Boston Flora

Month: April 2012

  • Wednesday, April 11, 7:00 pm – Notes from a Maine Kitchen

    There’s nothing better than settling into a nice, warm, home-cooked meal at the kitchen table. Kathy Gunst takes us into her own kitchen, introducing us to the flavors of fresh, seasonal Maine ingredients prepared in simple and inspiring ways. With essays conveying the mood of each month, Gunst gives readers a sense of Maine food and life. She follows each essay with a handful of recipes incorporating the seasonal ingredient or theme. Hear her speak on Wednesday, April 11, beginning at 7 pm at Porter Square Books, 25 White Street in Cambridge.

    Gunst lives in South Berwick, Maine. She is the author of thirteen cookbooks; her most recent books include Stonewall Kitchen Breakfast, Stonewall Kitchen Winter Celebrations, Stonewall Kitchen Grilling, and Stonewall Kitchen Appetizers. She is also the “Resident Chef” for WBUR’s award winning show, Here and Now, heard on over 60 public radio stations nationwide. She has received two James Beard award nominations for her radio work. For more information call 617-491-2220, or email ellen@portersquarebooks.com.

  • Thursday, April 12, 4:00 pm – 8:30 pm – Community Stormwater Solutions

    Please join The Massachusetts Watershed Coalition on April 12th at Worcester State University for an important stormwater conference, Community Stormwater Solutions: Keeping Streams & Lakes Healthy. This year’s conference will feature practical guidance for municipal boards, community groups, businesses and homeowners.  The keynote speaker will be Curt Spalding, EPA Region 1 Administrator, on the topic Soak Up the Rain Campaign. Featured workshops: “growing greener”, aquatic ecosystems, low-cost runoff remedies, erosion control, porous paving, BMP ratings and more. Expert speakers will offer practical guidance for municipal officials, town planners, lake and pond groups, watershed organizations, highway departments, home builders, engineers and concerned citizens. Visit www.commonwaters.org/events or call 978-534-0379.

  • Wednesday, April 25, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm – Invasive Plants: Understanding the Threat to Our Parks and Backyards

    The Ecological Landscaping Association and the Newton Parks and Recreation Department are sponsoring a free program on Wednesday, April 25, from 6 – 8, on Invasive Plants: Understanding the Threat to Our Parks and Backyards, at Cold Spring Park, 1200 Beacon Street in Newton.  Invasive plant species damage the lands and waters that native plants and animals need to survive.  What are invasive plant species and what harm to they to to an ecosystem?  Newton native and ELA Board Member Bruce Wenning is an invasive plant specialist.  During visits to Cold Spring Park, Bruce discovered that several types of invasive plants are present and spreading along the trails.  Join Bruce for a walking tour at Cold Spring Park to learn how to identify several types of invasive plants and learn what you can do in your own landscape to safely remove them.  Bruce will explain how different types of invasive plants spread and what removal methods are effective on each.  He will also discuss the important topic of how to safely dispose of the invasive plants once removed from the landscape.  Registrations are limited. Call 617-436-5838, or email ela.info@comcast.net.

  • Saturday, April 14, 9:00 am – 2:00 pm – Northern Gardening Symposium

    The New England Wild Flower Society will sponsor the Northern Gardening Symposium on Saturday, April 14, from 9 – 2 at Vermont Technical College in Randolph Center, Vermont, cosponsored by The Fells, Hardy Plant Club, Friends of the Hort Farm, and Master Gardeners. The morning session features landscape designer Judith Irven speaking on “A Sense of Place: Gardens that Celebrate the Natural Landscape.”  New England’s spectacular rural landscape — with its mountains, farms and canopied forest – can inspire gardens that echo this wider world. Landscape architect Ann Milovsoroff then presents “Gardens around the World,” an exploration of contemporary garden design trends gathered from public, private, and exhibition gardens around the world. See images that delight, entice and provide ideas for northern New England gardens. After lunch, there will be a presentation by nationally recognized taxonomist and botanist Arthur Haines on the reasons for and stories behind his newly published Flora Novae Angliae.  Fee is $40 for members of the sponsoring organizations, or $47 for non-members.  To register, visit www.newfs.org, or telephone 508-877-7630.

  • Friday, April 27, 11:30 am – 5:00 pm – The Colors of Historic Houses: Understanding Historic Paint Colors

    Although not strictly a horticultural event, we wish to highlight this upcoming study opportunity.  Historic New England will sponsor a day long seminar on The Colors of Historic Houses: Understanding Historic Paint Colors, at the Collections and Conservation Center, 151 Essex Street in Haverhill, on Friday, April 27, from 11:30 – 5.  Many with historic homes will find this useful, since the home is often the backdrop to the garden. Learn about the art, history, and science of using historic paint colors in settings from older homes to museums at this in-depth workshop. Architectural conservator Brian Powell, architectural historian Susan Maycock, and experts from Historic New England and California Paints share the latest on historic paint color palettes and current trends in paint technology. Explore archival materials related to historic paint colors on a tour of the Edward K. Perry paint archive.  Box lunch and snacks provided.  $30 for HNE members, $75 for nonmembers (includes an individual membership), and $35 for students.  Registration is required. Please call 617-994-6644 or register online at www.historicnewengland.org.

  • Sunday, April 22, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm – Party for the Planet

    Celebrate Earth Day at Franklin Park Zoo on Sunday, April 22 from 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Learn more about the incredible animals that call the Zoo home as well as ways everyone can contribute to a healthy planet. This free (with admission) event is in partnership with the Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts. To learn more, visit www.zoonewengland.org.

  • Tuesday, April 17, 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm – African Violets for Young Growers

    It’s never too early to start learning to grow and love America’s favorite house plant, the African Violet. At this Tower Hill Botanic Garden workshop on Tuesday, April 17, from 1 – 2:30 (school vacation week) you’ll learn some basics about violet care and how to mix your own soil. You’ll pot up a young plant to take home and learn to “put down” a leaf to propagate new plants. Designed for young growers, aged 9-14. Younger children may attend with an adult companion. THBG members $5, non-members $8.  Register at www.towerhillbg.org.

  • Thursday, April 12, 7:00 pm – Four Centuries of New England Garden History

    Join the Massachusetts Horticultural Society and John Forti on Thursday, April 12 at 7 pm at Elm Bank in Wellesley for an illustrated talk exploring trends and plant selections in garden design from native gardens to historically inspired gardens in America today. John Forti is the Curator of Historic Gardens at the Strawbery Banke Museum in Portsmouth, NH. He is a nationally recognized lecturer and writer on food and gardening. The lecture is free but registration is requested at www.masshort.org.

  • Friday, April 13 – Sunday, April 15, 9:30 am – 4:00 pm – Spring Orchid Sale

    Hundreds of orchid plants will be for sale at the Lyman Estates Greenhouses in Waltham on Friday, April 13 through Sunday, April 15, from 9:30 am – 4:00 pm.  Proceeds benefit Historic New England.  For more information, log on to www.historicnewengland.org.