Boston Flora

Month: January 2016

  • Thursday, February 18 – Sunday, February 21 – Rhode Island Spring Flower & Garden Show

    The 2016 Rhode Island Spring Flower & Garden Show at the Rhode Island Convention Center in Providence will surely be one to remember. Our Spring Fling theme will be our first show to delight ALL of your senses. As seen at our past shows, our talented gardeners will create beautiful gardens, full of eye-popping color for you to SEE. You will certainly SMELL the wonderful fragrance of the fresh flowers and greenery again this year. Many of our displays will be completely interactive, allowing you to TOUCH and feel the gorgeous bounty that spring provides. But hold on to your hat- this is where we really mix things up— At this year’s show, right in the heart of our magnificent garden displays, you will HEAR something so spectacular that your feet just won’t be able to keep still. Yes, that’s right- You may find yourself singing and dancing while viewing the gardens at this truly memorable Spring Fling. Chances are you won’t even realize that it’s the dead of winter or freezing cold outside because we will be seriously cranking up the heat at the 2016 Rhode Island Spring Flower & Garden Show!

    On Friday, February 19, from 4-7, the ever popular band, Reminisce will absolutely dazzle you with their amazing 50’s & 60’s musical performance – you heard it here, Doo Wop- right in the in the middle of our gardens! As if that weren’t exciting enough, on Saturday, February 20, from 4-7, the electrifying World Premier Band will kick it up a notch bring a whole new twist to your favorite music of the 90’s and today seeding it with funk, lots of dance, some exciting originals and their remarkable Rhythm & Blues. Tickets and all other information are available online at www.flowershow.com.

  • Thursday, January 28, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm – Houseplant Success

    Let Dr. Paul Steen give you an overview of the practical side of houseplant culture, on Thursday, January 28 from 7 – 8:30 at Massachusetts Horticultural Society’s Parkman Room, 900 Washington Street in Wellesley. He will discuss what can go wrong with houseplants and how to prevent these problems from occurring. And how to care for your plants that they flower and re-flower year-after-year. Come for a great list of tips and ideas that help the average houseplant grower. He will focus on proper light, water and temperature requirements for popular houseplants. We also review common pests and diseases, and their treatment. Mass Hort Members $12 Non-Members $20. Sign up at www.masshort.org.

  • Saturday, January 30, 9:30 am – 3:30 pm – Winter Botany

    Join William E. Kuriger and the New England Wild Flower Society at Garden in the Woods in Framingham on Saturday, January 30 from 9:30 – 3:30 as we investigate the taxonomic characteristics of deciduous, evergreen, and some herbaceous plants in winter. Learn to use a dichotomous key and then identify a large inventory of twig and plant specimens. After lunch, we will head out into the Garden. Bring a bag lunch, a hand lens, and a copy of Fruit Key and Twig Key to Trees and Shrubs by William M. Harlow (available at www.amazon.com). Take home plant specimens. Register online at www.newfs.org. NEWFS member price $80, nonmember $96.

  • Monday, February 8, 6:00 pm – From Doom and Gloom to Hope: Innovations in Ocean Science and Policy

    Monday, February 8, 6:00 pm – From Doom and Gloom to Hope: Innovations in Ocean Science and Policy

    The Honorable Jane Lubchenco, U.S. Science Envoy, University Distinguished Professor and Advisor in Marine Studies, Oregon State University, will speak as part of the Prather Lecture Series at the Harvard Museum of Natural History, 26 Oxford Street, on Monday, February 8, beginning at 6 pm.

    Jane Lubchenco was the first woman to be appointed Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Drawing on her experience at the helm of NOAA from 2009 to 2013, Lubchenco will discuss how this government agency advances and utilizes scientific research on weather, climate, and oceans to guide its services and improve environmental stewardship in the United States. She will also highlight new scientific advances that are transforming attitudes, behaviors, and policies that affect ocean health and the future of humanity, and discuss her role as the Department of State’s first U.S. Science Envoy for the Ocean. Presented in collaboration with the Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University. Free parking is available at the 52 Oxford Street Garage. Free and open to the public.

    Lubchenko

  • Wednesday, February 3, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm – Native Plant Gardens: Learning By Example

    Landscaping with native plants is becoming the rule rather than the exception, but good examples can be hard to find. Come to the Cambridge Public Library, 449 Broadway in Cambridge, on Wednesday, February 3 at 7 pm for a visual tour of some truly instructive native plant gardens, large and small, public and private. A diversity of styles, ranging from formal to naturalistic, will illustrate the usage of native plants in both residential and public landscapes. Our tour will travel from Sara Stein’s garden in Pound Ridge, NY, to the New World Garden designed by Larry Weaner, to the High Line in NYC, and include many others along the way. Accompanied by design and how-to tips, this talk will be valuable for everyone from novice gardeners to seasoned professionals.

    Carolyn Summers is author of Designing Gardens with Flora of the American East and an adjunct professor at Go Native U, a joint project of Westchester Community College and The Native Plant Center. She and her husband recently opened their country home, Flying Trillium Gardens and Preserve, for public tours and to showcase the importance of native plants to all landscapes. This free program is sponsored by Grow Native Massachusetts. For more information visit www.grownativemass.org.

  • Saturday, January 30, 1:00 pm – 3:30 pm – Maple Sugaring

    Turn your backyard trees into syrup producers! Join the New England Wild Flower Society and Tia Pinney on Saturday, January 30 at 1 pm at Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary in Lincoln to learn how to make your own delicious maple syrup. We will cover everything you need to know to get started on this sweet project–from tree identification, weather considerations, and equipment to techniques for tapping, boiling, finishing, and storing. Co-sponsored with the Massachusetts Audubon Society. $30 for members of sponsoring organizations, $36 for nonmembers. Register online at www.newfs.org.

  • Saturday, January 30, 10:30 am – 1:00 pm – Floral Cyanotype Artist Demonstration

    Following in the footsteps of 19th-century botanist Anna Atkins, artist Jesseca Ferguson will demonstrate the cyanotype process using plant materials, on Saturday, January 30 from 10:30 – 1. Ferguson will hand sensitize artists paper and print photograms using ultra-violet light, much as Atkins did when she printed her 1843 book, Photographs of British Algae: Cyanotype Impressions. A buffet-style lunch and a guided tour of the Worcester Art Museum’s Cyanotypes: Photography’s Blue Period will follow the demonstration. To reserve your seat call 1-800-838-3006, or buy online at www.worcesterart.org. WAM members $30, nonmembers $40.

  • Sunday, January 31, 4:30 pm – 6:30 pm – Neighborhood Association of the Back Bay 2015 Member Reception

    Welcome new members and meet old friends at the Neighborhood Association of the Back Bay’s 2015 Member Reception on Sunday, January 31 from 4:30 – 6:30 at the Fairmont Copley Plaza, 138 St. James Avenue.  Enjoy light hors d’oeuvre – a cash bar is available.  RSVP at 617-247-3961, or email info@nabbonline.com.  NABB gratefully acknowledges the Fairmont Copley Plaza for underwriting this event.  Image from www.personalitytutor.com.

  • Saturday, January 30, 10:30 am – 1:30 pm – Fresh Ideas with Fresh Flowers

    Saturday, January 30, 10:30 am – 1:30 pm – Fresh Ideas with Fresh Flowers

    Join National Garden Club Master Judges Thelma Shoneman and Maureen Christmas on Saturday, January 30 from 10:30 – 1:30 at the Worcester Art Museum as they explore the world of floral design. The demonstration will present exciting combinations of plant materials and new design techniques. The stunning results will be raffled off to the audience. Immediately following will be a buffet-style lunch and a special docent-led tour of Flora in Winter!  WAM members $30, nonmembers $40. To reserve your seat: Call 1-800-838-3006, or buy online at www.worcesterart.org.

    Thelma

  • Thursday, February 11, 7:00 pm – Margie Ruddick

    Hear Margie Ruddick on Thursday, February 11, at 7 pm as part of the Gardner Museum Landscape Lectures 2015-16. Over the last 25 years, Margie Ruddick has gained recognition for her pioneering, environmental approach to landscape design, forging a design language that integrates ecology, urban planning, and culture. Ruddick’s completed international projects include Shillim Institute and Retreat in the Western Ghats of India (pictured below) and the Living Water Park, with artist Betsy Damon, in Chengdu, China. This was among the first ecological parks in China, cleaning polluted river water biologically. In the U.S., she is known for transforming Queens Plaza in New York City, a design which has won many awards for promoting ideas of nature in the city. Landscape Lectures begin at 7 pm in Calderwood Hall at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Lectures include Museum admission and require a ticket; tickets can be reserved online at www.gardnermuseum.org, in person at the door, or by phone: 617 278 5156. Museum admission: adults $15, seniors $12, students $5, free for Museum members.  Image from www.dwell.com.