Daily Archives: July 23, 2024

Saturday, August 3, 10:00 am – 11:30 am – Writing in the Company of Trees

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In our perilous times, trees offer examples of resilience and precariousness, growth and generosity. How do we invite them into our writing? Join Matthew Battles, editor of Arnoldia, the Arboretum’s quarterly magazine, for an immersive workshop to practice writing under, about, and in collaboration with trees. The class takes place August 3 at 10 am. Meet in front of the Hunnewell Building. Register at https://arboretum.harvard.edu/events/writing-in-the-company-of-trees/?occurrence=2024-08-03

Participants will move throughout the landscape to engage trees in the Arboretum’s collection while writing, reflecting, and sharing their discoveries.

Please bring a notebook or other writing materials that are manageable in the field. This program involves walking along wooded paths, climbing some moderate slopes, and navigating uneven terrain. We will be sitting on the ground frequently, so travel camp chairs, yoga mats, or blankets are encouraged. Participants will be notified via email at least 24 hours in advance if a program needs to be cancelled due to inclement weather, and will be notified by phone if a program must be cancelled with less than 24 hours’ notice. Click here to view our full inclement weather policy. If you have questions about the status of a program, please email publicprograms@arnarb.harvard.edu or call the Visitor Center desk between 10:00am and 4:00pm at (617) 384-5209.

Thursday, August 8, 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm Eastern – A Short History of Flowers: The Stories that Make Our Gardens, Online

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Advolly Richmond’s beautifully illustrated talk highlights some of the flowers featured in her upcoming book, A Short History of Flowers. Many of the plants we love and grow as ornamentals first appeared in early herbals for medicinal and culinary use. But how often do we stop to think about how these beautiful flowers ended up in our tiny corner of the world?

Flowers have played pivotal roles in societies for centuries, from the wild fuchsia hedgerows of Ireland, to the lily of the valley bringing luck and making a bold fashion statement in Paris. All of these blooms hold a treasure trove of stories. Have a giggle, shed a tear, but most of all, enjoy the tales of exploration in disguise, enduring love, cultural appropriation, and hybridization that Advolly will bring to life in this webinar. You will also get a glimpse of some of the gorgeous, specially commissioned botanical illustrations which appear in the book. Advolly Richmond is a plants and garden historian, TV and radio presenter, and independent researcher in social history based in England. She lectures on garden history subjects from the sixteenth to twentieth centuries, contributes garden history features on BBC Gardeners’ World, presents plant history profiles for BBC Radio 4’s Gardeners’ Question Time, and produces The Garden History Podcast.

$5 for Garden Conservancy members, $15 for nonmembers. 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. Register at https://www.gardenconservancy.org/education/education-events/virtual-talk-a-short-history-of-flowers