Boston Flora

Month: January 2019

  • Tuesday, February 19, 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm – Family Owl Walk: Not All Owls Say Whooo!

    Even in the midst of winter, animals and birds are out and about; owls play an important part of the ecosystem.

    With puppets and activities, garden educator Kathi Gariepy will teach families about the habits and sounds of the owls of New England and then lead a walk outside to look for some of these nocturnal creatures. The event takes place at The Gardens at Elm Bank, 900 Washington Street in Wellesley, on February 19 from 6:30 – 8, and is $10 for adult Mass Hort members, $15 general public, children under 12 free.  Snowy owl image from www.massaudubon.org. For more information call 617-933-4900 or visit www.masshort.org.

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  • Thursday, April 11 – Saturday, April 13 – Travels Across America: Art, Nature, and the Pursuit of Beauty

    For over two centuries artists, designers, and architects have drawn inspiration from the American landscape and grappled with the complexities of its evolving identity. From Audubon’s aviary imagery to the sublime paintings of the Hudson River School to the proliferation of Civil War monuments to the impact of the Centennial International Exposition, nineteenth century American and European artists both reflected and revealed the physical, social, and political landscape while simultaneously embracing global influences.

    The Preservation Society of Newport County invites you to join preeminent national and international speakers for an extraordinary journey as the 2019 Newport Symposium, April 11 – 13, travels throughout the country and ventures beyond our borders to explore the artistic legacy of the nineteenth century as seen through the fine and decorative arts and architecture of the period.Thursday evening’s kickoff will be at Rosecliff and Friday and Saturday seminars and lectures will take place at the Hotel Viking. For complete information and to register, visit https://www.newportmansions.org/learn/newport-symposium

  • Monday, July 15 – Friday, July 26 – Summer Gardens & Castles in Denmark & Sweden

    Visit Copenhagen, Lund, Gothenburg, Stockholm, Falun, and Taby July 15 – 26 with the American Horticultural Society. AHS host Terry Hayes and tour leader Antonia Lloyd Owen of Specialtours will accompany the participants. Copenhagen, Denmark’s capital, is a gastronomic power that sports 19 Michelin stars among 15 restaurants. The United Nations’ World Happiness Report ranked Denmark number one in three of the past six years. Tivoli Gardens, Copenhagen’s much-loved amusement park, was an inspiration for Walt Disney. Sofiero Palace’s rhododendron gardens feature nearly 500 species. Drottningholm Palace — along with its park, theater, and Chinese Pavilion — is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Gothenburg Botanical Garden, one of the largest and most stunning botanical gardens in northern Europe, is home to the rare Easter Island tree, which is extinct in its native environment. Gamla Stan, Stockholm’s old town, is one of the largest and best-preserved medieval city centers in Europe. The fascinating homes and brilliant gardens of two Swedish luminaries — botanist Carolus Linnaeus and artist Carl Larsson — are on the itinerary. Our superb accommodations will include Hotel Sankt Petri in Copenhagen, a former department store located in the city’s Latin Quarter. At the Grand Hotel Lund, Art Nouveau-style interiors and rooms with Persian carpets are sure to delight us. The Elite Plaza Hotel in Gothenburg blends old and new designs beautifully in a 19th-century building. Stockholm’s Hotel Diplomat is set in the city center with views of the waterfront. In Falun, Hotel Bergmastaren is a beautiful building dating from the early 1930s. For decades, Sastaholm Hotel in Taby served as the residence for many of Sweden’s retired actors and actresses, and the rooms are named after the stars who once lived there. For more information and to make reservations, please contact Susan Klejst, Director of Development & Engagement at (703) 768-5700 ext. 127, or Laura Popovich, Development Coordinator, at (703) 768-5700 ext. 132, or email development@ahsgardening.org. Our fax number is (703) 768-8700.

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  • Wednesdays, February 6, 13, 27, March 6, and 13, 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm – Garden Design Workshop for Home Gardeners

    We may have the desire to make a garden, but then we grapple with where to start in designing our home garden spaces. Design a layout plan for an area of your yard in this beginner-level class in the Hunnewell Building at the Arnold Arboretum over five Wednesdays evenings in February and March. Learn the organizational components of a coherent garden and practice the process of design with award-winning designer Christie Dustman. You will leave class with a plan in progress from which to continue your design explorations. This class is primarily about garden spaces rather than specific plant selection. You will be required to draw a base plan for your site (with tutelage in class) and will need to purchase some drawing tools and pay for copying. Other supplies will be provided. Limited to 16 students.Fee $150 Arboretum member, $188 nonmember. Register at http://my.arboretum.harvard.edu or call 617-384-5277.

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  • Thursday, February 21, 9:00 am – 4:00 pm – Mass Hort’s School Garden Conference

    The Massachusetts Horticultural Society’s fifth annual school garden conferenceon February 21 from 9 – 4 at The Gardens at Elm Bank, 900 Washington Street in Wellesley, 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. $40 for Mass Hort members, $60 for nonmembers. Pre-registration required. Register at https://masshort.org/education-events/mass-horts-school-garden-conference/

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  • Tuesday, February 5, 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm – Botany Blast: New and Emerging Pests at the Arnold Arboretum

    Jared Rubinstein, Living Collections Fellow, Arnold Arboretum, and Javier Marin, Forest Pest Outreach Coordinator, Crop & Pest Services, Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources, will speak on Tuesday, February 5, 6:00–7:00pm at the Hunnewell Building at the Arnold Arboretum in Boston.

    The Arnold Arboretum has a long history of finding innovative ways of responding to threats to the collection from pests and diseases. Come learn about some new and emerging pests in the region and how the Arboretum is trying to get ahead of their arrival. We’ll talk specifically about spotted lanternfly, thousand cankers disease (pictured below, courtesy of the Arbor Day Foundation), southern pine beetle, and winter moth. Fee Free, but registration requested at my.arboretum.harvard.edu or call 617-384-5277.

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  • Saturday, February 9, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm – Understanding and Managing Soils

    Healthy soil is the basis of healthy plant communities and is necessary for plants to thrive. Join the Ecological Landscape Alliance on February 9 at Nasami Farm, 128 North Street in Whately for this in-depth, full-day workshop to learn how to manage healthy soil.

    This intensive class explores the biotic and abiotic components that create native soils and explains how these factors inform local flora. The class takes a closer look at soil structure and soil biology in miniature lab experiments.

    Alexis Doshas is a graduate of the Environmental Studies Department at Antioch University New England with a concentration in Conservation Biology. She ran a small organic gardening business for over a decade and worked with Safe Harbor Environmental Services as a restoration associate. She is a field researcher in a long-term NSF-funded study on the effects and mitigation of chronic atmospheric deposition of Nitrogen on heathland communities of Cape Cod, MA. Currently, Alexis is the Propagator and Facilities Coordinator at New England Wild Flower Society’s Nasami Farm, where their mission is to conserve and promote the region’s native plants to ensure healthy, biologically diverse landscapes. Alexis’ interests include landscape ecology, soil ecology, nutrient processes, field research, sustainable agriculture, forest medicinal plants, and climate change. Her professional and personal goal is to serve the processes that contribute to a balanced ecosystem, both in the scientific and social disciplines.

    Fee: $92 (ELA Member)/$109 (Nonmember). Register at https://www.ecolandscaping.org/event/class-understanding-and-managing-soils/

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  • Saturday, February 16, 10:30 am – 12:00 noon – Potpourri: Rotten Pots with a Loving Message

    Potpourri, French for rotten pot, is a fragrant, often beautiful, mix of scented plant material with a long and fascinating history. The Tower Hill Botanic Garden class begins at 10:30 am on February 16 in Tower Hill’s library with a display of books, old and new, on potpourri and stillroom techniques plus a short history of fragrance and the art of using it in the home. Then we will move to the classroom to learn the basics of potpourri making. Each attendee will create a quart of potpourri based on the Language of Flowers to take home and enjoy. It’s Valentine season, what better time to create a beautiful, fragrant blend of rose petals and other sweet smelling herbs that breaths a message of Love? Recipe sheets included. This class is suitable for adults and for families with children 10 years and older. All fragrances used are natural, essential oils. All materials included. $40 for THBG members, $54 for nonmembers. Register at www.towerhillbg.org.

    Betsy Williams teaches, lectures and writes about living with herbs and flowers. A gardener and herb grower since 1972, Betsy trained as a florist in Boston and England. She combines her floral and gardening skills with an extensive knowledge of history, plant lore and seasonal celebrations. Betsy is the author of several books on the uses and stories of herbs and flowers. She has appeared on the Discovery Channel and greater Boston cable sites about living with herbs and flowers. A gardener and herb grower since 1972, Betsy trained as a florist in Boston and England. She combines her floral and gardening skills with an extensive knowledge of history, plant lore and seasonal celebrations. Betsy is the author of several books on the uses and stories of herbs and flowers. She has appeared on the Discovery Channel and greater Boston cable stations as well as local and national radio talk shows. Betsy lectures and teaches locally and nationally.

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  • Tuesday, February 12, 1:00 pm – 3:30 pm – Travels with the Garden Conservancy: An Armchair Tour

    The Garden Conservancy conducts fascinating study tours of public and private gardens throughout the United States and Europe to support its preservation projects.

    Join Sally Muspratt on February 12 from 1 – 3:30 at The Gardens at Elm Bank, 900 Washington Street, for an armchair trip through some of these amazing spaces, from Atlanta to the Loire Valley, as she revisits many exciting experiences with the Garden Conservancy. $12 for Mass Hort members, $20 for general public. Call 617-933-4900 for more information, or visit http://masshort.org.

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  • Thursday, February 7, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm – Infused Oils for Healing

    Join herbalist and educator Iris Weaver for a Boston Center for Adult Education class on Thursday, February 7 from 6 – 8. Herbally infused oils are key ingredients in many body care products. They can be really expensive to purchase, but are affordable and surprisingly easy to make on your own! In this class, we will learn about the wide selection of herbs and oils that you can use to make infused oils tailored to your own needs and tastes. We will also discuss the many products for which infused oils can be used. This class is especially helpful for people with sensitive skin and those looking to avoid synthetic chemicals in their skincare. Since these kinds of infused oils are used externally, we will only briefly touch on infused oils for cooking. You will put up a small jar of infused oil in class to take home with you. Handouts included. $59, plus a $5 materials fee. Register at https://bcae.org/product/infused-oils-for-healing-2-7-2019/

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