Boston Flora

Month: January 2021

  • Wednesday, February 3, 2:00 pm – Eltham Palace and Gardens: Medieval Palace and Millionaire’s Mansion, Online

    Wednesday, February 3, 2:00 pm – Eltham Palace and Gardens: Medieval Palace and Millionaire’s Mansion, Online

    Eltham Palace in Southeast London has an 800-year history of luxury and glamour. In her richly illustrated Royal Oak Foundation February 3 online lecture, Dr. Dominique Bouchard will explore the story of Eltham from its first mention in the Domesday survey of 1086, to its role as the 1490s boyhood home of King Henry VIII, to its transformation into a chic Art Deco residence.

    In its early history Eltham was renovated and added onto by England’s most famous kings and queens so much so that by the late 16th century it was larger and more ornate than Hampton Court Palace! By the early 17th century, however, Eltham fell into decline. During the English Civil War, Parliamentary troops ransacked the palace, after which it remained a ruin for more than 250 years. In 1936 it was saved and transformed by eccentric millionaires Stephen and Virginia Courtauld. They combined the medieval hall with a new, ultra-modern 1930s Art Deco residence. After WWII the Ministry of Works became responsible for management of the palace. English Heritage took over in 1995 and is restoring the interiors of the 20th-century house and the gardens to their 1930s Courtauld-era appearance.

    Dr. Dominique Bouchard is Head of Learning and Interpretation at English Heritage where she leads teams delivering award-winning interpretation and exhibitions, publishing, learning, youth engagement, digital curatorial and contemporary arts commissioning across more than 420 historic buildings, monuments and sites, from Stonehenge to Hadrian’s Wall and from Osborne House to a Cold War bunker in York. She has led exhibitions, public programmes and learning in museums in Hong Kong, Ireland and the UK. Dominique holds a BS in Applied Physics and BA in Mathematics from Columbia University in New York and received her DPhil at the University of Oxford in classical archaeology. Her doctoral research explored the relationship between public art, identity and power in Medieval and early Renaissance south Italy. Dominique is a trustee of the William Morris Society and has worked as expert consultant for the European Commission, Council of Europe and UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in the area of museums, heritage and divided societies.

    $20 general admission. Registration required. Visit https://www.royal-oak.org/events/winter-2021-online-lectures-tours-eltham-palace-and-garden/

  • Friday, February 12, 1:00 pm – 3:30 pm – Watercolor Wintergreens

    Learn about color theory, composition and how to paint from observation, in this Tower Hill Botanic Garden class on February 12 from 1 – 3:30. Winter greens such as pine, eucalyptus, cedar and brightly colored citrus fruit will be the inspiration for our compositions. All material is included. This program will be held indoors in one of our well-ventilated classrooms. Group size will not exceed current state restrictions.

    Suzanne Hauerstein is a professional teaching artist and the Coordinator of Volunteer & Intern Services at Tower Hill. She has over 25 years of experience designing and facilitating art-based programs for informal learning environments. Suzanne is committed to creating programs that are accessible, positive, and enjoyable learning experiences for students of all ages and abilities.

    $40 for Tower Hill members, $55 for nonmembers. Register at www.towerhillbg.org

  • Wednesday, February 24, 10:00 am – 11:15 am – Sustainability at Little Leaf Farm, Online

    Wednesday, February 24, 10:00 am – 11:15 am – Sustainability at Little Leaf Farm, Online

    The February meeting of the Garden Club of the Back Bay will be held online this year on February 24 at 10 am. Paul Sellew, President and CEO, will share the story of Little Leaf Farms.  At Little Leaf Farms, they are committed to delivering the freshest, best tasting baby greens to New England salad lovers all year round. The greenhouse is based in Devens, Massachusetts, allowing them to deliver products to stores within a day of harvest. This is very different from the majority of lettuce, that is grown on the West Coast, and spends a week traveling by truck to Massachusetts local stores. To rsvp, click HERE

  • Sunday, February 7, 11:00 am – 1:00 pm – Candlemaking with Essential Oils, Online

    Freshen your home while experiencing the soothing benefits of essential oils. New York Botanical Garden is holding a webinar on February 7 from 11 – 1 on Candlemaking with Essential Oils. Herbalist Amy Anthony will demonstrate how to create custom (4-ounce) aromatherapy soy-based container candles using essential oils to invigorate, calm and balance. Discover the differences between petroleum-based paraffin candles and synthetic essential oil candles commonly sold in stores. You’ll gain the knowledge and confidence to make container candles on your own!

    To follow along with the demo, you will receive a materials list and log in instructions once registered. $45 for NYBG members, $49 for nonmembers. Register at https://www.enrole.com/nybg/jsp/session.jsp?sessionId=213WEL138BO&courseId=204WEL138O&categoryId=8AEA8458

  • Saturday, January 30, 2:00 pm – Garden Elements and Styles, An Online Conversation with Toby Musgrave and Timothy Tilghman

    Join Untermyer Gardens online for a virtual conversation with Toby Musgrave and Timothy Tilghman (2:00-4:30PM with intermission, on January 30, 2021) for an illustrated discussion of garden elements and styles from around the world and how they have been reflected at Untermyer Gardens. We will start by exploring examples from great gardens and consider their influence on the historic features and styles at Untermyer that were restored over the past decade. Following a break, we will continue to examine internationally renowned gardens for guidance as we prepare for our imminent historic restoration projects. Finally, and perhaps most interestingly, we will look to established gardens of the world as inspiration for new elements we aspire to create through our second decade at Untermyer. By purchasing tickets, you will be able to view live or on demand. $15 – Register at www.untermyergardens.org.

    Dr. Toby Musgrave is an authority on garden history and design. He devised and presented the BBC Radio 4 series The British Garden, and has written for many magazines and newspapers. He teaches garden history at the Danish Institute for Study Abroad, and has also lectured at Oxford University and the Royal Horticultural Society. He was consultant editor for The Gardener’s Garden (2014) and is author of Green Escapes (2018), both by Phaidon. Toby’s latest book, one of nine, The Garden: Elements and Styles (2020) provides the structure for this event.  Timothy Tilghman leads the Untermyer Gardens Conservancy’s ambitious restoration effort. Head Gardener at Untermyer Gardens since June 2011, he has more than 25 years of horticultural experience, with 19 years devoted to public horticulture. His previous positions include: Head Gardener, Rocky Hills, a Garden Conservancy Project Garden, Mt. Kisco, NY; Senior Garden Editor, Martha Stewart Living, New York, NY; Gardener, Wave Hill, Bronx, NY; Assistant Curator, Scott Arboretum of Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, PA; Intern, Willowwood Arboretum, Chester, NJ; Intern, Powell Botanical Garden, Kansas City, MO. He holds a B.S. in Plant Science/Ornamental Horticulture from the University of Missouri, Columbia, MO.  ​​

  • Wednesday, February 10, 10:00 am – Celebrating What Unites Us! French Cuisine With Tyler Stout, Online

    Join Age-Friendly Boston, Oldways, and Friends of Armenian Heritage Park for a special free at-home Celebrating What Unites Us! program on February 10 at 10 am to keep us connected and coming together. This online session will feature French recipes from Chef Tyler Stout, Executive Chef, Troquet South. Register HERE.

  • Friday, January 29, 7:00 pm – Science on Screen: Beasts of the Southern Wild

    In “Beasts of the Southern Wild,” Benh Zeitlin’s stunning work of cinematic magical realism, six-year old Hushpuppy is faced with both her hot-tempered father’s fading health and melting ice-caps that flood her ramshackle bayou community and unleash ancient aurochs.

    Winner of the World Cinema Grand Jury Prize at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival and nominated for four Academy Awards, the film announced the arrival of a major new talent in filmmaker Zeitlin and actress Quvenzhané Wallis.

    In this free WBUR online Science on Screen discussion on January 29 at 7,  Cristina Kim, associate producer of Here & Now, looks at the film through the lens of climate change and race. She’ll be joined by Dr. Gaurab Basu, health equity fellow at the Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment at Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Dr. S. Atyia Martin, CEO and founder of All Aces Inc.

    Join the conversation! Submit your questions to us before and during the event here. Find out where to watch “Beasts of the Southern Wild” before the event here.

    Event produced in partnership with the Coolidge Corner Theatre as part of their 2021 Sundance Film Festival programming.

  • Tuesday, February 2, 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm – The Gardens of Liberty Hall: One of America’s Oldest Gardens Webinar

    What do the gardens of Versailles, Louisiana Purchase, and American Revolution have in common? Answer: they all played a role in the creation of a 250-year-old garden just outside of New York City — one which is not only still around today, but is also accessible to visit in person. It’s time to explore one of America’s oldest private gardens; influenced by a 17th-century King, a man who may have been living under an alias, and a woman with a dream of making it into a public space for all.

    Join New York Adventure Club as we embark on a digital journey through the history of the 250-year-old gardens at Liberty Hall — the home and grounds of the Livingston and Kean families, two of New Jersey’s most affluent and prominent families with direct ties to our nation’s founding fathers.

    Led by Hannah Gaston — Coordinator of School Programs at Liberty Hall Museum and a passionate educator — our virtual experience surrounding this historic garden in Union, New Jersey will include:

    • An overview of the Livingston and Kean families, and importance of the Liberty Hall Museum in American history
    • A discussion of how European ideals influenced Liberty Hall, as well as the design of other gardens and outdoor spaces in America
    • A digital showcase of Liberty Hall’s gardens from historic photographs to images and discussions about some of America’s most famous gardens
    • Rarely seen archival items, including 18th-century letters, receipts, photographs, and hand-drawn maps

    Hannah Gaston is the Coordinator of School Programs at Liberty Hall Museum. She started at Liberty Hall in October of 2017 as an intern, was the inaugural recipient of the May Kean Raynold’s Graduate Museum Studies Fellowship in 2018, and was offered her current position in 2019. Historic house museums hold a special place in her heart. She has presented on the topic of relevant and compelling storytelling in historic house museums at the Small Museum Association conference, and has recently published her graduate thesis on the same topic. She holds a B.A. in History from Elmira College and a M.A. in Museum Professions with a focus in Museum Education from Seton Hall University. In her free time she enjoys singing in her church choir and acting in local community theater productions; she looks forward to being able to continue those hobbies soon.

    Afterward, we’ll have a Q&A with Hannah — any and all questions about the Liberty Hall gardens are welcomed and encouraged!

    Can’t make it live? Don’t worry, you’ll have access to the full replay for one week. $10. Register at www.nyadventureclub.com

    *Immediately upon registering, you will receive a separate, automated email containing the link to join this webinar.

  • Tuesday, February 2, 12:00 noon – 1:30 pm – Navigating Race & Inclusivity in Community Gardens

    Well-meaning people have been organizing since the dawn of the local food movement to create vibrant, urban garden spaces in an effort to build and support their communities. However, these efforts, which are often oriented towards the goal of ameliorating social issues such as lack of access to food and green space for marginalized people, sometimes undermine themselves in terms of equity and inclusivity. How can we ensure that our work as community organizers and gardeners is doing more help than harm? Sama Mirghavameddin, who teaches at University of California, Berkeley, will describe some actions (often unconscious) that can potentially turn an inclusive space into an unwelcoming one, and explore what we can do to create a beautifully diverse garden community. This February 2 webinar, beginning at noon Eastern time, is part of the New Directions in the American Landscape (NDAL) Ecology-Based Landscape Virtual Series, cosponsored with the American Horticultural Society, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, and Wild Ones – Native Plants, Natural Landscapes. Free, but registration required at www.ndal.org

  • Tuesdays, February 2 – March 2, 6:15 pm – 8:15 pm – Introduction to Hydroponics, Online

    Explore how to grow plants without soil using hydroponics, which promotes fast growth and requires less water and space than conventional gardens, in this New York Botanical Garden online series beginning February 2 and continuing through March 2, from 6:15 – 8:15 Eastern time, online. You’ll learn what systems work best, which plants to choose, and how to make sure they get proper nutrition. While we will focus primarily on home-scale systems, the wider applications of hydroponics will also be discussed. The instructors are Maya Kutz and Kate Lodvikov, and the fee is $195 for NYBG members, $215 for nonmembers. Register and see the full schedule HERE.