The Acton Garden Club will present Have Scissors Will Travel, a lecture and floral demonstration with Ann McDevitt, on Tuesday, November 6 beginning at 10:30 am in Room 204, Acton Town Hall, 472 Main Street in Acton. The public is invited. Ann McDevitt is an accredited International Flower Designer and teacher, with over twenty years of experience. For information, visit www.actongardenclub.org.
Bonsai is the art of dwarfing trees and developing them into aesthetically appealing shapes by growing, pruning and training in containers according to prescribed techniques. This 10-week Berkshire Botanical Society intensive course follows the curriculum of the American Bonsai Society and will cover all aspects of bonsai. It is designed for beginners and for those in need of refreshing or expanding their bonsai skills. Topics covered include classic structuring and designing of bonsai, the basic styles, bonsai tools and uses, selecting bonsai stock, pruning, wiring and shaping techniques, styling, containers, potting and transplanting and care and maintenance. Students will practice training trees, repotting, pruning and shaping. Students will follow the ABS handbook curriculum.
Pauline Muth, a Garden Club of the Back Bay speaker in 2012, is President of the American Bonsai Society. She has won many awards, published many articles in journals and maintains an extensive collection of hardy and non-hardy bonsai. Her bonsai studio is in its 22nd year of operation in West Charlton, NY. BBG member price $275, non-member $300, plus an additional $50 charge for materials. Register on line at www.berkshirebotanical.org.
The late fall and winter is the perfect time to prepare for spring! In this Northeast Organic Farming Association workshop, to be held Saturday, November 17 from 1 – 3 at Brookline High School 115 Greenough Street in Brookline, we will learn about mulching, soil amendments, and garden clean-up that will give your edible garden a head-start for next year’s growing season!
During part of the workshop we will get hands-on and help put part of the BHS garden to bed. There will be ample time for questions and group discussion to make sure that your garden will be ready to grow come spring!
Instructor Sadie Richards recently finished a service year with FoodCorps, a national service organization engaging students in growing school gardens, facilitating hands-on food education, and increasing student access to local fresh fruits and vegetables. She holds an MPH in environmental health and is currently working as the Massachusetts FoodCorps Fellow, supporting the state’s 2nd year of FoodCorps service members.
The cost to participate is $15 for Brookline High School students and faculty, $25 for NOFA members, and $30 for the general public. You may register on line at www.nofamass.org. For more information, contact Drew Love by email at drew@nofamass.org.
You don’t need a greenhouse to grow orchids. Achieve success on your own windowsills. Lyman Estate horticulturist Lynn Ackerman teaches the essentials of growing orchids: media, light, water, temperature, fertilization, selection, on Saturday, November 10 from 10 – noon at the Lyman Estate Greenhouses, 185 Lyman Street in Waltham. Registration is required at www.historicnewengland.org, or by calling 781-891-1985. $25 fee.
