Daily Archives: October 6, 2015

Wednesday, October 14, 12:30 pm – 2:00 pm – America’s Founding Fruit: The Cranberry in a New Environment

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The cranberry, Vaccinium macrocarpon, is one of only three cultivated fruits native to North America.  Author Susan Playfair traces the story of this perennial vine and poses the question of how the cranberry, and by inference other fruits, will fare in a warming climate.  In her attempt to evaluate the effects of climate change, Susan interviewed growers throughout the cranberry’s temperature tolerance range. She spoke with scientists studying the range of health benefits of cranberries, plant geneticists mapping the cranberry genome, a plant biologist who provided her with the first regression analysis of cranberry flowering times, and a migrant beekeeper trying to figure out why the bees are dying  Could the American cranberry cease growing in the United States?  If so, what would be lost?

Susan will speak at the Wellesley College Botanic Garden on Wednesday, October 14 from 12:30 – 2, and her book, America’s Founding Fruit, will be available for purchase and signing.  WCBG friends free, nonmembers $10.  Call 781-283-3094, or email wcbgfriends@wellesley.edu.

Saturday, October 10 – Monday, October 12 – Tower Hill Fall Fest

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Tower Hill Botanic Garden’s Fall Fest grand finale is Columbus Day weekend with children’s crafts, botanic face painting, a hay maze, story walks, scavenger hunts, hay rides, heirloom apple orchard tours, cooking demonstrations, vendors, live music, apple tastings, alpacas, book signings and talks with authors, cider and beer samplings from local brewers and more. Saturday, Oct. 10, features a special Live Caterpillar exhibit from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.; live music from noon to 3 p.m.; and a 2 p.m. talk by nationally renowned apple expert Dan Bussey on Saving the Heirloom Orchard. Sunday, Oct. 11 features live music from noon to 2 p.m. and cooking demonstrations with chefs from the Concord restaurant 80 Thoreau, at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. The special events on Monday, Oct. 12, include a 11 a.m. cooking demonstration by the pastry chef from Cambridge’s Sofra Bakery; a reading from A Walk in Pooh’s Footsteps by author Kathryn Aalto at 11 a.m. as well as a lecture and book signing at 1 p.m.; and live music from noon to 3 p.m. For more information on the three weekends of Fall Fest, please visit tinyurl.com/thbgFallFest2015 or call 508-869-6111.