Boston Flora

Month: September 2009

  • Wednesday, September 30, 10 am – 1 pm – Two Collectors’ Gardens

    Visit two of the area’s finest fall gardens in their autumn glory.  The Dover garden sits on an acre of land, not far from the Charles River, with rich alluvial soil and plenty of moisture and light.  With these ingredients, Carrie Waterman has created an outstanding naturalistic garden, which has evolved to accommodate the owner’s passions for plant propagation, native plants and color. Plants with long bloom times and handsome foliage fill the mixed borders which peak in fall splendor. In nearby Needham, discover a fall garden that glows in the autumn light, highlighting a collection of brilliant maples, golden birches and deciduous confers, beech, bamboos and grasses of every type.  Using variation in foliage size, color, and texture, Ellen Lathi has achieved a bold and colorful effect for four-season interest. Natural stone, a bog filled with large-leafed plants, and a stream add to the fall scene. Both gardeners are fans of serendipity and love to see the native plants, with the help of the birds, spread themselves around and get comfortable!  Many Garden Club of the Back Bay members may remember seeing Ellen Lahti’s slide presentation at The Country Club last year, sponsored by The Boston Committee.  This tour is presented by The New England Wild Flower Society, and will cost $30 if a NEWFS member, $36 if a non member.  To register, log on to www.newfs.org, or call 508-877-7630.http://images.mooseyscountrygarden.com/mooseys-garden-tour/driveway-garden/autumn-garden-colors.jpg

  • Saturday, September 19, 4 – 5 pm – Greenway Treasure Hunt: North End Parks

    Every third Saturday of the month, the Rose F. Kennedy Greenway Conservancy invites families, adventurists, history-buffs, and anyone interested in getting to know the Greenway to join them for free thematic treasure hunts on the Greenway. Each hunt will focus on one of the four Greenway parks, the neighborhood surrounding the park, and its unique characteristics.  On September 19th we explore the North End Parks and neighborhood.  This is an all ages event. Rain or shine.  For a map and more information, log on to www.rosekennedygreenway.org, or www.hellogreenway.org.

  • Saturday, September 19 – Sunday, September 20, noon to 4 pm – Fifth Annual Fairy House Tour

    Sponsored by the Friends of the South End (Portsmouth, New Hampshire), this self-guided walking tour on Saturday and Sunday, September 19 and 20, features whimsical fairy houses built by families, children, garden clubs and local artisans. The tour will include Strawbery Banke, Prescott Park, the Governor John Langdon House and the Wentworth Gardner and Tobias Lear Houses. Excerpts from “Fairy Houses – The Ballet” will also be presented. Visitors are invited to build an entire Fairy House Village on Peirce Island using only natural materials. Advance ticket prices: Adults – $10, Seniors – $8, Children -  $4; Day of Event, Adults $15, Seniors $10, Children – $5. Free parking is available on Peirce Island. For up-to-date information, and to purchase tickets, visit www.fairyhouses.com.

  • Sunday, September 27, 3 – 6 pm – Farm to Table Event at Cape Cod Organic Farm

    Slow Food Cape Cod could think of no better way to provide a fitting finale for the Cape Land and Sea Harvest (CLASH), a weekend long salute to fishing, farming and all things Cape Cod, than a shared meal, featuring the bounty of  local foods. The setting for such a feast is at the source, outdoors in a field at Cape Cod Organic Farm.  A group of chefs, farmers, fisherman, wine makers, cheese artisans, bean roasters, brewers, and musicians  unite for an afternoon of education and fun. The host farmer is Tim Friary; the date is September 27th at 3:00 PM, till it gets dark.  Profits will be donated to the Food Bank, in the form of real food purchased from local farmers.

    The idea of  Farm to Table is to gain a better understanding of the connection between the earth and the food on our plate. Enjoy a leisurely meal, while meeting local food artisans as they educate us on all aspects of what is on our plate. There will be a 5 course meal, each course paired with local wines:

    – Les Hemmila, Barnstable Seafarms and Laura Scheel from Out of the Blue will set up a raw bar with both Barnstable and Wellfleet Oysters.

    – Joe Dunn, of The Island Merchant will create an amazing soup.

    – Stephen Skelton, from The Glass Onion is going to prepare a pasta dish.

    – Liam Luttrell-Rowland from LunaSoul Foods is the man at the helm for the catch from the sea.

    – Peter Hyde, Blue Moon Bistro, is on the grill for meat, secured from NEFF (North East Family Farm).

    – Veronica Worthington, Pleasant Lake Farm, will create a salad, accompanied by an assortment of New England farmstead cheeses.

    – Paul Olaf Lively, from Chef Paul’s Truffles, will wow you with the finale, followed by coffee from The Beanstock Roasters.

    – You will be tasting wines selected from Truro and Westport Vineyards, and of course be served Cape Cod Beer. And did we mention music? Yes, we have Robertchez playing jazz classics and originals (some written just for Slow Food) to lift our spirits and set the mood.

    For pricing, information, and reservations, call 508-375-9883, or email info@CapeCodCLASH.org.

    Image Collage


  • Sunday, September 20, 10 am – 3 pm – Fall Composites on Mt. Toby

    The Mt. Toby State Reservation, located in Sunderland, Massachusetts, in the Connecticut River Valley, is a popular destination for hiking and a fascinating place to botanize.  The diverse and unusual geological formations underlying the Reservation contribute to the well-known diversity and richness of its flora.  In addition to being an outstanding place to find ferns, it is also an excellent location in which to study fall composites.  With Arieh Tal and the New England Wild Flower Society, you will explore open, disturbed areas next to the scenic Cranberry Pond for a large variety of asters, goldenrods and Eupatoriums, and then follow trails and roads through the beautiful forest understory, beneath a high canopy of majestic age-old trees.  The terrain will be relatively easy.  Bring lunch, hand lens, field guides and hiking boots.  The date is Sunday, September 20, beginning at 10 am, and is limited to 15 participants.  Fee $40 members of NEWFS, $45 non members.  Register and get directions at www.newfs.org, or call 508-877-7630.

    http://www.remarc.com/craig/images/asters_and_goldenrod.jpg

  • Saturday, September 5, 5 – 7 pm – The Lure of Trees

    Fruitlands Museum, at 102 Prospect Hill Road, Harvard, Massachusetts, is proud to present an exhibit by Artist-in-Residence Zsuzsanna Szegedi based on her season-long study of Fruitlands’ trees. For Szegedi, working on “The Lure of Trees” has provided a special opportunity to blend her European and American training in Fruitlands’ unique natural environment.

    Inspired by nature and our attachment to the land, her work steps beyond the straightforward representation of our environment and explores the complexity of our relationship to it.

    Hungarian-born artist Zsuzsanna Szegedi holds a BFA from Massachusetts College of Art. Her paintings can be regularly seen at the Copley Society of Art in Boston. She is the recipient of a Puffin Foundation artist grant and her latest paintings were sponsored by the Gamblin Artist Colors Co.

    The Lure of Trees exhibit runs September 6 – November 15, 2009. For directions and additional information, log on to www.fruitlands.org.

    Zsuzsi

  • Saturday, September 25, 3 – 6 pm, and Sunday, September 26, 8 am – noon – MCD Fall Bulb and Perennial Sale

    Come to the 4H Fairgrounds, 51 South Chelmsford Road, Westford, for the Middlesex Conservation District Fall Bulb and Perennial Sale – tulips, daffodils, unusual bulbs, iris, perennials and garden supplies (compost bins, bulb fertilizer, kitchen scrap buckets, etc). All items may be ordered in advance through September 4 to ensure best selection. To place an order, visit the MCD website at www.middlesexconservation.org and download an order form, or call 978 692 9395 and obtain a brochure by mail. All proceeds will benefit the District�s’ conservation programs.  You may also email frances.gillespie@ma.usda.gov for brochures and directions.

  • Saturday, September 12, noon – 4 pm – Jackson Hill Cider Day

    Enjoy children’s crafts, music, and demonstrations of spinning and cider pressing at Jackson House, 76 Northwest Street  in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.  The house itself, dating from 1664 and the oldest house in New Hampshire, is managed and maintained by Historic New England, and will be open for tours, and crafts and refreshments will be sold as well.  Free to Historic New England members, $6 for non-members, $3 children.  For more information, log on to www.historicnewengland.org, or call 603-435-3205 for directions.

    Jackson House

  • Sunday, October 4, 3 – 6 pm – Fall Fashion Show

    The Garden Club of the Back Bay is an institutional member of The College Club of Boston, and we are pleased to announce that the Club will hold A Fall Fashion Event featuring OKW of the South End (presenting women’s fashions) and Drinkwater’s of Cambridge presenting gentlemen’s fashions on Sunday, October 4, from 3 pm to 6 pm . There will also be a live auction including fashion items, fine jewelry and art work. Chef Jesse will be creating a fresh elegant tea menu for the occasion.  Proceeds will benefit the Building Fund. For reservations and price information call The College Club 617 536-9510, or log on to www.thecollegeclubofboston.com.

    http://www.hotels.com/hotels/condos/ZZ_22136-pe1.jpg