Daily Archives: October 4, 2022

Tuesday, October 11 – Deadline for Submission: Home Gardeners Exhibit

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Old Sturbridge Village wants to see what you’ve been growing in your garden this year! Whether you are near or far, help us celebrate the fall harvest by entering this year’s Home Gardeners’ Exhibit. Entries will be posted in an online exhibit and photos will also be on display during the exhibition of the Village Harvest held on October 22nd and 23rd.  A couple of our expert horticulturalists will also pick the best of each category, sharing feedback and comments about the winning entries.

Rules

  • The exhibit is open to the general public and museum staff.
  • Entries can be anything grown in the 2022 season – vegetables, flowers, herbs, etc. are acceptable. They do not have to be heirloom varieties, but you are more than welcome to submit heirloom produce!
  • The entry must be grown by the exhibitor.
  • There is no entry fee.
  • Each person may enter up to 4 items.
  • Vegetables eligible for entry in the heirloom category are listed below.
  • Entries must be submitted by Tuesday, October 11, 2022.

Photo Tips For Virtual Exhibit

  • Use a clean visual background (try placing a sheet or tarp behind your plants if possible)
  • Remove any clutter or background objects that may distract from the subject you are photographing
  • Take photos at a well-lit area and time of day.
  • If it is too dark inside, consider shooting outside in the sunlight
  • Make sure your camera is focused on the plant you are submitting
  • Photos must be at least 300 PPI (pixels per inch); Largest file size option for smart phones

Judging and Categories

Museum horticultural staff will review each entry and determine a winner and runner up in each of the following categories:

  • Best in young gardeners (ages 5-12)
  • Best in adult gardeners (ages 13 and up)
  • Best heirloom – eligible varieties below
  • Best overall

For a list of prizes and eligible heirloom varieties, and entry form, visit https://www.osv.org/event/home-gardeners-exhibit/

Cactus and Benary’s Giant Zinnias grown by Rita Borovicka, 2021 Overall Winner

Friday, October 7, 12:00 noon – 1:00 pm – Building Community Capacity Through Farming, Online

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In the spring of 2020, New York Botanical Garden’s Bronx Green-Up joined with Bronx-based gardens and urban farms to address food insecurity by growing and distributing fresh fruits and vegetables to local people in need. Since then, this network has grown into a movement that unites community garden sites and BIPOC-led farms upstate with local non-profit organizations and the New York City Housing Authority for a more resilient community. $18. Register HERE.

Join them on October 7 at noon online for an inspiring panel discussion about organizing, gardening, and community building with Cayla Casciani of Morning Glory Community Garden, Regina Ginyard of South Bronx Food Hub Collective, and Kadeesha Williams of Iridescent Earth Collective, moderated by Ursula Chanse, Senior Director of NYBG’s Bronx Green-Up. The lessons learned can be applied to situations in the Greater Boston area as well.

Wednesday, October 12, 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm – Accessible Gardening: Raised Beds, Containers & More, Online

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A lifelong love, or a newly discovered leisure activity of gardening, should not have to end as we age. Gardening provides exercise, stimulation, a sense of accomplishment, hope and many other benefits for mental and physical health. Enjoying gardening late into life also helps people on fixed incomes to “stretch the pocketbook and tight budget” by growing food in a garden and keeping a healthy diet. Join Deborah Krause, Horticulture Therapist, to learn how to make gardening more accessible depending on your physical abilities. Discover some of the ways you can customize your garden to suit both your physical needs and your available space. This hourlong webinar will introduce you to a variety of container gardening methods, including raised beds, garden tables.

This New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill webinar will be held on October 12, and is free to attend thanks to the generous sponsorship by AARP Massachusetts. This webinar will be recorded and available to registrants for 1 month.

Deborah Krause is a Registered Horticultural Therapist. She is passionate about wellness and the therapeutic benefits of horticulture for people of all ages and abilities. She has served in various capacities in the American Horticultural Therapy Association (AHTA) and the Northeast Horticultural Therapy Network (NEHTN), which she co-founded, and currently is on the Board of Directors. Deborah developed the horticultural therapy program at Perkins School for the Blind and was the horticultural therapist and coordinator of the horticulture center there for 40 years. She is currently a Program Coordinator at The Nature Connection whose mission is to improve the wellbeing of individuals and communities through the therapeutic use of nature. Deborah is the horticulture educator at the Memorial Spaulding School Garden where students grow produce to donate to food pantries. She presents webinars for AARP on adaptive gardening as we age. Deborah consults with non-profit organizations to design and facilitate therapeutic and educational horticulture and nature programs. Deborah’s popular classes for adults creating sensory rich seasonal flower and plant arrangements have focused on relaxation, stress reduction and positive thinking and she is honored and happy to continue to bring this to Tower Hill.

$0 Member Adult; $0 Adult (Sponsored by AARP MA) This webinar will be recorded and available for all registrants until November 12, 2022.