Boston Flora

Month: February 2015

  • Monday, March 2 & Wednesday, March 4, 6:30 pm – 9:00 pm, and Saturday, March 7, 9:30 am – 1:30 pm – Bones of the Garden: Strengthening the Design

    Every memorable landscape has something in common — strong “bones.” The placement of trees and shrubs creates form, directs movement, and organizes the garden. Learn to situate and integrate these stately elements into the cultivated landscape. Explore the concepts of scale, the creation of space, and the impact of change over time. You will experience first-hand how understanding these concepts can change your approach. Using this knowledge, you will develop your own site-specific design and receive feedback on design structure and plant combinations. During the final session of this New England Wild Flower Society course, inspect the “bones” of Garden in the Woods with a late winter walk. The three session class will be held Monday, March 2 and Wednesday, March 4 from 6:30 – 9, and on Saturday, March 7, from 9:30 – 1:30, and will be taught by Cheryl Salatino. Fee is $138 for NEWFS members, $163 for nonmembers. Register online at http://www.newenglandwild.org/learn/our-programs/bones-of-the-garden-strengthening-the-design. Image from https://www.jardins-sans-secret.com.

  • Saturday, March 7, 9:30 am – 12:00 noon – Biodiversity in the Avian World

    Who would guess that parrots are closely related to songbirds, or that falcons are only distantly related to their look-alikes, hawks and eagles? How is it that hummingbirds have the rare ability (in the avian world) to detect sweet tastes? Explore the newly renovated Birds of the World gallery with Harvard doctoral students Allison Shultz and Maude Baldwin and consider the suite of adaptations that allows birds to live across the globe, even in the most extreme environments. Hear about the role of genomics in deciphering the bird family tree, the surprising relationships this has revealed, and the special abilities birds have evolved that help them exploit their environment. This Harvard Museum of Natural History adult education class will be held Saturday, March 7 from 9:30 – noon at the Museum, 26 Oxford Street in Cambridge. Fee: $35 Museum members/$40 nonmembers. Advance registration required. Register online at http://reservations.hmsc.harvard.edu/Info.aspx?EventID=11.

  • Saturday, February 28, 9:00 am – 11:00 am – Pruning Shrubs

    Knowing what and when to prune, and how to do so, are important as you manage your home landscape. Learn the basic techniques for pruning ornamental shrubs for optimum health and beauty. Jen Kettell, an ISA-certified arborist will address topics including pruning cuts and tools; thinning and reducing overgrown plants; shaping and encouraging new growth. The class is sponsored by the Arnold Arboretum and takes place Saturday, February 28, from 9 – 11. Fee $20 Arboretum member, $30 nonmember. Register online at http://my.arboretum.harvard.edu/Info.aspx?EventID=1.

  • Thursday, February 26, 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm – Vegetable Garden Planning

    Do you want to get more out of your vegetable garden? Come learn about planting schedules, spacing, succession planting, interplanting, and drafting your own garden plan on Thursday, February 26 from 6 – 7:30 at 62 Summer Street in Boston. This Trustees of Reservations lecture will be led by Michelle de Lima.
    Registration required: http://www.thetrustees.org/things-to-do/greater-boston/event-1836.html  Questions? Contact Michelle at mdelima@ttor.org or call 617-542-7696. Free. Image from www.houzz.com.

  • Wednesday, February 25, 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm – Create an Aerium

    Learn to make an aerium at niche urban garden supply on Wednesday, February 25 from 7 – 9. An aerium is a soil-less terrarium housing airplants, and other epiphytes. Decorated with rocks, shells and moss, they are a low maintenance way to display your favorite airplants. So come on, and find out how to brighten your home with an eye-catching aerium of your own making. You won’t even have to get your hands dirty! The class, co-sponsored with the Boston Center for Adult Education, but taking place at niche, 619 Tremont Street in the South End, costs $34 plus $35 materials cost. Register online at http://bcae.org/index.cfm?method=ClassInfo.ClassInformation&int_class_id=12368&int_category_id=0&int_sub_category_id=0&int_catalog_id=0

  • James “J.” Harrison Named New Executive Director of The Food Project

    The Garden Club of the Back Bay is proud to have supported The Food Project over the years, and we share the following with you:

    James “J.” Harrison is named the new Executive Director of The Food Project.  As Executive Director, J. will oversee operations of the organization, which for over 20 years has been a national leader in the area of youth development and sustainable agriculture. J. has served as Acting Executive Director of The Food Project since October.

    “What is so extraordinary about The Food Project is that the work we do locally on our farms, at community meetings, at our farmers markets, and at hunger relief organizations, is so personal and human-scale. Yet, at the same time, the models and programs we develop and share help shape youth leadership and food systems work across the country. The Food Project is a place of growth, transformation, and hope, and it is an honor to be chosen to serve as Executive Director,” says Harrison.

    Harrison, known as “J.,” began his career in sustainable agriculture by founding a farm and CSA program in Minnesota, which fueled his passion and interest in improving our food system. In 2003, in order to gain a deeper understanding of organic agriculture, J. became a certified organic inspector for farms throughout New England. He subsequently joined The Food Project in 2005 as the North Shore’s founding Farm Manager. In his role as the North Shore Regional Director, J. was a community leader who laid the foundation for the expansion of the youth programs on the North Shore and was invaluable in establishing the farm sites in Beverly, Lynn, and most recently Wenham, MA. On state and regional levels, J. is active in food policy advocacy work.

  • Wednesday, February 18, 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm – Green City, Clean Waters: The Philadelphia Story

    Mark Focht is the First Deputy Commissioner for Philadelphia Parks and Recreation, the Immediate Past President for the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), and a fellow of the ASLA. He completed a Bachelor of Science from Pennsylvania State University and received a Master in Landscape Architecture from the University of Massachusetts. He is a licensed landscape architect in the state of Pennsylvania.

    Focht will present his keynote address titled Green City, Clean Waters: The Philadelphia Story, in the Fishbowl of the Boston Architectural College, 320 Newbury Street, on Wednesday, February 18 from 5:30 – 7 The lecture will focus on the innovative and strategic green stormwater management practices of the City of Philadelphia. Join the BAC to hear about how Focht helped the city accomplish a revitalization and stewardship plan that has beneficially impacted the way urban communities handle stormwater. From Focht we will also hear about the important partnerships and public outreach that have contributed to the success of his leadership and Philadelphia’s Green City, Clean Waters Plan.

    This lecture is sponsored by the student chapter of the ASLA. For more information email Olivia Fragale at sasla@the-bac.edu.

  • Saturday, February 21, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm – The Invented Landscape Opening Reception

    Just as the Arnold Arboretum is an invented landscape, so are the paintings in this exhibition of paintings by Nancy Sableski, which will be on view in the Hunnewell Building lecture Hall, 125 Arborway, from February 21 – May 29. While every work of art is an invention, Ms. Sableski takes this concept a step further by painting imagined landscapes that are constructed by blending multiple images taken with her cellphone. In this way she invents places that don’t exist but which clearly refer to the Arboretum. This technique allows her to examine aspects of landscape that continually capture her imagination: the interplay of powerful verticals, unpredictable diagonals, and receding horizontals. The opening reception will take place February 21 from 1 – 3. Call 617-384-5209 for more information.

  • Wednesday, February 25, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm – Amazing Alpine Communities of the Northeast

    The high alpine summits of New England, New York, and eastern Canada contribute significantly to the plant, bird, and invertebrate diversity of northeastern North America. Well-known summits such as Mount Washington have been the focus of ecological inquiry since the early 1800s. Beyond the Presidential Range and such other well-known mountains as Katahdin, Mont Jacques-Cartier, and Gros Morne are many little-known eastern alpine mountain ranges, unified by the treeless alpine communities on their slopes and summits but facing their own unique conservation challenges. Join New England Wild Flower Society on Wednesday, February 25 from 7 – 8:30 at Garden in the Woods for a presentation and lecture on the natural history of the lesser-known alpine ecosystems of Québec, Labrador, and Newfoundland and for a book signing by Liz Willey and Mike Jones, editors of the Eastern Alpine Guide: Natural History and Conservation of Mountain Tundra East of the Rockies and co-founders of Beyond Ktaadn (beyondktaadn.org). $13 for NEWFS members, $15 for nonmembers.  Register online at http://www.newenglandwild.org/learn/our-programs/amazing-alpine-communities-of-the-northeast.

  • Wednesday, February 25 – Thursday, February 26, 7:00 am – 6:00 pm – ELA Conference & Eco-Marketplace: Sustaining the Living Landscape

    Learn more about protecting and sustaining local ecosystems at the Ecological Landscape Alliance 21st Annual Conference & Eco-Marketplace, Sustaining the Living Landscape. The event will take place Wednesday – Thursday, February 25 and 26, at the MassMutual Center, 1277 Main Street in Springfield.

    The conference includes educational sessions, an irrigation demonstration, breakfast and lunch, access to vendors of ecological products and services, Social Hour, and networking opportunities.
    Event addresses designers, architects, builders, and land care specialists of all kinds from beginner to seasoned expert.  Pricing varies depending on options chosen. Details at website, http://www.ecolandscaping.org, or call 617-436-5838.