Boston Flora

Month: June 2015

  • Saturday, June 20, 7:00 pm – Glow in the Park

    Want to enjoy live 80s music, beer/wine, and all-you-can-eat food truck food underneath The Rose Kennedy Greenway’s Echelman sculpture with a few hundred of your young professional colleagues, all while supporting the mission of The Greenway? If so, we’re excited to announce our first ever ‘Glow In The Park’ event, to be held Saturday, June 20 at 7 pm, hosted by Young Friends of The Greenway! Tickets include food and drinks, entertainment, and status as a ‘Young Friend of The Greenway.’ Tickets are limited, so be sure to visit: https://tickets.ruggedraces.com/event/GreenwayGlow.  $125 per person.

  • Friday, November 6 – Sunday, November 15 – The Galapagos Islands

    Hidden Treasures Tours is conducting a land-based history, conservation, and cultural approach to the Galapagos Islands November 6 – 15, 2015. This trip is designed for travelers to understand Galapagos through its history. Learn how the first humans inhabited the Islands and the way in which they bonded with this very fragile environment. You will learn about the damage caused by the first settlers, the current programs to preserve this delicate ecosystem and how local population is engaged in conserving the Archipelago. Visit Galapagos’ most important islands, kayaking and snorkeling through crystal clear waters filled with colorful, tropical fish, sea turtles, dolphins and reef sharks. Walk through amazing volcanic landscapes filled with candelabra cactus and awesome lizards, and finally, learn how to make ceviche, a tasty dish from Ecuador’s coastline – fresh fish or shrimp marinated with lime, onions and delicious herbs. Explore the full itinerary and receive more information by emailing kari@hiddentreasurestours.com.

  • Sunday, June 14, 11:00 am – 5:00 pm – Hopkinton 300th House and Garden Tour

    In celebration of Hopkinton’s 300th Anniversary the Hopkinton Garden Club, the Hopkinton Woman’s Club and the Hopkinton Historical Society have joined together for the first time to organize an exciting community event – Hopkinton 300th House and Garden Tour.

    We are showcasing six exceptional homes in Hopkinton, representing the past three centuries of our town from historic early houses to a modern architect’s home. Also on display will be six verdant gardens, each unique and with many different features, such as a rose garden, pools, outdoor fireplace, and even a chicken coop. This fundraising event is taking place on Sunday, June 14, 2015 from 11 am to 5 pm.

    Tickets

    Tour admission limited to ages 12 and over.

    IN ADVANCE: $25.00

    Available at Angels Garden Center, 65 School Street, Hopkinton

    Country Plus, 20 Main Street(cash or check only)

    DAY OF: $30.00 (from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM)

    Available at Angels Garden Center, 65 School Street, Hopkinton
    Hopkinton Historical Society, 168 Hayden Rowe Street, Hopkinton (cash or check only)

  • Friday, June 19 and Saturday, June 20, 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm – In the Groves: A Summer Solstice Journey

    Ancient legends of trees with music and songs from cultures around the world accompany a twilight stroll through the beautiful groves of the Arnold Arboretum on Friday and Saturday, June 19 and 20, from 6:30 – 8:30. This performance event, specifically designed for this tree sanctuary by award-winning storyteller Diane Edgecomb and Celtic harper Margot Chamberlain takes us to some of its loveliest spots. Stories and music are drawn from the rich cultural traditions of Japan, Wales, England, Australia, Russia and Native America. The evening culminates with the haunting Czech legend “The Wild Woman of the Birch Grove” told among the birches of Bussey Hill at sunset.

    This duo has been featured on NPR and at storytelling festivals, coffeehouses, theaters, and garden clubs. Diane is known for her unique style of storytelling, where she embodies the various characters and scenes in a tale, bringing each moment alive. For this she has won the first national Oracle Award for Storytelling Excellence in the Northeast. Margot Chamberlain’s versatile approach to harp and song brings an underlying poetic weave to support each tale. Expect to laugh, be moved, and leave your cares behind. $20 through June 10 and $25 thereafter. Telephone 617-524-1718, or visit https://my.arboretum.harvard.edu/Info.aspx?DayPlanner=1024&DayPlannerDate=6/20/2014 to register.  Photo by Pamela Ruby Russell.

  • Sunday, June 7, 9:00 am – 3:30 pm – 5th Annual Tour de Hives

    Join The Boston Beekeepers Association on Sunday, June 7, from 9 – 3:30 to celebrate honeybees and beekeeping on the Tour de Hives, a bike tour of Boston area hives in Jamaica Plain, Mattapan, and Chestnut Hill. Learn about honeybee biology, bee-friendly flowers, and backyard honey production from urban beekeepers on-site at their local apiaries. After a full morning of cycling and bees, all groups will reconvene at the Loring-Greenough House grounds for a picnic lunch and festival. Locally screen-printed t-shirt, free snacks and honey tasting included in event registration. The departure point is the Curtis Hall Community Center, 20 South Street in Jamaica Plain. $20 for adults. Phone 617-861-7185 or email bostontourdehives@gmail.com to register.

  • Thursday, June 18, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm – Beginner Japanese Flower Arranging

    Thursday, June 18, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm – Beginner Japanese Flower Arranging

    “Learning about Ikebana, the distinctive Japanese approach to the arrangement of Flowers, will give you a new appreciation of Nature. You will find more Beauty in the World.” On Thursday, June 18, from 6 – 8 at Basho Japanese Brasserie, 1338 Boylston Street in Boston, learn the Ohara-Style of Japanese Flower Arranging. Ohara is well-known for its landscape and moribana style. Design beautiful harmonious arrangements using a variety of plant materials and flowers. You will learn different techniques and use different flowers. All materials will be provided.

    The Instructor is Russell Bowers. He holds an Instructor and Masters Certification from the Ohara School in Japan. For information on fees, and to sign up, contact: JapaneseFlowerArranging@Juno.com.

    OharaGrandMaster2

  • Friends of the Public Garden Docent Tours

    More than a dozen people, including members of The Garden Club of the Back Bay, have recently taken a very special interest in the Public Garden and have been studying this iconic greenspace for hours on end. What they are learning about America’s first public botanical garden is not for a class or research for a book. This studious bunch is the inaugural group of volunteer docents of the Friends of the Public Garden that will be serving as guides for a new tour program. Incoming GCBB Vice President Sherley Smith and Beacon Hill resident Sidney Kenyon have been key organizers for this special endeavor.

    Walking a route that encompasses the northern half of the Garden, tour participants will gain a deeper understanding of the Garden’s special place in the history of Boston and the country. Hour-long tours will include interesting facts and anecdotes about history, horticulture, and sculpture. Casual visitors of the area are likely to find a new appreciation of its significance and neighbors who use it frequently are likely to discover at least a thing or two that might surprise them.

    Docents have spent many volunteer hours learning about the Garden and working to craft their tours. In February, their training began with a Friends-sponsored lecture, Searching for the Histories of the Boston Public Garden by Boston University Professor Keith Morgan, held at Suffolk University. Friends President Emeritus Henry Lee gave a talk at the Friends office that traced the Garden’s history as well as the founding of the organization and highlights from its 45 year work in caring for the Garden in partnership with the Boston Parks and Recreation Department. Additional information sessions included trees and plantings by Friends Project Manager Bob Mulcahy; the history of the Swan Boats by fourth generation owner Lyn Paget; and the Garden’s sculpture including the Friends sculpture care program by Friends Collections Care Manager Sarah Hutt.

    FOPG members $5, nonmembers $15. Register online at http://friendsofthepublicgarden.org/programs-projects/tours-2/ Tours run through September, and you are advised to bring a hat, sunscreen, and dress for the weather.  Photo below by Caroline Phillips-Licari.

    (Photo: Caroline Phillips-Licari)

  • Wednesday, June 10, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm – Chasing the Red Queen: The Evolutionary Race Between Pests and Poisons

    Try as we might, our every attempt to control insects and weeds is met with an evolutionary response: they adapt and become resistant to the poisons. We fight back with new, improved chemicals—they respond by adapting again, and on it goes, over and over, as it has for the past sixty years. But Andy Dyer, PhD, Associate Professor of Biology, University of South Carolina, believes that if we use the principles of evolutionary biology, we stand a good chance of taking control of our food supply and weaning our agricultural system from chemical dependence. Join us for a biological perspective on securing foods of our future. Dr. Dyer will speak at the Arnold Arboretum, Hunnewell Building, 125 Arborway, Jamaica Plain, on Wednesday, June 10 from 7 – 8:30. Fee $10 general; students are free. Register online at my.arboretum.harvard.edu.

  • Thursday, June 18, 5:30 pm – 8:00 pm – 19th Annual Rose Garden Party

    The Mayor’s Rose Garden Party is an annual fundraiser which benefits year-round programs in City of Boston parks and allows thousands of children and families to enjoy arts, science, and fitness programs as well as special events in their neighborhoods. Now in its 19th year, the annual Rose Garden Party has become one of Boston’s signature events. The party takes place in the Kelleher Rose Garden in the Back Bay Fens, when 3,000 rose bushes are at peak bloom. There will be passed hors d’oeuvre, buffet, and complimentary libations, plus live entertainment and a spirited creative hat contest in a garden-party setting; live and silent auction, en plein air painting demonstration and a Hollywood red carpet experience with a Step and Repeat backdrop courtesy of StepandRepeat.com. Proceeds from the ticketed event directly fund free programming in neighborhood parks throughout the city. Tickets are $150 and may be purchased online at http://www.cityofboston.gov/parks/rosegarden/rosegardenparty.asp.

  • Thursday, June 4, 5:30 pm – Urban Herb & Garden Fest

    Those of you not attending the Garden Club of the Back Bay’s Twilight Garden Party on Thursday (and why not, we ask?) should head over to Goddard House, 165 Chestnut Street in Brookline, on Thursday, June 4 at 5:30 pm for the Urban Herb & Garden Fest sponsored by Goddard House & Green City Growers.  Join them for light fare (fresh herb flatbreads, wine and beer), create your own potted herb garden to take home, watch and hear a slide show and talk on the current state of urban agriculture in greater Boston by GCG founder and CEO and past Garden Club of the Back Bay speaker Jessie Banhazl, and learn how you can get involved in creative growing systems and new technologies.  Free, but please RSVP to Brandon Fisher at 617-731-8500, x 130, or email bfisher@goddardhouse.org.