Boston Flora

Month: June 2015

  • Thursday, July 16, 7:30 pm – Hydrangeas Demystified

    On Thursday, July 16 at 7:30 pm join Tim Wood, the Proven Winners Plant Hunter from Spring Meadows Nursery, as he takes you around the world to look at eight beautiful and diverse species of hydrangea. Find out which are best for your garden, how to grow them and meet the breeders that developed the best new selections. Tim will take the mystery out of growing hydrangeas; you’ll learn how to get the best blooms, how to prune and how to change the flower color. The program will be held at the Polly Hill Arboretum, 809 State Road in West Tisbury. $10/$5 for PHA members. For more information visit www.pollyhillarboretum.org or call 508-693-9426.

  • Tuesdays, July 14 – August 4, 9:00 am – 12:00 noon – Landscape for Life

    This intensive four session (July 14, 21, 28, and August 4) introductory course co-sponsored by the Ecological Landscape Alliance and the New England Wild Flower Society will provide you with the knowledge, skills, and understanding to create a great-looking garden that is healthier for you, your family, and the environment. This class, taking place at Garden in the Woods in Framingham, is based on the principles of the Sustainable Sites Initiative, the nation’s first rating system for sustainable landscapes.

    Instructor Mark Richardson oversees the New England Wildflower Society’s botanic garden, Garden in the Woods, and its native plant nursery operation, Nasami Farm in Whately, Massachusetts. He studied ornamental horticulture at University of Rhode Island and helped run a mid-sized ornamental plant nursery before finding his true passion in public horticulture. He led undergraduate programs at Longwood Gardens, overhauled the curriculum of the Professional Gardener Program, and oversaw adult education at Brookside Gardens. In 2013, Mr. Richardson assisted with the development of the first comprehensive master plan for Garden in the Woods. He holds a MS from the University of Delaware’s Longwood Graduate Program. Bring a bag lunch each day. $185 for members of the sponsoring organizations, $218 for nonmembers. See more at: http://www.ecolandscaping.org/event/landscape-for-life/2015-07-14/#sthash.D6dVSvgx.dpuf

  • Thursday, July 9, 9:30 am – 11:30 am – Angela Moore Fashion Show & Champagne Brunch

    The Preservation Society of Newport County and nationally known designer Angela Moore host a fashion show and brunch at Rosecliff, 548 Bellevue Avenue in Newport. This year marks Angela’s 16th show and the second year of the special collaboration with the Preservation Society. All proceeds from this debut event will benefit the Preservation Society’s mission to protect, preserve and present its exceptional collection of house museums and landscapes.

    The theme of the show will be Fashion Through the Decades, celebrating the 70th anniversary of the Preservation Society.  The show will include an exclusive exhibit of iconic fashions from the Preservation Society’s collection, dating from 1945 to the present, plus the latest in resort fashions modeled by Newport style stars and VIP guests.. In addition to showing her own new collection and debuting limited edition Newport Forever jewelry, the show will also feature other well-known designers including Manuel Canovas, Just Madras, and Jack Rogers.

    The doors of Rosecliff will open at 9 a.m. Guests are invited to have their picture taken on the “Red Carpet” staircase of Rosecliff prior to enjoying cocktails on the terrace before proceeding to the ballroom for the fashion show and brunch.

    Seating is limited. Admission is $90 for Preservation Society members and $95 for non-members, and includes the Fashion Show, Champagne Brunch, a $25 Angela Moore Gift Certificate and an exclusive package ticket to tour another Preservation Society property, The Elms (1901), and take the behind the scenes Servant Life Tour.

    Purchase tickets at http://tix.newportmansions.org/ecommerce/default.aspx.

  • Saturday, July 11, 10:00 am – 12:00 noon – Plan to Harvest: Vegetable Gardening

    Massachusetts Horticultural Society Garden Keeper Susan Hammond will show you how your plan from seed catalogs grows into a producing vegetable garden. She will discuss the unique varieties growing in our educational garden, the techniques used to increase yields, and give you firsthand experience troubleshooting common garden problems. We’ll discuss late season planting, maintenance and harvest. And assess how all that snow affected our gardens. Come with questions!

    The first part of this Saturday, July 11 program (10 – noon) will be held in the Elm Bank Education Building, and the program will end in the Garden to Table Vegetable Garden.

    Susan Hammond is a Lifetime Master Gardener with the Massachusetts Master Gardener Association. She’s been gardening since childhood, with a special focus on edible plants. She is responsible for the Mass Hort’s 6,000 square foot Garden to Table Vegetable Garden, where she enjoys teaching visitors and volunteers about vegetable gardening. Lecture Fee: Mass Hort Members $10, Non-Members $15. Register online at www.masshort.org. Photo from www.sharpercut.com.

  • Thursday, September 17 – Monday, September 21 – American Dahlia Society Centennial Show

    In celebration of the 100th anniversary of its founding in 1915, the American Dahlia Society will hold a special Centennial Show September 17 – 21 in Hempstead, New York.  Hosted by the Mid Island Dahlia Society, this event includes tours of the dahlia garden at Planting Fields Arboretum as well as tours of private gardens, dahlia competitions, and educational symposium.  Three speakers sponsored by the American Horticultural Society will present: Hanu Pappu, head of the Dahlia Research Project at Washington State University, Allan M. Armitage, and Keith Hammett, ornamental plant breeder from New Zealand.  Register at www.dahlia.org by August 1.

  • Thursday, July 9, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm – Insects in the Garden: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

    This Massachusetts Horticultural Society class on Thursday, July 9, from 7 – 8:30 at Elm Bank, 900 Washington Street in Wellesley will review the more common garden and lawn insect pests plaguing homeowners and insect pest life cycles. Bio-control and low toxicity control options will be presented. Examples of plant damage will be presented from various garden plants. Colorado potato beetle eggs are pictured below.

    Not all garden and lawn insects are pests. References will be given to each student about proper insect ID, control and corresponding bio-controls in class and via e-mail. Bruce Wenning has university degrees in plant pathology and entomology. He is the horticulturist at The Country Club, Brookline, Mass.  Weather permitting, this class will involve an outdoor exploration for garden insects, please dress accordingly.

    Lecture Fee: Mass Hort Members $10, Non-Members $15. Register online at www.masshort.org.

  • Saturday, July 11, 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm – Lush, Lovely, and Lawn-Free Gardens

    The Ecological Landscape Alliance is sponsoring a Brookline Village Walking Garden Tour with Landscape Designer Carol Spitzer on Saturday, July 11, from 5 – 7. There is an exciting new trend in ecological landscape design that goes by many names: lawn-free, no-mow, or lawn-alternative gardens. The incentives are many: lower maintenance, water conservation, reduced fertilizer/chemical use, increased biodiversity/habitat, and the greatest incentive – the stunning diversity of gardens! Landscape designer Carol Spitzer has been designing lawn-free gardens for many years and invites you to join her on a unique walking tour in Brookline Village. On this tour, we will walk through three different front yards where the existing lawns were removed and replaced with shrubs, perennials, groundcovers, and walkways. In all three projects, there were existing trees and plants that were incorporated into the new landscape.

    Each lawn-free project is different and comes with its own unique set of challenges. One of Carol’s projects included side-by-side condos whose owners had differing opinions about plant materials. A second project required a more welcoming landing and front steps, as well as a new walking path to the driveway. In addition to these three gardens designed by Carol, we will walk down an adjacent street, to view several other examples of lawn-free front yards.

    Lawn-free gardens require a fraction of the maintenance time of traditional lawns; provide a rich palette of color; introduce contrasting textures and fragrance; and increase curb appeal. Join us to explore lawn-alternative gardens and consider the rich tapestry that awaits in your own yard makeover. $30 fee. Register at http://www.ecolandscaping.org/event/lush-lovely-and-lawn-less-gardens/#sthash.J1eAw7ox.dpuf.  Garden Club of the Back Bay members will receive an ELA member discount by using code garden-club at checkout.

  • Monday, July 13, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm – Three Sites, One Mission: North End Design Crawl

    Preservation, architecture and design – each of these disciplines play a crucial role in the development and maintenance of Boston’s historic fabric. Join The Boston Preservation Alliance on Monday, July 13 at 6 pm for its first-ever young professionals Design Crawl, during which you’ll go behind the scenes at Walsh Brothers Construction, the Paul Revere House and North Bennet Street School – three venues that engage in historic preservation daily, yet in radically different ways. You’ll also stop by the proposed historic Haymarket Hotel site to explore a real-world example of design challenges, followed by drinks at Ward 8. We can’t wait to see you there!

    The event is free, but registration is required. Registration, full tour schedule, meeting address and additional information may be found by clicking HERE.

  • Thursday, July 16, 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm – Esplanade Summer Dock Party

    Thursday, July 16, 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm – Esplanade Summer Dock Party

    On Thursday, July 16th, the Esplanade Friends Council will host the 5th annual Esplanade Summer Dock Party from 7:00—10:00pm on the Docks at Community Boating Inc. Over the past four years the Dock Party has become a Boston social calendar staple and has sold out weeks in advance.

    This year’s event will include dinner, dessert, beer from Sam Adams, and a special summer wine selection. Don’t miss your chance to join us this year for a fantastic night of dinner, drinks and dancing on the docks. The funds raised at this event are critical to our organization’s ability to fund important park improvements and community enriching programs for the enjoyment of the park’s millions of visitors.

    Chance to Win – For only $20 a ticket you will have the chance to win one or more of our amazing prize packages including 2 round trip tickets from JetBlue. Attire is casual. Casual summer/boating attire is welcome. Ladies, please refrain from wearing thin heels that can get stuck between the dock platforms. Sandals, wedges, and thick heels are recommended.

    $80 Ticket (if purchased by June 30th) Ticket price will increase to $100 beginning July 1st. Ticket includes admission, wine, beer, dinner and dessert. Must be 21 or older to attend. This year’s event is co-chaired by Kimberly Buder and Stephen Pleines. To buy tickets on line, visit http://www.esplanadeassociation.org/events-2/upcoming-events/annual-dock-party/

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  • Wednesday, July 8, 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm – Mount Auburn’s Beautiful Public Lots

    Mount Auburn, since its beginnings in 1831, has set aside modest burial spaces suitable for single grave interments. The first such space was called St. James’ Lot and it is on Cypress Avenue (1831). This Wednesday, July 8 walking tour led by Volunteer Docents Rosemarie Smurzynski and Bill McEvoy will begin at 5:30 in Story Chapel and then continue with a walk on the grounds to St James’ and St. John’s public lots preserved as a country cemetery. Note: this program is two hours. Funding for programs has been provided in part by the Massachusetts Cultural Council. $7 for Friends of Mount Auburn, $12 for nonmembers. Register online at http://mountauburn.org/2015/mount-auburns-beautiful-public-lots/  Image from www.promptguides.com.