Daily Archives: May 18, 2010

Friday, June 4, 5:30 – 8:00 – Preview Party at Tower Hill Botanic Garden, Boylston, Massachusetts

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Kick off the 25th Annual Tower Hill plant sale with Tower Hill’s  Preview Party Sale and Silent Auction, where you’ll have first pick from the outstanding collection of trees, shrubs, perennials, annuals, herbs, “incredible edibles,” and Tower Hill grown plants, to name a few.  Sumptuous hors d’oeuvre by Peppers Catering, music and a silent auction of items with particular interest to gardening enthusiasts are a major part of the evening.   See www.towerhillbg.org for details. Sponsor tickets, $125 per person, and Patron tickets, $75 per person.  To reserve, call 508-869-6111 x 136, or you may buy tickets securely online at www.towerhillbg.org with your credit card.

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Saturday, June 19, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm – Hilltown Landscapes in Western Massachusetts

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Join Jim McSweeney and the New England Wild Flower Society on Saturday, June 19 for a tour of three beautiful gardens he designed and installed two years ago. The gardens share basic design elements-hardscaping, herbaceous and woody plants, focal points, edibles, border gardens-but each one has its own unique focus and flavor. The first landscape features a native tall grass and wildflower meadow, stonewalls and a home apple orchard.  The second is not your ordinary “foundation planting.”  It is a haven for birds with many native edibles.  The third garden blends refinement and simplicity in one of the most beautiful settings in the hilltowns of western Massachusetts.  This garden offers season-long color, and a variety of grasses for winter interest.  See many design principles in action: site & soil analysis, use of drifts, bed proportions, plant selection, four seasons of interest, and learn tips for low maintenance.  The directions to these gardens, located around Worthington, Massachusetts, will be sent upon registration at www.newfs.org.  Fee is $40 for members of NEWFS, $48 for nonmembers.

Another view of the Worthington, MA formal garden with manicured box hedges, carefully built stone wall, and ornamental birdbath.

Thursday, June 17, 6:00 – 8:00 pm – Woody Vines for the Garden

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Effective landscape design includes creative use of vertical space, and vines should be considered from the outset. While touring the Leventritt Garden of Shrubs and Vines, horticulturist Jen Kettell introduces an array of woody vines. She explains their various growth habits and attachment mechanisms which determine how they are best used in the garden. Focusing on floral, foliar, and fruiting characteristics, she recommends vines for a variety of garden settings.  The program, taking place Thursday, June 17 from 6 – 8 pm, is co-sponsored by The Arnold Arboretum and by The New England Wild Flower Society.  Register on line at www.newfs.org ($20 for members of either sponsoring institution, $24 for nonmembers).

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