Boston Flora

Month: October 2012

  • Sunday, November 4 – Friday, November 9 – Mark Catesby’s Third Centennial in America

    300 years ago and a century before Audubon, British born Mark Catesby followed his passion in search of plants and nature that were foreign to England and set out for America in 1712. There he discovered a new world of endless possibilities and strange creatures.

    The Catesby Commemorative Trust invites you to explore Mark Catesby’s world and discover how he introduced the wild beauty of North America to the astonished eyes of Europe and went on to influence artists such as William Bartram and John James Audubon.

    On November 4th – 9th, 2012, The Catesby Commemorative Trust will bring together experts from America and Europe to discuss Catesby’s influences, drawings, science and impact on natural history.  You will travel to places once visited by Mark Catesby and have the privilege of viewing his most famous etchings.

    They  hope you will join them in Richmond, Virginia, Washington, D.C. and Charleston, South Carolina to discover the scientific value and marvel at the beauty of Mark Catesby’s remarkable work. For a complete itinerary, and to register, visit www.catesbytrust.org/tercentennial/

  • Wednesday, November 7, 10:00 am – Peace field: The New England Farm of John and Abigail Adams

    For thirty years John and Abigail Adams called an ever-expanding piece of land in Southeastern Massachusetts home. Purchased in the autumn of 1787, the couple renovated and added to their newly named farm, Peace field, bit by bit, piece by piece until at its largest their farm encompassed over 600-acres of land throughout present day Quincy and Braintree. Removed from the Massachusetts landscape in the 1870s, John and Abigail’s working farm was replaced by urban city development and the late 19th century gentleman’s country estate of their grandson Charles Francis Adams. This Garden Club of the Back Bay presentation seeks to explore and uncover John and Abigail’s little known farm Peace field.

    Laurie Ellen Pazzano is a trained landscape historian specializing in Archival Research, Cultural Landscape and Landscape Assessment Reports, National Register filings and garden history lectures for individuals, non-profit institutions and state and federal agencies throughout the United States. A lifelong Massachusetts resident and avid gardener, Laurie completed an M.A. in History from the University of Massachusetts, Boston and a Landscape Design History Certificate from the Landscape Institute of Harvard University (now the Boston Architectural College) in 2011. Her Landscape Institute Independent Project Thesis, Peace field, 1788-1818: The New England Farm of John and Abigail Adams, received the 2011 Award for Professional Excellence from the New England Landscape Design and History Association alongside a special commendation from Landscape Institute faculty and staff. In 2010 she co-authored with the National Park Service’s Olmsted Center for Landscape Preservation, a Cultural Landscape Report for Peacefield, Adams National Historical Park in Quincy, MA.

    Garden Club of the Back Bay members will receive written notification of the November 7 meeting, which will take place at The College Club, 44 Commonwealth Avenue.  The public is invited, and a $5 donation is requested.  You may rsvp at info@bostonflora.com.

  • Tuesday, November 6, 4:00 pm – Tea Horse Road

    Ethnobotanist Dr. Selena Ahmed, co-author of Tea Horse Road: China’s Ancient Trade Road with Tibet, explores the culture, ecology and health attributes of Tea (Camellia sinensis,) on Tuesday, November 6 at the Wellesley College Botanic Gardens.  Also learn about Selena’s discoveries of the effects of climate change and land-use practices on tea.  Enjoy beautiful images by co-author, award-winning photographer and writer Michael Freeman, one of whose photos is shown below.  Sample a variety of teas traded along the ancient tea route.  $10 for WCBG members, $15 for non-members.  Register by calling 781- 283-3094.

  • Friday, November 2, 6:00 pm – A Passion for Plants: How to Get Students Excited About Botany

    Dr. Kristina Jones, Director of the Wellesley College Botanic Gardens and Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences at Wellesley College will address the New England Botanical Club on Friday, November 2, beginning at 6 pm at the University Museum’s Haller Lecture Hall, Room 102, at 24 Oxford Street in Cambridge.  The public is invited.  Dr. Jones’  topic is A Passion for Plants: How to Get Students Excited About Botany.  For more information, visit www.rhodora.org.

  • Saturday, October 20, 10:00 am – The Art of Grafting

    On October 20 at 10 am, visit Old Sturbridge Village at the height of foliage season and learn how to graft your own fruit trees.  The selection of root stock and fruit varieties will be discussed and simple grafting techniques will be demonstrated in this Garden Thyme lecture.  Free for OSV members, admission charged for non members.  Visit www.osv.org for more information.

  • Sunday, October 21, 11:00 am – 6:00 pm – Bikes & Bites

    Food, exercise, scenery, farmland – this tour on Sunday, October 21 from 11 – 6 has it all.

  • Saturday, October 20, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm – South End House Tour

    The South End Historical Society will hold the forty-fourth annual South End House Tour, Private Homes and Public Spaces, on Saturday, October 20th from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. First organized in 1967, the South End House Tour enjoys the distinction of being the oldest continually offered tour of its kind in Boston and features an inside look at restored and renovated private homes in the largest Victorian rowhouse district in the United States. This year’s tour also allows participants the opportunity to be among the last people to view the interior of one of the South End’s most historically significant churches in its original state before it is converted into condominiums.

    The Tour is a perennial favorite of anyone interested in home design, architecture, restoration, history, or preservation. Participants are given a guidebook that includes descriptions of the private homes and a map so that they can design a tour at their own pace. From a sleek and contemporary reinterpretation of a rowhouse to a family-friendly, traditional Victorian home, each of the featured spaces presents a different South End story—and history. “The best part about the House Tour is that each year we see something different and learn something new about the South End”, said Hope Shannon, Executive Director. “One of the most important aspects of the House Tour is to remind people that the neighborhood has seen a long and varied past. History did not start and stop with the Victorian era in the South End.”

    The Tour was first organized by the South End Historical Society (SEHS) in 1967 to draw attention to the architectural significance of the neighborhood, to inspire others to take on the difficult task of restoring rowhouses, and to advocate for the preservation of this unique urban area. “The House Tour is a great way to celebrate the South End,” says Ms. Shannon. “Whether you delight in seeing fine historic architectural details, are seeking design inspiration, or simply want to get a glimpse of beautiful private South End interiors—there is truly something for everyone on this tour.”

    The SEHS was founded in 1966 to preserve the architectural fabric of this unique urban neighborhood. In 1973 their efforts resulted in the South End being placed on the National Register of Historic Places and ultimately its designation as a Boston Landmark District in 1983. Today, the annual House Tour is just one of the ways the SEHS raises funds to continue neighborhood research and advocacy for preservation of the South End’s historic buildings, monuments, and public spaces.

    Tickets for the Tour are $25 in advance and are available at www.southendhistoricalsociety.org or by calling 617-536-4445. Tickets will also be available on the day of the Tour for $30 each at the Boston Center for the Arts, 539 Tremont Street and at Rondeau-Tierney Real Estate, 69 Appleton Street.

    For more information, please contact Hope Shannon at admin@southendhistoricalsociety.org or 617-536-4445.

  • Friday, October 26, 6:00 pm – Beautiful Minds: The Parallel Lives of Great Apes and Dolphins

    In her new book Beautiful Minds: The Parallel Lives of Great Apes and Dolphins (co-written with Craig Stanford), biologist Maddalena Bearzi examines how apes and dolphins, although distantly related, share a remarkably parallel evolution toward complex intelligence and behavior – and what this may reveal about the cognitive development of homo sapiens. Cosponsored by The Harvard Museum of Natural History and Harvard University Press. Free and open to the public, Geological Lecture Hall, 24 Oxford Street. Free parking in the 52 Oxford Street garage.

  • Thursday, October 25, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm – Design-less Gardening: A Naturalistic Approach

    Disregard traditional design rules and adopt a new approach to garden design. Look to nature for your inspiration. What clues can you take from your landscape to help you provide the right plant for the right place? Learn to evaluate sunlight, moisture, soil and other factors to encourage a successful garden that does not require many inputs in the way of watering, fertilizing, extra coddling on your part. Create a low maintenance garden that actively supports the environment and provides beauty for all– people and pollinators alike.

    Dan Jaffe is currently a Propagator and Stock Beds’ Grower at the New England Wild Flower Society, and he will speak as part of the Thursdays at the Hort series on October 25 at Elm Bank, 900 Washington Street in Wellesley.

    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. For directions visit www.masshort.org.

  • Thursday, October 25, 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm – Casino, Cocktails and a Cause

    Thursday, October 25, 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm – Casino, Cocktails and a Cause

    The Neighborhood Association of the Back Bay invites you to Casino, Cocktails  and a Cause on Thursday, October 25 from 7 – 10 at the Algonquin Club on Commonwealth Avenue.  A portion of the proceeds will benefit The Pine Street Inn.  You may order tickets on line at www.nabbonline.com – click on Casino, Cocktails., and a Cause and scroll down to the bottom of the page where you will see Buy a Ticket.