Boston Flora

Month: March 2018

  • Friday, April 13, 7:30 pm – 8:30 pm – Fifty Shades of Green: Tales from the Hothouse

    Alluring suitors with a pungent rotten odor, promising nectar for the exchange of goods, or going at it alone, plants have evolved interesting strategies to ensure their continued existence. In this bawdy botanical review at the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University on April 13 from 7:30 – 8:30, Terry Huang delves into the sex lives of plants, dramatically explaining the challenges of courtship and consummation for those rooted in place. From mutualistic partnerships to deceit-filled ones that would rival the most twisted romance, his vivid pollination stories reveal the ingenious ways flowers deal with one of life’s (most) important needs. Sex. (Adult content: Rated PG) Fee $5 Arboretum member, $10 nonmember. Register at http://my.arboretum.harvard.edu or call 617-384-5277.

    Terry Huang earned a Bachelor of Science in Plant Biology at the University of Washington and a Master of Science in Biodiversity and Taxonomy of Plants at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and University of Edinburgh. He enjoys sharing his passion for plants with anyone who will listen. He performed Fifty Shades of Green at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2017.

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  • Saturday, April 14, 10:00 am – 12:00 noon – Native Pollinator Biology and Conservation

    Pollinators have received a lot of attention in recent years, mostly because of the decline in honey bee populations due to colony collapse disorder. Native pollinators are important cousins of honey bees and are in need of help, too. Come to French Hall at UMass/Amherst, 230 Stockbridge Road in Amherst on Saturday, April 14 from 10 – 12 to learn about the many types of pollinators present in our region and how to protect and encourage them in your landscape. The end of the class, to be taught by Sonia Schloemann, we will tour the UMass Permaculture Garden. $35. Image from www.justroots.org. Register at http://ag.umass.edu/fruit/news-events/mass-aggie-seminars/mass-aggie-seminars-2018.

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  • Wednesday, April 11, 7:00 pm – The Lyme Solution

    Lyme disease is one of the fastest-growing infectious diseases in the United States, and millions of people worldwide, especially gardeners, suffer from its shape-shifting symptoms. Now, in The Lyme Solution, Dr. Darin Ingels shares his revolutionary approach to treating and healing acute and chronic Lyme. Drawing on his experience as a naturopathic physician who has treated thousands of cases, and as a patient, Ingels reveals that Lyme is an autoimmune disease as much as it is an infection. Conventional treatments too often rely on toxic doses of antibiotics that weaken your body and worsen symptoms, instead of boosting your ability to fight for your health. Including the latest research about the diagnosis and treatment of Lyme, Ingels’s uniquely holistic approach provides a path to wellness by fortifying the microbiome, enhancing the immune system, and strengthening the body’s ability to heal from within. The Lyme Solution offers a simple, five-step plan, including:

    1. The most effective early treatment and prevention measures to avoid contracting the disease or stop it in its tracks;
    2. An immune boosting diet and list of herbal supplements that will increase immunity and reduce inflammation;
    3. Guidelines for when and how to use antibiotics as an effective part of your treatment plan;
    4. Tools to identify and eliminate conditions that mimic Lyme disease or exacerbate your symptoms.

    Darin Ingels, ND, FAAEM, is a respected leader in natural medicine with numerous publications, international lectures, and more than twenty-six years of experience in the healthcare field. He received his bachelor of science degree in medical technology from Purdue University and his doctorate of Naturopathic Medicine from Bastyr University in San Diego. He has worked as a clinical microbiologist/immunologist at Lutheran General Hospital, and is board-certified in Integrative Pediatrics. He is also one of the first Naturopathic Physicians to receive a Fellowship with the American Academy of Environmental Medicine.

    Dr. Ingels will speak at Porter Square Books, 25 White Street in Cambridge, on Wednesday, April 11 at 7 pm, and will be available to sign copies of his book. Lecture is free, but rsvp at http://www.portersquarebooks.com/event/darin-ingels-lyme-solution

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  • Wednesday, April 18, 7:00 pm – It Must Be Spring

    The North Reading Garden Club will hold a benefit program on Wednesday, April 18 at 7 featuring Tony Todesco, floral designer, who will create a program entitled It Must Be Spring. Tony’s designs will be raffled off at the end of the show, along with gift baskets created by North Reading Garden Club members. Guests are welcome, $12 in advance, $15 at the door. The event will take place at the Union Congregational Church, 148 Haverhill Street in North Reading. For advance tickets email Lisi Lesch at ecolesch@gmail.com.

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  • Saturday, April 14, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm, and Sunday, April 15, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm – 35th Annual Cactus & Succulent Society Show and Sale

    The Connecticut Cactus and Succulent Society will celebrate its 35th Annual Cactus and Succulent Show and Sale on Sat., April 14th and Sunday April 15th, at  the Bristol Senior Community Center, 240 Stafford Ave., in Bristol, Connecticut.

    This is the largest show of its kind in the East, with over one thousand visitors each year. The judged show has more than 100 categories with over 500 entries. In addition, there will be at least 15 vendors with a huge selection of C&S plants, pots, soils, and books. Admission to the show and sale is free. The sales area will be open to the public on Sat. from 10:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. and on Sunday from 10:00 A.M. until 4:00 P.M.

    Free plants will be given to the first 50 families entering the show on both days. There will also be a series of free lectures (a schedule of lectures will be posted on the website) and auctions of larger plants. For more information visit http://www.ctcactussociety.org.

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  • Thursday, April 12, 6:00 pm – Crossing Over: A Photographer in the Museum of Comparative Zoology

    Photographer Rosamond Purcell explores the hidden corners of scientific collections, the boundaries between art and science, and the mysteries of metamorphosis. In this Harvard Museum of Natural History lecture on Thursday, April 12 at 6 pm, Purcell will recount her long-standing relationship with Harvard’s Museum of Comparative Zoology and explain how its collections have served as models and inspiration for her strangely beautiful, often unsettling images. Following the presentation, Jane Winchell, Director of The Dotty Brown Art & Nature Center at the Peabody Essex Museum, will engage Purcell and audience members in a discussion about the value of seeing natural history collections as works of art in order to better appreciate and understand nature. Free and open to the public. The lecture will take place in the Geological Lecture Hall, 24 Oxford Street in Cambridge. Free event parking at 52 Oxford Street Garage.

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  • Sunday, April 8, 10:00 am – 12:00 noon – Growing Shiitake Mushrooms

    Rachel Brinkman has been growing mushrooms for several years at the Arnold Arboretum and in the past has worked with Cornell University’s Cooperative Extension, teaching woodlot owners how they can farm their own gourmet mushrooms. All that is needed is a bit of shade and some inoculated logs to construct a crib that can produce a variety of mushroom types. On Sunday, April 8 at 10 am in the Hunnewell Building Garage, Rachel will share what she has learned and guide you through the process of drilling logs, inoculating them with spawn, and then sealing them with wax. She will discuss care for a bountiful crop. Each participant will go home with an Arboretum-grown shiitake-inoculated log readied for mushroom production. Fee $45 Arboretum member; $58 nonmember. Register at http://my.arboretum.harvard.edu or call 617-384-5277.

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  • Saturday, April 7, 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm – Native Plants for New England Gardens

    Mark Richardson continues to make the rounds with his new book Native Plants for New England Gardens, co-authored with Dan Jaffe, and on April 7 you will have the chance to hear him and to acquire a signed copy of his book at Tower Hill Botanic Garden, 11 French Drive in Boylston. Native Plants for New England Gardens is a handy guide to more than 100 great native perennials, trees, shrubs, ferns, grasses, and vines. The book features practical information accompanied by beautiful color photography.

    Join co-author Mark Richardson for this informative discussion about native plants and all their garden uses – from plants to use in place of mulch to those that attract and support pollinators. $5 for THBG members, $15 for nonmembers.

    New England Wild Flower Society Director of the Botanic Garden Mark Richardson studied ornamental horticulture at the University of Rhode Island and holds a master’s degree from the University of Delaware’s Longwood Graduate Program. Native Plants for New England Gardens is a product of his passion for public horticulture.

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  • Tuesday, April 10, 10:00 am – Commonwealth Avenue Mall, Today and Tomorrow

    Tuesday, April 10, 10:00 am – Commonwealth Avenue Mall, Today and Tomorrow

    The April meeting of the Garden Club of the Back Bay will take place Tuesday, April 10 at 10:00 am at The College Club, 44 Commonwealth Avenue in Boston. GCBB past president Margaret Pokorny will speak on the single most important horticultural feature in Back Bay, and perhaps Boston: The Commonwealth Avenue Mall. See old pictures, plans, and learn of the conditions which affect growth. Learn about the original designs and tree plantings, and what has been done to preserve and support the Mall’s health and character.

    Margaret is a landscape designer focusing on urban parks and greenspace. Currently she is chair of the Commonwealth Avenue Mall Committee and serves on the boards of the Friends of the Public Garden, The Neighborhood Association of the Back Bay, the Esplanade Association, and The Garden Club of the Back Bay. Recently she has been involved in the new group, The Charlesgate Alliance.  GCBB members may rsvp to jolinda.taylor@gmail.com. If you are interested in staying for the optional lunch following the meeting ($25), visit https://bostonflora.com/shop/

  • Tuesday, April 3 & Wednesday, April 4, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm – Pansies: Botanical Painting in Watercolor

    In this two-day Tower Hill Botanic Garden workshop on April 3 & 4, botanical artist Helen Byers will demonstrate the use of watercolor to create a fine portrait of a pansy. Working from live plants, our goal will be to accurately and beautifully depict a given flower’s “face,” leaves, and growth habit. We will practice painting in layers, using wet-into-wet, and dry-brush painting techniques. To see examples of Helen’s work and slideshows from her courses, go to helenbyers.com.

    A supplies list will be sent to registrants. Helen Byers is an award-winning artist and educator whose botanical drawings and paintings have been internationally exhibited, published, and held in private collections. In recent years she has taught often at Tower Hill, as well as at Concord Center for the Visual Arts, Fruitlands Museums, Tin Mountain Conservation Center (NH), and Ghost Ranch Education & Retreat Center (NM).  $150 for THBG members, $165 for nonmembers. Register online at https://towerhillbg.thankyou4caring.org/pages/event-registration-form—pansies-botanical-painting-in-watercolor

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