Boston Flora

Month: December 2016

  • Saturday, December 10, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm – A Cape Cod Notebook 2

    Listeners to Robert Finch’s highly popular weekly broadcast, A Cape Cod Notebook, for which he has twice won the prestigious Edward R. Murrow award for Radio Writing, will delight in this second collection of his radio scripts. Originally read by the author on WCAI, Finch brings his unique style and voice to the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History for a reading and book signing on Saturday, December 10 beginning at 1 pm.

    Mr. Finch is known for capturing the essence of life, both human and natural, on Cape Cod. Whether contemplating the significance of Cape Cod’s first-ever recorded bear sighting, exploring the possibility that whales may consciously perform for whale-watchers, or visiting a rare stand of chestnut trees, Finch’s singularly unique perceptions constantly remind us of the special character of the place that we are so fortunate to live, Cape Cod and the Islands. In addition to an essay for every week of the year, this new collection demonstrates Finch’s equally strong interest in human nature, containing a number of portraits of Cape Codders, new and old.

    Robert Finch, widely regarded as one of America’s leading nature writers, is the author of nine books of essays and has been broadcasting A Cape Cod Notebook since 2005 and has co-edited The Norton Book of Nature Writing.

    For more information please call: 508-896-3867, ext. 133. Free with Museum admission.

  • Wednesday, December 14, 11:00 am – 12:00 noon – Low-Maintenance Plants Webinar

    After a long day of work, weeding and watering isn’t always high on the priority list. Join Dan Jaffe of the New England Wild Flower Society online on Wednesday, December 14 from 11 – noon to discover a host of stunning, low-maintenance native plants. This webinar is part of our nine-part series “Natives for any Garden” which will focus exclusively on garden plants. Join our horticultural staff for suggestions on the best native plants for any garden condition. Image from www.houzz.com. $10 for NEWFS members, $13 for nonmembers. Sign up at http://newenglandwild.org/learn/our-programs/live-webinar-low-maintenance-plants

  • Wednesday, December 14, 6:00 pm – Traditional Christmas Party

    The British Society invites you to its Traditional Christmas Party on Wednesday, December 14 at 6 pm at the residence of HM Consul General Harriet Cross, 13 Chestnut Street in Boston.  Join the Society for mulled wine, live music, a “champagne door prize” and much more.  $45 per person.  Purchase online at http://britishsociety.org or send check to The British Society, 3 Channing Road, Mattapoisett, MA 02739.  Image from www.aldi.us.

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  • Sunday, December 11, 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm – Home for the Holidays

    The Lexington Field & Garden Club will host its first house tour, Home for the Holidays, celebrating diverse holiday traditions, on Sunday, December 11 from 1 – 5. Peek behind the doors of six lovely Lexington homes, each beautifully decorated for the holidays.

    On tour day, pick up your tour map and brochure at Tour Headquarters. Before embarking on the self-guided tour, enjoy light refreshments and peruse our holiday boutique where a selection of holiday decorations, hand-made ornaments, and small gifts made by Garden Club members will be available for purchase. Tour headquarters is the Church of Our Redeemer, 6 Meriam Street in Lexington. Tickets are $25 in advance, $35 on day of tour. For more information call 781-863-1203 or visit http://www.LexGardenClub.org.

  • Thursday, December 8, 10:00 am – 3:30 pm – Meadows 1, 2, 3

    No one can grow an instant meadow, but in this one-day seminar on Thursday, December 8 from 10 – 3:30 you can quickly increase your understanding of what it takes to create one. The topics covered include: what a meadow is; what makes a good meadow site; how you can prepare for planting, select plant species, and find seeds or plugs; how to plant; and what to expect from your meadow in years one, two, and three.

    Class will take place at Garden in the Woods, 180 Hemenway Road in Framingham, and is taught by Kathy Connolly, Landscape Designer at Speaking of Landscapes, LLC. Bring a bag lunch. Co-sponsored by the Ecological Landscape Alliance and the New England Wild Flower Society. The cost is $73 for members of sponsoring organizations, $88 for the general public.

    Kathy Connolly has been involved with horticulture, land care, and landscape design for 30 years. As a landscape designer, she helps clients create functional, attractive outdoor spaces with a great deal of attention to plant health (and the health of the planet). Kathy’s specialties include meadows, waterside buffer gardens, woodland edge and shade plantings, deer-resistant designs, and foundation gardens. Her designs emphasize native plants and organic techniques.
    – See more at: http://www.ecolandscaping.org/event/meadows-1-2-3/#sthash.1f6pio1g.dpuf

  • Sunday, December 11, 1:00 pm – 3:30 pm – Aromatherapy Holiday Gifts

    Anastasia Papanikolaou will conduct a Tower Hill Botanic Garden class on Sunday, December 11 from 1 – 3:30 just in time for the holidays. Make a relaxing or detoxifying bath salt, a room freshener and a relaxing herbal dream pillow for your home or as gifts. Materials and recipes are included in the registration fee of $45 for Tower Hill members, $55 for nonmembers. Register online at www.towerhillbg.org, or call 508-869-6111, ext 124.  Photo from www.omnomally.com.

  • Sunday, December 4 – Tuesday, December 6 – 6th Annual Soil and Nutrition Conference

    The 6th Annual Soil & Nutrition Conference, sponsored by the Bionutrient Food Association, explores how the intersection of farm and human ecosystems holds the key to environmental sustainability, quality food and overall well-being. The conference will take place December 4 – 6 at the Kripalu Center in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. Registration is $225 ($200 for BFA members.) Register online at http://bionutrient.org/soil-and-nutrition-conference

    Bringing together the collective knowledge of the food movement from the perspectives of successful farmers, cutting-edge researchers, enlightening health practitioners, and pioneers of food quality, this conference is a nexus of information and networking for all interested in delving deeper into the connections and importance of soil and nutrition.

    Integrating these diverse viewpoints, this year’s program engages growers and gardeners with principles, practices and innovations for ecologically and financially sound farming, and presents the health-conscious consumer and medical professional valuable skills to effectively advocate and select for quality in their local region and food supply.

    Conference Topics:

    Successful applications of biological (ecological) management, from garden to wholesale scale
    Improving public health through agriculture, education and local capacity building
    Effectively using nutrition to mitigate disease across the landscape
    Regenerating ecological systems to provide environmental stability and weather climate change
    Flavor as a focal point in the food quality conversation
    Implementation and development of techniques for grower success including seed establishment, emergence and in season monitoring solutions
    Growing and marketing your farm business with an eye to quality
    Improving human health through conscientious food production and cultivation of soil health

    The BFA is proud to announce that grass-farmer, author and lecturer Joel Salatin will be the keynote speaker at its 6th Annual Conference. His family’s Polyface Farm in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley is a multi-generational, pasture-based and “beyond organic” enterprise. At Polyface, Salatin follows the guiding principles of transparency, grass-based agriculture, individuality, valuing community, following nature’s template, and embracing earthworms. Featured in Michael Pollan’s book, The Omnivore’s Dilemma, Salatin is widely-known throughout the alternative and sustainable farming world for promoting ecologically friendly and economically viable farming strategies and methods. He is the author of numerous works, including: Everything I Want to Do Is Illegal: War stories from the local food front, Folks, This Ain’t Normal: A farmer’s advice for happier hens, healthier people, and a better world, and The Sheer Ecstasy of Being a Lunatic Farmer.

    With over 30 additional speakers currently scheduled to present at this year’s conference, all widely considered experts in their respective fields, choosing between which sessions to attend will be a wonderful problem to have!

  • Thursday, December 8, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm – Urban Forests: A Natural History of Trees and People in the American Cityscape

    Trees, nature’s largest and longest-lived creations, play an extraordinarily important role in our cityscapes. These living landmarks define space, cool the air, and connect us to nature and our past. Today, four out of five Americans live in or near cities, surrounded by millions of trees that make up urban forests. But most of us take them for granted and know little of their natural history or civic virtues.

    On Thursday, December 8 in the Hunnewell Building of the Arnold Arboretum, author and historian Jill Jonnes will speak about the history of the tree in American cities over the course of the past two centuries, delving into the presidents, plant explorers, visionaries, citizen activists, scientists, and nurserymen whose arboreal passions have shaped and ornamented the nation’s cities. The Arboretum is located at 125 Arborway in Jamaica Plain, and the cost of the lecture is $10, free if a member of the Arnold Arboretum, or a student. To register visit www.my.arboretum.harvard.edu.

  • Saturday, December 10 – Sunday, December 11 and Friday, December 16 – Sunday, December 18 – Cultural Survival Bazaar

    The Cultural Survival Bazaar, a Festival of Native Arts and Cultures, will be held on December 10 – 11 at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School. 459 Broadway in Cambridge, and the following weekend, Friday through Sunday, at the Prudential Center’s Belvidere and Huntington Arcades. The event features indigenous artists and musicians representing an array of the world’s cultures, colors, connections, and ethical shopping.  Cambridge hours are from 10 – 5, and Prudential hours are 10 – 10 on Friday and Saturday, 10 – 8 on Sunday.  Proceeds support the livelihoods of artisans and community projects. Visit www.bazaar.cs.org for special features. Free admission.