Boston Flora

Month: August 2015

  • From the Archives – An Afternoon in Victorian Boston

    From the Archives – An Afternoon in Victorian Boston

    On a Saturday in May, 1980, The Garden Club of the Back Bay invited the public to An Afternoon in Victorian Boston, a tour of houses covering living styles from 1880 to 1980.  The first house on the itinerary was, of course, The Gibson House, a living Victorian Museum, with additional access to the garden of late Treasurer Irene Pitz.  Then participants were to walk to a contemporary home, roof garden and famous “Bagel Garden” of the SWA Group, Landscape Architects, followed by a peek at the first floor and conservatory of the Webster-Ames Mansion and tea on the Mall.  The proceeds were allocated to the restoration of the interior courtyard of the Boston Public Library.  The extraordinary price of this afternoon was $5.

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  • Thursday, August 27, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm – Tour the Trial Garden

    Join Mass Hort’s Garden Curator David Fiske on Thursday, August 27 at 7 pm for a tour of our unique Trial Garden, one of three in New England. Breeding companies from all over the world contribute the latest and greatest varieties of annuals to the New England Trial Garden for viewing by amateur and professional gardeners. The event will begin in the Parkman Room at Elm Bank, 900 Washington Street in Wellesley. Sip wine and follow David as he shows off this year’s highlights, and vote for your favorite varieties!

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

  • Thursday, August 20, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm – The Art of Growing Food

    The Art of Growing Food presentation at Elm Bank on Thursday, August 20 from 7 – 8:30 will inspire you to elevate an ordinary vegetable garden to an extraordinary European inspired potager. Discover new techniques to grow food in elegant and artful ways. With gorgeous color photographs from her book, The Complete Kitchen Garden, Ellen will share six steps to easily creating a beautiful kitchen garden.

    This lecture is ideal for new and experienced gardeners or anyone interested in innovative ideas and classic design. The ultimate goal is to learn new ways to design and plant a kitchen garden for productivity, low maintenance and pure pleasure, turning work into play!

    Ellen Ecker Ogden is the author of five books, including her most recent, The Complete Kitchen Garden, and co-founder of The Cook’s Garden seed catalog. She writes many articles regularly featured in Garden Design, Eating Well, Organic Gardening, Country Gardens, The Boston Globe, The New York Times and Martha Stewart Living to name a few. She is also maintains an active website and blog. For more information about Ellen and her work, visit her website here: http://www.ellenogden.com.

    Sign up here today to reserve your space! http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?oeidk=a07ebal4dcu014e540b&llr=kzaorjcab  Mass Hort Members $15, Non-Members $20.

  • Thursday, August 20, 9:30 am – 2:00 pm – 31st Annual Massachusetts Tomato Contest

    Please join the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources for the 31st annual Massachusetts Tomato Contest on Thursday, August 20 from 9:30 – 2 at the Kitchen in the new Boston Public Market.

    Tomatoes from farmers across Massachusetts will be judged by a panel of experts on flavor, firmness/slicing quality, exterior color and shape. Categories include field tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, heirloom varieties and weight. The contest will be judged by a panel of food writers, chefs, cookbook authors, produce experts and state officials.

    The contest is sponsored by the New England Vegetable and Berry Growers Association in cooperation with the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources and Mass Farmers’ Markets and hosted by the Trustees’ Kitchen at the Boston Public Market. This friendly contest is open to commercial tomato growers and is designed to increase consumer’s awareness of local agriculture.

    The Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources’ (MDAR) mission is to ensure the long-term viability of agriculture in Massachusetts. Through its four divisions – Agricultural Conservation and Technical Assistance, Agricultural Markets, Animal Health, and Crop and Pest Services – MDAR strives to support, regulate and enhance the rich diversity of the Commonwealth’s agricultural community to promote economically and environmentally sound food safety and animal health measures, and fulfill agriculture’s role in energy conservation and production.  For more information visit http://www.thetrustees.org/things-to-do/greater-boston/bpm-1006.html.

  • Thursday, August 20, 9:00 am – 3:00 pm – Grassy Weed Identification Workshop

    Correct weed identification is an important first step in the development of an effective weed management program. Using a classroom presentation, potted weed herbarium and weed walk, UMass Extension Specialist Randy Prostak will help participants enhance their grassy weed identification skills on Thursday, August 20, from 9 – 3 at French Hall at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Feel free to bring a weed or two to identify. Workshop held rain or shine (lunch not provided). Broadleaf Weed Identificaton will be offered next in 2016. Registration Cost $95/person (pre-registration required, space is limited). Online registrations include a nominal processing fee – See more at: http://ag.umass.edu/events/grassy-weed-identification-workshop-0#sthash.9wMOxuCk.dpuf

  • Monday, February 15 – Sunday, February 21 – Oaxaca Garden Tour

    The Pacific Horticulture Society will travel to Mexico February 15 – 21, 2016. Visit Oaxaca, Mexico and you’ll quickly become entranced with its history and vibrant cultural traditions.

    The original inhabitants were known for textiles, ceramics, cuisine, and myriad plant use. In fact, corn and squash were first domesticated in this part of the Americas. A major destination on this tour is Jardin Etnobotanico de Oaxaca (pictured) — an ethnobotanical garden where you’ll experience breathtaking landscape design and also learn how plants have always interacted with the culture of this region.

    Your stay will be in Oaxaca’s Casa Antigua, a small, 19th-century traditional style hotel built around a courtyard and noted for their especially delicious breakfasts. It’s central location makes it the right location to explore this delightful town.

    A highlight of our visit will be a walking tour of the local food market to taste spices and regionally grown produce followed by a cooking class in the home of Susana Trilling, cookbook author and host of the PBS series Seasons of My Heart: A Culinary Journey through Oaxaca.

    You will be welcomed into the homes and studios of local artists and you’ll travel through the lush, fertile countryside to visit the village of San Martin Tilcajete, center for the delightful carved animals called “alebrjie.” You’ll also visit a ceramic workshop, a handmade paper factory, and a tinwork studio, another of Mexico’s colorful art forms created with precision and artistic flair.

    Immerse yourself in the world of colors, flavors, textures, landscapes, and plants on this trip to fascinating Oaxaca, Mexico. For complete details contact office@pacifichorticulture.org.

  • Andrew T. Crawford Ironworks

    In a departure from our usual event-based posts, we want to highlight the ornamental ironwork of Andrew T. Crawford (no relation to past Garden Club of the Back Bay President Francine Crawford), in the event anyone in our reader group is in the market for a stunning piece of ornamental metal.

    Crawford attended the Rhode Island School of Design where he studied sculpture. After graduating in 1993, he returned home to Atlanta and opened his workshop and studio, the Andrew T Crawford Ironworks. His goal was to create functional objects with an emphasis on blacksmithing. As Crawford built his business and his clientele, he continued to receive attention for his unique ornamental gates. This format has consistently been an identifiable trait throughout his career.

    Along with dozens of private commissions, Crawford has created ironwork and sculpture for schools, businesses, and municipalities. Some of his most prominent works have been for the Atlanta Botanical Garden, the Federal Reserve Bank, and the City of Washington D.C. His works are also among the collections of several American museums.

    We were fortunate to meet Andrew last spring in Boston, covet his work, and wish to share some stunning photos of his garden oriented pieces, aptly named Sunflower Gates, Lizard Gates, and more. Further information can be found at www.ironking.com.

  • Tuesday, August 18, 9:00 am – 11:00 am – Guiding the Rain: Aesthetic Form, Ecological Function

    Rain gardens guide the rain away from storm drains while attracting wildlife and protecting streams, lakes, and ponds. These gardens store rain for a few hours, allowing gradual infiltration. The plants and soils also filter pollutants and remove nutrients to improve water quality.

    Tree filter systems are another solution that integrate street trees with stormwater collection. These systems are unique in that they integrate above-ground vegetation with subsurface bio-remediation principals to treat and cleanse stormwater pollutants prior to infiltration to groundwater and aquifers.

    Join tour guides Ed Himlin from the Massachusetts Watershed Coalition and stormwater engineer, Paul Iorio to learn more about Leominster’s stormwater solutions that combine aesthetic form and ecological function. The program will take place Tuesday, August 18, from 9 – 11 in Leominster, Massachusetts, beginning at the Leominster Library on 30 West Street, and is sponsored by the Ecological Landscape Alliance. ELA members $22, nonmembers $32. Register online at http://www.ecolandscaping.org/event/guiding-the-rain-aesthetic-form-ecological-function/

  • Saturday, August 22, 10:00 am – 12:00 noon – Tour of Allandale Farm

    Experience a behind the scenes tour of historic Allandale Farm, the Boston area’s last working farm, on Saturday, August 22 from 10 – noon with General Manager John Lee. Visit the greenhouses and fields and learn about the history of the farm as well as its current sustainable agricultural practices. Also included will be a visit to the Brandegee Estate gardens (pictured). Meet at the farmstand. The trip is sponsored by Tower Hill Botanic Garden, and is $20 for THBG members, $25 for nonmembers. Register online at www.towerhillbg.org.

  • Thursday, August 13, 6:00 pm – 8:30 pm – Pomona Festival

    Join the Massachusetts Horticultural Society on Thursday, August 13 from 6 – 8:30 at Elm Bank for its free summer music and art series sponsored by Wellesley Bank Charitable Foundation.  August 13 is the traditional day for the Festival of Pomona, the Roman goddess of abundance.  Come to the gardens for an evening of music and tours.  Awards will be given for the most creative costumes.  Bring your own picnic!  For more information visit www.masshort.org.