Boston Flora

Month: July 2011

  • Thursday, July 7, 10:00 am – 11:30 am – The Art of Bonsai

    What makes bonsai, those little trees in pots, so appealing? Perhaps it is how bonsai design mimics our big world on a miniature scale. Don Sibley, co-founder of the Martha’s Vineyard Bonsai Club, will disclose many secrets in this revealing workshop, to be held at the Polly Hill Arboretum in West Tisbury on Thursday, July 7 from 10 – 11:30 am. Discover what makes big, old trees look the way they do and how these characteristics inform successful bonsai design. Students will observe trees both large and small. Sibley has taught painting at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts for 35 years and has recently retired from his position as gardener at Chappaquiddick’s Mytoi Garden. He has had a lifelong interest in Japanese gardening practices and bonsai. $20/$10 for PHA members.  For more information visit www.pollyhillarboretum.org.

  • Wednesday, July 6, 4:00 pm – Healing Ourselves Across Six Continents

    Join Holly Bellebuono of Vineyard Herbs at 4 pm on Wednesday, July 6 at the Polly Hill Arboretum in Martha’s Vineyard for an intriguing account of the most influential women healers of the 21st century. After two years of traveling and conducting interviews, Holly shares the extraordinary stories of traditional healing practices and the women from around the world who are keeping them alive. Come for a colorful slide show presentation followed by light refreshments and a tasting of Vineyard Herbs’ signature herbal teas. $25/$15 for PHA members.  Please register in advance by calling 508-693-9426.

  • Tuesday, July 12, 7:30 pm – 10:00 pm – Stars in the City: Urban Astronomy

    Missing the view of the stars because of the smoggy city skies?  Come to this Boston Center for Adult Education class on Tuesday, July 12, from 7:30 – 10, and enjoy an introduction to the planets, stars, and constellations that can be seen on clear summer nights, even in metropolitan areas.  Students will learn observation techniques and how to use astronomy tools such as a planisphere.  $43 for BCAE members, $50 for nonmembers, $15 materials fee.  To register, visit www.bcae.org or call 617-267-4430.

  • Thursday, July 14, 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm – Elizabethan Herbs and Herb Gardens

    Welcome to the world of Elizabethan gardens.  Plimoth Plantation invites you to join Christina Stapley (at left, below) and spend the afternoon of Thursday, July 14, from 1 – 4, looking at images of gardens and getting weird and wonderful advice from period gardening books.  We’ll also take a walk through Plimoth Plantation’s gardens touching and smelling herbs and learning about the propagation of seeds.  You’ll even have time to sketch some planting ideas for your own garden.  Christina has been growing, studying and working with herbs for over 35 years.  She has a degree in Phytotherapy and practices as a medical herbalist.  She has created several herb gardens, and her own garden, containing over 300 herbs, has been featured on television.  She has written articles on herbs for publication in Britain, Canada and the United States, and is the author of four adult and one children’s book.  The fee is $60 for Plimoth Plantation members, $75 for nonmembers.  To register, visit www.plimoth.org, or call 508-746-1622.