Boston Flora

Month: October 2014

  • Monday, October 20, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm – America’s Founding Fruit: The Cranberry in a New Environment

    The cranberry, Vaccinium macrocarpa, is one of only three cultivated fruits native to North America. The story of this perennial vine began as the glaciers retreated about fifteen thousand years ago. Through the centuries the cranberry has provided critical sustenance for humans, on land, at sea, and in times of war. It was even offered in a diplomatic gesture to King Charles II in 1677. Today, it is a powerful tool in the fight against various forms of cancer. Author Susan Playfair interviewed scientists studying the health benefits of cranberries, growers in several states, geneticists mapping the cranberry genome, a plant biologist who provided her with the first regression analysis of cranberry flowering times, and a migrant beekeeper to weave together the history and culture of the cranberry and assess the possible effects of climate change on this North American resource. America’s Founding Fruit will be available for purchase and signing after this October 20 lecture at the Arnold Arboretum beginning at 7 pm in the Hunnewell Building. Fee $5 Arboretum members, $10 nonmembers. Register online at https://my.arboretum.harvard.edu/Info.aspx?EventID=1.

  • Saturdays, November 1 – November 22, 9:30 am – 12:30 pm – Fruits of Fall: Painting Acorns and Chestnuts on Vellum

    Esther Klahne guides you in capturing autumn fruits’ shapes and highlights as well as achieving a balanced composition.  Working on vellum, choose your subject from an assortment of acorn or chestnut specimens, either your own or those provided.  This Class, sponsored by the Friends of Wellesley College Botanic Gardens, will take place on four successive Saturdays, November 1 – 22, from 9:30 – 12:30, on campus.  The cost is $200 for Friends, $250 for non-members.  Register by calling 781-283-3094 or email wcbgfriends@wellesley.edu.  The tuition includes the cost of the provided vellum.

  • Through October 26 – An Autumn Fable: The Art of Don Carney & John Ross of PATCH NYC

    Tower Hill Botanic Garden, 11 French Drive in Boylston, presents An Autumn Fable: The Art of Don Carney & John Ross of PATCH NYC, which will be on view October 4 – October 26.

    The internationally known artists and designers will debut their latest collection, inspired by Tower Hill Botanic Garden and installed throughout the galleries.  Their work has been featured in The New York Times and Martha Stewart Living.  PATCH NYC has also produced special collections for Barnes & Noble, West Elm, and Target.

    For more information visit www.towerhillbg.org.

  • Saturday, October 25, 2:00 pm – Remembering North America’s Extinct Birds

    Join the Harvard Museum of Natural History at 2 pm on Saturday, October 25 for a screening of The Lost Bird Project, a film that honors five extinct North American birds: the Labrador Duck, the Great Auk, the Heath Hen, the Carolina Parakeet, and the Passenger Pigeon. Directed by Deborah Dickson, the film follows sculptor Todd McGrain as he sets out to create large bronze memorials to these lost birds and to install them in the locations where they were last seen in the wild. A discussion with McGrain and Andy Stern, the executive producer of the film, will follow the screening. A book about the project will also be available for purchase at the museum store. Free with museum admission.
    Haller Hall, enter at 26 Oxford Street. Free event parking available at the 52 Oxford Street Garage.

  • Sunday, October 19, 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm – That’s My Jam! Apple Jellies and Butters

    Making your own fruit preserves requires a delicate balance of science, seasonal produce, and a touch of creative flair. Learn about what differentiates preserves, jellies, jams, and butters in this October 19 Cambridge Center for Adult Education Class, held from 1 – 4 at 56 Brattle Street in Cambridge. Snack on homemade shortbread jam cookies before rolling up your sleeves to process varietal apples such as Braeburn and Gala to make delicious rosemary-apple jelly and classic apple butter, then leave with a jar of your homemade goods to enjoy at home! $80 tuition. Image from www.bbcgoodfood.com. Register online at http://www.ccae.org/catalog/detail.php?id=573158.

  • Sunday, October 19, 9:00 am – 12:30 pm – Making the Cut: Basic Felling Techniques

    “Make the cut” with Arboretum Head Arborist John DelRosso on Sunday, October 19 from 9 – 12 at Peters Hill Gate at the Arnold Arboretum in this practical workshop. John will quickly review basic chainsaw operation and safety. He will then demonstrate sawing techniques and guide you in felling and cutting using practice logs in the Arboretum’s wood recycling area. Bring your saw, if you have one. If you don’t own a saw but intend to purchase one, wait until you’ve attended the class to learn which styles and features are best for your size and needs. Participants must bring safety goggles, gloves, and ear protection. Dress for the outdoors and bring a snack and beverage. Registrants must sign an Assumption of Risk and Release to participate. Fee $45 Arboretum member, $55 nonmember.  Register at https://my.arboretum.harvard.edu/Info.aspx?EventID=1.

  • Saturday, October 25, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm – Small Worlds: Through a Small Glass Window

    Highlighting the intricate beauty of plants and nature, Josh Falk’s Small Worlds: Through a Small Glass Window is an ongoing macro-photo series shot with the intent of not only showcasing the subtleties of what we often take for granted in
    nature, but to also create new abstract landscapes through manipulation of depth of focus and segmentation of the larger picture. As if the photos themselves and their glass-like finish are windows into a brief moment of time, Falk invites the viewer to look out, or perhaps in, to a new and reimagined world of nature and its complex beauty.  The Arnold Arboretum will host the opening reception for this show in the Hunnewell Building on Saturday, October 25, from 1 – 3, and the exhibit will remain on view through February 3, 2015.  For more information visit www.arboretum.harvard.edu.

  • Saturday, October 11 & Sunday, October 12, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm – Berkshire Botanical Garden Harvest Festival

    Celebrate autumn with popular family activities, continuous live entertainment, 113 food and craft vendors, educational workshops, a farmers market, silent auction and numerous tag sales, a spectacular plant and bulb sale, Hall of Pumpkins and a Haunted House. The Berkshire Botanical Gardens holds its annual Harvest Fair on Saturday and Sunday, October 11 and 12, from 10 – 5, at the intersection of Routes 102 and 183 in Stockbridge. Adults $5, children under 12 free. For more information visit www.berkshirebotanical.org.

  • Monday, October 20, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm – God of the Gourds: Cooking with Pumpkin

    Pumpkin patches provide the base for this Boston Center for Adult Education class offering dedicated to the gorgeous gourds known for their sweet, autumnal aromatics. We’ll bypass the traditional pumpkin custard pie and head into unchartered pumpkin territory as we explore breads, delicate pastries, and cupcakes based on this bright orange seasonal vegetable-masked-as-fruit. Sweetening it up with cinnamon and making it more savory with salts, you’ll have a cornucopia of pumpkin feasting in this hands-on class. This course, taught by Dustin Rennells on Monday, October 20, from 6 – 9 at the BCAE building, 122 Arlington Street in Boston, will include alcohol and nuts in various recipes, please plan accordingly. Tuition is $40 for general public, $34 for BCAE members. Image from www.pinchmysalt.com. Register online at http://www.bcae.org/index.cfm?method=ClassInfo.ClassInformation&int_class_id=11601&int_category_id=2&int_sub_category_id=5&int_catalog_id=0.

  • Saturday, November 1, 12:00 – 6:00 pm, and Sunday, November 2, 9:00 am – 11:00 am – Boston Poultry Exposition

    The Boston Poultry Exposition is America’s first and oldest poultry show, having begun in 1849.  It is held on the first Saturday and Sunday in November each year at the Four Winds Farm, 31 Ennis Road in North Oxford, Massachusetts.  The show will be open to the public on Saturday, November 1 from 12 noon to 6 pm, and on Sunday from 9 – 11. Entry forms are available for download at www.bostonpoultryexpo.com (entries postmarked after October 17 will be charged a double entry fee.)

    Some of the catagories are Champion Large Fowl, Champion Bantam, Champion Duck, Champion Goose, Champion Turkey, Champion Guinea, and Champion Pigeon.  There is a junior show and a raffle as well. For more information email Stephen Blash at bmwz30317@aol.com, or call 508-987-8029.  Photo by Charlie Sutherland from www.poultryshowcentral.com.