Boston Flora

Month: October 2012

  • Friday, November 9 – Sunday, November 11 – Through The Garden Gate, A Standard Flower Show

    Friday, November 9 – Sunday, November 11 – Through The Garden Gate, A Standard Flower Show

    Enjoy color and artistry as garden club members of the Central North and Central South Districts of the Garden Club Federation of Massachusetts, Inc. present Through The Garden Gate, a Standard Flower Show, at Tower Hill Botanic Garden, 11 French Drive in Boylston, MA, from Friday, November 9 through Sunday, November 11.  The hours are Friday and Saturday, 9 – 5, and Sunday, 9 – 4.  Sixty floral designs will be displayed along with unique botanical arts and crafts, and educational displays.  For directions, visit www.towerhillbg.org.

  • Thursday, November 15, 5:30 pm – 8:00 pm – Emerald Necklace Conservancy 2012 Annual Meeting

    Join the Emerald Necklace Conservancy as they come together to thank their volunteers, members, and friends, and look forward to a resilient future for our parks. The meeting will take place Thursday, November 15, beginning with a reception at 5:30. The program will begin at 6:30. The event will take place at Northeastern University Curry Student Center Ballroom, 346 Huntington Avenue in Boston.

    Featuring Keynote Speaker Coleen O’Connell
    “Urban Parks: Ensuring a Resilient Future”

    Coleen O’Connell, an educator for 26 years, is an instructor at Lesley University in Environmental Studies, focused on Ecological Teaching and Learning. She was the former Education Director of the Audubon Expedition Institute and Executive Director for the Geocommons College Program.

  • Monday, November 5, 12:00 noon – Creating Holiday Arrangements

    The Rockport Garden Club will present Mary Huntoon, a design instructor with the National Garden Clubs, Inc., on Monday, November 5 beginning at 12 noon at the Community House on Broadway in Rockport.  Mary will demonstrate holiday arrangements.  The event is free.  Read about the Rockport Garden Club at www.rockportgardenclub.org.

  • Saturday, November 3, 9:00 am – 12:00 noon – Hands-On with Gaining Ground

    Tour Gaining Ground’s fields and greenhouse, and help plant the last crop of the season, garlic! Learn more about this group’s mission of growing food for hunger relief with the help of volunteers of all ages and abilities. Gaining Ground grows organic vegetables and fruit with the help of hundreds of community volunteers and donates all of this fresh food to area meal programs and food pantries. Based in historic Concord, Massachusetts, Gaining Ground raises and distributes approximately 20,000 pounds of produce each growing season. Meet at Gaining Ground, 315 Virginia Road in Concord; park in the lot next to the sugar house. 9:00-noon; free. Water is available at the farm, reusable water bottles are encouraged.

  • Through March 17, 2013 – The Greatest Source of Wealth: Agriculture in Concord

    In Concord today, farmers, educators, planners, environmental activists, food distributors, health professionals, parents, and policymakers are engaged in a community-wide discussion about building local food connections. The town’s agrarian heritage and historic farmland are compelling starting points for that conversation. In celebration of this farming tradition, past and present, The Greatest Source of Wealth: Agriculture in Concord, a new exhibition and related programming at the Concord Museum, explores the changing agricultural landscape of Concord over time. The exhibition focuses on both the innovations of the 19th century, when Concord was at the forefront of agricultural reform, and the challenges of the 21st century.  Museum hours are Monday – Saturday, 9 – 5, Sunday noon – 5, closed Thursday, November 22.

    Guest Curator John Ott, an authority on the history of agriculture in Massachusetts, has organized the exhibition with Concord Museum Curator David Wood. For more information visit www.concordmuseum.org.

  • Thursday, November 8, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm – Forcing Hardy Bulbs

    As part of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society’s Thursdays at the Hort Series, Kathi Gariepy of the Massachusetts Master Gardener Association will speak on Thursday, November 8 on Forcing Hardy Bulbs. 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.  Location: The Parkman Room, Education Building, Gardens at Elm Bank, 900 Washington Street, Wellesley.  For more information visit www.masshort.org.

  • Tuesday, October 30, 6:45 pm – Soil Health: From the Bottom Up

    The Norwood Evening Garden Club will host Tom Akin, Conservation Agronomist for the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, tomorrow, October 30, at the Carriage House of the First Baptist Church, 71 Bond Street, Norwood.

    Mr. Akin will discuss the characteristics of healthy soil, its importance in gardening and how to improve your soil’s health. He will also cover how to interpret soil test results, how to optimize plant nutrition and plant health, organic matter in the soil and why you should sell your rototiller.  The public is invited to attend. A $5.00 donation is requested and includes refreshments. For more information call 781-769-3854.

    Tom Akin has been the Conservation Agronomist and Grazing Lands Coordinator with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service in Amherst, MA since 2003. He is passionate about the environment, soil health, composting and helping farmers and gardeners improve their soil’s health. Prior to working for NRCS, Tom was assistant superintendent and internship coordinator at the Arnold Arboretum in Jamaica Plain. He has also worked as an Extension educator with the University of Massachusetts and for the Peace Corps in the Central African Republic.

  • Hurricane Sandy Forces Cancellation of Gardens for a Beautiful America

    The program today at the Arnold Arboretum featuring author Sam Watters has been cancelled due to weather concerns.  Because Mr. Watters resides in California, we have no information on a possible re-scheduling, but if there is another opportunity to hear him, we will let everyone know.  Meanwhile, everyone stay safe and dry!

  • Saturday, November 3, 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm – Snowy Owls: A Photography Exhibit

    Greg Lessard is a professional photographer specializing in dynamic nature and landscape images. Through years of dedication and devotion to his craft, Greg has become an artist with a unique vision and talent. He is able to captivate viewers and evoke powerful emotional responses with his art. Based in Massachusetts, Greg has established an extensive portfolio of images from New England, with an emphasis on Acadia National Park. His photographs have been shown in numerous galleries from Massachusetts to Maine, and have been published in many newspapers, magazines and web sites.

    During the fall and winter of 2011-2012, Greg turned his eye toward Duxbury Beach and the record Snowy Owl irruption, capturing this iconic northern species watching, hunting, surviving the New England winter. On Saturday, November 3,  join the photographer at 2 pm for an opening reception debuting his new photography exhibit at the North River Wildlife Sanctuary celebrating the Snowy Owl.

    Instructions and Directions: The exhibit will take place at the North River Wildlife Sanctuary, 2000 Main Street in Marshfield. This is a free event. Light refreshments will be served.  Registration is required. Register online at www.massaudubon.org or call 781-837-9400 to register by phone.

  • Thursday, November 1, 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm – Trees and Shrubs for Smaller Gardens

    Using trees and shrubs to good effect in small yards can be challenging. Arlington garden designer Sally Nash of Light & Shade Garden Design, Inc., will cover how to choose plants that will not outgrow the available space, where to buy the plants you have selected, and what to look for on plant labels, at this free Medford Garden Club lecture on Thursday, November 1, from 7 – 9. She’ll also touch on planting methods and pruning techniques that can help keep your plants in scale with their neighbors.  The event will take place at the Medford Public Library, 111 High Street in Medford.  For more information you may email sbcummer@msn.com.