Boston Flora

Month: June 2019

  • Saturday and Sunday, June 29 – 30, 12:30 pm – 4:00 pm – Floral Stained Glass Mandala

    Instructor Jeanne Kowal will conduct a two day workshop at Tower Hill Botanic Garden on June 29 & 30 from 12:30 – 4. Learn all the techniques needed to create a stunning stained glass mandala window hanging. The mandala will be approximately 9″ round. A variety of colored glass will be available to choose from. When completed your mandala will be a unique and personal piece of art you will have and admire for a lifetime. Limited to 8. Fee ($140 for Tower Hill members, $160 for nonmembers) includes materials. Register at www.towerhillbg.org

    Jeanne Kowal has been designing and creating stained glass for close to 40 years. She is a second generation stained glass artist who grew up with her mentor/mother stained glass artist Anne Bassett. At present Jeanne Kowal is an Instructor at The Worcester Center for Crafts (WPI/WSU) and also teaches in her private studio. She has created many large and small projects for residences, businesses, and community centers in the area and beyond. Jeanne is collaborating with her mother to create a series of stained glass design books and is also available for commissions.

  • Tuesday, July 2, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm – Native Wildflowers Through the Seasons Webinar

    Whether you are new to the study of native plants or have been in the field for years, changing seasons always provide something new to notice about the region’s wildflowers. Join The Native Plant Trust on July 2 from 1 – 2 to learn about flowers for different times of year, the pollinators that support them, and the habitats to which they contribute. This webinar gives you an overview of how to make the most of your time outdoors and help conserve the native wonders of New England. $10 for NPT members, $13 for nonmembers. Register at http://www.nativeplanttrust.org/events/native-wildflowers-through-seasons/

  • Wednesdays, July 10 – 24, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm – Introduction to Plant Families

    To really know a plant, you must understand its family. In this Native Plant Trust three session class, we use microscopic and field investigations to decipher the clues to familial relationships and classifications of the region’s wild plants. Learn the basic formulas for plant structure and practice and apply them to various families. Bring a bag lunch and a hand lens. The class will be held at Garden in the Woods in Framingham on Wednesdays, July 10, 17, and 24, from 10 – 2, and is $184 for NPT members, $218 for nonmembers. Register at http://www.nativeplanttrust.org/events/introduction-plant-families/

    Image of elderberry courtesy of http://www.betterfarm.org

  • Saturday, June 29, 9:30 am – 3:30 pm – Garden Photography

    Take your garden photography from good to great by capturing Tower Hill Botanic Garden at its most beautiful. This June 29 course is ideal for photographers with some knowledge of manual camera settings who want to take their abilities to the next level. Join Steve McGrath as he reveals his tips and techniques for taking quality close up as well as landscape photographs in the gardens. We will discuss how to use wide angle, normal, and telephoto lenses most effectively. Learn to sharpen your awareness of light and use creative white balance and ISO for expanding your images. We will view our images after an extensive day in the gardens. Bring a camera with macro capabilities, a sturdy tripod if you have one, and a large memory card. $78 for Tower Hill members, $92 for nonmembers. Register at www.towerhillbg.org.

    Garden Plot by Steve McGrath

  • Thursday, June 27, 11:00 am – 2:00 pm – Eco Printing: Botanical Prints on Paper

    Capture leaf and flower images directly on paper using a process called eco printing. In this Massachusetts Horticultural class on June 27 from 11 – 2 at The Gardens at Elm Bank, you will experiment with two forms of eco printing. First, you will learn how to treat paper with a mordant that helps the plant pigments bind to paper. You will arrange plants on your mordanted papers and steam them to capture nature’s beauty.

    While your first batch of prints is steaming, you will make a second bundle of plants and paper that you will boil with rusty objects. The iron from the rusty objects will bind the plant pigments to the paper. You will leave with lots of prints that can be used for cards, framed pictures, or collages. $75 for Mass Hort members, $110 for the general public. Register at www.masshort.org.

    Mary DeLano is a fiber explorer who loves eco printing, natural dying, stitching, wool applique, and rug making. Mary enjoys sharing her passion for fiber arts with new students.  She teaches throughout New England, including at Maine Fiber College, where she also serves on the organizing committee. Watch a video at https://www.marydelanofiberart.com/ to see what fun awaits you.

  • Friday, June 28, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm – Tracing Landscape History: Cambridge

    Friday, June 28, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm – Tracing Landscape History: Cambridge

    What can the presence (or absence) of greenery teach about the layered history of a place? Together with Courtney Allen of the Native Plant Trust, we walk and analyze the changing landscape, guided by evidence from significant trees in the neighborhood. The discussion addresses local inhabitants’ relationship to native plants over generations. Wear walking shoes and dress for the weather. The class takes place June 28 from 1 – 3, is $24 for NPT members, $28 for nonmembers, and you’ll receive information on the starting address upon registration. http://www.nativeplanttrust.org/events/tracing-landscape-history-cambridge/

  • Friday, June 28, 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm – Low Maintenance Design

    Learn how to design unique garden spaces that strengthen your connection to our wonderfully varied New England landscape. Discover important functional and aesthetic qualities of native plants that can provide the building blocks for creating easy-to-care-for, sustainable gardens. Using strategies based on the observation and emulation of naturally existing plant communities, landscape designer Owen Wormser offers key techniques for creating enjoyable, low-maintenance garden spaces. In this interactive format, you are encouraged to bring your ideas, along with photographs, plans, or sketches of your own property. The Native Plant Trust class ($40 for members, $48 for nonmembers) will take place at Nasami Farm in Whately on June 28 from 1 – 4. Register at http://www.nativeplanttrust.org/events/low-maintenance-design/

  • Sunday, June 23, 11:00 am – 3:00 pm – Seaside Homes and Gardens Tour

    The annual tour of Hull’s Secret Gardens is always eagerly anticipated. On this year’s “Seaside Homes & Gardens Tour” this Sunday, June 23, you will discover locations that are really hidden gems on Hull’s beautiful peninsula.

    Pick up your map with the locations for the Secret Gardens on the day of the tour in front of the Paragon Carousel at 205 Nantasket Ave, Hull, MA 02045

    Tickets: $20 in advance – $25 day of tour – To order tickets, visit www.paragoncarousel.com . Please include your name and SEASIDE GARDEN TOUR TICKETS in the “Add Special Instructions” section.

  • Tuesday, June 25, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm – Wetland Shrubs

    Explore varied wetland habitats, including a pond, a stream, and a bog, for excellent examples of shrubs that grow in and around wetlands. Come learn 15-20 New England shrubs as well as a handful of shrubs that grow in higher and drier habitats. The Native Plant Trust class with Roland “Boot” Boutwell takes place June 25 from 10 – 2 at Grassy Pond in Acton. Please bring lunch, a hand lens, and a field guide to shrubs, if you have them. Cosponsored with the Massachusetts Association of Conservation Commissions. $53 for Sponsor members, $64 for nonmembers. Register at http://www.nativeplanttrust.org/events/wetland-shrubs/

  • Tuesday, July 16, 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm, and Wednesday & Thursday, July 17 & 18, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm – National Garden Club Flower Show: Celebrating Our Bountiful Heritage

    This three day major flower show is presented at Heritage Museums & Gardens in Sandwich on July 16 – 18 by the Garden Club Federation of Massachusetts Southeastern District’s garden clubs and its award-winning Design & Horticulture Study Group. See beautiful, creative floral designs, lush seasonal horticulture, fascinating educational displays, and artistic crafts alongside Heritage Museums & Gardens’ renowned collections. In honor of Heritage’s 50th anniversary, this year’s theme is “Celebrating Our Bountiful Heritage”! Free with museum admission. No advanced registration required.