Boston Flora

Month: April 2020

  • Saturday, April 25, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm, and Sunday, April 26, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm – Bay State African Violet Society Show – CANCELLED

    Come see hundreds of beautiful African violets and related plants on exhibit and for sale on April 25 and 26 at Tower Hill Botanic Garden, 11 French Drive in Boylston. Designs featuring blooming African violets and African violet blossoms will be on exhibit. Lectures and workshops are planned for each day. Tower Hill is a beautiful year round botanic garden on 132 acres. There is a fee for admission to Tower Hill. See their web site for details: www.towerhill.org. Free admission to The Bay State African Violet Show and Sale upon admission to Tower Hill.

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  • Pacific Horticulture Society Digital Classroom – How Much Compost is Enough?

    Pacific Horticulture Society’s online learning series connects gardeners with some of the most intriguing horticultural and environmental issues of our time. Do you want to begin “gardening like the Earth depends on it”?  Tuning into these conversations is a great way to start.  Today we highlight How Much Compost is Enough? with Calla Rose Ostrander, Marin Carbon Project partner and environmental strategic advisor. Applying compost to degraded soils benefits our gardens by sparking a microbial revolution that holds more water in dry times and encourages plant growth. Learn what up-to-date science is saying about carbon sequestration in landscapes and think through the “Goldilocks Question” of how much compost is just right for our gardens. The video may be accessed at any time at https://www.pacifichorticulture.org/digital-classroom/

  • Thursdays through Sundays, April 23 – May 17, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm – Naumkeag Daffodil and Tulip Festival – PLEASE CHECK FOR CANCELLATION NOTIFICATION

    Come to Naumkeag in Stockbridge, Massachusetts for this returning springtime tradition!

    The world-renowned gardens at Naumkeag have been planted with over 80,000 daffodil, tulip and other spring bulbs, promising a riot of color. It’s the perfect way to celebrate the arrival of spring in the Berkshires with friends and family. Each weekend will offer a variety of pop-up activities on the grounds for visitors of all ages to enjoy. Admission to the festival includes self-guided access to the grounds and the first floor of the house.

    Food and refreshments will be for sale. Our annual Naumkeag plant sale will be happening throughout the Daffodil and Tulip festival.

    Open Thursday through Sunday, April 23rd through May 17th in all weather conditions. In the event of severe weather, any cancellations will be posted on our Facebook page: facebook.com/naumkeagofficial

    Member: $9
    Nonmember: $15
    Children 12 and under: FREE

  • Boston’s Victory Gardens

    Ellen Abdow has been a featured speaker at The Garden Club of the Back Bay, and she has let us know about a very special project.

    Perennial Gardens LLC has partnered with Jenn Nawada from This Old House to bring you a garden of your very own — Boston’s Victory Gardens.  They are delivering fully planted vegetable gardens to your doorstep, safely created with lots of love. 

    • The Green Monstah has everything you need for a summer salad. 
    • Taco Tuesday brings the heat, bursting with a variety peppers. 
    • The Pollinator is full of flowers that attract bees and butterflies — plus many more varieties of “victory gardens” for your own backyard! Gift a loved one with their very own victory garden. 
    • The Herbalist, a hand-carved stone trough filled with an assortment of herbs, is the perfect Mother’s Day gift. 
    • Homeschooling the kiddos? Kids Can Grow is full of strawberries, beans, carrots — and full of learning opportunities about science, plants, and horticulture. 
    • And The Mixologist, a planter full of cocktail herbs, is a gift we could all use right now!

    These planter boxes are set up for success, created with superior growing soil and top-notch cultivars of veggies and herbs. They have a variety of planter vessels — including red cedar, vintage cranberry boxes, and hand carved stone troughs — that are managed by one person at a time throughout the entire process — from planting to delivery. These victory gardens will be available for purchase through Ellen’s website (www.bostonsvictorygardens.com).  They are not inexpensive, but will bring hours of stress reduction and enjoyment.

  • Beginning April 13: Boston Leaf & Yard Waste Collection

    Turn your yard work waste into compost. If you’re looking for something to do while social distancing, participating in leaf and yard waste collection is a great way to spend time outside, clean your outdoor space, and repurpose your waste.

    The Public Works Department has 20 weeks of curbside leaf and yard waste collection. You can also drop off your collection on scheduled days at the American Legion Highway site.

    The Public Works Department has 20 weeks of curbside leaf and yard waste collection. You can also drop off your collection on scheduled days at the American Legion Highway site.

    VIEW THE SCHEDULE FOR LEAF & YARD WASTE COLLECTION AND DROP-OFF’S HERE.

    Here’s what you need to know for curbside collection:

    • Place all leaves and yard debris in large paper bags or open barrels labeled YARD WASTE
    • Tie branches with string: 3 feet max length and 1 inch max diameter
    • Place barrels, bags, and branches curbside by 6:00 AM
    • Do not include any plastic bags
    • Do not place large branches in barrels.

    We are working towards a Zero Waste Boston. Composted yard waste helps conserve and rebuild a scarce resource — soil. Finished compost makes its way back into the community when it’s donated to Boston’s 100+ community gardens. If you want to make yourown compost, you can purchase a compost bin for $25 here.

    By participating in leaf and yard waste curbside pick-up, you can make composting a regular part of your routine. We can work together to move towards a more sustainable, zero-waste Boston.

    Zero Waste Logo

  • Saturday, April 25, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm – Nantucket Garden Club Daffodil Show – Cancelled

    The Nantucket Garden Club’s 2020 Daffodil Show will take place Saturday, April 25 from 9 – 5 at Bartlett’s Ocean View Farm, 33 Bartlett Farm Road in Nantucket. The show is timed to coincide with the Nantucket Daffodil Festival taking place April 24 – 26. Registration is now open to those who would like to register an antique vehicle for the Annual Antique Car Parade that begins on Main Street and ends in ‘Sconset with a picnic. Also, this year we are adding in a new event, a Car Show in Historic Downtown Nantucket. For information on each of these events please visit   https://www.nantucketchamber.org/daffodilfestival.

  • Tuesday, May 5, 10:00 am – Inspired by Nature – Cancelled

    The Garden Club Federation of Massachusetts, Ruth A. Wallack Fund, presents Inspired by Nature with Craig Bullock, International Floral Designer and World-Renowned Teacher from London, England, on Tuesday, May 5 at 10 am in the Regis College Fine Arts Center in Weston. Tickets are $20. Send a stamped, self-addressed envelope and a check made out to GCFM (sorry, still stuck in last century) to Penni Jenkins, 241 Elm Street, Walpole, MA 02081. For ticket information you may email Fawn Hurwitz at fhurwitz@aol.com or Ruth Ann Feinberg at ruthfeinberg@gmail.com.

  • Saturday, July 11 – Appledore Island BioBlitz

    On July 11th, The Cambridge Entomological Society has again been invited on a joint day excursion with Maine Entomological Society and Vermont Entomological Society to Appledore Island off the coast of Maine (Isle of Shoals). The boat will be leaving the UNH pier in Newcastle, NH sometime before 10AM and returning late in the afternoon. There is a chance some participants may be allowed to stay over (with a fee of around $100), but it depends on how many sign up from the difference organizations and the availability of bunks at the time.

    The island is an excellent example of coastal habitat of northern New England with rocky shoreline, brackish wetlands, meadows, wind-blown and stunted maritime forests and two freshwater wetlands with ponds. Foot paths crisscross the island through all the various habitat types. Many species of gulls nest on the island and can be defensive and slightly aggressive. An insect net is helpful for shielding yourself from low flying gulls.

    The roundtrip boat trip cost is $25/person (cash)

    This is a unique opportunity for people, especially students, as the island is an active research station. https://www.shoalsmarinelaboratory.org/

    We likely have spots for 5 people so please contact Scott Smyers at sdsmyers@gmail.com for more details, ask questions or confirm you will be attending. 

    Please respond at latest by May 30th if you are interested!

  • Sunday, April 19, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm – Build Your Own Bouquet with The Wildflower Truck – CANCELLED

    Experience flower arranging like you never have before as you select your beautiful blooms from a converted 1968 Volkswagen truck. This is flower power all the way! Bring your own vase or purchase one on site. THBG members $60, nonmembers $65. Register at www.towerhillbg.org.

  • Sunday, April 19, 11:00 am – 4:30 pm – Kitchen Garden Design – CANCELLED

    In this April 19 two-part Tower Hill Botanic Garden workshop with Ellen Ecker Ogden, author of The Complete Kitchen Garden, you will learn the six steps for successful kitchen garden design that combine art with productivity. The morning lecture, The Art of Growing Food, is a photo presentation and talk, and the afternoon session is a hands-on workshop.

    Lecture only: $15 Member; $20 Non-Member

    Lecture and Workshop: $45 Member; $55 Non-Member

    The Art of Growing Food, Sunday, April 19, 11AM-12:30PM

    A true kitchen garden opens your senses in new and inspiring ways, both in the garden and in the kitchen. You’ll start dinner by simmering onions on the stove, then dash to garden to see what you can harvest. It might be tiny artichokes, fresh peas, purple basil tips, tiny rainbow chard or spoon shaped mache, harvested in bare feet and brought into the kitchen in a lovely basket.

    In this lecture, The Art of Growing Food, you will take home new ideas for designing your kitchen garden to be more productive and more beautiful—combining art with practical technique and design. Best of all, you garden will be easier to maintain.

    In this one hour presentation, you’ll revel in the colorful photos from my book, and take a journey to visit many of my favorite kitchen garden designs, that will leave you with fresh ideas for your own.

    Ideal for gardeners just starting out and experienced gardeners who are planning to take the next step in their garden odyssey.  Participants will learn new ways to design, select the best plants, and how to include arbors, fences and practical paths that add personalized touches to bring style and whimsy.

    Lunch – 1 hour. Bring your own or eat at the cafe

    Workshop: Kitchen Garden Design The above lecture is a prerequisite, and taught as part of the full day program. Sunday, April 19, 1:30-4:30PM

    With graph paper, pencils and photos of your own kitchen gardens, participants brainstorm ways to integrate a garden into the rest of their home landscape and to design the kitchen garden of their dreams. Basic organic gardening techniques are covered: from building healthy soil, selecting seeds and how to read a seed catalog to getting the right garden tools.  Adding personality to the garden with trellises, benches and garden arts is also key. Lots of individual attention and sharing among participants. Everyone will leave with a plan, a list of plants and a vision for their new kitchen garden. Space in the workshop is limited, so sign up early!