Boston Flora

Month: November 2017

  • 2018 UMass Garden Calendar

    Each year, the UMass Garden Calendar presents a selection of plants chosen by the UMass Extension Landscape, Nursery & Urban Forestry staff for pest resistance, adaptability to specific growing environments, and seasonal effectiveness. A brief description accompanies each photo to provide some detail about these plant choices. Furthermore, daily gardening tips provide information on garden pests and management strategies to help gardeners reduce pesticide usage. Also included are “how-to and when” tips such as dates to plant peas, renovate lawns, prune and fertilize roses, conserve water in the landscape, and many more.

    The 2018 UMass Garden Calendar includes a featured article about Insects to Look for in Massachusetts which, along with a short segment on beneficial pollinators, presents key information on and photos of current invasive insects of note.

    Each month of UMass Extension’s 2018 Garden Calendar features:

    One large, inspiring garden image plus information about the image
    Daily gardening tips for Northeast growing conditions
    Daily sunrise and sunset times*
    Phases of the moon
    Plenty of room for notes
    Low gloss paper for easy writing

    The UMass Garden calendar is a wall calendar. The dimensions of the calendar when open are 12.5″ wide x 19″ long. Proceeds from sales of the Garden Calendar benefit UMass Extension’s Landscape, Nursery & Urban Forestry Program. Online orders with a credit card: https://ecommerce.umass.edu/extsales/ Single copies are $12 each plus shipping. For more information visit http://ag.umass.edu/landscape/publications-resources/garden-calendar/how-to-order-umass-extensions-2018-garden-calendar

     

  • Friday, December 1, 11:30 am – 2:30 pm – Aromatherapy Holiday Gifts

    Come to Tower Hill Botanic Garden on Friday, December 1 from 11:30 – 2:30 and enjoy an afternoon making some lovely aromatic holiday gifts. Participants will make a body butter, a relaxing or detoxifying bath salt, a holiday room freshener and a relaxing herbal dream pillow. In addition to making your home smell nice, a room freshener made with essential oils contains anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-septic properties which can help to keep the germs and bugs in any environment at bay during the winter months when colds and flu are common. Basic aromatherapy blending techniques will be taught as well as the benefits of using quality practitioner grade aromatherapy essential oils. You will leave with four gifts for yourself or to share with others and the knowledge to make more of these herbal products. All materials for the class will be provided as well as class notes and recipes. Tower Hill member price $50, nonmembers $60. Register online at https://towerhillbg.thankyou4caring.org/pages/event-registration-form—aromatherapy-holiday-gifts-2017

    Anastasia Papanikolaou is a local teacher, speaker, healer, aromatherapist, and herbalist. Learn more about Anastasia at www.onecosmicheart.net. Image from www.shopify.com.

  • Saturday, December 2, 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm – Seasonal Inspiration for the Winter Garden

    Sometimes the best way to think about your own garden is to visit someone else’s for inspiration. On Saturday, December 2, beginning at 1 pm, join the Ecological Landscape Alliance and enjoy a walk around Garden in the Woods with Botanic Garden Director Mark Richardson to learn about some of his favorite plants for the winter garden. 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. The program is $18 for ELA members, $21 for nonmembers. Register at http://www.ecolandscaping.org/event/seasonal-inspiration-winter-garden/

  • Happy Thanksgiving from The Garden Club of the Back Bay

    Our members wish you a happy and healthy Thanksgiving Day, filled with family and friends. As we gear up for another busy holiday season, we hope you will all take a quiet moment to appreciate all we enjoy in our great neighborhood. Image from iqquotes.com.

  • Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, November 24 – December 30, 4:30 pm – 8:30 pm – Gardens Aglow

    Heritage Museums & Gardens, 67 Grove Street in Sandwich, is putting on the glitz again this Holiday Season with it’s treasured annual event – Gardens Aglow!

    At this extra-special time of year, the good folks at Heritage adorn their acres of beautiful gardens and woodlands with more than 10 miles of twinkling, sparkling lights. It’s truly an awesome thing to see. The event takes place on weekends now through December 30, from 4:30 – 8:30 pm.

    Come stroll throughout the grounds and buildings and enjoy festive holiday displays, family-friendly activities, marshmallow-roasting, music and special performances, visits with Santa Claus, displays of model trains – and even a visit by some baby animals. Tickets are $18 for adults, children $7, age two and under free. For more information call 508-888-3300, or visit https://heritagemuseumsandgardens.org/feature/gardens-aglow/

  • Holiday Wreaths 2017 – Fine Detail

    Each fully decorated holiday wreath crafted by The Garden Club of the Back Bay is the product of many hours of labor. We did raise our price this season for this category (other items remain at 2015/2016 rates) not because we were trying to maximize profit, but because our limited volunteer pool was having a hard time fulfilling the demand. Wreaths of this size and quality sell for upwards of $240 in high end retail settings, due to the sheer amount of work involved. We hope you all will appreciate the love that goes into each wreath, but also know that our net profit each year goes straight back to the community. Order soon at https://bostonflora.com/shop/

  • Saturday, December 2, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm, and Sunday, December 3, 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm – Preservation of Historic Winchester Holiday House Tour

    Preservation of Historic Winchester’s Holiday House Tour is held the first full weekend of December, and consists of the Bough and Dough Shop, Saturday evening Preview Party & Candlelight Tour, and the Sunday afternoon Daylight Tour. The Preview Party on Saturday, December 2 from 6 – 9 is a special evening reception in a historic home, featuring a sneak peek Candlelight Tour of the other sites on the Holiday House Tour on Saturday evening. Admission tickets to the Preview Party and Candlelight Tours are also valid for the Sunday afternoon house tours. The Daylight Tour is the main attraction of the Holiday House Tour weekend, taking place on Sunday afternoon December 3 from 1 – 5 and drawing crowds of up to 500 visitors. The Bough and Dough Shop is open the first weekend of December, concurrent with the Holiday House Tour, on Saturday from 9 – 5 and Sunday from 11 – 5. Fresh cut greenery, wreaths, baked goods, and local artisan crafts are available for holiday gift-giving and decorating. Books and artwork featuring historic subjects may be available on a year to year basis. Tickets for the Holiday House Tour and memberships to PHW are also available. The Shop offers complimentary hot cider and coffee to its visitors. Admission to the shop is free – location is 315 W. Boscawen Street in Winchester (Little Theatre.) Buy tour tickets online at http://www.phwi.org/hht.php

  • Friday, December 1 – Sunday, December 3 – 38th Annual Christmas in Salem House Tour

    Few communities have the rich legacy of historic houses that Salem, Massachusetts boasts. These homes, spanning four centuries, help define the character as well as the appearance of the city, and every year some of their owners invite visitors in to view their homes decked out in full holiday regalia, with the help of professional decorators and florists. Christmas in Salem features a glimpse into these private homes that have been professionally decorated for the holiday season as well as a series of special events such as walking tours and wine tastings that are exclusive to Christmas in Salem ticket holders. The tour, held December 1 – December 3, is sponsored by Historic Salem. A preview of 4 of the 13 houses will be held on Friday, December 1, 2017, from 5:30–8:30 pm and will feature selected homes. On Saturday, December 2 from 10:30 am–4:30 pm and Sunday, December 3 from 11:30 am–4:30 pm all sites will be open for tours.Tickets may be purchased online at http://christmasinsalem.org, or by calling 978-745-0799.

  • Saturday, December 2, 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm – Make a Holiday Porch Pot

    Make a festive Porch Pot to adorn your stoop this Winter using Weston Nurseries fresh-cut greens, ornaments, and ribbons. Show off your stoop this Christmas season with pride.

    Saturday session on December 2 from 3 – 4 will be held at the Weston Nurseries of Chelmsford, 160 Pine Hill Road in Chelmsford. Fee- $35.00. TO REGISTER, please call 978-349-0055, or register online at www.westonnurseries.com and pay when you arrive for class. We require registration at least 24 hours in advance to reserve a spot in this workshop. Don’t wait, because these classes sell out quickly!

  • Monday, December 4, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm – Of Monarchs and Milkweed: A Story of Coevolution, Cultural History, and Conservation

    What if your host truly didn’t want you to visit? Found you intolerable, in fact, and didn’t want you to stay? You’d think that you’d be kicked out, but that isn’t the case with monarch butterflies and the common milkweed that supports their life cycle. Using striking visual imagery, evolutionary biologist Anurag Agrawal of Cornell University will speak about some of the natural history of monarchs and milkweed, the cultural importance of milkweed’s toxins, and the current predicament of monarch declines. The talk will be held in the Hunnewell Building of the Arnold Arboretum on Monday, December 4 at 7 pm. Dr. Agrawal is an award-winning scientist and educator, who has delved deeply into the coevolution of plants and animals. His book, Monarchs and Milkweed: A Migrating Butterfly, a Poisonous Plant, and Their Remarkable Story of Coevolution, will be available for purchase and signing. Fee: Free Arboretum member and student, $10 nonmember. Register at my.arboretum.harvard.edu or call 617-384-5277.