Boston Flora

Month: June 2017

  • Sunday, July 9, 10:00 am – 12:00 noon – Tried and True Natives

    Ask any veteran gardener, landscape designer, ecologist, or botanist what their favorite plant is and they’ll berate you for limiting their selection to just one – but you can be sure each one of them has a list of favorites. Perhaps they are tasty, good for pollinators, or just downright beautiful but either way they are the plants they know they can count on.

    Join Dan Jaffe on Sunday, July 9 at 10 am at Garden in the Woods, 180 Hemenway Street in Framingham, to learn about those tried and true native species that will never let you down.

    Dan Jaffe is the propagator and stock bed grower at New England Wild Flower Society (NEWFS) in Framingham, Massachusetts. He earned a degree in botany from the University of Maine and an advanced certificate in Native Plant Horticulture and Design from NEWFS. After interning at Garden in the Woods, Dan worked for a year as Plant Sales Coordinator at the Garden. $26 for Ecological Landscape Alliance Members, $32 for nonmembers. Register and see more at: http://www.ecolandscaping.org/event/tried-true-natives/#sthash.Aft1kyEk.dpuf

  • Thursday, January 4 – Saturday, January 13 – Costa Rica: Tropical Horticultural & Nature Tour

    Costa Rica, ‘rich coast’ in Spanish, has a wealth of natural diversity and wildlife — over 10,000 plant species and more than 850 species of birds, including many endemics found nowhere else on earth.

    This 10-day study program, January 4 – 13, 2018, will expose you to some of this stunning array of exotic tropical plants and animals, the ecology of the rainforest and other ecological habitats, and tropical horticultural production.

    Join Susan Mahr, Wisconsin Master Gardener Program Coordinator, on a special trip with Hidden Treasures Tours as we leave the typical tourist route to visit some of the most exclusive areas of this stunningly beautiful country to discover the vast array of endemic plants in the rainforest, learn about tropical horticulture and crops, see abundant wildlife — monkeys, butterflies, birds, frogs and more — in their natural habitat, and much more. Book by July 1st and save $300 per single booking or $500 per couple. Land only package starts at $3,475 per person. Download itinerary at http://hiddentreasurestours.com//srv/htdocs/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/CR2018regbrochure.pdf

    Contact:
    Kari Harper
    573.303.2872
    kari@hiddentreasurestours.com

  • Thursday, June 29, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm – Pruning the Early Bloomers

    On Thursday, June 29 beginning at 7 pm at The Gardens at Elm Bank, 900 Washington Street in Wellesley, join Jen Kettell for an introduction to pruning early-blooming shrubs. During the summer excitement, it can be challenging to remember to return to these early-season lovelies! However, we want to complete any major renovation and structural pruning as soon after blooming as possible. This training will serve both as a reminder to get to it! and an exploration of now, which plants are we talking about? Sign up now for a fun and productive lesson. Mass Hort members $12, nonmembers $20.  Register online at www.masshort.org or call 617933-4973.

    Jen Kettell is a certified arborist and horticulturist serving the New England area. For more than a decade, she worked as a staff horticulturist at Harvard University’s Arnold Arboretum. Now she shares her passion for teaching horticulture through the training she provides to both homeowners and green industry professionals. She is a guest lecturer and trainer at the University of Massachusetts, MA Department of Conservation and Recreation, New England Wildflower Society, and the Arnold Arboretum. Learn more about Jen at www.JenKettell.com.  Image from www.provenwinners.com.

  • From the Archives – Thank You Notes

    Below is an example of a charming note written to one of the Garden Club of the Back Bay’s founding members, Stella Trafford, in 1983, by a member apologizing for having to leave a meeting early.  Today such a note (and penmanship!) would be a rarity, although our members are to be commended for sending emails when a program especially appeals to them – we value such input.  In order to create a year of exciting programming, we need to know what interests our members.  Suggestions are welcome at info@bostonflora.com.

  • Historic New England’s Lyman Estate Greenhouses Project

    The Lyman Estate Greenhouses in Waltham, Massachusetts is among the oldest surviving greenhouses in the United States, with four attached structures built between 1804 and 1930.  Historic New England announces that this summer and fall, a comprehensive preservation project will help ensure the sustainability of the greenhouses and make them more accessible.  The buildings will be stabilized and their character-defining features will be preserved, along with providing increased ventilation and heat. The bald cypress sash windows will be conserved, rather than replaced, and mobility access will be improved by upgrading exterior pathways. The $335,000 project will be funded in part by two grants, one from the Massachusetts Preservation Projects Fund and another from the City of Waltham Community Preservation Fund, but a significant amount is still needed to cover the cost of this essential project.  If you are interested in donating, you may do so online at www.historicnewengland.org/PMF or call 617-994-5951.

  • Garden How-To Free Online Workshops

    Horticulture Magazine has a series of free download’s on its website which give you access to great garden speakers from the comfort of your own home. No new live workshops are currently scheduled as of this date, but you may access recordings of past workshops at http://www.hortmag.com/smart-gardening-workshops

    Here are highlights of two presentations of interest. We will feature more in the coming weeks:

    Urban Farming: Rooted In The City

    “Give me a bit of ground the size of a postage stamp, and I will give you an Urban Farm.” For years edible gardening seemed like a trend, but now we view it as a true cultural shift. Edibles are being used in the garden and on the patio in containers as never before. Never mind if your area is small or large—this workshop will offer great tips that you can use in your own Urban Farm. And it’s not just about the edibles; you’ll get a firsthand look at the companion plants that provide much needed nectar and cover for essential pollinators. The speaker is Nicholas Staddon, Director of the New Plants Team at Monrovia.

    Heaven Scent

    Nicholas Staddon, a lifelong plantsman, takes you on a journey of some of his favorite plants that will delight the nose. Nothing is more fun than being in the garden when, from somewhere, you get a whiff of a delightful scent. This workshop will help you create those moments in your own garden.

  • Wednesday, June 21, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm – Proven Winners

    Confirmed! Come hear Val Rollins and John Antonelli (Four Star Greenhouse) introduce the new Proven Winners Annuals, successful combinations, and planting demonstrations, on Wednesday, June 21, from 6 – 8 at the Eleanor Bradley Cabot estate in Canton. This is a Trustees of Reservations hands-on workshop with opportunities to both learn, ask questions, dig into the soil, and leave with samples! Ample time and awesome chance to learn from the pros! Members: $9. Nonmembers: $15. Please pre-register online: www.thetrustees.org. Supertunia “Bubblegum” pictured below.

  • Saturday, October 7 – Monday, October 16 – Taste of Tuscany Tour

    Hidden Treasures Tours is very excited to announce our Taste of Tuscany Tour. This incredible experience will allow the traveler the opportunity to utilize all their senses; the sights of the Tuscan countryside, the smells of working vineyards and cheese farms, the sounds of the locals enjoying the fruits of their labors, the touch of historical botanical gardens and buildings, and most certainly, the tastes of wine, cheeses, olives and olive oils, and much more.

    We will lodge in authentic 18th century Tuscan villas that are located on working farms and experience true Tuscan cuisine with the opportunity to sample the best Tuscan wines; all produced on the working farms – this tour will be a paradise of flavors, fragrances and relaxed country living. Space is limited as each villa so get your reservations in early! Priced from $3,875 per person.  Contact Kari Harper at 573-303-2872 or email her at kari@hiddentreasurestours.com.

    Oct. 7 Arrive Florence

    Welcome dinner

    Oct. 8 Florence at leisure

    Oct. 9 City tour Florence & Private Tour of Torrigiani Gardens

    Recently open to the public, Torrigiani Gardens is the largest privately owned garden in Europe.

    Oct. 10 The Orcia Valley & Siena

    Gardens of Villa Vico Bello & olive oil tasting
    Walking tour of Siena
    Winery visit & tasting in Montalcino

    Oct. 11 Castello di Celsa and Villa La Foce

    Today we will have a full day excursion to the magnificent gardens of Siena.

    Oct 12 Pienza and Palazzo Piccolomini – Montepulciano (B,L, D )

    Visit to the historic center of Pienza and the Palazzo Piccolomini and gardens
    Visit with an organic cheese maker
    Transfer to Montepulciano for leisure time

    Oct. 13 to Florence Villa di Maiano & Villa Gamberaia

    Tour of Villa di Maiano Gardens (pictured below) and the ground floor of the Villa (Fiesole)
    Olive oil tasting and lunch at Fattoria di Maiano
    Tour of Villa Gamberaia in Settignano

    Oct 14 Florence Gardens

    Full day excursion for the visit of the Florence Gardens & Farewell Dinner

    Villa Corsi Salviati
    Villa Medici di Petraia
    Giardino di Boboli

    Oct. 15 Florence at Leisure

    Oct. 16 Depart

  • The Cultural Landscape Foundation Guide to Boston

    In recognition of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the National Park Service (NPS), The Cultural Landscape Foundation and NPS are partnering to document nationally significant landscapes in five cities. The third of five interactive online guides, the What’s Out There Cultural Landscapes Guide for Boston was preceded by guides to Philadelphia (March 2016) and New York City (October 2016), and will be followed by guides to cultural landscapes in Richmond, VA (Fall 2017) and Baltimore, MD (Spring 2018). From the city’s founding in 1630 to the City Beautiful movement in the 20th century, Boston’s landscape legacy is rich and nationally significant. Discover the extraordinary range of Boston’s designed landscapes through illustrated essays of more than 60 sites, all of which can be explored on an interactive map. Read the profiles of more than 50 designers and visionaries whose work has shaped Boston over the course of three hundred years. For access, visit https://tclf.org/places/city-and-regional-guides/boston.

    As an example of what you’ll find, quoted below is an essay on Brook Farm Historic Site in nearby West Roxbury. This summer, treat yourselves to some day trips exploring the many featured landscapes:

    Consisting of 179 acres and located in the West Roxbury neighborhood, the site is best known for its short tenure as a utopian community for Transcendentalists during the 1840s. The commune was founded by former Unitarian Minister George Ripley and was organized around contemporary principles of equality. Though Brook Farm was one of dozens of communal experiments in the U.S. at the time, it gained heightened notoriety due to the participation of prominent literary figures and intellectual leaders. Nathaniel Hawthorne’s book The Blithedale Romance (1852) was inspired by his time on the commune. The community constructed multiple residences, a school, greenhouses, and other ancillary agrarian buildings. The experiment proved financially unstable, and the utopian enclave fell into disuse during the years leading up to the Civil War, when it was used as a training camp for Union soldiers. A cemetery, The Gardens at Gethsemane, was established on several acres of the historic farm in the 1870s. The site housed a Lutheran orphanage from 1872 to 1943, and Brook Farm Home, a Lutheran school and treatment center, from 1948 to 1974. Although a high-rise development was proposed in the 1980s, the site was acquired by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in 1988. It is now operated by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation as a historic site.

    What remains of historic Brook Farm is its cultural landscape: rolling fields, woodlands, and wetlands. Today’s visitors can stroll, picnic, and hike. Though the historic structures from the era as a Transcendentalist commune were destroyed by fire over the years, a number of their foundations remain, allowing for interpretation and an understanding of spatial character. Brook Farm was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1965 and was listed in the National Register of Historic Places the following year.

  • Saturday, June 24, 10:00 am – Garden Conservancy Open Day in Needham and Wellesley

    Saturday, June 24, 10:00 am – Garden Conservancy Open Day in Needham and Wellesley

    On Saturday, June 24th, the Garden Conservancy’s Open Days Program shares three gardens in Needham and Wellesley, and offers a Digging Deeper event at the Hunnewell Estate with David Dusenbury. Gardens open at 10 a.m. and ending times vary. The Open Day is rain or shine, and no reservations are required. Admission is $7 per private garden; children 12 & under free. Call 1-888-842-2442, or visit www.opendaysprogram.org for more information. An additional Greater Boston Open Day take place on September 9th in Carlisle.

    Properties included on the June 24th tour include:

    Garden of Ellen Lathi, 119 Locust Lane, Needham; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. – this fifteen-year-old garden, pictured below, is spread over the two-acre property, connected by a series of stepping-stone and mulched paths with transitions punctuated by lichen-covered natural stone and rustic garden ornaments. Highlighted are collections of Japanese maples, beech, deciduous conifers, bamboos and grasses of every type, and large-leafed plants, which love wet and boggy conditions. Using very few flowers in the garden, the owners attempt to achieve a bold, colorful effect through the seasons using gold and burgundy foliage, leaf variegation, and texture.

    Garden of Kelly Wingo & Stephen Capone, 119 Harris Avenue, Needham; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. – a ten-year-old garden surrounding a 1929 brick Tudor house, is the playground for the owners for combining new and unusual plants with old favorites. There is a diverse collection of trees, shrubs, perennials, plus containers, Japanese maples, a meditation garden, and a small vegetable garden.

    Hunnewell Estate, Wellesley; 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. – Directions to this garden will be available at each additional location. Four generations of the Hunnewell family have had a hand in this estate garden, which includes a formal azalea garden and pinetum. Greenhouses produce delicate camellias, exotic orchids, flowers, and fruit. The highlight of your visit is bound to be the whimsical yet monumental clipped evergreens, which adorn the sloping shores of Lake Waban.

    A separate event, Digging Deeper: A Walking Tour of Hunnewell Estate Highlights, takes place at 11 a.m. in Wellesley. Tickets are $30 for Garden Conservancy members, $35 for nonmembers; preregistration is required (the $7 Open Days admission to this garden is included in the ticket price). David Dusenbury, horticulturist/superintendent of the Hunnewell Estate since 1995, will lead a walking tour of the most outstanding features of this historic 39-acre property. Participants will visit such highlights as the Italian Garden, Azalea Garden, Pinetum and Conservatory while learning about how the extensive plantings, dating back to 1850, have evolved into today’s mature landscape of spectacular specimen trees and shrubs. Address will be provided to registered guests only.

    All Open Days gardens are featured in the 2017 Open Days Directory; a soft-cover book that includes detailed driving directions and vivid garden descriptions written by their owners, plus a complementary ticket for admission to one private garden. The directory includes garden listings in seventeen states and costs $27.95 including shipping. Visit www.opendaysprogram.org or call the Garden Conservancy toll-free at 1-888-842-2442 to order with a Visa, MasterCard or American Express, or send a check or money order to: the Garden Conservancy, P.O. Box 219, Cold Spring, NY 10516. Discount admission tickets are available as well through advanced mail order.

    The Garden Conservancy is a national nonprofit dedicated to saving and sharing outstanding American gardens. Since 1995, the Garden Conservancy’s award-winning Open Days has welcomed more than one million visitors into thousands of inspired private landscapes – from urban rooftops to organic farms, historic estates to innovative suburban lots – in forty-one states. Site-specific Open Days Special Programs – Digging Deeper, Experts in the Garden, and Family Time – invite participants to take a closer look at the garden world. Hundreds of volunteers help this robust annual program showcase regional horticultural and stylistic expressions in a national context, celebrating the rich diversity of American gardens. Get out and get inspired with Open Days!