Boston Flora

Month: August 2010

  • Friday, September 17, 10:00 am – 1:00 pm – Suburban Surprises in Lexington

    Two diverse Lexington properties offer a wonderful contrast in garden content and gardening styles. Jim Jones, past president of the Rock Garden Society, began gardening with something of a “one of each” mindset. “Reality set in after a while, but not before I had accumulated quite a collection of oddball plants.” Recently, his focus has shifted to a week-by-week distribution of bloom across the seasons, with the fall portion dominated by native species. Carolyn Plourde’s garden was designed as a place of beauty for herself and her family with hardscape, a waterfall area, and large plantings. Over time, it has been reworked and expanded in many ways. Learn about “gutter” gardening between sidewalk and road, and how a flock of chickens can add delight to the garden and eggs to your basket. This tour, to be held Friday, September 17 between 10 am and 1 pm, is sponsored by the New England Wild Flower Society, and costs $32 if you are a NEWFS member and $38 if you are not. Register at www.newfs.org and you will receive directions to the gardens.

  • Sunday, September 26, 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm – Boston’s Community Gardens

    Enjoy this Ecological Landscaping Association walking tour through  eleven diverse and plentiful community gardens with our host, Betsy Johnson. Gardens include a wide range of sizes, designs, and plant material and are excellent examples of successful vacant lot restoration. The Sunday, September 26 tour will begin at 1 pm at the Berkeley Community Gardens on East Berkeley Street, between Tremont and Shawmut Streets in Boston.  The cost is $15 for ELA members and $20 for non-members.  Walk ins also welcome.  For more information, email ela.info@comcast.net, or call 617- 436-5838.

  • May 14 – May 29, 2011 – Secrets of Sichuan: A Journey to Jiuzhaigou

    The New England Wild Flower Society, with the Wellesley College Friends of Horticulture, announce the upcoming tour The Secrets of Sichuan, to take place May 14 – 29, 2011.  This unique expedition to explore the flora, fauna, and culture of Sichuan will be led by Ted Elliman, leader of NEWFS botanical forays to China for many years.

    The rhododendron will be in flower during this visit.  This is good news because China, a global center of diversity for many plant groups, supports more than 400 endemic species of rhododendron. Most of these grow in the Hengduan Mountain region, where the tour will be based.  You may not see them all, but if this is your first trip to southwest China, you will probably see more than you ever have before.  Wild mountain nature reserves are the focus of the journey.  Natural areas on the itinerary include Emei Shan, a revered and sacred 10,000 foot mountain with spectacular flora, Tanghiahe Nature Reserve, with dense broadleaved forests and a rich bird fauna, and Wanglang Nature Reserve, where subalpine conifer forests of spruce, larch and juniper grow up through understories of tall rhododendron and a sparkling array of forest wildflowers.  In Wanglang, at 11,000 feet elevation, the high elevation wildflowers will be blooming at and above timberline.  Tangjiahe and Wanglang are also home to wild populations of giant panda.

    A major highlight will be a two day visit to Jiuzhaigou National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site of incomparable beauty, that is another great place to view and photograph spring wildflowers.  Jiuzhaigou is a valley complex of crystalline lakes and streams, connected by a superbly designed network of boardwalk trails.  Accessible parts range in elevation from 7,000 to 11,000 feet, and it is an ideal place to explore on foot.  Frequent shuttle buses provide ready access to the boardwalk trails.  Other stops will be Leshan, where a seated Buddha image 200 feet tall, carved from red sandstone, overlooks an auspicious river confluence, Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province, and Sanxingdui Museum.  For a complete itinerary, log on to  http://www.wellesley.edu/WCFH/Courses/Sichuan%20Brochure.pdf.  Trip fee is $3,945 per person, double occupancy, plus air fair of $1,195 from New York, round trip, through Betchart Expeditions, Inc.  Call Renee Apostolou at 800-252-4910 for additional information.

  • Sunday, September 26, 11:00 am – 3:00 pm – Harold Parker Pteridophytes

    The Harold Parker State Forest is a large conservation area near Andover,  Massachusetts. This New England Wild Flower Society class, led by Don Lubin and Raymond Abair, will visit a southern section near a large pond, hills, and swamps, and see more than two dozen ferns and club-mosses. We anticipate the hybrid Ground Cedar club-moss, Ebony spleenwort (below), perhaps Fragile fern and a Woodsia, and a few hybrid Dryopteris. Wear long pants, and bring a lens if you have one. The date is Sunday, September 26 from 11 – 3, and the fee is $32 for NEWFS members and $36 for nonmembers.  To register, log on to www.newfs.org.

  • Saturday, September 25 – Sunday, September 26,8:00 am – 5:30 pm – What’s Out There Weekend

    This September 25 and 26  in Washington, D.C., The Cultural Landscape Foundation will hold What’s Out There Weekend—the prototype for an annual, nationwide series of interpretive tours that focus attention on our country’s rich and diverse heritage of designed landscapes. The public will be able to visit any or all of 25 sites around Washington, D.C., to get free tours from expert guides.

    The goal of the weekend’s activities is to raise awareness about the importance of Washington, D.C.’s astonishing and diverse historic designed landscape heritage and to educate the public about the individuals who designed them and the unique narratives behind their creation, ongoing care, and management. The landscapes span over 200 years of design, from L’Enfant’s Plan for the city to Dan Kiley’s plaza at the National Gallery of Art. Throughout the weekend there will be public guided tours, including a unique event at the U.S. Capitol Grounds; an insider’s view of some of Northwest D.C.’s most prominent estate landscapes and an introduction to Congressional Cemetery, one of our nation’s oldest designed cemeteries. TCLF’s What’s Out There Weekend partners, the National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation, will support sites all over the city, from the National Mall to Theodore Roosevelt Island National Memorial to Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens.

    The What’s Out There Weekend initiative dovetails with the web-based What’s Out There, the first searchable database of the nation’s designed landscapes. What’s Out There Weekend extends the focus of the What’s Out There database, by creating a rich series of inspiring and educational events.

    TCLF is proud to have the support of the National Park Service, the Smithsonian Institution, Dumbarton Oaks, and the Washington, D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation in hosting this first What’s Out There Weekend. TCLF also wishes to thank our Media Partner, Room & Board, and PNC Bank for their support.  For a complete list of sites, and registration information, log on to www.tclf.org.

    Washington DC

  • Wednesday, September 15, 6:00 pm – RAFT Vegetarian Heirloom Harvest Dinner

    The fields are overflowing! And thanks to the work of Chefs Collaborative and their RAFT Grow-Out, certain chef’s kitchens are the happy recipients of wonderful heirloom varieties of produce.

    Chef Greg Griffie at 606 Congress has risen to the challenge of creating a five course vegetarian meal with wine pairings included. Slow Food Boston supporters will be gathering at the restaurant at 6PM on Wednesday, September 15th for this lovely meal. Can I hear a ‘Hurrah’ for local produce?

    Cost for the evening will be $45 including the wine, with beer and cocktails available for an extra charge. There is limited seating, and registration and prepayment are required. If you’ve had the pleasure of attending one of the previous Slow Food meals at 606 Congress, you know that it will be sure to amaze your senses – so sign up today, on line at www.slowfoodboston.com!

    Directions:
    606 Congress is located in the Renaissance Hotel at 606 Congress Street in the Seaport area. There is lots of parking, and the Silver Line lets off just a few blocks away. Feel free to contact them with questions by phone: 617.476.5606 or on Facebook.

  • One on One with Great American Gardeners Online Auction

    In conjunction with the American Horticultural Society’s 17th Annual Gala, taking place this year on Saturday, September 25 from 6 – 10 pm at River Farm in Alexandria, Virginia, the AHS is proud to announce its second annual online auction, “One on One with Great American Gardeners.” This is your chance to bid on an opportunity for you and three friends to spend time as exclusive guests of a prominent American horticulturist, botanic garden director, or landscape designer.  One such local experience will be hosted by Michael Dosmann at the Arnold Arboretum here in Boston. Visit www.ahs.org/auction for a sample of available experience options and more information about the auction.  The deadline to bid is October 25, 2010.

    If you are interested in attending the gala, which includes an elegant formal dinner under the stars and silent auction, call Courtney Capstack at 703-768-5700, ex. 127, or email ccapstack@ahs.org.  The gala’s honorary chair is Laura Dowling, celebrated White House florist and owner of Interieurs et Fleurs in Old Town, Alexandria.  Laura and her floral arrangements have been featured on broadcasts on  Home and Garden Television and the Fox network morning news show, and in international publications such as the Journal di Dimanche (Paris).  The event is black tie, advance reservations only.  All proceeds from the gala and online auction benefit the stewardship of River Farm and the American Horticultural Society’s outreach and educational programs.

    http://abbyjean.typepad.com/style_me_pretty/images/2008/01/23/laura_dowling.jpg

  • Tuesdays, September 28 – October 19, 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm and Saturdays, October 9, 12:00 noon – 4:00 pm, and October 16, 9:00 am – 1:00 pm – Framework Trees of New England

    Trees are the dominant plant type of New England, with forests covering most of the land area. This six session New England Wild Flower Society and Arnold Arboretum survey course beginning Tuesday, September 28, taught by Karen Sebastian, addresses identification and natural history of individual species as well as forest ecology. Since understanding today’s forests requires familiarity with their history, we will review the changing landscape from the Ice Age through European settlement. Students learn to identify native New England trees and their habitats, to recognize different aged stands (pioneer, second growth, and other growth) and become familiar with forest communities of the northeastern temperate region. We’ll consider the natural conditions and human disturbance factors that produce different forest associations. Weekend field trips take us to a variety of forest types off-site. Bring a bag lunch and water for the field trips.  The fee is $176 for members of NEWFS or the Arboretum, and $204 for nonmembers.  For the complete schedule, log on to www.newfs.org.

  • Wednesday, September 1, 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm – Pete & Jen’s Backyard Birds Farm Tour

    Pete and Jen’s Backyard Birds, 159 Wheeler Road in Concord, will host a farm tour on Wednesday, September 1 as part of the Eastern Mass CRAFT program.  This is your chance to see the farm and how the owners manage their pasture dance throughout the many fields. Pete and Jen are small scale local growers of pasture-raised, premium quality meat and layer chickens, pigs, some sheep, and a few rabbits. They began with a first small flock of chickens in 2002 and have since expanded due to the growing interest and demand for high-quality, humanely raised meat and eggs. They currently sell most of their products by pre-order, through their mini-store in Concord, and to select restaurants in Boston.

    Their goal is to grow healthy, happy and tasty animals for the local community while respecting the land and their wonderful animals. The tour is free and all questions are welcome and encouraged.  For more information, log on to www.peteandjensbackyardbirds.com.

  • Saturday and Sunday, September 11 – 12, 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm – Pebble Mosaic Flower Pots

    Learn the art and craft of mosaics using natural colored pebbles. This Berkshire Botanical Garden two day workshop on Saturday and Sunday, September 11 and 12, will cover mosaic techniques on a 3 dimensional object. Consider materials, including adhesives, grout, mosaic materials and base surface. Participants will explore various design concepts for producing both abstract and patterned designs. Following a demonstration, complete a flower pot mosaic using techniques learned. (Students will let projects set overnight and complete them the following day. For those unable to attend the follow up session, instructions and material will be provided to finish at home.)

    Judy Boschetti is an Educator at Berkshire Botanical Garden. She instructs youth activities at the Garden and is a serious home gardener. She is experienced in a wide range of garden crafts including mosaic making.  The cost ($40 for BBG members, $45 for non members) includes materials.  Bring heavy rubber gloves.  This workshop is suitable for beginners.  To register, log on to www.berkshirebotanical.org.