Droughts, blizzards, hurricanes, dust storms, typhoons, and floods. Dramatic weather might seem to be a new phenomenon, but weather and climate change have been shaping human history for thousands of years. Caroline Winterer, a professor of history at Stanford University, shares a series of weather-driven turning points that were strong enough to force migration, end wars, and create famines. From the ancient world, when melting glaciers drove human migrations, to droughts that helped to spread the plague, to Napoleon’s disastrous invasion of Russia, to the dustbowl that compelled many Americans to flee further West, to the lasting consequences of Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana, climate’s inexorable power has changed who we are and where we can live.
We may think we can conquer weather, but weather is actually in control. Winterer takes a look back at epochal climatic turning points to share insights into the aftermath of past climate change, and how it might affect us going forward. This Smithsonian Associates online webinar takes place December 15 beginning at 6:30 pm. $20 for Smithsonian members, $25 for nonmembers. Information and registration may be found at https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/weather-human-history
Between 1801 and 1901 the population of England and Wales rose from 8.9 million to 32.6 million, with the majority pouring into the expanding urban fringes. Gardens flourished in the new suburbs, allowing aspiring homeowners to demonstrate their fortunes and their taste. As James Shirley Hibberd declared ‘He who lays out his garden in accordance with correct principles of taste, may find it as much amusement, and as genuine a solace from the cark and care of life, as if it were a domain of thousands of acres’. Gardening periodicals provided everything from over-sized hedge cutters to (mini) hothouses for suburban homeowners anxious to create individual utopias in identical spaces. Women and children joined the movement to create paradise in Pooter-land. As the century progressed, colourful annual bedding and newly introduced conifers gave opportunity for differentiating the fashionable from the outmoded, the comfortably-off from the merely aspiring, and the morally upright from the delinquent. This ticket is for this individual session and costs £5 Register at 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.
Twigs Way is a garden historian, writer and researcher. Twigs is fascinated by the past and intrigued by the role of flowers, gardens and landscape in art and culture of all kinds. Her talks and books reflect that endless curiosity with themes of symbolism and meaning, class and gender, art and literature . . and her desire to follow unknown paths towards the unexpected. From gnomes in Neasden to hollyhocks from the Holy Land every plant has a tale to tell, every garden a past. Twigs’ history of the Chrysanthemum in art and culture was published by Reaktion in 2020. She is currently working on the history of the daffodil and also researching the life of Viscountess Frances Wolseley. Twigs’ best-selling book isGardening for Rabbits but you may prefer her Suburban Gardens published by Amberley in their Britain’s Heritage series.
Botanic garden staff across the world are risking their health and safety to ensure that we do not lose the planet’s incredible plant diversity – more than one third of which is held in botanic garden collections. For more information on the susceptibility of botanic gardens, and their responses, to disasters please see Botanic Gardens Conservation International’s technical review.
By establishing the Disaster Recovery Fund and launching the 2022 Ukraine Botanic Garden Appeal, BGCI will be working to support the botanic gardens impacted by disaster, focusing at this point in time on supporting the Ukrainian community of botanic gardens. Funds raised will be disbursed via a central coordination mechanism in close consultation with BGCI’s governing body. Updates on how the funds have assisted those in need will be shared across BGCI’s social media channels and website.
US Donations: For those who wish to make tax-deductible donations in the United States, please send checks to ‘BGCI-US’ at: 1151 Oxford Road, Botanical Division San Marino, CA 91108
For the 2022 Ukraine Appeal, BGCI is collaborating with Partnerships for Nature (Seattle, US) and leading gardens in Ukraine, funds raised through this appeal will initially be supporting:
Looking for a Garden Club of the Back Bay member? Need to discuss wreath delivery options? You will find us at The First Lutheran Church, Boston, 299 Berkeley Street, where, for the first time since 2019, we will be decorating holiday wreaths! If you need immediate assistance, call our new phone number 617-872-2697 (617-USA-BOWS) or email info@bostonflora.com. Follow us on Instagram for up to the minute sneak peeks – @gardenclubbackbay.
If you missed the event at the Clark Museum, here is a second change to hear Todd Longstaffe-Gowan speak on English Garden Eccentrics. Your London Parks & Gardens ticket entitles you to attend the online lecture and to receive a link of the recorded lecture which will be available to watch for one week after the event. £5.00 Register HERE.
This is an entertaining look at obscure and eccentric English garden-makers who created some immensely personal and idiosyncratic gardens between the early 17th and early 20th centuries. Themes include the building of miniature mountains and risings, the shaping and moving of topiaries, the collecting and display of birds and animals, the excavation of caves and other burrowings, the assemblage of architectural fragments, and an Edwardian rebuilding of the Garden of Eden.
Todd Longstaffe-Gowan is a landscape architect with an international practice based in London. He is gardens adviser to Historic Royal Palaces, lecturer at New York University (London), president of the London Gardens Trust, editor of The London Gardener and author of several books including The London Town Garden and The London Square.
This holiday season, give a gift from the sea. Beach treasures make beautiful holiday ornaments, jewelry, and keepsakes. Join this Trustees workshop at Castle Hill on the Crane Estate, 290 Argilla Road in Ipswich, on December 10 from 10 – noon to learn fun holiday craft ideas and make some coastal crafts with our coastal education team. Bring your own shells and beach treasures and we will provide the craft supplies and inspiration!
CraneExplorer events are designed to appeal to families with children ages 5-12 while giving their parents a great opportunity to enjoy the beauty of the Crane Estate. These hikes and interactive education programs cover less ground to accommodate smaller strides and have more frequent stops to look, listen, and learn from our CraneOutdoors guides. Interactive education programs include hands-on activities to engage learners of all ages.
Family pricing is for one “average” nuclear family (approximately 2 adults and 2 children). If you have a larger family or want to bring additional family members please purchase additional tickets. All children must be accompanied by an adult. Member Family $24, Nonmember Family $30. Register at https://thetrustees.org/event/79317/
The romantic county of Kent offers a multitude of historic treasures, from enchanting castles and stately homes to imaginative gardens and delightful coastal towns. On this captivating break we learn about Kent’s role in shaping English history, and discover some of its famous residents such as Anne Boleyn, Charles Dickens and Winston Churchill. In a county famed for its castles, we also explore historic Hever and impressive Leeds Castle. We combine these fascinating architectural wonders with the peacefulness of the Kentish coast, as we experience the classic seaside charm of Margate and Whitstable. The tour is run through Albion Journeys with a special discount for members of the Royal Oak Foundation. $ 5,490 per person. For compete itinerary and details, visit HERE.
Special extras included in your itinerary • Guided tour of Chartwell Gardens • Private guided tour of Hever Castle • Guided tour by the Head Gardener and refreshments at Riverhill Himalayan Gardens (pictured below) • Exclusive out-of-hours garden tour of Sissinghurst Castle Garden • Guided walking tour of Canterbury • Guided tour of Canterbury Cathedral • Guided tour of Whitstable • Exclusive guided tour of Leeds Castle • Guided tour and afternoon cream tea at Godinton House • Guided tour and lunch at The Salutation Gardens • Audio guided tour of Windsor Castle • Themed evening talk by a guest speaker
Grasslands in the Great Plains, and elsewhere, are rapidly disappearing. Grasslands provide critical habitat for a variety of wildlife, including pollinators and other invertebrates. Join Xerces Biologists, Sarah Hamilton Buxton, Ray Moranz, and Rae Powers to learn about the ecological and social value of rangelands, management practices to support pollinators, and critical actions to maintain native plant diversity on rangelands. The webinar takes place on December 8 at 1 pm Eastern.
This webinar will be recorded and available on our YouTube channel. Closed Captioning will be available during this webinar. Free. Click here for more information and to register.
Discover new ways to use your garden’s bounty! Overgrown peppers, tomatoes, basil and more can be used as a great base when creating your own condiments such as ketchup, mustard, pesto, salsa, corn relish, and hot sauce. and more. Led by experts at Contraband Ferments, you’ll learn the science behind the fermentation process as they demonstrate the basic principles of making your own delicious, nutritional, and probiotic-rich condiments. This New York Botanical Garden online course will be held December 7 from 6 – 8, led by Cheryl Paswater, and is $45 for NYBG members, $49 for nonmembers. Register HERE.
Take deep breaths, slow down and leave your “to do” list behind. Experience the therapeutic benefits of horticulture while creating a beautiful evergreen arrangement. You will explore a variety of evergreen branches with lovely textures, comforting fragrances and shades of calming green, blue gray and golden including pine, cedar, balsam fir, cedar and juniper. You can choose some or all to design an arrangement to celebrate winter solstice, Chanukah, Christmas, birthdays or just being grateful. Feel calm and refreshed with positive energy by focusing on being in the moment and engaging each of your five senses – sight, touch, sound, smell and taste – while interacting with sensory rich plant materials.
Our New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill class on December 10 at 1 pm will include an overview of the therapeutic benefits and power of horticulture to understand why and how it can be used personally, and for people of all ages and abilities. We will discuss the difference between therapeutic horticulture and horticultural therapy. You will learn about benefits including increased relaxation, decreased anxiety, stress relief, sensory stimulation, hope, improved cognitive abilities, engagement in life, connectedness, and physical exercise. It will be clear how plants and the natural world give you support when life gets overwhelmingly busy or stressful. We will spend approximately 40 minutes delving into this.
You will spend approximately 80 minutes designing and making a unique medium size seasonal arrangement that will last a while and to ring in the new year. Smelling, touching and looking at winter greens in your home brings the outdoors in and provides a calming space on your kitchen or dining room tables, in a family room, on a mantel, or at your front entrance. It can also make a thoughtful gift. You can choose to add natural materials like pine cones, chestnuts, and cinnamon to complement the greens. Bring your own personal decorations like special ribbon if you like. Join Deborah Krause, Horticultural Therapist, in these relaxing sessions where you may leave with a smile, feeling of calm and peace, and pride in your creations.
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.
$70 Member Adult; $85 Adult (Registration includes admission to the Garden) Register at www.nebg.org
All materials will be provided.
Bring your own personal decorations like special ribbon if you like.
