Boston Flora

Month: October 2012

  • Kaye Vosburgh Attains Highest Sogetsu Ikebana Ranking

    Garden Club of the Back Bay member Kaye Vosburgh has been studying Sogetsu Ikebana for a long time. Every few years, if you work hard, you get a promotion. In 1989 she became a teacher and started teaching beginners. This past year she received the final top promotion, Riji. Only eight other people outside Japan received this in 2012. Since she was traveling in Japan to attend the Ikebana International 10th World Conference and the Sogetsu Post-Conference, instead of sending the certificate, they awarded it at the large banquet party. She reports it was special to be recognized in front of her peers. To see some of what Kaye does you might like to visit her website at www.createwithflowers.com.

     

  • Sunday, November 4, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm – Olmsted Park: The Lost Jewel

    Explore this sometimes-overlooked link in the middle of Olmsted’s Emerald Necklace. With a guide from The National Park Service, you will stop at ponds, pastures, and even pass by a babbling brook. This distinctive landscape enhances the surrounding Boston and Brookline communities and offers a glimpse into the area’s topographical history.
    Meet at Daisy Field Parking Lot, Willow Pond Road, Jamaica Plain. Free.  For more information visit www.nps.gov.

  • Saturday, November 3, 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm – Late Fall Tree ID with Forester Helen Johnson

    On Saturday, November 3, from 1 – 4, take your tree identification skills to the next level with Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) Service Forester Helen Johnson. Characteristics like bark, branching patterns, buds, overall tree shape, and habitat will be used to aid in identification. We will also talk about impacts on the forest from insects, diseases, and invasive plants. Depending on participant interest, conversations may wander through forest ecology, wildlife habitat, climate change, land use history, logging, and sustainable forest management. No previous tree identification skills are required for this free field walk. As a DCR Service Forester, Ms. Johnson provides free advice and technical assistance to forest landowners, enforces logging regulations, and administers the current use tax programs (e.g. Chapter 61). She has an M.S. in Forestry and a B.A. in Social Thought & Political Economy, both from the University of Massachusetts. For location, directions and to register, call 1-800-859-2960.

  • Friday, November 2 – Sunday, November 4 – An Orchid Jubilee

    The Massachusetts Orchid Society will present An Orchid Jubilee at Tower Hill Botanic Garden in Boylston, Massachusetts on Friday, November 2 (1 – 5), Saturday, November 3 (9 – 5) and Sunday, November 4 (9 – 4).  Admission to the 60th Anniversary Show is included with regular paid admission to the Garden, and is free to tower Hill members and MOS members.  Be dazzled by incredible displays of blooming orchids created by hobbyists and commercial exhibitors, including floral arrangements, vignettes, and original artwork and crafts featuring orchids, throughout Tower Hill’s Stoddard Education & Visitor Center.  The Orchid Jubilee is a competitive event sanctioned by the American Orchid Society, who will judge the show entries.  Participate in educational programs and demonstrations, show and garden tours, a silent auction, and instant raffles throughout the weekend, and a large sales area where celebrants can stock up on orchid plants, supplies and orchid related art. For more information and directions visit www.towerhillbg.org.

  • Thursday, November 15, 10:30 am – 1:30 pm – Park and Public Garden Design: Trends for the 21st Century

    The Boston Committee of the Garden Club of America invites members and guests to its Fall Lecture and Luncheon on Thursday, November 15, at The Country Club, 191 Clyde Street in Brookline.  The guest speaker will be Don Rakow, who will speak on Park and Public Garden Design: Trends for the 21st Century.  Don Rakow is the E.N. Wilds Director of the Cornell Plantations, including botanical gardens, a 150 acre arboretum and over 4,300 acres of natural areas of Cornell University.  Don also serves as an associate professor in the Department of Horticulture in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.  His own research focuses on the history and management of public gardens, and their role in human culture.  Don is the lead author of the textbook Public Garden Management, and is also writing a book on the evolution of European botanical gardens.  $50 lecture and luncheon, $25 lecture only.  If you are a member of a garden club affiliated with The Boston Committee, and have not already responded to your written invitation, send a check made out to The Boston Committee of the GCA and mail it to Karen Gregg, 238 Commonwealth Avenue, #5, Boston, MA 02116 by November 10.  All reservations will be held at the door.  If you are not a member but wish to attend, send your check as set forth above, and please note on your check that you have been referred by The Garden Club of the Back Bay.

  • Saturday, October 27, 10:30 am – 12:30 pm – Canine Promenade

    The Esplanade Association and Pawsh Dog Boutique are hosting a Canine Promenade on Saturday, October 27, from 10:30 – 12:30 at Fiedler Field on the Esplanade. The Canine Promenade is a 1/2‐mile Halloween costume parade around the Esplanade to benefit the park, highlight the park as a resource for dog owners and to raise awareness about park improvements. In the spirit of the season, we encourage you to dress up your dogs (and yourself) in costume.
    $10 registration donation per dog (purchase ticket on line at www.esplanadeassociation.org)
    Meet at Fiedler Field on the Esplanade (see www.esplanadeassociation.org for directions)
    Prizes for Best Costumes
    Capture a shot of your pup in costume
    Tasty treats provided by Pawsh
    Learn about the Esplanade as a resource for dog owners
    Your donation will help support the Association’s efforts to restore the park, including the historic Lotta Fountain. Please include your dog’s name when registering.

  • Wednesday, November 7, 6:00 pm – 8:30 pm – Uncovering Voices from the Back Stairs

    Historic New England and the New England Historic Genealogical Society will present a program entitled Uncovering Voices from the Back Stairs on Wednesday, November 7, beginning at 6 pm at the New England Genealogical Society’s headquarters at 99 – 101 Newbury Street in Boston. The event is free to HNE and NEHGS members, $5 for non-members.

    Although domestic servants made everyday life in grand homes possible, their identities and roles within the household have long been hidden. Jennifer Pustz, museum historian at Historic New England and author of Voices from the Back Stairs, illustrates the diversity of domestic service in New England over the nineteenth and twentieth centuries by focusing on Castle Tucker, Roseland Cottage, and the Codman Estate. Archival materials illustrate the lives of servants and relationships with their employers.

    Following this lecture, Marie Daly, director of the library at New England Historic Genealogical Society, demonstrates how anyone can research their family history, including hard-to-trace ancestors such as servants, immigrants, and members of the working class. She will highlight both online and on-site research venues, bringing to light the sources that can help piece together your family story. Co-sponsored with New England Historic Genealogical Society.

    Registration is required. Please call 617-994-5959 for more information. Purchase tickets now by clicking here.

  • Thursday, October 25, 7:00 pm – Skulls: An Exploration of Alan Dudley’s Curious Collection

    In Skulls, Simon Winchester presents a spellbinding exploration of an obsessive collector of over 300 animal skulls, including amphibians, birds, fish, mammals, and reptiles and tells the rich and fascinating story of skulls, both human and animal, from every perspective imaginable. Hear him speak at Porter Square Books, 25 White Street, Cambridge, on Thursday, October 25 at 7 pm. For more information, visit www.portersquarebooks.com, or email ellen@portersquarebooks.com. You may also call 617-491-2220.

    At the center of Skulls is a stunning, never-before-seen-in-any-capacity, visual array of the skulls of more than 300 animals that walk, swim, and fly. The skulls are from the collection of Alan Dudley, a British collector and owner of what is likely the largest and most complete private collection of skulls in the world.

    Winchester is the acclaimed author of many books, including Atlantic, The Professor and the Madman, The Man Who Loved China, A Crack in the Edge of the World, and Krakatoa. Those books were New York Times bestsellers and appeared on numerous best and notable lists. In 2006, Mr. Winchester was made an officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by her Majesty the Queen. He lives in Manhattan and in western Massachusetts.

  • Thursday, November 8, 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm – Historic Preservation Meets Energy Conservation

    Owners of older homes love the fact that they can live in living, vibrant, often historic, reminders of the past. They may not know that, with a little effort, they can bring those homes into the “green” present. Now, there is good news for those owners: The Neighborhood Association of the Back Bay (NABB) is sponsoring a special forum, offering tips and answering questions about how older homes can make the transformation to green energy conservation. The event will take place November 8, 2012 from 5 to 8 PM in the Orientation Room of the Boston Public Library’s main branch on Boylston Street in the Back Bay. Chris Skelly, director of local government programs for the Massachusetts Historical Commission, Rebecca Harris, field officer of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and Sally Zimmerman, manager of historic preservation services for Historic New England, will provide guidelines and information about how older or historic houses can be turned green without losing their historic character. Some areas that will be covered are: how to add alternative energy systems, the value of retaining and upgrading wood windows, and ways to properly insulate an historic house. The event is free and open to the public. To reserve a place for “Greening the Older Home,” contact the Neighborhood Association of the Back Bay at 617-247-3961 or info@nabbonline.com.

  • Saturday, November 3, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm – The Big Squeeze: Making Apple Cider (Hard and Sweet)

    Join John Vittori of Hilltop Orchard on Saturday, November 3 at Berkshire Botanical Garden for a look at the art and science of making both sweet and hard cider. This lecture/demonstration, from 1 – 3 pm, will cover the history, culture and lore of cider making. Practical information will include selecting apple varieties, cider-making techniques, timing and preserving of both sweet and hard cider. Following a demonstration with a beautiful two-bucket cider press, enjoy a tasting of this local sweet (or hard) drink. BBG member price is $22, nonmember $27, and you may register at www.berkshirebotanical.org.

    John Vittori has owned and operated Hilltop Orchards and Furnace Brook Winery for the past 24 years. His main interests are sustainable agriculture, integrated pest management and land preservation.