Boston Flora

Month: September 2016

  • Saturday, October 1, 10:00 am – 12:00 noon – Combining Perennials

    The whole can be more than the sum of the parts when you garden skillfully. A flowering perennial that is pretty by itself may be spectacular when contrasted with the right neighbor. And one plant can make up for the deficiencies of another when properly paired; a compact partner can hide the stems of a leggy beauty, another pairing can share their glory simultaneously or hold their own in two different seasons when artfully chosen. Garden writer and horticulturist Thomas Christopher, who recently authored Essential Perennials with Ruth Rogers Clausen, will share some of his favorite combinations and pass along tips that will set you on the road to creating many more of your own. The lecture will take place Saturday, October 1 beginning at 10 am at Berkshire Botanical Gardens in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. BBG members $20, nonmembers $25. Register online at https://berkshirebotanical.org/education/lectures-and-workshops/

    A graduate of the New York Botanical Garden School of Professional Horticulture, Thomas Christopher has written for numerous publications, including the New York Times and Better Homes and Gardens, and has served as a contributing editor to Martha Stewart Living. He is the co-author with Ruth Rogers Clausen of Essential Perennials, a complete reference to 2,700 perennials for the home garden.

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  • Tuesday, October 4, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm – Responses to Anthropogenic Climate Change: Predicting the Future Requires Knowing the Past

    The Arnold Arboretum’s Director’s Lecture Series kicks off Tuesday, October 4 at 7 pm in the Hunnewell Building of the Arnold Arboretum with a talk by Camille Parmesan, Professor, School of Biological Sciences, Plymouth University, UK, and the Department of Geological Sciences, University of Texas at Austin. Camille’s work focuses on the impacts of climate change on wildlife, from field studies of American and European butterflies to synthetic analyses of global impacts on a broad range of species on land and in the oceans. She has participated in US and international assessments of climate change impacts and provided formal testimonies for the US House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, and the Texas Senate Natural Resources Committee. Camille has served as a lead author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which in 2007 was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.  Fee Free. Arboretum Members only. Registration required as seating is limited.

    Register online at my.arboretum.harvard.edu or call 617-384-5277.

  • Friday and Saturday, September 23 and 24 – Fall Bulb and Perennial Sale

    The Middlesex Conservation District, a not for profit environmental agency, will be holding its annual Fall Bulb and Perennial Sale on 9/23 (3-6pm) and 9/24 (8am-noon) at Verrill Farm, 11 Wheeler Rd, Concord, MA.  The sale features tulips, daffodils, specialty bulbs, iris and perennials; all proceeds benefit the District’s conservation programs. For more information please call 978- 692- 9395.  Image from www.whiteflowerfarm.com.

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  • Saturday, October 1, 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm – The Art and Science of Pickling

    Food preservation can be a challenge, and before refrigeration, pickling was an essential strategy for safe food storage. In this Berkshire Botanical Garden illustrated talk and demonstration on Saturday, October 1 from 1 – 4, participants will investigate the origins of vinegar, the alchemy of fermentation, and the anti-microbial properties of herbs and spices that are at the center of the art of pickling. Noted ethnobotanist and historian Judith Sumner will share modern pickling recipes and methods (and the science behind them), ranging from fresh pack dill pickles in crocks to bread and butter pickles processed in a hot water bath, and enjoy a tasting of pickle recipes and analysis of recipes from various historic sources. The workshop will also include making some quick pickled onions to be taken home by participants.

    Judith Sumner is a botanist who specializes in ethnobotany, flowering plants, plant adaptations, and garden history. She has taught extensively both at the college level and at botanical gardens, including the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University and Garden in the Woods. She has been a guest on the Martha Stewart Living television show, the PBS program Cultivating Life, the Annenberg Channel, and various other PBS and educational programs.  BBG members $30, nonmembers $35. Register online at https://berkshirebotanical.org/education/lectures-and-workshops/

  • Thursday, September 29, 6:30 pm – Jam Making 101

    Julia Hallman, Formaggio Kitchen’s jam buyer and avid home canning enthusiast, is leading a Thursday, September 29 session on jam basics, just in time to prepare you for summer’s fruit and vegetable bounty. During this two-hour demonstration beginning at 6:30 pm, Julia will take you through the jam-making process from start to finish. We’ll cook four different preserves, one traditional, single-fruit jam plus three more unusual preserves. Our focus will be on the preparation of the raw fruit, the cooking process, and how to jar your jam. She will examine key topics such as the role of sugar, the importance of lemon juice and how to add it, the stages of cooking, and how to test the jam accurately for doneness. During the class, participants will be able to enjoy several examples of jam (with accompaniments!) to educate their palate. Lastly, to get you started on your own jamming endeavors, you will receive your own “Jam Kit” with all of the ingredients necessary (including Weck Jars!) to make your first small-batch jam! NOTE: This class is held at our Classroom Annex, not our retail location. The annex is located at 67 Smith Place in Cambridge, and we highly recommend reviewing the directions available at www.formaggiokitchen.com.  $65 per person, Please be aware of our cancellation policy. Register online on the website or call 888-212-3224.  Image from www.lavenderandlovage.com.

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  • From the Archives: Hands-On Gardening

    In April, 1977, then-President Patsy Boyce called on members for a variety of tasks. Tickets for an upcoming neighborhood garden tour were sent out to be sold (you know the drill: sell them or buy them yourself), and a sign up sheet for hostessing during a tour shift was circulated. Everyone was to contribute 60 cookies (up from 50 the previous year) and a Library Courtyard planting was scheduled.  In addition, members were asked to contribute ten plants to the Garden Club table at the Neighborhood Street Fair  in June.  While these requests seem modest, we all know how difficult corralling volunteers can be. Currently, we have a brigade of “Dirty Girls” willing to step to the plate for hands-on projects in the neighborhood, from cleaning out window boxes at Hale House to planting around a statue on the Mall. Below is a picture of the Sarmiento statue, with our plants circling the base.  If you are not already on the Dirty Girls email distribution list but would like to be added, contact us at info@bostonflora.com. You don’t even have to be a Garden Club member, just a willing volunteer with access to a trowel or clippers (although even these can be provided.)

  • Friday, September 30 and Saturday, October 1, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm – Invasive Plant Identification, Removal, and Control Strategies

    Michael Nadeau, founding member of the Organic Land Care Project, will explore invasive plants, their identification, removal and control strategies for gardeners and homeowners on Saturday, September 30 and Saturday, October 1 at the Berkshire Botanical Garden in Stockbridge. On Friday, his lecture at the botanical garden will focus on plant identification, removal and control strategies of common invasives.   On Saturday, the class will undertake an offsite site evaluation to demonstrate how to develop a realistic plan to manage invasive plants. This program focuses on practical applications to help the home and professional gardeners tackle this problem which is becoming increasingly pervasive.

    Michael Nadeau has been a landscaper, arborist, and ecological designer for over 40 years. He was a founding member of the Organic Land Care Project, a sister organization of the CT Chapter of the Northeast Organic Farming Association, which created the first set of standards for organic landscaping based on NOFA and USDA Standards. Michael is a co-creator and instructor of the CT-NOFA Organic Land Care Accreditation Course, a previous owner of Plantscapes Organics, a Fairfield County-based landscape restoration company since 1980, and owner of Wholistic Land Care Consulting, LLC, in Sharon, CT. www.michaelnadeau.org. Photo of innovative invasive control by www.nyis.info.

    BBG members $40, nonmembers $45. Register online at https://berkshirebotanical.org/education/lectures-and-workshops/

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  • Wednesdays, September 28 – November 2, 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm – Beginning Floral Design Course

    Learn the nuts and bolts of how to arrange flowers in several styles with the Massachusetts Horticultural Society at Elm Bank, 900 Washington Street in Wellesley.  You’ll have the opportunity to create your own designs and receive feedback from expert instructors and judges to gain confidence in designing your own arrangements for home, giving, or competition.  Pre-registration required.  No class on Wednesday, October 19.  MHS members $115, nonmembers $145.  Sign up at www.masshort.org.

  • Thursdays, September 29 – November 3, 6:30 pm – 9:00 pm – Plant Form and Function

    In this New England Wild Flower Society introduction to botany, you will learn from Dr. Nancy M. Eyster-Smith the basics of plant anatomy and physiology and study the fundamentals of the plant kingdom through slides and live materials. Microscopic study will provide an up-close look at roots, stems, leaves, and their component tissues. You will examine flowers, fruits, and seeds and discuss pollination, fertilization, dispersal, and germination, with an emphasis on the relationship between plant form and function. The six session course will be held Thursdays, September 29 – November 3, at Garden in the Woods in Framingham. $200 for NEWFS members, $250 for nonmembers. Register online at www.newfs.org. Image from www.leavingbio.net.

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  • Saturdays and Sundays, September 24 – 25 and October 1 – 2, 9:30 am – 5:00 pm – Apple Days at Old Sturbridge Village

    Apples ready for harvest is a favorite sign of fall in New England. Enjoy the crisp autumn days at Old Sturbridge Village with special events throughout our Apple Days weekends, Septembr 24 & 25 and October 1 & 2.

    Come tour the orchards, help us pick apples, and taste some nearly forgotten heirloom apple varieties. Throughout the day our interpreters will be cooking and preserving this special fall fruit. Then, try your hand at cider-making, and see the ox-powered Cider Mill in operation (grinding on Saturday, pressing on Sunday.) You can even make your own mulling spices sachet to take home. Details and directions at http://www.osv.org. Admission: $28 Adults, $26 Seniors (55+), $14 Youths (3-17), Children 3 & Under FREE. This event takes place rain or shine and is held indoors and outdoors.