Boston Flora

Month: February 2018

  • Saturday, February 24, 9:00 am – 12:30 pm – Grafting Woody Plants

    Instructor Sean Halloran, Plant Propagator, Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University, will lead a workshop on Grafting Woody Plants in the Dana Greenhouse of the Arnold Arboretum, 1050 Centre Street in Jamaica Plain, on Saturday, February 24 from 9 – 12:30.

    Grafting is the technique of joining parts of separate plants in such a manner that they unite and continue their growth as one. Learn basic principles of grafting with an overview of different types of dormant-season grafts. Arnold Arboretum propagator Sean will provide step-by-step instructions so that you can practice both cleft and side veneer grafts using apple root stock. Simple after-care will be required until planting out in springtime.

    Registrants will need to sign an Assumption of Risk and Release in order to participate in this class. $62 for Arboretum members, $75 for nonmembers. Register at www.arboretum.harvard.edu.

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  • Thursday, February 22, 9:00 am – 4:00 pm – Mass Hort’s School Garden Conference: Growing for Experience

    The Massachusetts Horticultural Society’s fourth annual School Garden Conference at Elm Bank, 900 Washington Street, Wellesley, on Thursday, February 22 (blizzard date February 23) will feature workshops that explore regional best practices for planning and running a garden that will not only meet educational goals, but also foster life skills.

    Attending educators will develop practical gardening skills that will increase their confidence and ability to teach in and from a garden. Workshops will support interested parents and volunteers, teachers and administrators – those who have established gardens and those just breaking ground.

    Cost ($40 Mass Hort members, $60 general admission) includes morning coffee and lunch. Pre-registration required at http://www.masshort.org/education-classes, or call 617-933-4973.

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  • Saturday, February 24, 10:00 am – 11:00 am – Native Plants for Urban Design

    Join Amy Nyman on Saturday, February 24 at 10 am at Garden in the Woods, 180 Hemenway Road in Framingham, to learn about native plants for urban design. She will identify native plants that can be used in urban landscapes and explain the specific design characteristics those plants offer. She will also include an overview of urban challenges and strategies for supporting plant resiliency. This Ecological Landscape Alliance class is $15 for members, $17 for nonmembers. Register at http://www.ecolandscaping.org/event/native-plants-urban-design/

    Instructor: Amy Nyman is a Landscape Designer and owner of Ruby Leaf Design providing landscape planning and ecological solutions including site analysis, landscape restoration, water management, native plant use, hardscaping, master plans, planting plans, and edible landscaping. Amy’s believes that design is a balance of function, beauty, and health. Her professional goal is to help people find that balance within their living spaces, whether those spaces are personal, business, or public.

    http://www.ecolandscaping.org//srv/htdocs/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/viburnum-dentatum-deer-resistant.jpg

  • Wednesday and Thursday, March 7 & 8 – ELA Conference & Eco-Marketplace

    Looking for New Ideas? Solutions? Inspiration? Immerse yourself in Ecological Landscape Alliance’s two-day conference on March 7 and 8 at UMass Amherst. From the practical to the inspirational, join them as they explore a range of topics, from designing and maintaining landscapes for maximum carbon capture to looking at the intuitive side of design.

    New this year, Food for Thought is a ticketed breakfast where you can nourish your body while you challenge your mind – all before the first session begins. Table topics will be hosted by experts who will be on hand to answer you questions and spark lively conversation.

    March 7 includes:
    * Two workshops: Designing for Carbon Sequestration and
    Ecological Methods of Maximizing Landscape Productivity and Potential
    * Keynote speaker: Darrel Morrison, ecologically-based landscape architect, whose talk is entitled Landscape Design as Ecological Art

    March 8 features eight Sessions, a Design Building Tour, and three Idea Exchanges covering a range of ecological topics. Session sampling:
    * Quest for Resilience: Adaptive Strategies for Sustainable Planting Design
    * Nature Integration – The Future of Design
    * Beyond the War on Invasive Species
    * Authentic, Whole, and Alive: Design Lessons from Wild Landscapes

    Hotel rooms at Hotel UMass are available to participants for $115 per night. Reservations will be taken no later than February 25, 2018. Register online or call (877) 822-2110 and specify the ELA group promotional code: ELC18C. The discount is NOT available at check-in. Register for the conference ($20 – $330) at http://www.ecolandscaping.org/event/ela-conference-eco-marketplace-2018/

  • Tuesday, February 20 – Friday, March 23 – Camellia Days at Lyman Estate Greenhouses

    Tuesday, February 20 – Friday, March 23 – Camellia Days at Lyman Estate Greenhouses

    Visit Lyman Estate Greenhouses‘ (Historic New England) celebrated collection of camellias in the 1804 camellia house at the Lyman Estate Greenhouses, 185 Lyman Street in Waltham, February 20 – March 23. Many of the trees are more than one hundred years old. At this time of year, they put forth a profusion of blossoms in all sizes and shapes. Other plants available during this season include orchids, citrus, and sweet olives. Garden and Landscape members receive a 15% discount on purchases.

    Please call 617-994-5913 for more information. Free admission.

    https://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/03/9e/26/87/lyman-estate-greenhouses.jpg

  • Sunday, February 18, 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm – Clearing the Valley

    It took twelve years to clear the valley of homes and people before the Quabbin Reservoir was created.  Join DCR Visitor Center Manager Maria Beiter-Tucker on Sunday, February 18 at 2 pm to learn about the process.  The free program will be held at the Quabbin Visitor Center, 485 Ware Road in Belchertown.  All ages are welcome. Call 413-323-7221 for more information.

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  • Wednesday, February 28, 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm – Winter in a Vase

    Erin Doolittle, Staff Gardener at Tower Hill Botanic Garden, will demonstrate how to make floral arrangements in winter using berries, branches, evergreens and more, on Wednesday, February 28 from 2 – 3. The demonstration is free with admission to the Garden, located at 11 French Drive in Boylston. For more information visit http://towerhillbg.org, or call 508-869-6111, x 124.

  • Saturday, February 10, 1:30 pm – 3:30 pm – Close and Closer: Photographs of the Arnold Arboretum by James Reis

    Like Boston, the Arnold Arboretum is a diverse tapestry that comes together and creates a whole. Walkways flow from side roads to manicured trails to hidden paths revealing secret glades. If the visitor is not in a rush, the Arboretum offers enchanting micro environments that invite even closer inspection. Join photographer James Reis on his journey through the Arboretum by way of images, both unique and close up, in this new exhibition in the Hunnewell Building of the Arnold Arboretum. The opening reception takes place Saturday, February 10 from 1:30 – 3:30 (snow date February 17), and a walk and talk with the artist is scheduled for Sunday, April 29 from 2 – 3 pm. The exhibit will be open through May 6.

    “No two days are the same,” says Reis “between the angle of the sun, the weather, and the many spots where we become delightfully stuck. While my lens is a frail approximation of eye and heart, it pulls me out the door and into the delicate realms of plant, fungi, insect, and seed.”–close and then closer.

    Note – The Hunnewell lecture hall is used for programs, classes, and other events. Please call 617 384-5209 for accessibility.  Free, no registration required.

    https://my.arboretum.harvard.edu/images/Catkins_Reis.jpg

  • Sunday, February 18, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm – Botanical Studies in Graphite

    Join Tower Hill Botanic Garden and Helen Byers in this one-day workshop on Sunday, February 18 from 10 – 4 to refine your drawing skills. Choose a subject from Helen’s collection of “treasures”-maybe a bit of bark or lichen, a dry leaf or seedpod, a small cone-and draw it in detail. We’ll explore the exciting possibilities of using graphite to render a full range of neutral tones and textures. Individualized instruction will include demos and helpful tips. A list of recommended supplies will be sent to registrants. To see galleries of Helen’s work and slideshows from her courses, visit helenbyers.com.

    Helen Byers is an artist, writer, editor, and educator with a background in literary and educational publishing. Her drawings and paintings have been exhibited in solo and group shows in the West and East and are held in various private collections. Her illustration credits include six children’s books and six literary book covers. Her teaching of art has included courses and workshops in botanical drawing and painting, watercolor painting, figure sketching, still-life drawing, and field sketching / journaling.

    Helen’s work is included in 2 prestigious recent exhibitions: The19th Annual International Juried Exhibition of the American Society of Botanical Artists & the New York Horticultural Society, Nov. 1 – Dec. 30, 2016 in NYC; and “Woody Plants of New England,” an exhibit of the New England Society of Botanical Artists at the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University, July 8 – Sept 11, 2016.  $80 for THGB members, $90 for nonmembers. Register online at https://towerhillbg.thankyou4caring.org/pages/event-registration-form—botanical-studies-in-graphite

  • Tuesday, February 13, 12:00 noon – 1:00 pm – Bridging Countries with Organic Farming

    The Japan Society of Boston’s February Brown Bag Luncheon on Tuesday, February 13 at noon features speaker Yoko Takemura from Assawaga Farm, speaking on Bridging Countries with Organic Farming. Yoko Takemura lived and worked in countries all over the world before moving to Brooklyn, NY, where she joined a community garden and discovered the wonders of growing vegetables. It wasn’t long before she began applying for apprenticeships on organic vegetable farms outside of the city. Now she and her husband have started their own certified organic vegetable farm in Northeast Connecticut, where they grow a diverse range of vegetables and mushrooms, with a special emphasis on Japanese heirloom and traditional varieties. Having worked on farms both in the US and Japan, they aspire to adopt a mix of farming practices and customs.

    The Brown Bag Series is an ongoing occasion to gather and talk about Japan together. Speakers are selected from across New England as well as special visiting guests. After a brief presentation about the speaker’s unique Japan experience or specialty, we enjoy a group discussion together on the topic.

    All Brown Bag meetings are from 12-1p at the JSB Office in the Cambridge Innovation Center, Meridian Room, on the 5th floor of 50 Milk Street in Boston. After signing the log-book at the front desk, proceed up the elevators on the left to the 5th floor. Please feel free to bring your own lunch.

    http://www.japansocietyboston.org/resources/Pictures/Yoko%20Takemura.jpg