Boston Flora

Month: September 2010

  • Thursday, October 14, 10:00 am – Divine Wind: The History and Science of Hurricanes

    The October meeting of The Garden Club of the Back Bay will be held Thursday, October 14, beginning at 10 am at The College Club, 44 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston.  The Club begins its year long examination of Water with a lecture on hurricanes, quite appropriate for the season, we believe.

    Dr. Kerry Emanuel is a Professor of Atmospheric Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he has been on the faculty since 1981, after spending three years as a faculty member at UCLA. Professor Emanuel’s research interests focus on tropical meteorology and climate, with a specialty in hurricane physics. His interests also include cumulus convection, and advanced methods of sampling the atmosphere in aid of numerical weather prediction. He is the author or co-author of over 100 peer-reviewed scientific papers, and two books, including Divine Wind: The History and Science of Hurricanes, released by Oxford University Press and aimed at a general audience, and What We Know about Climate Change, published by the MIT Press.

    “Imagine standing at the center of a Roman coliseum that is 20 miles across, with walls that soar 10 miles into the sky, towering walls with cascades of ice crystals falling along its brilliantly white surface. That’s what it’s like to stand in the eye of a hurricane.”

    Kerry Emanuel, one of the world’s leading authorities on hurricanes, gives us an engaging account of these awe-inspiring meteorological events, revealing how hurricanes and typhoons have literally altered human history, thwarting military incursions and changing the course of explorations. Offering an account of the physics of the tropical atmosphere, the author explains how such benign climates give rise to the most powerful storms in the world and tells what modern science has learned about them. Interwoven with this scientific account are descriptions of some of the most important hurricanes in history and relevant works of art and literature.  The lecture is free and open to the public, but reservations are essential.  There will also be a luncheon following the meeting, for which we must charge $20 per person.  To reserve, or for more information, email info@bostonflora.com. Members of The Garden Club of the Back Bay will receive written notification of the meeting.

    http://www.capitalweather.com/images/Oct2_05/divine_wind.jpg

  • May 21 – May 28, 2011 – Chelsea Flower Show and English Gardens Tour

    Travel Unlimited is preparing now for its 2011 Chelsea Flower Show and English Gardens Tour, to take place May 21 – 28.  The trip includes such highlights as the 465 country estate of Wakehurst Place, an afternoon in Brighton, Arundel Castle in Norfolk, Borde Hill Gardens‘ annual “Sculpture in the Garden” exhibition (below), the Chelsea Flower Show, and the RHS Gardens at Wisley.  For complete itinerary, call Fred Blumenfeld at 800-645-6969.  The cost per person, including round trip airfare from New York, six nights accommodations with breakfast, 3 dinners, sightseeing, admissions, tour escort, taxes, transfers and baggage handling, is $2,799, double occupancy, with a single supplement of $595.

    Azalea Ring - bench and blooms in May

  • Sunday, October 10, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm – Art in the Garden

    Come to the fall edition of Art In The Garden and start your holiday shopping early!  50 local artisans will exhibit their wares on the grounds of Weston Nurseries, 93 East Main Street in Hopkinton, on Sunday, October 10, from 10 – 4.

    Pottery, jewelry, stained glass, photography, handbags, hair accessories, clothes, furniture, toys, American Girl doll clothes, woodcrafts, Austrian Cookies, and other food vendors, face painting, and much more will be on sale!  $1 admission to benefit the John Andrew Mazie Memorial Foundation – www.mazie.org. A portion of exhibitor fees are being donated to The Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition- www.mbcc.org.  Sponsored by Holistic Treasures and Weston Nurseries – for more information log on to www.westonnurseries.com, or email buffy@holistic-treasures.com.

  • Tuesday, October 19, 10:00 am – 11:30 am – The Edible Landscape

    Birds love the Arboretum’s many fall fruiting trees and shrubs, but how about us folks? Come and identify trees and shrubs with edible fruits, suitable for growing and harvesting at home. Maggie Redfern, Visitor Education Assistant at the Arnold Arboretum, will lead the walk on Tuesday, October 19, beginning at 10 am. Meet at the Hunnewell Building. Free. No registration required.

  • Saturday, October 9, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm – Garden Wrap Up

    Assess the year’s gardening successes and failures, review the gardening events of the spring and summer and begin planning for next season at this Berkshire Botanical Garden lecture/workshop, to be held Saturday, October 9 from 1 – 3. Consider winter interest in the garden and understand when to prune perennials. Learn how to prepare gardens for the coming winter season including soil amending, mulching, cutting back, and fall division of perennials. Seed saving for the coming spring, division of plants that require fall planting, and bulb planting techniques will be covered. Take home a variety of seeds, cuttings and perennials for next season’s garden.

    Elisabeth Cary is the Director of Education at the Berkshire Botanical Garden and has been gardening for over twenty years. She specializes in perennial, vegetable and mixed border gardens. She will share some favorite perennials from her own garden. $20 BBG members, $25 non-members. To register, log on to www.berkshirebotanical.org, or call 413-298-3926. Dress for outdoors.

  • Saturday, October 9, 9:00 am – 11:30 am – Bulb Day

    Jackie Anza, Henry Schmidt, and Laurie Sullivan of Weston Nurseries in Hopkinton will present Bulb Day on Saturday, October 9, from 9 am – 11:30 am.

    Fall Planted Bulb Basics – 9:00 – 9:30 am

    Fall-planted bulbs can’t be beat for terrific color in the early months of spring. Learn about the wide variety of carefree bulbs available. Henry Schmidt will have great tips on how select, plant and care for your bulbs.

    Layered Bulb Container Demonstration and Workshop – 9:30 -10:15 am

    Learn how to assemble and plant a fabulous layered bulb container that will bloom next spring. Plant your own container. Our designers will be on hand to assist you.

    Jackie Anza will demonstrate planting methods and explain about winter storage. Select bulbs from our Garden Center to design your own look. Purchase a container in our Garden Center or bring one from home. You can plant your container on the spot, or bring your bulbs home with you.

    Designing with Bulbs – 10:30 – 11:30 am

    Spring flowering bulbs look spectacular in home landscapes serving as the earliest blooms in perennial beds and focal accents for entranceways or hidden corners. They can highlight natural landscape spaces or create a beautifully formal mass planting. Whatever your style, Laurie Sullivan show you the design concepts behind creating a gorgeous spring flower display at your home.

    For directions or more information, log on to www.westonnurseries.com.

  • Saturday, October 9, 9:00 am – Walking Tour of Mount Auburn Cemetery

    Asa Gray’s central role in establishing Harvard as the botanical center of North America can be appreciated through the impressive landscape, history, and flora of the Mount Auburn Cemetery. Join Donald Pfister, Asa Gray Professor of Botany and Director of the Harvard Herbaria, for a Saturday, October 9 tour of Mount Auburn Cemetery, site of Gray’s grave and the Asa Gray Garden, and other sites of interest, including the monument to the lost members of the United States Exploring Expedition, Louis Agassiz’s grave, and numerous horticultural gems. Space is limited for this Harvard Museum of Natural History member tour. Pre-registration required. RSVP to members@oeb.harvard.edu, or call 617.496.6972 to learn more about membership in the museum.  The tour begins at 9 am, and there is a raindate of Sunday, October 10.  Part of the Asa Gray Bicentennial series. Photo below by KarenMarleneLarsen.

  • Wednesday, October 20, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm and Saturday, October 23, 9:00 am – 12:00 noon – Practical Pruning

    Joe Biagioni of Arbor Alliance leads this two session pruning workshop that covers the five basic steps in pruning confidently.  The classes will take place at Tower Hill Botanic Garden, 11 French Drive, Boylston, on Wednesday evening, October 20, from 6 – 9, and on Saturday morning, October 23, from 9 – 12.  Tower Hill member cost is $54, non-members $60.  To register, or for more information, log on to www.towerhillbg.org.

  • Friday, October 8 – Sunday, October 10, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm – Fall Orchid Sale

    Hundreds of orchid plants are for sale, including many hard-to-find varieties. Visit these antique greenhouses and enjoy gorgeous floral colors, shapes, and scents. Among the many varieties on display and for sale are cattleyas, laelias, oncidiums (below), Paphiopedilum, and Phalaenopsis. Their long lasting and showy blooms make orchids a dramatic addition to any indoor environment and this adaptable species can be grown in a variety of home conditions. The sale will take place October 8 – 10 from 10 – 4 at the Lyman Estate Greenhouses in Waltham, Massachusetts, and is sponsored by Historic New England.  For more information and directions, log on to www.historicnewengland.org, or call 781-891-1985.


  • Saturday, October 2, 4:00 pm – Spider Silk: Evolution and 400 Million Years of Spinning, Waiting, Snagging and Mating

    On Saturday, October 2 at 4 pm authors Leslie Brunetta and Catherine L. Craig will speak at the Harvard Museum of Natural History, 26 Oxford Street in Cambridge, giving a lecture and book signing of their recently released book Spider Silk: Evolution and 400 Million Years of Spinning, Waiting, Snagging and Mating. Spider webs didn’t just suddenly appear, they evolved step by step over hundreds of millions of years. Join science writer Leslie Brunetta and Catherine L. Craig, evolutionary biologist and research associate at Harvard’s Museum of Comparative Zoology, to learn about the many different ways spiders use silk and why they can help us understand how evolution really works. Whether you’re a gardener, Charlotte’s Web or Spider-Man fan, or an amateur arachnologist of any age–you’ll find much to appreciate in the amazing story of spider silk. Free with museum admission.  For more information log on to www.hmnh.harvard.edu.