Boston Flora

Month: November 2019

  • Sunday, December 8, 12:00 noon – 2:30 pm – Boxwood Table Tree

    Tower Hill Botanic Garden will host a Boxwood Table Tree workshop with Betsy Williams on December 8 from noon – 2:30 at the Garden, 11 French Drive in Boylston. The stories, legends, fragrances and textures of our ancient and traditional Christmas greens come to life in this lovely 20″ table tree. Made with fresh boxwood, pine, juniper, rosemary, holly, ivy and bay, the finished tree “grows” out of an attractive pot. Decorate your tree with pine cones and berries. This is a beautiful tree! It will make the perfect centerpiece for your Christmas table. You will learn the Christmas stories of each of the greens as you work. Please bring hand clippers and an apron. Fee ($80 for Tower Hill members, $90 for nonmembers) includes materials. 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 stations as well as local and national radio talk shows. Betsy lectures and teaches locally and nationally.

  • Saturday, December 7, 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm – Annual Wreath Raising Festival at Weir River Farm

    Ring in the holiday season at Weir River Farm in Hingham at The Trustee’s annual wreath raising celebration on December 7 from 2 – 3. Enjoy a cup of hot cocoa and warm up by the fire in the barnyard, and say hello to all the barnyard animals, donning their winter coats. Then, take a walk down to the Red Barn to join in on the festivities.  Make your own holiday boughs to take home. Help to create the giant wreath that adorns the red barn throughout the holiday season. Christmas music and evergreen scent will fill the air as we celebrate the winter season with the raising of our giant holiday wreath onto the big red barn, happening at 2:30PM. Fun for the whole family, make sure to stop by and join in this annual tradition at Weir River Farm. Make sure to come early to get your Christmas tree – the Christmas tree sale is one weekend only this year! 10am-3pm Saturday and Sunday, December 7 & 8.

    Parking at 140 Turkey Hill Lane in Hingham.

  • Thursday, December 5, 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm – Seed Anatomy: Beauty and Function

    Seeds are a gateway to another dimension. Join Michael Piantedosi at Garden in the Woods in Framingham on December 5 from 1 – 4 as we journey to the level of the humble, often-overlooked seed. We will focus on seed anatomy and function, with discussion of the relevant terminology for these intricate structures. In addition, we will explore the exceptional beauty of some seeds and the function behind their architecture. $45 for NPT members, $54 for nonmembers. Register at http://www.nativeplanttrust.org/events/seed-anatomy-beauty-and-function/

  • Saturday, December 7, 12:30 pm – 2:30 pm – Lush Holiday Garlands

    Learn the how to create use seasonal greenery and other materials to create garlands that can be used to decorate your home or used as a table centerpiece during the holidays. The Tower Hill Botanic Garden class will take place December 7 from 12:30 – 2:30, and is $55 for THBG members, $65 for nonmembers. Register at www.towerhillbg.org.

    Sheryl Tynes is a local floral designer operating through her business – Thistle and Bone. Her work is influenced by the seasons and product grown by local flower farmers. She loves teaching floral classes and sharing her knowledge of flowers and design.

    Image courtesy of Southern Living Magazine

  • Saturday, December 14, 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm – Holiday Nature Crafts Open House 2019

    Come to the Broad Meadow Brook Conservation Center & Wildlife Sanctuary, 414 Massasoit Road, Worcester, to view our tree decorated with imaginative ornaments handcrafted from natural materials, and then join us in the Program Room to make your own. Volunteers will guide you through the process of creating several ornaments, or create your own design. Holiday goodies and music provided. Drop in anytime between 1:00 and 4:00 pm for some fun. For more information call 508-753-6087, or order tickets ($6 adult, $3 child) at https://www.massaudubon.org/program-catalog/broad-meadow-brook/68261-holiday-nature-crafts-open-house

  • Wednesday, December 18, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm – Holiday Floral Design

    Using flower and foliage that you might find in your own yard and garden, learn the basic techniques of garland design in this December 18 Massachusetts Horticultural Society workshop led by Barbara Rietscha, owner of Field & Vase. Learn the ins and outs of arranging and tricks to making your arrangement look professional.  The class will take place at the Gardens at Elm Bank, 900 Washington Street in Wellesley, beginning at 7 pm. Mass Hort Members $55, General Admission $65.

    To register for this class, click here.

  • Saturday, December 7, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm – Songs of the Season Holiday House Tour

    The Nahant Garden Club’s Songs of the Season Holiday House Tour Saturday, December 7, 2019 will feature 10 Nahant Properties dressed in their finest Holiday Décor by The Nahant Garden Club Members. Tickets are $30 per person. For information visit https://www.nahantgardenclub.org/holiday-house-tour-2019

  • Tuesday, December 3, 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm – Bell’s Woodland: Creating a Native Garden from Disturbed Woodland at Chanticleer Webinar

    Developing a native woodland garden, in suburban areas, comes with specific challenges such as soil degradations and erosion, abundance of invasive exotic plant species, and a need to manage stormwater runoff.

    In his online Ecological Landscape Alliance presentation on December 3 from 12:30 – 1:30, Przemek Walczak will discuss soil restoration, evaluating the effectiveness of different methods for a variety of situations; invasive plant species removal eradication versus suppression; and Hugelculture both as a way of gardening and as a tool for restoring woodland soil by addressing surface runoff and creating specific conditions for plants. Free for ELA members, $10 for nonmembers. Register at https://www.ecolandscaping.org/event/webinar-bells-woodland-creating-a-native-garden-from-disturbed-woodland-at-chanticleer/

    Przemek Walczak is a horticulturist at Chanticleer Garden, his place of employment for the past 22 years. Before that he interned as an arborist at Morris Arboretum of University of Pennsylvania and Winterthur Museum and Garden in Wilmington, Delaware. In Poland, prior to moving to the United States, Continued from previous page Mr. Walczak worked in the Studio for Applied Dendrology at The Center for the Preservation of Historic Landscapes. He lectures and teaches classes on topics such as pruning, native plant gardening, springs wildflowers and ephemerals, ferns, moss gardening, native pollinators, gardening for the birds, aquatic gardening, and woodland and shade gardening. Mr. Walczak graduated from Academy of Life Sciences in Warsaw, Poland as a Master of Economics and Agriculture.

  • Holiday Wreaths – Saving the Trees

    We serve the trees. Our most recent website, www.backbaytrees.org, is a valuable resource for searching and identifying the trees in our neighborhood, and was creating in part with proceeds earned through our two major fundraising efforts, the Holiday Wreath Project and the Twilight Garden Party in the spring. We recommend visiting the site and looking up the trees on your block and alley. All data was collected by Club volunteers and the site itself was created and designed by one of our premier wreath decorators. Please consider how much your support will mean to future and continuing projects in Back Bay and throughout the City, and order for yourself, and for others near and dear to you. The gift of a holiday wreath is always appreciated. https://bostonflora.com/shop/

  • Friday, November 29 – Sunday, December 15 – Festival of Trees

    Massachusetts Horticultural Society’s Festival of Trees is not only an important fundraiser, it is one of the most festive occasions at The Gardens at Elm Bank.

    For those not familiar with the Festival of Trees, from November 29 – December 15 we display over 60 beautifully decorated trees, which are raffled off on December 15. During the festival, visitors may purchase tickets for a chance to win the tree(s) of their choice. It’s fun, and for many it has become a family tradition.

    While the beautifully decorated trees are the centerpiece of the event, the Festival of Trees also includes garden lights, visits from Santa, horse-drawn wagon rides, the indoor Snow Village, model railroad display, and a fire pit with s’mores.

    Following the tree raffle on December 15, Festival of Trees continues for two more weekends, December 20 – 22, and December 27 – 29, with the Snow Village, garden lights, and fire pit.

    The Festival of Trees is a wonderful celebration of the holidays. For more information visit www.masshort.org