The wreath pictured below was so well received that the recipient joined The Garden Club of the Back Bay the day after it was delivered. That is what we call customer satisfaction.

The wreath pictured below was so well received that the recipient joined The Garden Club of the Back Bay the day after it was delivered. That is what we call customer satisfaction.

Winter is way too long for gardeners, so why not turn to begonias? Is there another group of plants with equal diversity, definition, and intrigue? On Saturday, January 21 at 1 pm, garden writer and self-described plant-obsessive Tovah Martin will share her passion for these delightful houseplants. Featuring colorful leaves in just about every shape imaginable topped by spikes of adorable little flowers and an unflappable personality, begonias turn attention inside when the weather is yucky outdoors. Begonias can easily become the best cold-season companions, but there are a few tricks for keeping them happy and healthy. That’s what this begonia intensive is all about. Come with questions and courage, and leave as a die-hard begonia fan. Tovah will also demonstrate how to make more begonias to share with friends and converts and there will be some cuttings for students to bring home. This Berkshire Botanical Garden lecture will take place in the Education Center in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, and is $25 for BBG members, $30 for nonmembers. Register online at www.berkshirebotanical.org.
Tovah Martin is an avid (verging on obsessed) gardener indoors and outside. She is the author of many gardening books—most recently The Indestructible Houseplant, which follows the success of The Unexpected Houseplant and The New Terrarium, as well as the popular Tasha Tudor’s Garden.

The strangest incident of Wreath Week 2016 was the moment a very irate management company, ignoring our confirmatory postcards, their own past experience picking up wreaths, and the detailed message on our wreath phone, came to the private home of a member to pick up two wreaths, and when no one answered declared the house “abandoned” and proceeded to demand that we make ourselves available to them on a date well after Wreath Week was over. To top things off, they had ordered the wrong wreath size (for the second year in a row) and out of the goodness of our hearts we corrected their order so we wouldn’t have to run back to our supplier and special order larger wreaths at the last minute. There are times when our patience runs thin, and this was one of them. We hope all condominium owners are aware that their management companies are their public face in the community. The wreaths below were done for a very nice management company, one we are always delighted to serve.

Come to Garden in the Woods in Framingham on either Wednesday, January 18 at 2 or Saturday, January 21 at 4 for a screening of Hometown Habitat. Catherine Zimmerman (The Meadow Project) has teamed up with Doug Tallamy, PhD and the Chesapeake Conservation Landscaping Council to produce a new film on native plants called Hometown Habitat . The Meadow Project and CCLC missions promote the principles of conservation landscaping and expand the practice of conservation landscaping throughout the Chesapeake Bay region.
Hometown Habitat is a 90-minute environmental, education documentary focused on showing how and why native plants are critical to the survival and vitality of local ecosystems. Entomologist Doug Tallamy, whose research, books, and lectures on the misuse of non-native plants in landscaping sound the alarm about habitat and species loss, provides the narrative thread throughout the film. The message: “We can change the notion that humans are here and nature is some place else. It doesn’t have to, and shouldn’t be that way.” Each individual has the power to conserve resources, restore habitat for wildlife and bring beauty to their patch of earth.
Award winning director Catherine Zimmerman and her film crew traveled across the country to visit Hometown Habitat Heroes, people – young and old and with varied backgrounds – who are reversing detrimental impacts on the land and in the water of major U.S. watersheds, one garden at a time. Catherine and the film crew wind their way through the watersheds of Florida, the prairies of the Mississippi River Basin, the streams and rivers of the Rocky Mountains, the Chesapeake Bay, the Great Lakes and Columbia River to share success stories and works-in-progress that celebrate conservation landscaping that re-awakens and redefines our relationship with Nature.
Along with the everyday Hometown Heroes, we meet ecologists, entomologists and other experts who will share the science behind how today’s ‘native-plants-know-best’ enthusiasts, landscape architects, and conservation groups are helping 20th century-minded city planners, businesses and developers appreciate the myriad 21st century benefits of low-maintenance, seasonally-dynamic, and eco-healthy landscape installations, that respect Nature’s original best practices.
$18 ELA members, $25 nonmembers – See more at: http://www.ecolandscaping.org/event/screening-hometown-habitat-stories-of-bringing-nature-home/2017-01-18/#sthash.QuSWorED.dpuf

Yes, the client handed the ribbon and a sparkly doodad to the designer and said “Make it whimsical, but not tacky.” A tall order. For an unknown reason we had some reproduction Shiny Brite ornaments, popular in the 1950’s and making a retro comeback, in our stockpile, and they were the perfect accessory. The bird is removable, but reminded us of a glittery Christmas card from Ozzie and Harriet days. We’re making December great again.

Not everyone wants red and green, holly and pine cones. For those customers, we create unusual fantasies in a host of color schemes. In this instance, the client requested a chartreuse ribbon, and we went from there. This is not a wreath which would be sent out to someone we didn’t know. You may trust us to send something more traditional if you leave all decisions to us. But if you decide to let your freak flag fly, we are happy to oblige.

Make the most of the shortest day of the year! Get outside and take a walk along the Charles River with the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, starting at Elm Bank, 900 Washington Street, on Wednesday, December 21 from 1 – 3.
Mass Hort Educator Katie Folts will lead a walk on the trails at Elm Bank, identify plants, and discuss how these plants have adapted to survive cold winters. $12 for Mass Hort members, $20 for nonmembers. Telephone 617-933-4973 to register, or for more information, and dress warmly.

Well, at least Fake Wreaths. Occasionally we are called on to decorate an artificial wreath to hang in a building where fire laws prohibit live greenery. The wreath below is an example of a design done on a high quality non-biodegradable ring of plastic, bow chosen by client, decorations chosen by the designer. We are flexible.

The Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University invites artists of all ages to submit their logo designs for the Lilac Sunday 2017 T-shirt. Lilac-themed T-shirts have been a tradition for many years, and continue to be a highly anticipated and popular memento of this event.
Design must include:
Lilac Sunday 2017
Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University
No more than 4 colors
Questions?
Find more information at website below or email arbweb@arnarb.harvard.edu
Submission Deadline: December 18, 2016.
Submit digital file to arbweb@arnarb.harvard.edu with Lilac Sunday Logo Competition as the subject. Please include your name, address, and phone number. 2011 submission below from http://www.ailicontinifield.com
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