Daily Archives: June 24, 2011


Wednesday, July 13, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm – From Bressingham Gardens to the Bressingham Garden at Elm Bank

Beginning in 2002, Adrian Bloom began planting demonstration gardens in America, both to illustrate his design principles and promote his plants. In August 2007, he accepted an invitation to install a garden at Elm Bank. To that time, his largest American garden was about 4,000 square feet in size. Originally planned to be considerably smaller, the Elm Bank garden quickly grew to just over an acre in size, yet was largely built in a weekend by several hundred volunteers.

Adrian will talk about his original vision for the garden and how he adjusted that vision to meet American – and New England – sensibilities and realities. He’ll talk about what he has learned in four years and where he sees this particular garden going. He’ll also share his experiences about plants that work well in our climate and planting combinations. After a break for refreshments, he’ll field questions from the audience.

This Massachusetts Horticultural Society talk begins at 7 p.m. and will be held in the Hunnewell Building at Elm Bank in Wellesley. Seating is limited to 200 and pre-registration is suggested. The cost for members is $20; non-members are $25. Wine and light refreshments will be served.

To reserve a spot for this lecture you may register online or call 617-933-4995.


Wednesday, July 13, 9:00 am – 11:00 am – A Garden Walk and Design Tutorial with Adrian Bloom

Please join The Massachusetts Horticultural Society beginning at 9:00 a.m. for a continental breakfast in the James Crockett Memorial Garden (below) at Elm Bank. At 9:30 a.m., you’ll step into the Bressingham Garden for a hands-on look at the garden, led by its designer. Adrian will talk about the garden’s underlying design principles and the choice of specific materials, including ‘hardscape’ items. He’ll discuss his choices of color and texture. Now that the garden is entering its fourth season, he’ll also talk about changes to the garden and how the New England climate comes into play. All of this will be interspersed with a commentary on how all of this relates to an urban or suburban homeowner’s desire to create a memorable garden. Questions are encouraged.

Please plan for at least one hour for this event, which will be held rain or shine. It is limited to 40 participants and pre-registration is a must. The cost, including continental breakfast, is $45. Preference will be given to Mass Hort members, but if space remains after July 11, the cost for non-members will be $55.

To reserve a place for this event you may register online or call 617-933-4995.