Though small, often unnoticed and not examined carefully, seeds are simply amazing—what they look like, what they do, how they do it, as they work towards their astounding goal of self-replication. The Berkshire Botanical Garden will explore the topic on Saturday, September 16 at 12:30 pm. Register online at www.berkshirebotanical.org. BBG Members: $15; Nonmembers: $20
On Wednesday, September 20, at 10:00 am at The College Club, 44 Commonwealth Avenue in Boston, John Trexler, Worcester County Horticultural Society Director Emeritus and Founding Director of Tower Hill Botanic Garden, will discuss how Tower Hill evolved from a beautiful farm on a hill to an acclaimed public garden. He will also sign copies of his new book, Tower Hill, the First Twenty-Five Years: Selective Memories of a Benign Dictator.
John Wheaton Trexler holds a degree in Ornamental Horticulture from Delaware Valley University. He developed his extraordinary knowledge of plants and garden design from his seven-year experience at Skylands Farm in Ringwood, New Jersey, the former estate of Clarence McKenzie Lewis. Additionally, John spent six years at the Morris County Park Commission restoring Bamboo Brook, the residential garden of landscape architect Martha Brookes Hutcheson.
This meeting will be the kick-off of The Garden Club of the Back Bay’s 2017-2018 season, and will be followed on Thursday, October 19 by a field trip to Boylston, Massachusetts, to view Tower Hill in all its autumn glory. Garden Club of the Back Bay members will receive separate notice of this meeting. If you are not a member but are interested in attending, please email info@bostonflora.com.
Join the Massachusetts Horticultural Society for a guided walk through the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University on Tuesday, September 19. Explore the history and horticulture of this beautiful and important institution. Meet at the Arboretum Visitor’s Center, 125 Arborway, at 10 am. Pre-registration is required at www.masshort.org. $12 for Mass Hort members, $20 for nonmembers.
Mushrooms are tremendously diverse and play an important ecological role. In this New England Wild Flower Society class at Garden in the Woods in Framingham, to be held Saturday, September 9 from 10 – 2, we will first learn about basic fungal biology and identification and then head out to the Garden for a mushroom foray. After lunch, we will identify our finds using field guides and microscopes. Bring a bag lunch and a hand lens if you have one. Co-instructors are David Hibbett and Marisol Sanchez-Garcia. $50 for NEWFS members, $62 for nonmembers. Register at http://www.newfs.org/learn/our-programs/mushrooms-for-beginners-1
James T. Costa, Professor, Department of Biology, Western Carolina University Executive Director, Highlands Biological Station, University of North Carolina, will give a free lecture at Harvard Museum of Natural History’s Geological Lecture Hall, 24 Oxford Street, Cambridge, on Thursday, September 14 at 6 pm, as part of the Evolution Matters Lecture Series, supported by a generous gift from Drs. Herman and Joan Suit. Charles Darwin, iconic evolutionary biologist, was a naturalist with a passion for experiments. Sometimes quirky, always illuminating, Darwin’s experiments were an ever-present part of his home life, taking over his house, garden, and greenhouse, as well as surrounding meadows and woodlands, while often involving family, friends, and neighbors as research assistants. James Costa will discuss this inventive side of Darwin, detailed in his new book, Darwin’s Backyard: How Small Experiments Led to a Big Theory. Following the lecture, visit the museum galleries, where Harvard students and museum educators will demonstrate a selection of Darwin’s experiments. Free parking is available at the 52 Oxford Street Garage.
Please come to the Fenway Victory Gardens on Saturday, September 9 from 11 – 3 for an afternoon of BBQ fare (burgers, hot dogs, veggie burgers, local corn, salads, desserts, etc.), lawn games, kid games run by the Fenway Community Center, a raffle drawing, live music, and the yearly White Elephant Table.
Friends of the Fenway Vistory Gardens will also have Ikebana floral arrangements displayed, Colin Donihue talking about the Italian Wall Lizards in the gardens, and information on raising butterflies. As always, we welcome folks adding to the food offering by bringing special side dishes and desserts. They’ll be holding a flower arrangement contest (flowers must come from the Fenway Victory Gardens).
This event is free and open to the public. However, as we are a non-profit, we welcome donations before, after, and during FensFest – every dollar helps us to keep providing this annual community event. Each $5 donation will come with a raffle ticket. For more information email info@fenwayvictorygardens.org.
At 9:00pm the Esplanade Association’s annual benefit event opens up for Moondance After Dark, which invites Boston’s young professionals and emerging influencers (Esplanade Association’s word, not ours) to experience the Gala post-dinner, with hors d’oeuvre, dancing, cocktails, and live entertainment. These tickets are $125 and up and may be purchased at https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/WebLink.aspx?name=E11852&id=75
On Saturday, September 23th, 2017, the Esplanade Association will host its annual Moondance Gala. Beginning at 6:30PM, this magical evening on the park will host over 500 of Boston’s leaders in business, politics, and philanthropy to come together to socialize, celebrate, and support our public park.
Last year, the Moondance Gala raised over $900,000 for the Esplanade Association and our work to maintain and care for the Charles River Esplanade. As an independent nonprofit organization, the funds raised at the gala are critical to our organization’s work to revitalize and enhance the Charles River Esplanade, sustain the natural green space, and build community by providing educational, cultural, and recreational programs for everyone!
The Esplanade Association is thrilled to have Jean and Christopher Egan along with Lori and Matthew Sidman as the 2017 Moondance Gala Committee Chairs.
Inspired by the bright stars in the night sky, this year’s Moondance Gala will sparkle with decor by Marc Hall Designs, all set within the beauty of the park’s majestic trees. With the sublime views of the setting sun over the Charles River, guests will enjoy inspired cocktails followed by an elegant seasonal dinner by Max Ultimate Food, and then will continue the sparkling celebration late into the night with music and dancing. As the only tented black-tie event held on the Esplanade, it is like no other. The evening brings together the Boston community and beyond to celebrate this tremendous treasure and lend support to the Esplanade Association’s continued growth and vibrant future.
Ticket prices begin at $1,250. To purchase tickets and to learn of additional sponsorship opportunities, visit https://501auctions.com/moondancegala/custom/sponsorattend-the-gala
Lawns are a soul-crushing time suck. Just read the headline of a recent article on washingtonpost.com. According to NASA, in the United States more surface area is covered by lawn than by any other single irrigated crop. Lawns are resource-heavy, requiring irrigation, fertilizer, and pesticides to thrive in our climate and most of us would be better off reducing or eliminating them altogether. Learn how to replace your lawn with native plant alternatives that functional, beautiful, and environmentally friendly. This webinar is sponsored by the Ecological Landscape Alliance on Tuesday, September 12 at 12:30 pm, and is led by Mark Richardson of the New England Wild Flower Society. Mark Richardson oversees the New England Wildflower Society’s botanic garden, Garden in the Woods, and its native plant nursery operation, Nasami Farm in Whately, Massachusetts. He studied ornamental horticulture at University of Rhode Island and helped run a mid-sized ornamental plant nursery before finding his true passion in public horticulture. He led undergraduate programs at Longwood Gardens, overhauled the curriculum of the Professional Gardener Program, and oversaw adult education at Brookside Gardens. In 2013, Mr. Richardson assisted with the development of the first comprehensive master plan for Garden in the Woods. He holds a MS from the University of Delaware’s Longwood Graduate Program. Free for ELA members, $10 for nonmembers. Register at http://www.ecolandscaping.org/event/webinar-kill-lawn-opt-biodiversity/
One missing link in Boston’s Emerald Necklace is a “green” connection between the Arnold Arboretum and Franklin Park. In 2015, the Casey overpass came down, creating a new opportunity for a better connection between the parks.
Artist Andrew Haines has seen many changes in this Boston area, and it has informed his art. In exquisite and observant paintings, Haines’s Arnold Arboretum exhibition, now through October 8 in the Hunnewell Building, brings to life our neighborhood and the vibrant story of its evolution and new link between the landscapes of the Arnold Arboretum, Franklin Park, and the Forest Hills neighborhood. Haines is known for detailed painterly realism that captures his subjects in very specific light. He has shown widely, won awards, and has his work in many private and public collections.
Note, the Hunnewell Building lecture hall is often used for classes, lectures, and meetings. Please call ahead to inquire about lecture hall/exhibition accessibility, 617 384-5209. Free, no registration required.
