Boston Flora

Month: June 2014

  • Tuesday, July 15, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm – Garden in the Woods: Enjoying the Present, Planning for the Future

    The Ecological Landscaping Association, New England Wild Flower Society, and Boston Architectural College will present Mark Richardson, Director of Horticulture, New England Wild Flower Society, on Tuesday, July 15, from 1 – 3, at Garden in the Woods in Framingham, speaking on Garden in the Woods: Enjoying the Present, Planning for the Future.

    New England Wild Flower Society’s Garden in the Woods is a 45-acre botanical garden.  With over 1,000 native plant species on display and 150 rare and endangered species, the Garden is a valuable resource promoting conservation of native New England plants and their habitats.  The Garden serves as the Society’s laboratory for horticulture, gardening, conservation, and education, and has long been a model of naturalistic garden design.

    Today, Garden in the Woods must grapple with a future of uncertainty in the face of climate change.  Get a behind-the-scenes look at the master plan recently completed by Andropogon Associates to envision the future and advance the sustainable operations of this botanical gem.  $20 for members of sponsoring organizations, $30 for nonmembers.  Register on line at https://www.eventville.com/catalog/eventregistration1.asp?eventid=1011136.  

  • Wednesdays, July 9 – July 30, 9:30 am – 12:30 pm – Perennial & Shrub Planting Design for Seasonal Color

    This Massachusetts Horticultural Society four session workshop with Maria Von Brincken of The Boston Architectural College examines planting design, color combinations and effective bed layout. In this workshop students will learn to combine the user’s experience and circulation systems, with massing and form to create stunning plant combinations.

    Students will practice design applications based on color theory, texture, and form to create seasonal planting combinations, winter form, and backdrops to highlight waves of color. Students will design a front and back garden focusing on impact through planting design and form, students may select their own sites.

    Learn personalized color palettes and planting layouts to create combinations for ongoing colorful displays. The role of planted containers will be discussed and included in design. The class format includes lecture, discussion of reading, design support and review of weekly design exercises.

    This workshop, taking place Wednesdays, July 9 – 30 from 9:30 – 12:30, is best suited for individuals who have working knowledge of some garden plants and a strong interest in horticulture.

    Cost: $240 for members of Mass Hort, $265 for non-members. Register on line at www.masshort.org. The class will take place in The Parkman Room at the Education Building at The Gardens at Elm Bank, 900 Washington Street in Wellesley.

  • Wednesday, July 9, 7:00 pm – Coffee for Roses: And 70 Other Misleading Myths about Backyard Gardening

    Gardening questions? Get them answered at an evening of plant Q&A at the Porter Square Bookstore, 25 White Street, Cambridge, on Wednesday, July 9 beginning at 7 pm.

    Word-of-mouth may be a great way to learn about some products, but word-of-mouth gardening tips can be a very bad idea. The age-old practice of passing along gardening tips and tricks is no guarantee you will get a good result…it might even do the opposite. In her new book, garden expert C. L. Fornari looks at 71 common garden practices and uncovers the truth behind the lore. Do marigolds keep the bugs out of the veggie patch? Will rusty nails turn hydrangeas blue? With humor and affection, she goes back in time to sort out the good, the bad and the just plain silly…and tells us why. Coffee for Roses combines gardening history and expert advice into one useful, time- and money-saving package. The author’s award-winning full color photography is throughout.

    C.L. Fornari is a writer, speaker, and gardening expert from Cape Cod. She is a past Garden Club of the Back Bay speaker as well.

  • Wednesdays, July 9 & 23, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm – Exploring the Conifer Collection

    The conifer collection at the Arnold Arboretum is dense in diversity and rich in history. Jim Gorman will lead participants through this collection explaining key identification features, natural history, medicinal and economic uses, and horticultural firsts. He will focus on members of the Pinaceae and Cupressaceae that populate the Northern Hemisphere, including firs, hemlocks, pines, cedars, junipers, cypress, calocedrus, and more. The class will take place July 9 and 23 from 6 – 8. Meet at the Bussey Street Gate. Fee: $40 member, $50 nonmember. Register at https://my.arboretum.harvard.edu/Info.aspx?EventID=1.

  • Wednesday, July 16, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm – Ikenobo Beginners Flower Arranging Class

    In this hands-on class you will learn the basics of Ikenobo Japanese Flower Design from the President of Ikenobo Boston. The Ikenobo style has the longest tradition of Japanese Flower Arranging. You MUST RSVP and PAY IN ADVANCE as the Instructor will buy your flowers for you from the Boston Flower Market. RSVP to: GloriaHammac@Juno.com. Bring garden shears. Cost: $35 for Flowers + Instruction. You may attend as many classes as you like – these classes take place monthly (with the exception of an August summer break.) Each time they will have DIFFERENT flowers and you will learn a NEW Technique. You work at your own pace with the patient guidance of the Instructor.

    Dates: July 16th from 6–8pm

    Venue: TOTO Gallery, 123 North Washington Street in Boston

    MBTA: Orange and Green Lines to Haymarket. Street parking available. Government Center Parking garage is nearby.

  • Friday, July 11, 8:00 pm – 11:30 pm – Moth Night at Northfield Mountain Reservation

    Enjoy an evening learning about and observing moths and other night flying insects at Northfield Mountain Reservation with a team from the Athol Bird and Nature Club including naturalists: Dave Small, Lula Field, Betsy Higgins, and Sue Cloutier. They will share their knowledge and enthusiasm for these amazing animals, beginning indoors with an introduction to moths, followed by an evening of looking at moth attracting lights and baited trees. Popular interest in moths is rapidly growing. With over 10,000 species in North America alone, moths offer endless options for study, education, photography and fun. Their diversity is astounding with a range of colors and patterns, shapes and sizes. Don’t miss this evening discovering the intriguing world of moth baits, lights and flying nocturnal insects. Bring your point and shoot digital (or other) camera and flashlight. This free program is co-sponsored with the Athol Bird and Nature Club. For all ages (children must be accompanied by adult) Pre-register by calling 800-859-2960 free and open to all.

  • Monday, July 7, 7:00 pm – Crafty Bastards

    Join Lauren Clark at Porter Square Books, 25 White Street in Cambridge on Monday, July 7 at 7 pm for a celebration of the New England tradition of brewing beer — complete with samples!

    The region that defined Yankee ingenuity has a beer heritage in keeping with its character. Brewing in New England goes back four centuries, beginning with the Pilgrims who dropped anchor in Plymouth because their supply of beer was running low. (After barely surviving the winter, they planted a crop of barley and soon brewed their first ale.) Making beer in New England hasn’t always been easy. Puritan housewives, Industrial Era beer moguls, and contemporary craft brewers alike have concocted humankind’s oldest beverage in the face of scarce ingredients, legal hurdles, and public indifference. But despite these challenges, beer continues to be a staple of New England life.

    With Crafty Bastards: Beer in New England from the Mayflower to Modern Day, Lauren Clark deepens our appreciation for the perfect pint. Giving voice to the inimitable Yankee spirit that allows New Englanders to faithfully produce some of the best beers in the nation, Clark invites readers to take a giant swig of brewing past and present.

    Lauren Clark is a journalist and former bartender and brewer. Her articles have appeared in the New York Times, The Boston Globe, Jane, and Yankee Magazine. Clark is the founder of drinkboston.com, which was featured in several Boston newspapers and magazines, the Massachusetts Beverage Business Journal, and Vintage Spirits & Forgotten Cocktails by Ted Haigh.

  • Call for Volunteers – Friends of the Public Garden Docent Program

    The Friends of the Public Garden has just completed a Strategic Plan to guide its growth over the next five years. Executive Director Liz Vizza spoke to the Garden Club of the Back Bay at our Annual Meeting in May, introducing a new initiative. As part of FOPG’s goal to build a strong base of support for the three parks, they want to create a docent program to deepen the public’s connections with these greenspaces. People have a great interest in learning about park history, horticulture and sculpture. Better understanding can also lead to more effective citizen advocates for their care and protection.

    They plan to begin this year with a pilot program of tours of the Public Garden, and are seeking volunteers with an interest in the parks to be trained to lead tours. They anticipate training to be some time in August, and a modest pilot program to be launched in September. They are not expecting people to be able to lead a tour without notes, so no concern about that!

    Please contact Communications and Outreach Director Eileen Scafidi with any questions anyone may have about the program. Image from www.tripadvisor.com.

    E-MAIL FOR EILEEN – eileen@friendsofthepublicgarden.org

  • Friday and Saturday, June 27 – 28, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm – Scents of Summer Garden and Kitchen Tour

    The Wareham Garden Club will present a two day Garden and Kitchen Tour Friday and Saturday, June 27 & 28, from 10 – 3, entitled Scents of Summer.  Visit homes from 1774 to the present.   $25 day of tour. Tickets  can now be purchased at Eden’s Florist and Garden Shop, 337 Wareham Street, Marion, or the Wareham Free Library or Spinney Memorial Library in Onset. Contact Christine Decas at chrisdecas@comcast.net or call 508-295-9260.

  • Friday, July 11 – Entry Deadline for Mayor Walsh’s Garden Contest

    Launched as part of Mayor Walsh’s citywide beautification initiative, the contest recognizes gardeners who have landscaped, planted flowers, trees, and shrubs, and, in the process, helped beautify Boston’s neighborhoods.

    First place winners in the garden categories will receive the coveted “Golden Trowel” award from Mayor Walsh and prize packages from the Parks Department, Mahoney’s Garden Centers of Brighton and other sponsors at an awards ceremony in August in the Public Garden. Grand Prize provided by JetBlue.

    Mayor Walsh will recognize Garden Contest Hall of Fame inductees this year. To be eligible to be in the Hall of Fame, a gardener must have won three or more times. Residents and businesses are encouraged to nominate their own or a neighbor’s garden, window box, or front, back, or side yard. Only gardens planted by amateur gardeners are eligible to take part in the contest. No professionally contracted work will be allowed to enter. Entrants are required to submit photographs of their garden along with an official entry form. Using these photos, judges will narrow the entrants to five finalists per category. Site visits by contest judges will determine the winners.

    Your photo(s) and completed nomination form must be received at our Boston offices by July 11, 2014 at 11:59PM to be eligible for competition.

    Entries without photographs will not be accepted.
    Online Entry Form – http://www.cityofboston.gov/parks/gardencontest/gardencontest.aspx
    Complete the form online and upload up to 5 digital photos of your garden.
    For More Information call 617-635-4505 or email GardenContest@cityofboston.gov. Pictured below, last year’s first place senior garden in Roslindale.