Boston Flora

Month: September 2020

  • Sunday, September 20, 11:00 am – 2:00 pm – Bulbs and Humans: Rising Above the Squirrel Mentality

    On September 20 from 11 – 2 at Berkshire Botanical Garden in West Stockbridge, learn the ways and whys of selecting, purchasing, planting and designing with hardy flowering bulbs. If you’re catalog-buying, learn what to expect from a supplier. If shopping at the local nursery, discover what to look for when choosing a bulb–and the hints that packaging gives towards its successful culture. Most importantly, be on hand to learn to avoid the squirrel mentality when planting. $20 for BBG members, $25 for nonmembers, advance registration required. https://www.berkshirebotanical.org/events/bulbs-and-humans-rising-above-squirrel-mentality

    David Burdick, a distinguished plantsman and zealous collector, shows regularly at the American Daffodil Society exhibition. A practicing horticulturist, he has worked at Berkshire Botanical Garden and Windy Hill Farm. David is an engaging teacher, and his latest venture is a specialty plant and cut-flower business, Daffodils & More, in Dalton, MA.

  • Sunday, September 20, 10:30 am – Magnificent Mushrooms Botanical Illustration

    Sunday, September 20, 10:30 am – Magnificent Mushrooms Botanical Illustration

    Explore the multitude of mushrooms popping up in the woods at Tower Hill on September 20 at 10:30 am. This program will be held under our open sided outdoor canopy tent. Group size will not exceed current state restrictions. Sketch as you see them, then snap a photo with your phone and add color with colored pencils while sitting at a table under the activities tent. Learn about showing texture and shading.

    Instructor Carol Schwartz graduated from the Kansas City Art Institute, attending her senior year at Rhode Island School of Design. She earned her MFA in Illustration from the University of Hartford, Connecticut in 2014. Her education equipped her to be diverse and adaptable, with work appearing in 60 picture books and countless magazines, newspapers and advertisements.

    $30 for Tower Hill members, $40 for nonmembers. Register at https://towerhillbg.thankyou4caring.org/pages/event-registration-form—magnificent-mushrooms

  • Charles River Clean Up Boat Update

    Due to the need for social distancing and our vessel being too small to ensure the appropriate precautions, The Charles River Clean Up Boat management has decided to hold off on operations at this time. They will continue to evaluate the situation, and hope to be able to get on the Charles River soon to help keep it clean. For updates, visit https://www.cleanupboat.org/

  • Saturday, September 26, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm – Pasture Walk: Cows and Dairy at Appleton Farms

    Come join one of Appleton Farm’s dairy farmers on an educational pasture walk to learn all about cows, on September 26 from 1 – 2 at 219 County Road, Hamilton & Ipswich, Massachusetts.

    During this program, you will take a brief walk from the dairy barn to the pasture that the dairy cows are grazing in that day. Distance will vary on the week because our cows are rotated throughout the farm, and our farmer will teach you about our rotational grazing program during this short walk. Once we reach the cows, our farmer will give you a short summary about the dairy girls; from anatomy and milking, to breeding and calving. We will be happy to answer any and all questions you have about the cows. You will be able to walk along the cows, however at this time, we cannot let visitors have contact with the animals due to health and safety precautions.

    We recommend sneakers or hiking shoes for the walk out to pasture. Most of the walk is along hiking paths that are fairly flat and easy walking. This program is open to families, but keep in mind it will be a short walk both to the pasture, and back.

    Please note: Participants will be asked to follow Covid-19 related guidelines, including wearing face coverings and maintaining social distance. If you are experiencing symptoms, please do not attend the event.

    Space is limited for this event and pre-registration is strongly recommended. Purchase tickets at https://buy.acmeticketing.com/events/483/detail/5ef510b3f71d1a4d46d8acda

    We will meet at the Farm Offices building. Trustees members $15, nonmembers $20.

  • Saturday, September 19, 9:30 am – 12:30 pm – Garden Tour at the Codman Estate

    Explore the glorious Codman Estate landscape and gardens to celebrate the blooming season’s apex on this house-and-garden tour sponsored by Historic New England, to be held Saturday, September 19 from 9:30 – 12:30..

    The landscape is undergoing restoration of its historic appearance thanks to the work of the Massachusetts Master Gardeners. Site Manager Wendy Hubbard will present the landscape history talk and museum tour. Tour the gardens with Master Gardener Diane Romanosky to discuss restoration efforts and horticultural processes.

    Over light refreshments, learn more about the Master Gardener program, resources they offer to the gardening public, and volunteer opportunities with Historic New England.

    Tickets are $55 per person via website, https://my.historicnewengland.org/6756/cod-glorious, or call 617-994-6690. There is currently a wait list since numbers had to be restricted due to COVID-19.

  • Saturday, September 19, 10:00 am – 2:30 pm – Horticultural Therapy: The People-Plant Partnership

    Horticultural Therapy uses the cultivation of plants and plant-related programs to heal, rehabilitate and improve the overall well being of the population it serves. Often referred to as “the new health care tool”, horticultural therapy is effective in achieving therapeutic, rehabilitative and vocational outcomes. Registered Horticultural Therapist Anne Meore will lead Berkshire Botanical Garden participants through experiential activities that will deepen the participant’s understanding of this therapeutic modality and enhance perspective on the benefits of our relationship with plants and the natural environment. The class takes place September 19 from 10 – 2:30, and is $75 for BBG members, $90 for nonmembers. Masks required. Advance registration is also required at https://www.berkshirebotanical.org/events/horticultural-therapy-people-plant-partnership

    Anne Meore  LMSW, HTR, is a Registered Horticultural Therapist with the American Horticultural Therapy Association and is the owner of Planthropy LLC, serving populations with special needs through horticulture therapy programming and therapeutic garden design for area hospitals and rehabilitation programs. She is the program advisor and a faculty member in the Horticultural Therapy Certificate Program in the School of Horticulture at New York Botanical Garden, has been an instructor in the Edible Academy since 2011, and serves as an adjunct faculty member in the Biology Department at Manhattanville College, teaching Therapeutic Horticulture. She holds an advanced degree in guidance counseling and social work, a license in social work and a certificate in horticultural therapy from the NY Botanical Gardens.

  • Friday, September 18, 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm – Foraged and Farmed: Autumn Flower Arranging Online

    Floral designer Colie Collen, the farmer florist behind Flower Scout in Troy, NY, will share the step-by-step process of creating stunning seasonal arrangements, on September 18 at 5:30 pm. Explore combining foraged and store-purchased florals. Learn about shape and color, as well as useful tips for how to make your arrangements last. Use our materials list to have the items on hand you’ll need to create your arrangement in real-time alongside Colie. Berkshire Botanical Garden’s online classes are offered over Zoom. Students receive class login information and materials lists, when applicable, once registered. BBG members $15, nonmembers $20. Register at https://www.berkshirebotanical.org/events/foraged-and-farmed-autumn-flower-arranging

    Colie Collen, founder, farmer, and designer at Flower Scout, brings her love of all things wild and seasonal to her work. After many years farming on the West and East Coasts, her interest turned to flower production in 2012, and subsequently to design. She seeks to create individual experiences for clients, based on the colors, textures and shapes the land/garden/season is creating at a particular moment, with customers’ aesthetic preferences continually in mind.

  • Wednesday, September 16 – Sunday, September 20 – Fierce Urgency of NOW, Online

    Organized by City Awake, the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce’s young professional platform, Fierce Urgency of Now is a decentralized five-day festival with 30+ events hosted by organizations and businesses across Greater Boston. The events and conversations throughout the festival highlight the experiences, challenges, and opportunities for young professionals of color in Boston. 

    This year, for the first time, Fierce Urgency of Now will be a fully digital calendar of events. From day parties to workshops, workout classes to keynote speakers, Fierce Urgency of Now rewrites the narrative of Boston, making it an anti-racist city that is more inclusive, more accessible, and more welcoming to all.

    Check out the schedule and register by individual event. Please contact event hosts directly with questions.  One free virtual event that may be of interest to Bostonians will be held on Thursday, September 17 from 1 – 3, A Historical Tour & Contemporary Conversation. Are you a history buff, community activist, or curious to learn more about the history of activism for equity and justice in Boston? View a short film about anti-slavery activists in Boston’s Beacon Hill neighborhood during the 19th-century Abolitionist Movement, followed by a conversation with one of these activists’ descendants. Learn about some pre-19th century community leaders and activists of African and Indigenous descent. With your peers, consider how these stories resonate with young professionals today, what we can learn from this history, and what we hope to exemplify for the next generation of leaders.

    Interested in engaging with thousands and championing change in our city? Take a look at our sponsorship opportunities!

  • Saturday, September 19, 10:30 am – 11:30 am – Gardens and Grounds Seasonal Stroll at Castle Hill

    Tiptoe through the asters, shuffle through the autumn leaves…or whatever plants are in bloom at Castle Hill on the Crane Estate in Ipswich on September 19 from 10:30 – 11:30. Crane horticulturalist Beth Walsh leads visitors on a walking tour of the grounds, including the woodland path, Italian Garden, and Rose Garden. Learn about what’s in bloom and what it takes to keep these restored gardens historically appropriate to the original landscape design and adaptable to modern usage.

    Advanced reservations are required for event tickets and for Castle Hill parking . $12 for Trustees members, $20 for nonmembers. Masks required. Register at https://thetrustees.org/event/gardens-and-grounds-seasonal-stroll-2/

  • Wednesdays, September 16 – October 14, 5:30 pm – 8:30 pm – Drafting for Garden Design

    Led by Steven Foster, this Berkshire Botanical Garden five-week studio intensive is essential for those who would like to take their in-garden planning and design to the next level. Learn basic drafting skills necessary to record and effectively communicate scaled site plans. The course, beginning September 16 from 5:30 – 8:30 pm, will cover reference books, drafting supplies, media/paper types, line weights, lettering and scale reading. Drafting demonstrations will familiarize students with professional drawing techniques, and students will begin to draft basic site plans and explore map-making. During the last half of the course, students will learn to develop a landscape graphic palette to illustrate trees, shrubs, perennials and groundcovers, as well as hardscape materials such as stone terraces. This course is designed for beginner to intermediate students. As with all in person classes scheduled during the pandemic, please reconfirm before the class begins, and pre registration is required. $255 for BBG members, $275 for nonmembers. Sign up at https://www.berkshirebotanical.org/events/drafting-garden-design-0

    Steven Foster, A.S.L.A. is a registered landscape architect in MA with over 30 years of experience. He previously taught at the Landscape Design Institute affiliated with the Arnold Arboretum and Harvard University.