Boston Flora

Month: April 2014

  • Tuesday, May 6, 10:00 am – Welcome to Spring and Summer

    On Tuesday, May 6 at 10 am, two favorite presenters, Elaine DiGiovanni and Linda Ladd, wrap up the Andover Garden Club year with their unique and delightful style of flower arranging in their ode to the seasons of spring and summer. These accredited Master Flower Show judges will display their many talents as they create six different designs representing these seasons, and lucky members may get to go home with one. Be sure to join them for this special pair of presenters and the annual meeting and luncheon. $10 donation requested. The event will take place at the South Church Fellowship Hall, 41 Central Street in Andover.  Photo from www.thecraftyhostess.com.

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  • Wednesday, April 30, 8:30 am – 2:00 pm – Keeping Clean Water in Your Community

    Learn innovative techniques for meeting stormwater requirements, protecting marine resources, and managing green spaces, in this free seminar to be held Wednesday, April 30 from 8:30 – 2 at the University of Massachusetts Cranberry Station, 1 State Bog Road, East Wareham. The event is sponsored by the Buzzards Bay Coalition (www.savebuzzardsbay.org) and features the following panel:

    Solving the Stormwater Management Puzzle: Joe Costa, Executive Director, Buzzards Bay National Estuary Project
    Protecting Marine Resources: Neil Churchill, Marine Fisheries Biologist, Massachusetts Dept. of Fish & Game
    Clean Water Landscaping: Mike Talbot, Ecological Lawn Care

    http://www.savebuzzardsbay.org/view.image?Id=8552

  • Wednesday, June 4, 10:30 am – 3:30 pm – The Especially Fragrant Garden of Page Dickey: Shrub Roses and More

    Join well known gardener and author Page Dickey on Wednesday, June 4, from 10:30 am – 3:30 pm for a Berkshire Botanical Garden private study tour of her North Salem, New York garden at the height of the shrub rose bloom. Page will share her insights into gardening and will discuss the use of fragrant shrubs, with a focus on her favorite shrub roses. Learn about how she selects, designs and cultivates these fragrant beauties. This tour will inspire even the most casual gardeners to get down on their knees and plant shrubs. Following the tour, Page invites participants to picnic on the lawn. On the return trip we will stop at one of Page’s favorite local nurseries, Claire’s Garden Center, in Patterson, NY.

    Page Dickey is a gardener and garden writer living and gardening at Duck Hill in North Salem, NY. Her books include Embroidered Ground, Gardens in the Spirit of Place, the award-winning Breaking Ground: Portraits of Ten Garden Designers, Duck Hill Journal: A Year in a Country Garden, Dogs in Their Gardens and Cats in Their Gardens. A contributor to numerous magazines over the years, she lectures across the country and is one of the founders of the Garden Conservancy’s Open Days program. She lives and gardens with her husband in the company of assorted dogs, cats, and chickens.

    Participants can choose to carpool or drive separately. Those joining the carpool should meet in the parking lot at Berkshire Botanical Garden for an 8:30 am departure. Carpool will return at approximately 3:30 pm. BBG member price $50, nonmembers $60. Register at www.berkshirebotanical.org, or call Elisabeth Cary at 413-298-3926 x15.  Image from www.westchestermagazine.com.

    http://www.westchestermagazine.com/2012/WHome/Spring_2012/Savor/westchester_2212_16.jpg

  • Thursday, May 1, 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm – Mated for Life: Boston and the Swan Boats

    Quick: What do Calvin Coolidge, Princess Grace, and Cyndi Lauper have in common? If you’re guessing that they all wanted to have fun, you’re getting warm. Give up? Why, they’ve all ridden on the Swan Boats, of course! So have you, probably. (And if you haven’t, you’re certainly missing out!) Swan Boats have been gliding along the Public Garden lagoon since Victorian days, delighting passengers of all ages and from all walks of life. Befitting the first botanical garden in the United States, the Swan Boats are the only watercraft of their kind in the world. Offering splendid views of the venerable trees and vivid flower beds of the Public Garden and the handsome historic buildings beyond, each jaunt aboard the Swan Boats invites us on a journey in time and tradition.

    Join The Boston Landmarks Commission at the storied Taj Boston for our Preservation Month 2014 Keynote Event on Thursday, May 1 at 6 pm. At this historic hotel overlooking the Public Garden,Lyn Paget, the descendant of the original Swan Boat operators, shares with us her fascinating account of this little flotilla, from its earliest launch to date. Lyn will explain how in 1877 her great-grandfather Robert Paget first adapted the now-familiar swan imagery from Wagner’s Lohengrin for his very first paddleboat. The actual birds’ legendary attributes of gracefulness and fidelity seem reflected by the fleet’s continuation and growth, after Robert’s untimely death, by his widow Julia, a pioneering businesswoman. Remaining a Paget family enterprise to this day, the Swan Boats bloom perennially as both a tourist attraction and a source of seasonal employment for the vigorous young people whose deft pedal work keeps them afloat. Now well into their second century, the Swan Boats grow yearly in fame through the ever- popular works of children’s authors Robert McCloskey and E. B. White, attracting generations of new enthusiasts the world over, Bostonians and visitors alike. Come hear Lyn’s interesting facts and anecdotes, learn how the vessels are operated and maintained, and revel in the surprising history of these beloved symbols of Boston itself. Reception to follow.

    Free and open to the public. As space is limited, pre-registration is required. Contact tonya.loveday@boston.gov to sign up.

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  • Saturday, May 10, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm – International Migratory Bird Day

    Saturday, May 10, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm – International Migratory Bird Day

    What is International Migratory Bird Day (IMBD)? IMBD celebrates and brings attention to one of the most important and spectacular events in the Americas – bird migration. Bird Day is celebrated in Canada, the United States, Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean. Public awareness and concern are crucial components of migratory bird conservation. Citizens who are enthusiastic about birds, informed about threats, and empowered to become involved in addressing those threats, can make a tremendous contribution to maintaining healthy bird populations. By modeling what can be done and involving people, their interest and involvement in stewardship can grow. One of the most successful vehicles for public education on migratory birds is International Migratory Bird Day(IMBD). Across the Americas Bird Day events are providing great ways for people to get involved.

    Join the Westport River Watershed Alliance in celebrating International Migratory Bird Day on Saturday, May 10 at the Lloyd Center for the Environment on Potomska Road in South Dartmouth. Learn more about our local birds and be amazed as we explore amazing facts about migration while enjoying a free, fun, family event.

    Visitors will be able to learn to identify local birds, observe wild birds in their habitats, interact with live birds of prey, march in our wild bird parade, and participate in an open discussion with entertaining guest speaker Ray Brown as he discusses the “Magic of Migration”.

    International Migratory Bird Day is an annual event to celebrate and support migratory bird conservation. The theme for IMBD 2014 is Why Birds Matter. Not everyone is aware of the diversity of birds around the world, the amazing migrations some take, and the phenomenal range of behaviors, plumages, and songs they exhibit. International Migratory Bird Day 2014 shares the many ways in which birds matter to the earth, to ecosystems, and of course, to us.

    This event is supported by a grant from Southeastern Environmental Education Alliance. For more information visit www.westportwatershed.org.

    birds matter

  • Thursday, May 22, 7:30 am – 6:30 pm – Down and Dirty in Rhode Island

    Join the Berkshire Botanical Garden staff on Thursday May 22 for a day-long adventure to the southeast coast of Rhode Island to explore an extraordinary garden, nurseries and more. Sakonnet Garden, in Little Compton, RI, will be the featured visit of the day. This “exceptional American garden” (as quoted by Marco Polo Stufano, former Director of Wave Hill, and John Trexler, former Director of Tower Hill Botanic Garden) is a garden full of inspiration. Sakonnet is a secret garden embedded within a native coastal fields landscape. At the diminutive scale of a cottage garden, it is conceived of as an intimate place to explore, with multiple paths leading one onward to unexpected experiences.

    Owners John Gywnne and Mikal Folcarelli will lead a tour of their property. First, consider a restored meadow managed for endangered bobolinks. Learn about the ecological theory behind the meadow’s management and hopefully spot one of these wonderful upland meadow birds. Then, explore the small walled garden, designed as a series of small garden rooms. Following the tour, Ed Bowen from Opus Nursery of Little Compton, RI, will be on hand to sell some of his great Zone 5 plants.

    Enjoy a picnic lunch on the lawn—or wait—for the next stop! As we leave the coast, we will stop at the head of the Sakonnet River for a take-out order of fish ‘n’ chips (optional, of course). Enjoy this Rhode Island tradition at well known Evelyn’s Clam Shack (as seen on the Food Channel: Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, hosted by Guy Fieri). The coastal scenery, including boats in the harbor, will be a special treat for us upland creatures. On the return trip we will detour into western Connecticut for a tour of the fabled greenhouses of Logee’s. In business since 1892, this series of five connected greenhouses holds an extensive collection of tropical, semi-tropical and tender perennial plants, as well as orchids, begonias, scented geraniums, citrus and so much more. The staff of Logee’s will give an introduction to the group, and participants can roam the greenhouses and purchase special plants to take home. Enjoy the hosting skills of the BBG staff, including a mid-morning snack and afternoon wine and cheese.

    Dress for the weather, bring a bag lunch and wear comfortable, sturdy footwear. Those wishing to order the take-out meal of fish ‘n’ chips will be charged an additional $20. Coach bus leaves Berkshire Botanical Garden promptly at 7:30 am. If you wish to join the group in Rhode Island, call Elisabeth Cary at 413-298-3926, x 15. BBG members $100, nonmembers $120. Register on line at www.berkshirebotanical.org.

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  • New Environmental Protection Agency National Stormwater Calculator Available for Download

    The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently updated its national stormwater calculator, which estimates the amount of rainwater and runoff from any site in the U.S., to reflect best estimates on future climate change. The EPA writes: “the calculator now includes changes in seasonal precipitation levels, the effects of more frequent high-intensity storms, and changes in evaporation rates based on validated Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) climate change scenarios.” The first iteration of the calculator just covered soils conditions, slope, land cover, and historical rainfall records.

    The goal is help developers, planners, and landscape architects understand how to best adapt our water management systems for a changing future. The new EPA administrator, Gina McCarthy, said: “climate change threatens our health, our economy, and our environment. As part of the President’s Climate Action Plan, this tool will help us better prepare for climate impacts by helping build safer, sustainable, and more resilient water infrastructure.”

    The calculator software, which can be downloaded free, enables users to discover how green infrastructure can reduce stormwater runoff. According to the EPA, the calculator first accesses several databases that offer soil, topography, rainfall, and evaporation information for any given site. Users then plug in information about a site’s land cover and finally determine which types of green infrastructure they would like to use. Options include rain harvesting, rain gardens, green roofs, street planters, infiltration basins, or porous pavement.

    The EPA says it’s best to develop a range of results using different assumptions about “percent of impervious surface, soil type, sizing of green infrastructure, as well as historical weather and future climate change scenarios” in order to comprehensive.

    Download the new calculator from the following web page, which includes instructions for downloading: http://www.epa.gov/nrmrl/wswrd/wq/models/swc/.

    http://www.usgbc.org/sites/default/files/imagecache/fixed_670-308/feature_stormwater_0.jpg

  • Tuesday, May 6, 10:30 am – 12:00 noon – Peacefield – The New England Farm of John and Abigail Adams

    The Acton Garden Club will host landscape historian Ellen Pazzano on Tuesday, May 6, beginning at 10:30 am in Room 204, Acton Town Hall, 472 Main Street in Acton, for a slide presentation which explores and uncovers John and Abigail’s little known farm Peacefield.  For 30 years the Adams family called an ever expanding piece of land in Southeastern Massachusetts home.  The Garden Club of the Back Bay invited Ms. Pazzano to one of our meetings a year ago, to great acclaim, and we recommend this lecture highly.  For more information visit www.actongardenclub.org.

    http://images.travelpod.com/users/nanseaj/4.1256562104.john-quincy-adams-library-at-peacefield.jpg

  • Wednesday, May 21, 6:30 pm – Chefs Party for the Armenian Heritage Park: Save the Date

    Save the date – the Chefs Party for Our Park, a benefit for the Fund to Care for the Armenian Heritage Park, will take place Wednesday, May 21, at 6:30 pm at the Royal Sonesta Hotel Boston, located in Cambridge, Massachusetts.  Details will follow – check www.ArmenianHeritagePark.org for updated information. Peter Vanderwarker photo.

    http://www.asla.org/uploadedImages/Guide/Boston/Neighborhoods/RFK_Greenway/armen2.jpg

  • Saturday, May 3, 10:00 am – 1:00 pm – Insect Pests & Diseases of Apples

    The University of Massachusetts Extension will sponsor a seminar in Insect Pests & Diseases of Apples – And How to Manage Them on Saturday, May 3, from 10 – 1 at Tangerini’s Spring Street Farm, 139 Spring Street in Millis. The class will be led by Dan Cooley and Jon Clements. One of the most challenging thing about growing your own fruit is knowing how to identify the insect pests and diseases that might afflict them. Learn the basics of pest and disease identification and Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in the home orchard. Hands-on, scouting, monitoring, placement of traps, etc. will be covered. $50 fee.  Register on line at https://classic.regonline.com/builder/site/?eventid=1460640. Image by Jon Clements.

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