Daily Archives: May 31, 2023

Sunday, June 11, 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm – French Blooms

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French Blooms, the first book by Sandra Sigman, award-winning floral designer and owner of Les Fleurs in Andover, presents arranging flowers in the French style—bouquets that are chic and romantic.

As Sandra Sigman learned while living in Paris in her twenties, the French consider each floral arrangement a unique work of art filled with passion, movement, texture, and surprise. In French Blooms, Sigman shares the distinct design principles she learned from her favorite Parisian florist, and offers tutorials, with images and instructions for creating French-inspired arrangements for different areas of the home.

Projects include a mantle display in ironstone gravy boats, compote-style dining room arrangements, powder room posies and beribboned hand-tied bouquets. With chapters on choosing the right containers, and flower care and tools, along with lush photographs, many taken in Paris, Normandy and Provence, this book is both inspirational and practical. It’s also a love letter to France—from Parisian sophistication to the simple grace of provincial life.

The New England Botanical Garden at Tower Hill program on June 11 from 2 – 5 will include a talk and a demonstration, followed by a book-signing.

$15 Member Adult; $25 Adult (includes admission to the Garden) Register at www.nebg.org

Thursday, June 15, 6:45 – 8:00 pm Eastern – The Three Ages of Water: Prehistoric Past, Imperiled Present, and a Hope for the Future, Online

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From the creation of the planet billions of years ago to the present day, water has always been central to existence on Earth. And since long before the mythical Great Flood, it has been a defining force in the story of humanity.

Leading scientist and water expert Peter Gleick traces the long, fraught history of our relationship to this precious resource. Water has shaped civilizations and empires and driven centuries of advances in science and technology—from agriculture to aqueducts, steam power to space exploration—as well as progress in health and medicine.

But the achievements that propelled humanity forward also brought consequences: unsustainable water use, ecological destruction, and global climate change. Gleick outlines how the lessons of the past can be the foundation of action designed to support a sustainable future for water and the planet.

Gleick’s book, The Three Ages of Water: Prehistoric Past, Imperiled Present, and a Hope for the Future (PublicAffairs), is available for purchase upon registration for this Smithsonian Associates Zoom lecture on June 15 at 6:45 pm Eastern. Register at https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/three-ages-of-water $20 for Smithsonian Associates members, $25 for nonmembers.