Boston Flora

Month: January 2016

  • From the Archives: Front Yard Demonstration Gardens

    From the Archives: Front Yard Demonstration Gardens

    In January, 1973, The Garden Club decided to replant one-half block in the Back Bay to use as a front yard demonstration. The area chosen was the north side of Beacon Street, between Fairfield and Gloucester Streets. The planting date was set for May, 1973, and the plan included selling the Club’s window boxes.

    The Boston Globe reported that five gardens were planted, and low maintenance shrubs and trees were chosen in consultation from Joseph Hudak of Olmsted Associates. Crabapples and cherry trees were picked because they bloomed for several weeks, were wide spreading to relieve the height of the town houses, and had shallow root systems, solving the problem of buried oil tanks. Dundee juniper, Japanese yew, Kaempferi azaleas were included, which thrive in sun and partial shad and are resistant to auto fumes.

    Pictured below are Sue Norris (left), Mrs. Charles Normandin, and John Relyea, in the dirt!

    Beacon Planting

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  • Saturday, February 13 and Sunday, February 14, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm – Flowers in February

    Banish the blahs and bring on the blooms! Join artist/illustrator Helen Byers for a weekend at Tower Hill Botanic Garden immersed in the colors and forms of spring flowers. The class will run February 13 and 14 from 10 – 4. Instruction will cover step-by-step techniques of detailed botanical painting in watercolor, including wet-into-wet for washes and dry-brush for texture. Returning and advanced students who prefer to draw in colored pencil will be welcome to do so. Daily painting demos and personalized instruction. Flowers will be provided, and a list of recommended supplies will be sent to registrants. To see galleries of Helen’s work and slideshows from her courses, visit www.helenbyers.com.

    To register for this event, please call Gayle Holland (508) 869-6111 x124 or email gholland@towerhillbg.org. Pardon the inconvenience while Tower Hill updates its online transaction system. THBG members $120, nonmembers $140.

  • Friday, February 12 – Sunday, February 14, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm – Winter in Bloom: Individuals and Garden Clubs

    Individuals and Garden Club members display their floral arrangements based on the theme “The Poetry of Plants” at Tower Hill Botanic Garden, 11 French Drive in Boylston, on Friday, February 12 through Sunday, February 14, from 9 – 5. Free with admission. For more information visit www.towerhillbg.org.

  • Tuesday, February 9, 6:30 pm – Of Chocolate and Other Joys

    The 2016 Ayer Mansion Lecture Series resumes Tuesday, February 9 at 6:30 pm with Lee Napoli, Pastry Chef and Founder of ChocoLee Chocolate School. Learn about all things chocolate while supporting the Ayer Mansion. Wine and cheese will be served at 6:30 followed by the lecture at 7. The Ayer Mansion is located at 395 Commonwealth Avenue, and tickets may be purchased online at www.AyerMansion.org. $35 per person.

  • Wednesdays, February 10 – 24, 10:00 am – 1:30 pm – Understanding and Managing Soils

    Whether you are an experienced gardener or a novice, this New England Wild Flower Society class will help you develop a better understanding of the importance of soil to your garden. Learn how to evaluate and improve your garden’s soil, how to choose the right plants for your soil conditions, and how to maintain soil health and fertility through organic practices. The class will be held on three successive Wednesdays at Garden in the Woodsbeginning February 10 from 10 – 1:30, and is taught by Mark Richardson. Bring a bag lunch. $138 for NEWFS members, $163 for nonmembers. Register online at www.newfs.org.

  • Tuesdays, February 9 – March 22, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm – Residential Landscape Design

    This multi-session New England Wild Flower Society course, appropriate for beginners, tackles the different aspects of the landscape design process. Workshop sessions with instructor Karen Sebastian will focus on design methods using site analysis techniques and schematic design tools. You will consult with the instructor and work on a project of your own choosing. Discussions about plants and habitat will be interspersed with lectures on design principles, including criteria for making plant choices and determining placement in the landscape. A list of required materials will be provided at the first class. The course takes place at Garden in the Woods in Framingham on Tuesdays from 6 – 8 beginning February 9 and ending March 22. NEWFS member price $215, nonmembers $254. Register online at www.newfs.org.

  • Friday, February 5 – Sunday, February 7, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm – Winter in Bloom: Floral Design Professionals

    Professional floral designers display their arrangements based on the theme “The Poetry of Plants” at Tower Hill Botanic Garden Friday, February 5 – Sunday, February 7, from 9 – 5. Free with admission. For more information visit www.towerhillbg.org.  Image from www.growingwithplants.com.

  • Sunday, January 31, 1:00 pm – Tulip Mania

    On Sunday, January 31 at 1 pm at the Worcester Art Museum, join Jim Welu, director emeritus, as he chronicles tulip mania, the Dutch 17th-century preoccupation with tulip bulbs, often considered the first recorded speculative bubble.  Free with Museum admission, no rsvp required.  For more information and directions, visit www.worcesterart.org.

  • Thursday, February 4, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm – Introduction to Permaculture Design

    Permaculture is the design of food systems and social structures to provide for human needs while restoring ecosystem health. In this Massachusetts Horticultural Society Introduction to Permaculture Design presentation, we will explore edible ecosystem gardens, unusual edible perennial plants, sustainable water management and soil rehabilitation. Learn the first steps in creating a regenerative landscape design plan utilizing permaculture design principles. The event takes place Thursday, February 4 from 7 – 8:30 in the Parkman Room of the Education Building, 900 Washington Street in Wellesley. $12 for Mass Hort members, $20 for nonmembers. Sign up at www.masshort.org.

    Lydia Silva is an adjunct faculty member at Suffolk University, Bristol Community College and UMass Dartmouth where she teaches Sustainable Agriculture and Permaculture Design. Learn more about Lydia Silva and her work at www.FarmCoastPermaculture.com.

  • Wednesday, February 3, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm – Wetland Shrubs in Winter

    Learn to identify wetland shrubs using branching patterns, bud and bark characteristics, habitat, persistent fruits, galls, and marcescent leaves with Roland “Boot” Boutwell on Wednesday, February 3 from 10 – 2. Garden in the Woods provides an excellent field site for study. We will begin with a short session indoors, then head into the Garden for a close look at almost twenty native New England shrubs that grow in and around wetlands. Bring a bag lunch and a hand lens if you have one, and dress for the weather. Cosponsored with the Massachusetts Association of Conservation Commissions. Sponsoring member price $53, nonmember $64. Register online at www.newfs.org. Image of red osier dogwood from www.watershedco.com.