom seemingly leaping forth, or in a fog, half-discerned. His art aims to transport you into a place and perhaps into a time, inviting one into its space in a fashion dependent on one’s own emotional state.

John Borchard received a Master’s in Mechanical Engineering from MIT in 1976 and has spent the decades since then practicing engineering at the interface between the digital, analog, sensory and robotic worlds. His interest in photography blossomed when he discovered digital photography. Over the last several years, he has participated in many solo and group shows.  This exhibit will take place September 21–October 15, 2009 at The Landscape Institute, 30 Chauncy Street, Cambridge, MA and is sponsored by the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University.  For more information, log on to www.arboretum.harvard.edu.

Wednesday, October 7, 1 pm – 2:30 pm – Workshop: Flower Arranging

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If you are a member of the Museum of Fine Arts (and we hope all our Garden Club members will consider joining if not already a member), drop in to the Riley Seminar Room on Wednesday, October 7, between 1 pm and 2:30, and get fresh ideas on how to realize the fine art of floral arranging.  Members of the MFA’s acclaimed flower team (again, some of our own members are counted among these talented designers) will share tips and an abundance of creative ideas.  The event is free, open on a first-come, first-served basis.  Accompanying guests are admitted subject to the general admission privileges of your membership.  Please have your MFA membership card available for check-in.  For more information, log on to www.mfa.org.

Center Piece by supercake.

Wednesdays, October 7 & 14, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm – Introduction to Home Orcharding

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With careful planning, home orcharding can be a low-maintenance means to grow lots of nutritious food in small and challenging spaces. This class would be useful to anyone who has a little space and wants to grow fruit, including pomes, stone fruits, berries and nuts. The class covers the process of planning, planting, and caring for a home orchard. The beginner home orchardist will receive a step-by-step guide to evaluating your space, selecting the right plant and nursery, developing a maintenance plan, and an introduction to reference materials.  The class will take place on two successive Wednesdays, October 7 and 14, from 6 pm to 9 pm at Tower Hill Botanic Garden, 11 French Drive, Boylston, Massachusetts, and will be taught by Benjamin Crouch, proprietor of Land of Plenty Organic Landscaping.  Cost is $45 for Tower Hill members, $50 for non-members.  To register, log on to www.towerhillbg.org.  Last day of registration is September 30.

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Sunday, October 4, 1:30 – 3:30 pm – Growing Green: Producing Natives with the Environment in Mind

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Join the New England Wild Flower Society on Sunday, October 4 from 1:30 – 3:30 at the Garden in the Woods in Framingham for a behind-the-scenes look at Nasami Farm, the New England Wild Flower Society’s native plant nursery in Whately, MA. How are they producing beautiful native plants for homeowners, land managers, garden designers and municipalities throughout New England while using sustainable propagation and production practices? Nursery Business Director Ron Wik shares the latest from Nasami, including everything from bio-degradable plant labels to a bicycle-powered plant cart for transporting trays of plants around the Farm. Find out how they share the land with a varietyof animal species including bluebirds, bobolinks, turtles, insects and more, all happy to enjoy the Nasami habitat. Ron is currently focused on increasing production efficiencies, expanding the selection of species of known provenance, improving the sustainability of production practices, and seeking out new and exciting plants to grow for the Society.  This program enhances The Garden Club of the Back Bay’s year long exploration of The Ethical Gardner, and you are encouraged to attend.  The program is free. For directions, log on to www.newfs.org, or call 508-877-7630.

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Saturday, September 26, 1 – 3 pm – Bring Nature into the Home: Build a Terrarium Garden

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Come to the Berkshire Botanical Garden in West Stockbridge, Massachusetts on Saturday, September 26, beginning at 1 pm, for this workshop, lecture and book signing with Tovah Martin. Learn about the whimsical yet practical world of gardening under glass – a way to bring nature indoors year round. When encased in glass, plants thrive with almost no help from out side their little enclosed world. This hands-on workshop will address the aesthetics and technical aspects of terrarium building. Plants, soil preparation, planting, container selection, design and maintenance will be covered. Participants will practice planting a glass terrarium with a selection of unique plants. A book signing of Tovah’s latest book The New Terrarium will follow the workshop. Tovah Martin is a horticulturist, writer and garden personality living in Northwest Ct. She writes for many horticultural publications and latest book is The New Terrarium published in 2009. She serves as editorial producer for the PBS television gardening series “Cultivating Life”.  Cost for BBG members is $45, non members $50, plus a materials fee of $25 paid to the instructor.  To register, or for more information, log on to www.berkshirebotanical.org.

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Three Corn Maze Opportunities

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Have you ever walked through a corn maze?  This autumn, three fantastic opportunities await, one in Sterling, one in Sunderland, and one in Ipswich. The picture below, by the way, is not one of these featured mazes, but gives you an idea of what’s in store.  Pick a sunny day and commune with your inner child:

Mega Maze Corn Maze — Sterling
Now through November 15, 2009
Every year brings a whole new puzzle, theme, and challenge.  Davis’ Mega Maze features more bridges than any other field maze in the world and the only double-decker bridge. There is more than one solution to the Mega Maze and there are several different levels of intensity at which the maze can be completed. All offer varying degrees of difficulty and a new maze experience. Location: Davis’ Mega Maze, 145 Redstone Hill. Time: August 6-Labor Day, open daily, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; September 8-10, closed; September 11-October 31, open weekends only, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; November 1-November 15. open weekends only, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Weather Decisions are made each day by 8 am. Cost: Adults, $16.95; seniors older than 60 and children age 5-12, $12.95. Information: 978-422-8888 or visit www.davisfarmland.com/megamaze.

Mike’s Corn Maze at Warner Farm – Sunderland
Now through October 31, 2009
The 2009 Maze celebrates the 173rd anniversary of the conclusion of the voyage of The HMS Beagle. The maze features the famed British naturalist Charles Darwin with his penetrating gaze chiseled out of solid corn. Darwin is pictured with an assortment of the Galapagos finches whose habitats were isolated volcanic islands. Put on your farm appropriate footwear and come for a nature walk along miles of corn-lined trails. No pets. Location: Warner Farm, 25 South Main Street. Time: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Cost: Adults over age 13, $9; students and seniors over age 60, $8; children age 4-12, $6. Information: 413-665-8331 or visit www.mikesmaze.com.

Marini Farm Corn Maze – Ipswich
Now through October 31, 2009
Experience one of the largest and most challenging corn mazes in the New England region. Travel ear to ear in 8 acres of interactive learning and adventure. Maize Quest is great fun for families, scouts, youth groups, and birthday parties. Location: 259 Linebrook Road. Time: Thursday and Friday, 3-6 p.m.; weekends, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Cost: Adults, $9.50; children younger than 12, $7.50. Information: 978-356-0430 or visit www.marinifarm.com.