Boston Flora

Month: September 2012

  • Saturday, September 22, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm, and Sunday, September 23, 9:00 am – 4:00 pm – Annual Begonia and Gesneriad Show & Plant Sale

    The Annual Begonia and Gesneriad Show & Plant Sale, presented by the Buxton Branch of the American Begonia Society and the New England Chapter of The Gesneriad Society, will take place September 22 and 23 at Tower Hill Botanic Garden, 11 French Drive in Boylston.  See splendid examples of a variety of begonias and gesneriads in this judged show.  You may enter your own plants by contacting the show coordinators listed below.  And you will be able to buy plants, since both societies will be selling a wide selection of begonias and gesneriads, sporting a range of color, leaf texture, and patterns.  Expand your plant palette with splashes of color and foliage for homes and greenhouses that last long after frosts have put outdoor gardens to bed.  Lectures and programs will run throughout the weekend, also.  On Saturday at 11 am, Tony Pinto  will speak on Travel, Plant, and Fish Photography. Tony is an avid photographer whose photographs of begonias are often featured in The Begonian, the publication of the American Begonia Society. Tony will talk about his travels to remote destinations such as Asia and Africa, and photographing plants and fish in their natural habitats.  At 1 pm, Henrietta Light presents Show and Tell: My Experiences with Seven of My Favorite Begonias.  Henrietta has exceptional talent growing a variety of begonias, including ‘Yanonali,’ scharffii, procumbens, ‘Erythrophylla,’ listada, acetosa, and solananthera. Sunday at 1:30, Bonnie Lambert speaks on Begonias Outside the Pot: Several Unusual Ways to Grow and Propagate.  She is a talented and knowledgeable grower of begonias, and will discuss a variety of growing options for begonias, from growing them as tropical bonsai to canning jar terrariums to growing begonias on a log.  For more information, contact Ann Tanona at ARTanona@aol.com, Linda Kammerer at elkay6@gmail.com, or Mary Bozoian, Show Chair, at MaryB1111@comcast.net.

  • Thursday, October 11 – Sunday, October 14 – Horticultural Therapy Class

    Thursday, October 11 – Sunday, October 14 – Horticultural Therapy Class

    Learn how to combine a passion for gardening and helping people through the innovative field of horticultural therapy.  A new Horticultural Therapy Institute certificate series begins this fall, October 11 – 14,  at the Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown. The Horticultural Therapy Institute (HTI) is a leader in HT education and offers a certificate program in the field.  Join students from across the country to learn more by enrolling in this four-day course. The course will introduce the profession and practice of horticultural therapy, which uses gardening activities in community gardens, children’s gardens, health care and human service programs to name a few. The course describes the types of programs utilizing HT as well as the cognitive, social, emotional and physical goals for the varied people served. It also exposes students to resources for further exploration and to professionals in the field.

    One of the unique advantages to HTI’s certificate program is the opportunity for students from around the country to attend classes in sites that showcase horticultural therapy services in a variety of settings. This is exemplified at the Perkins School for the Blind. Take one class, or the full certificate program (four classes total, with remaining three in Colorado and California).  With its unique format, you don’t need to live where the classes are held and the format accommodates those who must travel to attend.  Perkins was founded in 1829 as the nation’s first school for the blind and horticulture goes back to the school’s move in 1910 to the current 38 acre campus in Watertown, MA. The contemporary program of horticultural therapy began as a part-time pilot program in 1979.  It quickly became a full time program and Perkins hired its first horticultural therapist and coordinator in 1980.

    For more information on this class or to enroll call 303-388-0500 For more information, visit www.htinstitute.org.

  • Sunday, September 30, 9:00 am – 12:00 noon – Nature in Focus: Taking Great Close Ups

    Kim Smith, photographer and filmmaker, will give a class at the Arnold Arboretum on Sunday, September 30 from 9 – noon on Nature in Focus: Taking Great Close Ups. Learn tips for taking great close-up photographs from celebrated butterfly and garden photographer Kim Smith. Through slides and hands on demonstrations, Kim will guide you in capturing the beauty of the flora and fauna found in nature. Bring your camera and questions, and a tripod if you have one. You will gain more from the class if first you familiarize yourself with your camera’s manual. (Note: This is not a macro-photography class.) Fee is $40 for Arboretum members, $55 for non-members. The class will take place at the Hunnewell Building, and you may see examples of Kim’s work on her blog http://kimsmithdesigns.wordpress.com/.   Register at www.arboretum.harvard.edu.

     

     

  • Tuesdays, September 25 – October 30, 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm – A Floral Design Course

    Mass Hort is excited to offer a new program this fall for anyone interested in learning the nuts and bolts of how to do a design for a flower show. This course will be held in the Putnam Building at the Gardens at Elm Bank on Tuesday evenings from 7 to 9pm on the following dates:- 9/25, 10/2, 10/9, 10/16, 10/23 and 10/30. The first class will cover the basics of preparing and entering a show, choosing containers, and selecting plant material. Then, four classes will cover the most popular classes of design competition: traditional, creative, miniature, and craft. Then, for the final session, you’ll execute a design which will be critiqued by experts. The cost of the course is $60 for all 6 classes and will be filled on a first come, first served basis. There is a limit of 40 participants. You may register online or phone 617-933-4963 to register. Full payment must be made by the September 14thdeadline. This course is designed especially for those who would love to enter a flower show but are unsure of how to go about it or are timid and need support and encouragement. A full description of each week’s topic may be found on line at www.masshort.org, where you also may register.

  • Mondays, October 29, January 28 (snow date January 29), and March 25, 10:00 am – 12:00 noon – Designing Principles

    Mondays, October 29, January 28 (snow date January 29), and March 25, 10:00 am – 12:00 noon – Designing Principles

    The Garden Club Federation of Massachusetts will hold a series of lectures and demonstrations on Flower Arranging three times in the coming season : Monday, October 29, Monday, January 28 (with a Tuesday, January 29 snow date), and Monday, March 25, from 10 – noon at the Hunnewell Building, Massachusetts Horticultural Society, Elm Bank, Wellesley, Massachusetts.  Join them for an interactive design experience.  The Massachusetts designers, among the best in the country, will teach you what they do and how they do it.  Top secrets are often revealed!  Reservations are being accepted on a first-come, first-served basis, but no telephone reservations will be taken.  The total (and very reasonable) fee for all three sessions is $25, and you may make out a check payable to GCFM, Inc. and mail it to Thelma Shoneman, 21 Freedom Farme Road, Acton, MA 01720.  Please include your full name and address, telephone number, email address, and Garden Club affiliation.  You will receive an email confirmation when your check is received.

  • Saturday, September 8, 10:00 am – 12:00 noon – Garden Wrap Up 1

    On Saturday, September 8 from 10 – noon, assess the year’s gardening successes and failures, review the gardening events of the spring and summer and begin planning for next season, at Berkshire Botanical Garden. Consider winter interest in the garden and understand when to prune perennials. Learn how to prepare gardens for the coming winter season, including soil amendment, 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 20 years. She specializes in perennial, vegetable and mixed border gardens. She will share some favorite perennials from her own garden.  To register ($22 for BBG members, $27 for non members) visit www.berkshirebotanical.org.

  • Thursday, September 13, 8:00 am – 6:00 pm – New York Botanical Garden: Monet’s Garden

    On Thursday, September 13, join staff from the Berkshire Botanical Garden for a trip to the New York Botanical Garden at the height of the late summer bloom and to view the acclaimed show Monet’s Garden. Garden staff from BBG will lead a tour of the gardens, including the Ladies Border, the Herb Garden, the Jane Watson Irwin Perennial Garden and the spectacular Seasonal Walk, designed by superstar designers Piet Oudolf and Jaqueline Van de Kloet. For those interested in trees we will explore the Benson Ornamental Conifer Garden and the many small ornamental specimen trees on the grounds. Garden staff will answer questions and share horticultural insights throughout the day. Included in the cost of the trip is a ticket to view the special event Monet’s Garden in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, which has been transformed into a floral masterpiece of Monet’s idyllic garden in Giverny, France. Monet’s most famous subjects, water lilies, including many of them the varieties he grew, are featured in the Conservatory Courtyard Pools. This is a fantastic opportunity to view the exhibition at it’s peak. Two paintings by Monet—one which has never been publicly exhibited in the United States—will be on display. There will be unstructured time to visit areas of specific interest in the afternoon.

    Participants will travel by coach. Snacks and afternoon beverage will be provided. Bring sturdy walking shoes, warm waterproof outerwear and an umbrella. The bus will depart from Berkshire Botanical Garden promptly at 8am and return promptly at 6pm.  $99 for BBG members, $120 for non members.  Register on line at www.berkshirebotanical.org, or email info@berkshirebotanical.org for more information.

  • Thursday, September 6, 7:00 pm – Creative Design with Color and Texture in the Garden

    Thursdays at the Hort continues September 6, beginning at 7 pm, with Warren Leach of Tranquil Lake Nursery speaking on Creative Design with Color and Texture in the Garden. Creating a great garden involves the juxtaposition of many elements. Before you plant, think about color – both foliage and blooms, and in-season and end-of-season – and plant and leaf texture. If you do your homework, you’ll have a garden that brings pleasure both to yourself and your visitors. Warren Leach, co-owner of Tranquil Lake Nursery in Rehoboth, MA, is a landscape horticulturist noted for his distinctive and enduring garden designs.

    Presentations will begin at 7pm and go until all questions are answered. The classes are priced at $12 for members and $15 for non-members unless otherwise indicated. There is no need to pre-register and you may pay at the class.  Photo of daylilies from Tranquil Lake Nursery below from www.fileunderfiber.blogspot.com.