Boston Flora

Month: April 2016

  • Wednesday, June 1, 9:30 am – 3:30 pm – Favorite Flowers in a Day

    Do you have any drawings in your sketchbook that you really like, but never got past being a sketch?  Bring these little buds of inspiration to fruition under the Friends of Wellesley College Botanic Garden instructor Ellen Duarte’s guidance.  On Wednesday, June 1 beginning at 9:30 am, bring some of your favorite drawings to class, or just bring the whole notebook.  Students will each make a small composition using bits from their drawings.  These compositions will then be finished with a combination of graphite, pen, and wash.  Ellen will describe some of the things she likes to do with these finished drawings.  All experience levels welcome.  Friends of Wellesley College Botanic Gardens members $75, non-members $95.  Register at 781-283-3094, or email wcbgfriends@wellesley.edu.

    2013_FSepostcard

  • Wednesday, May 18, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm – Nature’s Ambassador: The Legacy of Thornton W. Burgess

    Wednesday, May 18, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm – Nature’s Ambassador: The Legacy of Thornton W. Burgess

    Do you recall tales of Old Mother West Wind, Jimmy Skunk, Sammy Jay, Reddy Fox, Grandfather Frog, or Jerry Muskrat? For over 100 years, the animal books and stories of beloved children’s author Thornton W. Burgess have delighted millions of children and their parents; more than of half his seventy books remain in print today.

    However, there was much more to Burgess, the man, than just a writer of children’s books: he was a dedicated naturalist who was honored by prestigious scientific institutions for his advocacy of wildlife and conservation practices that resonate today. His books, syndicated columns, and radio programs both entertained and educated children, introducing them to wildlife habitat, species extinction, and roadside litter.

    In Nature’s Ambassador, Christie Lowrance explores Burgess’s life and legacy, from his Cape Cod childhood to the present. Christie will speak on Wednesday, May 18 in the Hunnewell Building at the Arnold Arboretum beginning at 7 pm. Free for Arboretum members, $5 for nonmembers.  Register at www.arboretum.harvard.edu.

  • Sunday, May 8, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm – 108th Annual Lilac Sunday

    Sunday, May 8, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm – 108th Annual Lilac Sunday

    Boston’s beloved tradition of Lilac Sunday has been celebrated at the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University since the early 1900s, and continues to delight visitors from all walks of life each year. On May 8 from 10am to 3pm, the Arboretum invites nature lovers and garden enthusiasts to explore the Arboretum landscape to view one of the world’s most significant collections of lilacs at their peak of bloom. More than a premiere horticultural event, Lilac Sunday also honors the Arboretum’s 134-year partnership with the City of Boston and its commitment to community education and engagement. As New Englanders herald the coming of spring, Lilac Sunday invites the public to appreciate the beauty and importance of plants at this time-honored and family-friendly festival.

    The Arboretum’s one-of-a-kind lilac collection numbers some 369 plants representing nearly 170 different kinds of lilacs. Together, they provide a season of color and scent that extends up to six weeks each spring. As in recent years, Lilac Sunday 2016 falls on Mother’s Day, making the occasion even more special and memorable as a family destination. The event is free, though donations to the Arboretum are appreciated. Additional information about lilacs (Syringa spp.) and the lilac collection at the Arnold Arboretum is available on the Arboretum website.

    Lilac Sunday showcases Boston’s unique learning landscape in bloom and offers fun, outdoor explorations for the entire family. Scheduled activities range from themed tours of lilacs and other special plant collections to an array of activities for families and children. A consortium of nearly twenty food trucks organized by Food Truck Festivals of America—including savory tacos, fall-off-the-bone BBQ, vegetarian treats, and French macaroons—will offer a wide variety of menu options from 11am to 3pm, and picnicking is allowed at the Arboretum on this special day only. Visitors are encouraged to take public transportation. The MBTA Forest Hills station on the Orange Line is nearby, and several bus lines serve the Arboretum area. Parking is limited to available curb space on streets surrounding the Arboretum perimeter.

    Founded in 1872 as the first public arboretum in North America, the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University is a leading center for the study of biodiversity and a treasured Boston landscape open free to the public year round. One of the most comprehensive and best documented collections of temperate woody plants in the world, the Arboretum promotes the understanding and appreciation of plants through world-class research, horticulture, and educational programs for all ages.

  • Tuesday, May 24, 8:00 am – 5:15 pm – Hollister House and Brush Hill Gardens Tour

    Tower Hill Botanic Garden has arranged for an exclusive tour of Hollister House and Brush Hill Gardens in Litchfield, Connecticut on Tuesday, May 24.  A bus will leave from Tower Hill at 8 am and return at approximately 5:15.  The fee ($100 for Tower Hill members, $125 for nonmembers) includes transportation, tour fee, and boxed lunch.  If you wish to arrange your own transportation, please call 508-869-6111, ext. 124 for information on when and where to meet the group in Connecticut.  The price will, however, remain the same.

    Hollister House Garden is an American interpretation of classic English gardens such as Sissinghurst, Great Dixter and Hidcote, formal in structure and informal and wild in its style of planting.  Brush Hill Gardens is home to the biographer of legendary English gardener Rosemary Verey, and has evolved over forty years.

  • Tuesday, May 10, 7:00 pm – The Invention of Nature: Alexander von Humboldt’s New World

    Award winning author Andrea Wulf shares the plant explorer Alexander von Humboldt’s life and legacy on Tuesday, May 10 at 7 pm at Tower Hill Botanic Garden, 11 French Drive in Boylston.  Tower Hill members $15, non-members $25.  Register at www.towerhillbg.org.

  • Tuesday, May 17 – Saturday, May 21 – AHS President’s Council Trip to Chicago

    The year the annual American Horticultural Society President’s Council Trip destination is the greater Chicago area from May 17 – 21.  Participants will explore world famous parks and gardens, and stay at the historic Drake Hotel overlooking Lake Michigan.  The trip includes visits to notable private gardens in the area, as well as many of the city’s renowned public gardens including the Lurie Garden in Millennium Park, Chicago Botanic Garden, The Morton Arboretum, and Garfield Park Conservatory.  A special guided tour of the Ball Horticultural Company’s laboratories and trial and demonstration gardens also has been arranged.  To obtain a trip itinerary and learn how to join the President’s Council, email development@ahs.org, or visit www.ahs.org/ways-to-give/presidents-council.

  • Wednesday, May 18, 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm – Beacon Hill Garden Club Soiree Tour Preview Cocktail Party

    Wednesday, May 18, 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm – Beacon Hill Garden Club Soiree Tour Preview Cocktail Party

    In just a few weeks, the garden gates will open on Thursday May 19th when the Beacon Hill Garden Club will host its 87th annual tour of the Hidden Gardens. New this year, is the addition of a special evening viewing of three private gardens for working professionals and neighborhood friends. The Garden Soirée will take place the evening before the tour on Wednesday May 18th from 5pm to 8pm. After a stroll through the gardens, guests are invited to a cocktail party in the historic garden of the King’s Chapel Parish House off Branch Street.

    The Garden Soirée will provide a chance for neighbors to enjoy a few gardens before the crowds and celebrate spring in the gorgeous garden of King’s Chapel. The night will include a specialty cocktail, raw bar, and delicious hors d’oeuvre thanks to The Catered Affair. Bistro lights, lanterns, and a jazz duo will add to the ambience of the evening.

    Like the Annual Tour, the Garden Soirée is a fundraiser. All net proceeds will go toward “greening” Boston through restoring public spaces, environmental education and outreach. Tickets to Garden Soirée on May 18th are $125 and include a ticket for the Hidden Gardens of Beacon Hill Annual Tour on May 19th. Tickets are limited. Purchase tickets at www.gardensoiree.eventbrite.com. For information on the Hidden Gardens of Beacon Hill Annual Tour and to purchase tickets, please visit www.beaconhillgardenclub.org.

     

    SharonMaltGarden

  • Wednesday, May 18, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm – The Nature of Tower Hill: Barry Van Dusen

    Barry Van Dusen is an internationally recognized wildlife artist living in Central Massachusetts.  His paintings have been featured in numerous publications and he has illustrated a variety of natural history books and pocket guides in association with the Massachusetts Audubon Society.  Over the course of one year, he visited Tower Hill 23 times, painting more than 40 watercolors of flowers, birds, insects and landscapes.  His show, An Artist’s Year in the Garden, will be on display May 17 – June 26 at Tower Hill, 11 French Drive in Boylston, and an opening reception will take place Wednesday, May 18 from 6 – 8 pm.  Free with admission to the garden.  In addition, there will be talks and garden tours on May 26 and June 25 from 10 – 11:30, at a Tower Hill member cost of $10, non-members $20.  To register for the talks, call 508-869-6111, ext 124, or visit www.towerhillbg.org.

  • Thursday, April 28, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm – Gardening for Bees: Their Flowers and Nests in Your Homescape

    Join The Massachusetts Horticultural Association on Thursday, April 28 at 7 pm for an evening learning how to beautifully landscape our yards to support our native bees! Tom Sullivan, founder of Pollinators Welcome, will share years of experience and get you on your way to creating an edible homescape that is both beautiful and purposeful. The program will take place in the Parkman Room of the Education Building at Elm Bank, 900 Washington Street in Wellesley.

    Mass Hort Members $12 , Non-Members $20. Register online at http://www.masshort.org. Image from www.commonweeder.com.

  • Monday, May 2, 11:00 am – 12:00 noon – Creative Sustainability on the Rose Kennedy Greenway

    Join senior horticulturist and designer Darrah Cole of the Rose Kennedy Greenway on a visual tour of the Greenway parks and features as seen through the lens of its organic horticulture program. The lecture will take place Monday, May 2 from 11 – 12 in the Harry and Mildred Remis Auditorium in the Museum of Fine Arts Boston as part of Art in Bloom. Free with admission to the museum – no ticket required.