Boston Flora

Month: May 2017

  • Friday, June 16, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm – Designing a Garden for All Seasons

    How do you both captivate people and provide for wildlife year-round in a garden for all seasons? On Friday, June 16 at 10 am at Garden in the Woods, 180 Hemenway Road in Framingham, Anna Fialkoff will talk you through the type of design that focuses your plant palette on structure and seasonal themes that carry you through the year. Afterwards join Anna on a walk through the garden and hear about how the horticulture team took on this question in the Curtis Woodland and Old Meadow designs. Anna is an Ecological Horticulturist & Designer at Garden in the Woods, New England Wild Flower Society. She is a graduate of the Conway School of Landscape Design. $62 for Ecological Landscape Alliance members, $73 for nonmembers. – See more at: http://www.ecolandscaping.org/event/59824/#sthash.GmrLj2CN.dpuf

  • Wednesday, June 14, 6:00 pm – 8:30 pm – Wall-mounted Clay Bud Vase Workshop

    Students enrolled in this Tower Hill Botanic Garden workshop on Wednesday, June 14 from 6 – 8:30 will create their own piece of pottery starting from scratch with a raw piece of clay. The clay slab will be molded into a one of a kind bud vase for the wall by the students and designed using texture either by adding clay or sgraffito (scratching/scraping away). Once the sculptural component is complete, the students will then paint their piece using underglazes. The pieces are then brought back to the artist’s studio where they are bisque fired, clear glazed and then fired again. Upon completion, the pieces can either be picked up at Tower Hill or the artist studio in West Boylston. The ceramic process can take between 4-6 weeks, sometimes much less.

    Becky O’Brien, Professional Ceramic Artist, from RJ ARTS Pottery & Lessons, living in West Boylston, is certified in art education, teaching ceramics in studio and doing clay workshops for years in many settings-teaches students from scratch how to create their own piece of pottery. Tower Hill member price $60, nonmembers $75. Register online at www.towerhillbg.org. All skill levels welcome. Piece below by Becky O’Brien.

  • Saturday, June 17, 9:00 am – 12:00 noon – Plant Propagation Workshop

    A wealth of woody plants from Abelia to Zenobia can be propagated effectively and economically by softwood cuttings. Join Polly Hill Arboretum Plant Propagator Brian McGowan on Saturday, June 17 at the Arboretum, 809 State Road in West Tisbury, to learn the basic science and techniques behind this seemingly magical way of producing woody plants. Following a brief lecture, participants will collect cuttings on the Arboretum grounds, and then return to the greenhouse to begin propagating. Each person will leave with a plastic propagation box filled with cuttings and the knowledge to propagate plants aplenty! Please bring a pair of sharp hand pruners; an apron would be a welcome accessory. Class meets at the Arboretum’s Far Barn. $45 for non-members, $40 for PHA members. Please call to register, space is limited: 508-693-9426.

  • Monday, June 5 – Friday, June 9 – The Metcalf Institute 2017 Public Lecture Series

    The Metcalf Institute for Marine & Environmental Reporting will hold its 2017 Annual Public Lecture Series at the Corless Auditorium, University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography, 218 South Ferry Road in Narragansett, June 5 – 9.  All lectures are free and open to the public.  The Institute is celebrating 20 years of excellence in bringing science to the conversation.  The stellar lineup includes:

    Monday, June 5, 3:30 p.m.
    Johanna Polsenberg, The Ocean Health Index
    Assessing the Health of Our Oceans
    How can we protect the health of our oceans? Large-scale ocean datasets provide critical information for sustaining marine resources. Dr. Polsenberg of Conservation International will discuss the global Ocean Health Index and how it uses data to drive science-based policy and identify the research relevant for marine and coastal conservation.

    Tuesday, June 6, 3:30 p.m.
    Dan Kahan, Yale University
    Science Communication in the Age of Fake News and Public Distrust of the Press
    How do we effectively weigh the credibility of scientific information? Some would argue that greater public science literacy is the key, but this is not necessarily borne out by research. Dr. Kahan will describe how cultural barriers affect views of scientific evidence, and how we can use this knowledge to improve science communication.

    Wednesday, June 7, 3:30 p.m.
    Shreeram Inamdar, University of Delaware
    Extreme Weather at the Watershed Scale: How to Protect Water Quality
    Climate forecasts show that many regions will experience increased frequency or intensity of large storms, which could have serious consequences for water quality and aquatic ecosystems. Dr. Inamdar will discuss how these storms affect watershed health, management and policy, and how new research can identify ways to adapt.

    Thursday, June 8, 3:30 p.m.
    Cynthia Giles, Former U.S. EPA Assistant Administrator
    Environmental Enforcement: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
    Delivering on the promise of environmental laws requires tough enforcement and innovative thinking about protecting the environment, including using cutting-edge monitoring and information technologies. Giles will talk about the past and future of these essential protections for communities across the country.

    Friday, June 9, 11 a.m.
    David Baron, Author and former Health and Science Editor for PRI’s The World.
    The Great Eclipse of 1878 and the Dawn of American Science
    On August 21, 2017, a total solar eclipse will cross the U.S. for the first time in 99 years, offering a rare national opportunity to rally around a scientific event. Baron’s new story of the 1878 eclipse describes the event’s role in spurring America’s rise as a global scientific power. Author book signing to follow for American Eclipse: A Nation’s Epic Race to Catch the Shadow of the Moon and Win the Glory of the World.

    For more information visit http://metcalfinstitute.org/lectures/als-2017/

  • Thursday, June 15, 6:00 pm – Warren Manning: Landscape Architect and Environmental Planner

    Warren H. Manning’s (1860–1938) practice comprised more than 1,600 design and planning projects throughout North America, from small home grounds to estates, cemeteries, college campuses, parks, and new industrial towns. Trained as a horticulturist and apprenticed with the Olmsted firm, Manning went on to mentor important designers such as Fletcher Steele and Dan Kiley. Under Robin Karson’s direction, contributors to the Warren H. Manning Research Project have worked for more than a decade, locating and assessing current conditions of his built projects. Karson, who is Executive Director of the Library of American Landscape History, will reveal the scope and significance of Manning’s career, showing how his approach to design and planning projects distinguished him from his early twentieth century colleagues. The event will take place in the Weld Hill Research Building of the Arboretum on Thursday, June 15 with the lecture beginning at 6, followed by reception and book signing. Fee Free, but registration requested. Seating is limited. Offered with Friends of Fairsted. Register at my.arboretum.harvard.edu or call 617-384-5277.

  • Wednesday, June 14, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm (new time) – Violet Riot: Bradley in Bloom

    You are cordially invited to attend the public opening of an exciting new horticultural experience at The Trustees.  Thanks to an exclusive partnership with renowned plant breeding firm Proven Winners, the Eleanor Cabot Bradley Estate’s Formal Garden will host a summer long display of arresting annuals, provocative perennials, and showy shrubs.  Entitled Violet Riot: Bradley in Bloom, the display garden is designed to celebrate the long legacy of gardening at this historic estate with a vibrant new color palette featuring a mix of purple and chartreuse plantings designed to bloom throughout the spring into the early fall.The evening (Wednesday, June 14, 6 – 8) will include  a hands on workshop featuring design tips & winning plant combos. John Gaydos, Director of Product Development and Promotion, Proven Winners will present at this exciting special event opening of the newly restored formal garden at the Bradley Estate.  The program will include music and light refreshments. The address is 2468 Washington Street in Canton, the event is $9 for members of the Trustees, $15 for nonmembers. Register at www.thetrustees.org.

  • Sunday, June 11, 9:00 am – 1:00 pm – Identifying the 25 Most Common Trees in Boston

    In just a few hours on Sunday, June 11 from 9 – 1, Kyle Port, Manager of Plant Records at the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University, will teach you to identify 90 percent of the trees growing in Boston, both native and nonnative. Beginning in the classroom in the Hunnewell Building, you will briefly review the characteristics of the 25 most common trees and learn the botanical terminology necessary to describe them. You will then walk the grounds of the Arboretum to look at mature specimens of these trees.Bring a notebook or clipboard for this information-rich program. Fee $45 member, $60 nonmember. Register at www.my.arboretum.harvard.edu.

  • Thursday, June 22, 8:15 am – 3:30 pm – Kykuit: House, Garden and Sculpture Park Tour

    Join Berkshire Botanical Garden on Thursday, June 22 for a field trip to Kykuit, a preeminent Hudson Valley house and garden. This hilltop paradise was home to four generations of the Rockefeller family, beginning with the philanthropist John D. Rockefeller, founder of Standard Oil and, in his day, the richest man in America. This extraordinary house and gardens have been continuously and meticulously maintained for more than 100 years. Our tour will focus on architecture, gardens, art, history, and spectacular scenery. The 2 1⁄2 hour tour will explore the morning and brook gardens, the Italian garden, and the Adam and Eve fountain area, with a special focus on the exceptional terraced gardens containing Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller’s extensive collection of 20th-century sculpture. Artists represented include Pablo Picasso, Henry Moore, Alexander Calder, Louise Nevelson, and David Smith, among many others. There is extensive topography and sturdy shoes are highly recommended. Following the tour, we will picnic at the Visitors Center on the grounds. Participants can choose to bring a bagged lunch or purchase lunch at the Visitors Center cafe.

    Dress for the weather: comfortable, sturdy footwear and warm, waterproof outerwear, umbrella. Travel by passenger van. Departing BBG parking lot at 8:15 am, returning 3:30pm. BBG members $65, nonmembers $75. Register at www.berkshirebotanical.org.  Image from www.hudsonvalley.org.

  • Saturday, June 17 – Thursday, June 22 – Sail Boston 2017

    Boston’s history stretches beyond the land to the sea. Boston has a wealth of maritime history—both past and present. Bostonians welcome crews and cadets from all over the world to their harbor on a continual basis as part of the Visiting Ship Program and are gearing up to greet the return of the Tall Ship fleet for Sail Boston 2017®!

    Boston is an official port of the Rendez-Vous 2017 Tall Ships Regatta. The trans-Atlantic regatta will start in Royal Greenwich, UK. From there the fleet will race to Sines, Portugal, followed by Bermuda. The fleet will then race to Boston, for Sail Boston 2017®. From Boston, the fleet will cruise in company north to Quebec City, Canada.

    Sail Boston® will entertain its younger audience with educational programs focusing on US and international maritime history. Cadets and crewmembers will be available to educate children of all ages of their personal experiences at sea, home countries and more.

    The Grand Parade of Sail on Saturday, June 17 from 9 – 3 will highlight the day’s activities as vessels parade in flotillas from Broad Sound into the main channel of Boston Harbor turning at Charlestown, before proceeding to their assigned berthing areas. Public viewing of the parade will be spectacular from Castle Island, the Seaport District, the Boston Waterfront, East Boston, the North End and Charlestown. For complete details visit http://www.sailboston.com/

  • Thursday, June 8, 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm – Weed Walkabout

    Correct weed identification is an important first step in the development of an effective weed management program. Join Randy Prostak, Extension Weed Specialist at UMass Extension, on Thursday, June 8 from 4 – 6 for a walk through the landscape of Bird Park, 251 Washington Street in East Walpole, for an up-close look at weed problems in diverse habitats in the park. Held rain or shine. Preregistration required as space is limited; the cost is $50/$45 per person for three or more registrations from the same organization (10% discount). Online registrations include an additional service fee. Register at http://ag.umass.edu/events/weed-walkabout-2, or call Ellen Weeks at 413-545-0895.