Boston Flora

Month: August 2013

  • Wednesday, September 18, 12:00 noon – 2:00 pm – Combining Green & Grey in Combined Sewer Watersheds

    “Life is like a sewer … what you get out of it depends on what you put into it.” – Tom Lehrer

    Many communities with combined sanitary and stormwater sewers are exploring the best ways to reduce the incidence of combined sewer overflows (CSOs). There has been much made about the battle. . .or more often blending. . . of grey and green infrastructure components to achieve overall CSO reductions. Green infrastructure approaches show promise in that they can reduce stormwater runoff volumes (and associated pollutant loads) entering the combined system and can have multiple benefits, such as helping to “green” the city. Many CSO communities are asking the tough questions, such as how much can green infrastructure actually reduce overflows and how do costs compare to the grey alternatives? How can green infrastructure be incorporated into CSO Long Term Control Plans? This Center for Watershed Protection webcast on Wednesday, September 18, 12 – 2 EST,  will explore how various CSO communities are seeking to implement green solutions.

    Speakers for this webcast are:

    Brandon C. Vatter, P.E., Senior Project Manager, Hatch Mott MacDonald (Cincinnati, OH), Karen Sands, Manager of Sustainability, Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (Milwaukee, WI), and Kyle Dreyfuss-Wells, Environmental Manager, Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District (Cleveland, OH)

    Fee of $149 may be paid online at http://bmb.goemerchant.com/cart/cart.aspx?ST=buy&Action=add&Merchant=centerforwatershedprotection&ItemNumber=2013Webcast6.

    http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs045/1101639006674/img/19.jpg

  • Wednesday, September 11, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm – Go Botany: Plant ID Tools at Your Fingertips

    Join the Ecological Landscaping Association and the New England Wild Flower Society on Wednesday, September 11, from 1 – 3 at Garden in the Woods in Framingham for a morning stroll to enjoy the fall foliage as your host Elizabeth Farnsworth demonstrates exciting new tools for plant identification.  Go Botany is the NEWFS’s new website that teaches botany and plant identification.  This resource serves as a filed guide to help you identify and learn about 1,200 of the most common native and naturalized plants of New England.

    This flexible and user-friendly tool helps you identify species based on whichever portions of the plant (leaves, flowers, winter buds, bark, etc.) you are able to observe at any given time of year.  Once you identify the plant, you can see a wealth of information about it, including gorgeous color photographs, maps of its geographic range, diagnostic characteristics, and memorable facts.  Go Botany is optimized for both desktop and tablet computers, so you can use it anywhere you have a web connection.  $20 for ELA and NEWFS members, $25 for nommembers.  For more information email ela.info@comcast.net, or call 617-436-5838.  You may also register online at https://www.eventville.com/catalog/eventregistration1.asp?eventid=1010613.

    http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/236x/dc/ba/6b/dcba6b9b2a64cf4f90746c82f123006f.jpg

  • Wednesday, August 28, 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm – Creating Your Best Garden by Saving Seeds

    Expert garden consultant and plant historian, Christie Higginbottom will speak about the history and importance of saving seeds on Wednesday, August 28, from 7 – 9 at the Petersham Memorial Library, 23 Common Street in Petersham. Farmers and gardeners can nurture and perpetuate their best flowers and vegetables and share their bounty to create local food sources and locally adapted plants. Or just enjoy sharing seeds with your friends!

    Christie will teach how to grow, harvest, and save your own seeds. Christie has worked at Old Sturbridge Village, creating period gardens and preserving heirloom plants. She has lectured at such venues as Tower Hill Botanic Garden, Thomas Jefferson Center for Historic Plants at Monticello, and the New England Wild Flower Society. She is a recipient of the Thalassa Cruso Award from the Massachusetts Horticultural Society. Presented by the Petersham Memorial Library Seed Savers Program with support of the Petersham Grange. Thank you www.wasatchgardens.org for the image below.

    http://wasatchgardens.org/files/images/seed-saving.jpg

  • Sunday, November 3 – Tuesday, November 5 – 2013 National Sustainable Food Summit – Looking Back, Cooking Forward

    Chefs Collaborative is a national chef network that’s changing the sustainable food landscape using the power of connections, education and responsible buying decisions. Chefs Collaborative works with chefs and the greater food community to celebrate local foods and foster a more sustainable food supply. The Collaborative inspires action by translating information about our food into tools for making knowledgeable purchasing decisions. Through these actions, our members embrace seasonality, preserve diversity and traditional practices, and support local economies. They hope you will join them in Charleston, South Carolina for the 2013 National Sustainable Food Summit – Looking Back, Cooking Forward, November 3-5, 2013. Buy your ticket and learn more about the featured speakers, schedule of events, and travel details at http://www.chefscollaborative.org/sustainable-food-summit/national-summit-2013/.

    http://www.chefscollaborative.org//srv/htdocs/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Summit_ConstantContact_Banner.png

  • Tuesdays, September 3 – 24, 10:00 am – 1:00 pm – Washes and Layers

    The Friends of Wellesley College Botanic Gardens is pleased to partner with Weston Nurseries of Chelmsford, Massachusetts to bring you plant-based art in an exciting new location: Weston Nurseries, 160 Pine Hill Road in Chelmsford. On four successive Tuesdays beginning September 3, from 10 – 1, you will explore botanical watercolor painting using transparent watercolor washes under the guidance of artist and experienced instructor Jeanne Kunze. this traditional approach teaches you to create plant portraits celebrating the diversity and color richness of the natural world. Jeanne will focus on plants with patterned leaves, such as Rex begonia, ivy, and coleus. Friends: $150, nonmembers: $200. You may telephone 781-283-3094 or email wcbgfriends@wellesley.edu to register.  Painting below by Patricia Savage.

    http://www.natureartists.com/art/resized/220_Sphinx_on_Rex_web.jpg

  • Saturday, September 7, 9:00 am – 2:00 pm – City of Boston’s Household Hazardous Waste Drop Off

    Drop off your hazardous waste on Saturday, September 7, from 9 – 2 at the University of Massachusetts, Morrissey Blvd Parking Lot D in Dorchester.  No latex or acrylic paints, please.  Electronics recycling and paper shredding will be available at Bayside Expo as well.  For Boston residents only, no commercial waste accepted, and proof of residency required.  For more information please call the Mayor’s hotline at 617-635-4500, or visit www.cityofboston.gov/recycle.

    http://dumpsterrentalbostonma.net//srv/htdocs/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/boston-household-hazardous-waste.jpg

  • Tuesday, September 17, 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm – The Flowering of Regency Style in Boston Furniture

    No, it’s not precisely garden related, but Historic New England will hold a Boston Classical Furniture Lecture on Tuesday, September 17 from 7 – 9 at Otis House, 141 Cambridge Street in Boston, featuring Robert Mussey on The Flowering of Regency Style in Boston Furniture. The first quarter of the nineteenth century produced some of Boston’s most creative and skilled cabinetmakers.  Recent research by independent furniture scholar Robert Mussey has uncovered remarkable survivals and identified key players in the flowering of the early nineteenth century Boston furniture industry.  $14 ($8 for HNE members).  To register, call 617-994-5959.

    http://p2.la-img.com/1477/30957/12194554_1_l.jpg

  • Friday, September 20, 6:30 pm – Moondance Gala 2013

    Join The Esplanade Association on Friday, September 20, 2013 for The Esplanade Association’s annual Moondance Gala. Over 500 of Boston’s leaders in business, politics and philanthropy are expected to attend this magical evening on the Charles River Esplanade to socialize, celebrate, and raise valuable funds for the park.

    6:30pm – Cocktails: Mingle with Gala guests while enjoying Premium Cocktails, Raw Bar, and Hor D’ Oeuvres

    7:30pm – Gala Dinner: Enjoy a delicious Gourmet Dinner and Exciting Live Auction followed by Dessert and Dancing under the stars

    8:30pm – Night Owls: Following dinner and auction the Gala opens up for Night Owls. Night Owl attendees are invited to enjoy Cocktails, Hors d’Oeuvre, Dancing, Raffle, and Entertainment.
    Lunar Sponsor $25,000
    Galaxy Sponsor $10,000
    Star Sponsor $5,000
    Meteor Sponsor $3,000
    Individual Ticket $1,000
    Night Owl Ticket $175  (Price will increase to $200/ticket after September 2, 2013.)

    To reserve,  visit www.esplanadeassociation.org, or call Tani Marinovich at 617-227-0365, x 106, or email her at tmarinovich@esplanadeassociation.org.

    http://bostoneventsinsider.com/bostonevents/2012/09-24/moon-dance-gala-S.jpg

  • Saturday, September 7, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm – NABB Annual Street Sale

    The Neighborhood Association of the Back Bay will hold its Annual Street Sale on Saturday, September 7, between 10 – 5, on the Dartmouth Street Mall between Newbury and Commonwealth, at Alley 434.  You will be able to find all kinds of things: knick-knacks, household items, books, antiques, jewelry, and other treasures, all to be snapped up by bargain hunters.  This is a great opportunity to get together with friends and neighbors and support our local neighborhood association.  For more information visit www.nabbonline.com.  Photo from one of our favorite websites,  www.aproperbostonian.blogspot.com.

    http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_AuusdZXUKng/TJ7DY0706mI/AAAAAAAACJ4/6-C6dvpaFgY/s400/L1080021.jpg

  • Wednesday, September 11, 7:00 pm – Thirty Plants That Pay the Rent

    The Garden Club of Norfolk’s first fall meeting’s speaker will be Adriana O’Sullivan. She will be talking about Thirty Plants That Pay the Rent— the very best to plant!!! She will feature 30 plants that are excellent choices for our N.E. gardens. 10 perennials, 10 shrubs, and 10 trees are selected for their hardiness, drought-tolerance, low-maintenance, and multi-seasons of interest. These plants pay the rent by saving you time, money, and aggravation. Learn how to make plant combinations that extend the blooming season and create a beautiful garden. The meeting will take place Wednesday, September 11, beginning at 7 pm in the Selectman’s Meeting Room of Town Hall, 1 Liberty Lane in Norfolk, Massachusetts.

    http://www.adrianaosullivan.com/adrianaosullivan.com/HOME_files/P1010050.jpg