Boston Flora

Month: August 2012

  • Saturday, September 29, 9:00 pm – 12:00 am – Esplanade Moon Dance Gala: Night Owls

    You are cordially invited to kick up your heels and have fun, all for the benefit of the beautiful Charles River Esplanade.  Show your support for this historic and beloved Boston landmark by attending.  Enjoy light bites, desserts, cocktails, DJ and dancing on the Esplanade Saturday, September 29, from 9 – midnight.  Purchase tickets by August 31 and pay $175.  After September 1 the price goes up to $200.  For more information, and to purchase tickets, visit www.esplanadeassociation.org/events-2/upcoming-events/moon-dance-gala-92912, or call Tani at 617-227-0365, ext. 106.

  • Thursday, September 6, 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm – Old Plants in a New Land: 17th Century and Beyond

    Betsy Williams, a popular speaker at garden clubs, horticultural conferences, herb festivals, and botanical gardens throughout the U.S. will discuss the history of the important herbs brought here by immigrants, at this Thursday, September 6 Medford Garden Club program. When the English settlers arrived on the coast of Massachusetts in the early 17th century, the roots and seeds of those plants necessary for their health and well being came with them. Learn the story of some of those herbs and how they are still used today. The lecture begins at 7 pm at the Medford Public Library, 111 High Street in Medford, and is free and open to the public.

  • Thursday, August 30, 7:00 pm – Daylilies for Season-Round Color

    Barbara Provest of Provest Daylily Garden will speak on Thursday, August 30, beginning at 7 pm, at Elm Bank, on the topic Daylilies for Season-Round Color. Daylilies are summer show-offs, but the right cultivar can give you bright, beautiful blooms from mid-May through the end of September. You’ll learn everything you need to know about choosing daylilies, caring for them, and dividing them to keep expanding your garden.

    Barbara is a nationally recognized grower of daylilies as well as an engaging speaker. She also designed the daylily garden at Mass Hort with its 600+ cultivars.  Thursday at the Hort presentations begin at 7 p.m. and go until all questions are answered. The classes are priced at $12 for members and $15 for non-members. You may register in advance or pay at the class.

  • Wednesday, September 19, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm, and Saturday, September 22, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm – Stone Wall Building Workshop

    On Wednesday evening, September 19, instructor Jim Baker will introduce the tools, techniques and safety precautions necessary for Saturday’s hands-on, outdoor working session, both sessions taking place at Tower Hill Botanic Garden, 11 French Drive in Boylston, Massachusetts. Using diagrams and outline designs, Baker will explain the building process. A slide presentation will illustrate a variety of stone walls in different stages of construction. On Saturday, dress for work and weather, bringing work gloves, bottled water, and a bag lunch. Call 508-869-6111 to register. Tower Hill member price $54, non-member price $60.

  • Friday, September 14, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm – An Evening to Support Tower Hill

    You are invited to An Evening to Support Tower Hill on Friday, September 14, from 6 – 9, with hors d’oeuvre, a summer harvest buffet, and master of ceremonies Carl W. Stinson or Carl W. Stinson, Inc., who will invite guests to sponsor seasonal activities and programs at Tower Hill that enhance visitor’s experiences in the garden.  Evening attire suggested.  Tickets are $150 (sponsor level) or $90 (individual level), and you are invited to sponsor a table of 8 as a silver, gold, or platinum sponsor ($1,000, $1,500, or $2000, respectively.)  For more information, or to reserve, contact the development office at mkilcoyne@towerhillbg.org.  You may also call 508-869-6111, x. 136 to order by telephone.  You are encouraged to respond by September 5.

  • Saturday, September 15 – Harvard Historical Society’s Shaker Village Tour

    On Saturday, September 15, Fruitland Museum will sponsor an unprecedented all day opportunity from the Harvard Historical Society to tour every home in the Harvard Shaker Village as well as gain access to Fruitlands Museum where tour goers can visit the original Shaker Office building.

    To order tickets now ($75), call 978-456-3924 x239 or email education@fruitlands.org.

  • Invasive Plant Photography Contest

    Photographs are an important tool for the Sudbury Weed Education and Eradication Team (SWEET) to bring attention to the harm invasive plants do to our private, historic and conservation properties.  SWEET is seeking photographs which are either (1) scenic shots showing a site in the Sudbury, Assabet or Concord River watershed being affected by invasive species, (2) detailed close ups which could be used for education, or (3) photo collage highlighting your creative skill using photographs of invasive plants and digital software.  All photographs must be framed or core foam boarded and should measure at least 8 x 10 and no more than 16 x 20.  Judging categories are: professional, amateur adult, 12 – teen, and Kindergarten – grade 5.  To learn about the Sudbury, Assabet and Concord Watershed areas, visit www.Sudbury_Assabet_Concord.org.  The website covers the wild and scenic rivers and activities which highlight the wonders and concerns of these important river watersheds in which we live.

    Images must show one or more of the species as listed by the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources.  Find the Massachusetts Prohibited Plant List, images and identification information at www.mass.gov/agr/farmproducts/prohibitedplantlist.htm.  Photographs will be previewed on Saturday, September 15 from 10:30 – 12 noon, or Sunday, September 23, from 2 – 4, at Ames Hall, 26 Concord Road, Sudbury.  Works meeting conditions of the contest will be installed and judged at Goodnow Public Library on November 1 and displayed through the end of the month.  There will be a people’s choice award voting box set up in the library – please stop by to cast a vote for your favorites!  Winning photograph will be used for educational and public outreach projects.  For more information, email SWEETinvasives@gmail.com.  Photo of water chestnuts below from New England Wild Flower Society.

  • Sunday, January 20 – Friday, January 25 – The Kingdom of the Monarchs

    A Harvard Museum of Natural History Travel Program will take place Sunday, January 20 – Friday, January 25, 2012, entitled The Kingdom of the Monarchs. One of the world’s most astounding natural events occurs each year in North America, featuring one of its most unlikely creatures, the delicate monarch butterfly. Up to 300 million monarchs set flight on a remarkable 2,500-mile journey from the northeastern U.S. and Canada to their ancestral wintering grounds in the volcanic mountains of central Mexico. Until recently, the location of their breeding grounds remained a mystery. How an infant generation of butterflies finds it anew each year is still an enigma. Join this small group to experience this moving phenomenon, as well as Mexico ’s charming colonial villages.  The full itinerary and PDF of trip brochure will be available soon at www.hmnh.harvard.edu/travel/t_na_monarchs13.htm. $2,995 per person, with a $545 single supplement, if needed.  Photo from www.nathab.com.

  • Saturday, January 5 – Saturday, January 12 – Cuba Photo Expedition

    Travel to Cuba January 5 – 12, 2013 with professional photographer and past Garden Club of the Back Bay speaker Rich Pomerantz, and the Center for Cuban Studies.  This trip is designed for the enthusiastic travel photographer who wants to take better travel photos.  Based in Havana, enjoy visiting coffee plantations, local markets, fishing villages, the Vinales World Heritage site (below), Las Terrazas, Pinar Del Rio and more.  Visit the studios of contemporary photographers, painters, and ceramists.  Meet local farmers, merchants and residents.  This is officially a “people-to-people” trip, and the emphasis will be on meeting and learning about the Cuban life.  $3,750 per person, double occupancy, or $4,050 single, includes round trip flight from Miami to Havana, lodging and breakfast, some dinners, tour guide, transportation to planned activities and group and one on one photo consultation.  To reserve your spot or for more information call 212-242-0559, or visit www.cubaupdate.org.  Photo from www.greatarchaeology.com.

  • Friday, August 31 – Monday, September 3 – Spencer Fair

    The 2012 Spencer Fair will take place over Labor Day Weekend, August 31 – September 3, at 48 Smithville Road in Spencer.  This is Central Massachusetts’ largest fair.  In addition to entertainment and a demolition derby, there are many agricultural exhibits, including dairy and beef cattle, bee and honey, poultry, cock crowing, draft horse, oxen, and tractor pulls, and vegetable, flower, baking and craft competitions,  The fair is sponsored in part by Spencer Savings Bank. For hours and complete information, visit www.spencerfair.org, or call 508-885-5814.