Boston Flora

Month: September 2015

  • Sunday, September 20, 6:00 pm – 8:30 pm – Fall Harvest Festival Dinner

    Come and celebrate all that is local and abundant! Join us for an evening celebrating the fall harvest and building community in the Gardens at Elm Bank, 900 Washington Street in Wellesley. Showcasing the best of local agriculture and seasonal heirloom foods, come share a place at our tables enjoying fine open-air dining, hand-crafted beverages, and music and dancing under the goddesses in the Maple Grove. Twilight tours of the gardens will lead to us to gather together for a festive seated dinner culminating in a magical illuminated candle labyrinth.

    This event supports the Garden to Table program strives to build strong local food systems from the seeds planted to the food grown and harvested and shared within the community. We work to offer high caliber education in horticulture, nutrition, and food production and preparation both in schools and in the Seed to Table and Garden to Table education spaces in the Gardens at Elm Bank. The Massachusetts Horticultural Society also works to raise awareness of food accessibility issues within local, greater Boston, and regional communities.

    Register at http://goo.gl/9NtP7a

    $65 for Mass Hort Members, $75 for Non-members

  • Thursday, September 10, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm – Celebrating Roots Community Garden Block Party

    Thursday, September 10, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm – Celebrating Roots Community Garden Block Party

    Stimulate all of your senses at this evening of discovery and cultural exploration hosted by the Northampton Community Gardeners in the South End. Enjoy live music, local food and a cash bar as well as activities for kids and adults. (Free admission for SELR Community Gardeners and Trustees of Reservations members, $10 in advance online, $15 cash only at the door, paid tickets includes 1 drink ticket). The Northampton Community Garden is located at 75 Northampton Street in the South End. Register at http://www.thetrustees.org/things-to-do/greater-boston/event-21154.html.

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  • A History of MassWildlife 1866 – 2012

    A History of MassWildlife 1866-2012, a 334 page, exceedingly well referenced volume by UMass Wildlife Biology alumnus James E. Cardoza, documents the history of the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife from its inception in 1866 as a two-member Board of Commissioners of Fisheries to its present configuration of over 100 staff members responsible for the management and protection of over 400 species of plants and animals and over 200,000 acres in wildlife management areas and lands under conservation easements.

    The book was published in a limited bound edition by the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, 1 Rabbit Hill Road, Westborough, Massachusetts as it approaches its 150th anniversary. It will soon be available to the public in digital form. For more information email info@eco.umass.edu.

  • Saturday, September 19, 10:00 am – 12:00 noon – Garden Bike Tour

    Bring your bike and helmet for a bike ride on Saturday, September 19 from 10 – noon showcasing some of the beautiful community gardens of JP, Dorchester, and Roxbury. Along the way, gardeners will share the stories of their community green spaces. Ages 14 and up.

    Meet at Minton Stable Garden, Williams St. and Dungarven St., Jamaica Plain. Sponsored by The Trustees of Reservations. Free. For more information call 617-542-7696. Photo from www.local-matters.org.

  • Thursday, September 10 – Sunday, October 4 – Nature Present

    The Copley Society of Art presents an exhibit in the Upper Gallery opening Thursday, September 10 through Sunday, October 4 by artist Kate Taylor entitled Nature Present. Kate Taylor is a fine artist based in Toronto, specializing in abstract landscapes. With a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Western Ontario, Kate is committed to capturing color and energy in her mixed media acrylic paintings. She often works with an Epoxy coating to increase the play of light and reflection. The CoSo gallery is located at 158 Newbury Street.  Visit www.copleysociety.org for hours of operation.

  • Thursday, September 24, 10:00 am – 12:30 pm – An Insiders Walk Through Olana

    On Thursday, September 24, join Olana’s Landscape Curator for a guided tour along Olana’s carriage roads, followed by a tour of Olana’s main house and current exhibition, River Crossings. Olana’s 250-acre naturalistic landscape was fully designed by the famed artist Frederic Church around its 360-degree views. The 1-hour landscape tour will explore the history of Olana from the 19th century to the present day, including efforts to restore Olana’s historic landscape and protect its spectacular viewshed. This program will blend horticulture, landscape design, art and history together for an spectular autumn day at one of the Hudson Valley’s most beautiful sites. Following the program enjoy a picnic on the grounds of Olana. 10 am- 12:30 pm is the time on site at Olana, which is located in Hudson, New York.

    Bring a bag lunch and dress for weather. Participants can choose to carpool or drive separately. Those joining the carpool should meet in the parking lot of Berkshire Botanical Garden for an 9 am departure. Carpool will return at approximately 2 pm.

    Mark Prezorski is the Landscape Curator for The Olana Partnership. He advocates for and assists with the restoration and interpretation of Olana’s artist-designed landscape and its integral viewshed. Mark works cooperatively at Olana State Historic Site with New York State Parks, preservation organizations and landscape professionals on landscape planning and restoration projects, exhibitions, viewshed protection efforts and interpretative programs such as Olana’s award-winning Framing the Viewshed series. Mark was recently named one of the Top 100 Creatives by ORIGIN Magazine. BBG members $35, nonmembers $45. To register, call 413-298-3926, x 15, or visit http://www.berkshirebotanical.org/event/an-insiders-walk-through-olana-foreground-middleground-and-the-viewshed/?instance_id=3522

  • 2016 Great American Gardeners

    Nominate your horticultural hero for one of the 2016 Great American Gardeners Awards. Each year, the American Horticultural Society celebrates outstanding achievements, encourages excellence, and inspires innovation in the art and science of horticulture through its Great American Gardeners Awards Program.

    Submit your nomination to honor a memorable professor, a favorite garden book author, or the driving force behind an incredible community project. Complete your nomination online or using our printable nomination form by September 30, 2015. Award recipients will be announced in the March/April 2016 issue of The American Gardener magazine. Email education@ahs.org or call (703) 768-5700 ext. 121 with questions.

  • Thursday, September 17, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm – Cooking from the Garden

    How do we help our children become more confident, able, and independent in the kitchen?  Join cookbook author Alana Chernila at Massachusetts Horticultural Society’s Putnam Building on Thursday, September 17 at 7 for an evening of exciting ideas, strategies, tastings, and simple ways to empower kids in the kitchen.  This night will be useful for parents, caregivers, and educators of children of all ages.  Alana’s new book will be available for sale and signing.  $20 for Mass Hort members, $25 for non-members.  Register at www.masshort.org.

  • Saturdays, September 19 and September 26, 9:00 am – 4:00 pm – Perennial Bed Renovation

    This two-day, hands-on clinic at Berkshire Botanic Garden on Saturday September 19 and Saturday, September 26 from 9 – 4 will focus on renovation of established and old perennial beds, including how to read a planting plan.

    Techniques will include lifting and dividing perennials, double-digging, soil assessment, application of compost and needed amendments into the lower soil profile and replanting the perennials according to the planting plan. Students will learn how to assess the growing conditions of the bed and determine what amendments should be added to insure optimal plant performance. Instructor Brad Roeller will lead the sessions. $195 for 2 full days. Register online at www.berkshirebotanical.org, or call 413-298-3926.

    This course also serves as a foundation for establishing new perennial beds. Tools and materials will be provided. (Limited to 12 students, rain dates: September 20 & 27). Bring a bag lunch and dress for gardening.)

  • Saturday, September 12, 9:30 am – 12:00 noon – Introduction to Local Ferns

    On Saturday, September 12 at 9:30 am, join Randy Stone, retired DCR Forester, for a brief introduction to fern identification at the Millers River Environmental Center, 100 Main Street in Athol, before heading out for a walk in North Quabbin to ID ferns in the field. Questions: Dave Small, 978-413-1772 or Dave@dhsmall.net. Free – if weather is questionable please call at least an hour before the scheduled meeting.  Image from www.quabbinphotogroup.org.