Boston Flora

Month: November 2022

  • Mondays Through March 27, 6:00 pm GMT – Kew Mutual Improvement Society Public Lectures, Online

    The Kew Mutual Improvement Society (KMIS) was started by Joseph Dalton Hooker in 1871. He wanted to create a space where new thinking and cutting-edge ideas in the world of horticulture and botany could be discussed by the passionate students studying it. KMIS is run by diploma students who curate and present a varied program of lectures. Our program now reaches beyond students with audiences from all over the world and we welcome anyone who shares a passion for plants and fungi.

    Join us this season for a wide range of lectures from the likes of Alan Titchmarsh to Kew’s very own diploma students. We will also have live demonstrations from Bonsai master Peter Chan and farmer florists Marianne Mogendorff and Camila Klich from Wolves Lane Flower Company. And don’t miss Joey Santore from Crime Pays But Botany Doesn’t, who will be joining us online from America.

    Lectures will be held in Kew Gardens as well as online, both live and on demand.

    Regular: £3 Fundraising: £10 All proceeds go to KMIS Register at https://www.kew.org/learning/talks-and-lectures/kew-mutual-improvement-society

    • 21 November: More than weeds: Rethinking our relationship
      with wild plants       with Sophie Leguil (Ecological and Horticultural Consultant)
    • 28 November: Tom Hart Dyke: A plant hunter and gardener with passion with Tom Hart Dyke (Curator of the World Garden)

    December

    • 5 December: The Millennium Seed Bank Partnership: Coordinating conservation across continents with Dr Aisyah Faruk (Conservation Partnership Coordinator (Europe and Oceania) at the Millennium Seed Bank Partnership, Wakehurst)
    • 12 December: Why plants travel: Plant exchange with West Africa during the period of the transatlantic slave trade (c. 1500–1860s) with Silke Strickrodt (Botanical Horticulturalist and Historian)

    January

    • 9 January (Fundraising lecture and online talk): Soils, geology and plant speciation with Joey Santore (Filmmaker, Botanist, Artist, and Comic)
    • 16 January (Fundraising lecture): Small is beautiful: Gardening in confined spaces with Alys Fowler (Garden Writer)
    • 23 January: Ecologically driven horticulture in the north-east
      of the USA       with Hattie Moore (Diploma Student) and The hidden flora of the Caucasus: Does Georgia hold the key to the future tree species selection for the changing European climate? with Timothy Shaw (Diploma Student)
    • 30 January: Fighting on the frontlines of extinction: A Hawaiian journey with Cecily Eltringham (Diploma Student) and Climbing the Schachen: Exploring the Alpine Garden and Munich Botanic Gardens with Vicki Thompson (Diploma Student)

    February

    • 6 February: Integrated approaches for exploring medicinal plants in South Africa, a biodiversity hotspot with Dr Nokwanda P. Makunga (Associate Professor of Biotechnology, Stellenbosch University)
    • 20 February: Managing Richmond Park, National Nature Reserve, in the 21st century with Simon Richards (Head of Special Projects, Richmond Park)
    • 27 February: Plants and people: Finding the roots of community across the tree of life with Sara Lil Middleton (Doctoral Researcher in Plant Sciences, University of Oxford)

    March

    • 13 March: Nymans: Adapting to the times with Joe Whelan, (Head Gardener, Nymans)
    • 20 March: Rhododendrons of India’s North East frontier with Tom Clarke (Head Gardener, Exbury Gardens)
    • 27 March: From the Atacama Desert to the Valdivian rainforest: Exploring Chilean endemics and endangered species at the end of the world with Eleanor Edmonds (Diploma Student) and Using endangered orchids in ornamental display – a global partnership to save them with Francesco Gorni (Diploma Student)

  • Thursday, December 8, 11:00 am – 12:30 pm – The Folly & The Ivy, Online

    Caroline Holmes takes us on an entertaining tour of garden follies with intellectual gymnastics, jaw dropping extravagance or private vision. Cryptic, fantastical, allegorical, innovative, romantic and modernist from the Renaissance to Charles Hamilton’s Painshill, into Bomarzo’s ‘Sacro Bosco’, an ocean of shell grottoes and finally a ‘blotto grotto’ in Herefordshire. The program is on December 8 beginning at 11, and is sponsored by the Oxfordshire Gardens Trust. £5.00. Register HERE.


    Caroline Holmes is a lecturer, broadcaster, author and consultant designer. She is Academic Tutor for the University of Cambridge Institute of Continuing Education and also lectures for various organizations internationally, and on tours sponsored by the US Institute of Classical Architecture and Art in France. In 2019 she was keynote speaker at the International Water Lily Symposium at Giverny based on the research for her last book Water Lilies and and Bory Latour-Marliac – the genius behind Monet’s Water Lilies. She is the author of 12 books, here latest being Where the wildness pleases – the English Garden Celebrated. Her RHS Herbs for the Gourmet Gardener was finalist in the 2014 Garden Media Guild Reference Book of the Year Award. Design consultancies include Tudor-inspired gardens for a Humanist Renaissance ‘journey’ around Notre Dame de Calais, 16th-18th-century orchards and gardens with modern operatic borders at High House for the Royal Opera House, and the poisons planting in The Alnwick Garden. Caroline co-presented Glorious Gardens on Anglia TV and has presented several series for BBC Radio 4. She received the Gertrude B Foster Award for Excellence in Herbal Literature in 2011 and the Elizabeth Crisp Rea Award in 2017 from the Herb Society of America. Her own house and garden have been featured in Country Homes and Interiors, Country Life, Country Living, Garden News and The English Garden and filmed for BBC and Anglia TV. www.horti-history.com

  • Thursday, December 1 – The 19th Century Garden: Nurseries and Seedsmen, Online

    Much of the driving force behind the development of gardens during the Victorian period was due to the success and enterprise of Britain’s nurseries and seedsmen. They led the way in scouring the globe for new plants for British gardens and greenhouses, introducing them in to commercial production and encouraging the spread. of gardening through cheap and reliable seeds. Companies like Carters, Suttons and Veitches transformed British horticulture in just a few generations, becoming internationally important businesses. But they were not alone. There were dozens of others, smaller in scale, but no less important in impact, taking advantage of improved rail networks, cheap postage and printing, as well as increased leisure time. This Gardens Trust online talk on December 1 will tell their story, primarily through the example of Carters Seeds, which was the largest in Britain and later one of the largest in the world. This ticket is for this individual session and costs £5 – Register through Eventbrite HERE. Attendees will be sent a Zoom link 2 days prior to the start of the talk, and again a few hours before the talk. A link to the recorded session (available for 1 week) will be sent shortly afterwards.

    After a career as a head teacher in Inner London, Dr David Marsh took very early retirement (the best thing he ever did) and returned to education on his own account. He was awarded a PhD in 2005 and now lectures about garden history anywhere that will listen to him. Recently appointed an honorary Senior Research Fellow by the University of Buckingham, he is a trustee of the Gardens Trust and chairs their Education Committee. He oversees their on-line program and writes a weekly garden history blog which you can find at https://thegardenstrust.blog

  • Happy Thanksgiving

    The Garden Club of the Back Bay wishes you all a very happy Thanksgiving. We hope you are surrounded by family and friends, and will take a moment to think about those who are not so fortunate. We highlight The Women’s Lunch Place and the Greater Boston Food Bank as worthy recipients in any season of your support. The pie below is from The 100 Year Old House.

  • Thursday, December 1, 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm – Extraordinary Interiors, Online

    Designer Suzanne Tucker has perfected a unique approach to creating elegant, sumptuously appointed residences eminently suited to their owners and their architectural and geographic context. Tucker describes her process as part anthropology, part archaeology, part psychology: she uncovers her clients’ dreams and desires for their home, and the nuances of their lifestyle, and applies her vast knowledge of decorative arts and antiques to compose splendid spaces perfectly tailored for each life.


    Extraordinary Interiors, Tucker’s third monograph, presents a selection of the designer’s recent work, including a mountain retreat featuring a symphony of natural tones and textures; a Bay Area pied-à-terre exhibiting international flair; a Manhattan apartment whose muted hues showcase an exceptional art collection; a beach house that marries high sophistication with leisurely living; a magnificent San Francisco townhouse whose intarsia floors, coffered ceilings, and natatorium are inspired by historic Italian palazzi; and Tucker’s own oasis-like home in Montecito, California.

    Suzanne Tucker is recognized as one of the country’s leading interior designers. She and partner Timothy F. Marks founded Tucker & Marks in 1986, and the firm has long been considered one of the most respected and successful interior design firms in the United States. Tucker’s work has been featured in international magazines and numerous books including her own, Rooms to Remember: The Classic Interiors of Suzanne Tucker (Monacelli; 2009) and Suzanne Tucker Interiors: The Romance of Design (Monacelli; 2013).


    Across the varied styles and locations of these remarkable residences, Extraordinary Interiors heralds Tucker’s passion for architecture and the decorative arts, and consummate skill for creating timeless, luxurious, and exquisitely detailed art- and antique-filled rooms. The Garden Conservancy hosts the designer for a live webinar on December 1 from 2 – 3 Eastern time. Conservancy Members $5 per person; General admission $15. A recording of this webinar will be sent to all registrants a few days after the event. We encourage you to register, even if you cannot attend the live webinar.

  • Friday, December 2, 12:00 noon – 1:15 pm – Along the C & O Canal, Online

    Started in 1828, the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal operated for nearly 100 years, providing a lifeline for communities along the Potomac River. After closing due to natural destruction and competition from the railroads, the area languished in disrepair until it became a target for a parkway in the 1950s. Thanks to recognition from a group of dedicated individuals, support was rallied to save the canal and it became a National Historical Park in 1971.

    Today, the C&O Canal covers over 20,000 acres and is one of the nation’s most diverse national parks in terms of both natural species and history. Boasting over 113 rare and threatened species of plants and animals and more than 1,000 historic structures, the C&O Canal is a true national treasure.

    Join the Director of Programs and Partnerships of the C&O Canal Trust, Aidan Barnes, online on December 2 as he takes a closer look at the history of the canal and its function and design, the Trust’s special wildlife initiatives, and what it takes to keep the park thriving and accessible for visitors. Special focus is given to the canal’s popular lockhouses, several of which have been restored to reflect their original era. 

    The C&O Canal Trust is an official nonprofit partner of the C&O Canal National Historical Park and works closely with National Park Service staff to assist in maintaining the historic, natural, and recreational features of the park for future generations to enjoy. This webinar is sponsored by Smithsonian Associates, and is $20 for Smithsonian Associates members, $25 for nonmembers. Register at www.smithsonianassociates.org

  • Saturday, December 3, 11:00 am – 4:00 pm – 12th Annual Concord Holiday House Tour

    The Concord Museum is thrilled to host the 12th Annual Holiday House Tour on Saturday, December 3, 2022. Celebrate the Holiday Season with a tour of seven of Concord’s most beautiful private homes, professionally and personally decorated in the holiday spirit by local interior designers! We hope to see you on the Tour, from 11 – 4. Image from www.elzabdesign.com. Tickets and more information at https://concordmuseum.org/events/12th-annual-holiday-house-tour/

  • Wednesday, November 30, 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm – Plants in Space, Online

    Our lives on Earth are totally dependent on plants. As people start making plans for long-distance space travel, there is a critical need for technology that can bring life-sustaining plants along on the journey. Join Dr. Carl Lewis as he discusses current space gardening technology and the research now underway to make it better.

    Dr. Carl Lewis is Director of Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, a position he has held since 2008. He received a Ph.D. in Systematic Botany from Cornell University in 2001 and a bachelor’s degree in Botany from Connecticut College in 1995. With a research specialization in systematics and evolution, Dr. Lewis has conducted field research in tropical regions worldwide.

    He expanded Fairchild’s public outreach with the addition of major citizen science initiatives including the Million Orchid Project and Growing Beyond Earth. Dr. Lewis is the principal investigator on several NASA grants awarded to Fairchild.

    This New York Botanical Garden online talk will be held November 30 at 6 pm. $15 for NYBG members, $18 for nonmembers. Register HERE

  • Through January 30 – The Overstory, Richard Powers Exhibit

    Diane Samuels’ incredible 20” x 160’ scroll is a hand-transcription in micro-script of Richard Powers’ The Overstory. The text side is made of strips of recycled drawings, prints, and papers from the artist’s studio. The dimensions of the scroll correspond to a common vertical section of a coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens). The non-transcribed side is collaged with 99 bookplates. Each bookplate is made by a rubbing from a piece carved with the image of the leaf/needles identified with each of the nine characters in the book. The Arnold Arboretum exhibit will be found in the Hunnewell Building through January 30.

    Image: Thomas Little

  • Monday, November 28, 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm – Copley Square Tree Lighting

    Wreaths with red bows decorate Copley Square, and the Old South Church bell tolls when the lights go on Monday, November 28 at 5 pm – look for appearances by Santa, Rudolph, and Frosty, plus music by local groups including the Boston Children’s Chorus and the Boston Pops Esplanade Brass Ensemble. For complete details visit www.friendsofcopleysquare.org