Daily Archives: January 6, 2025


Saturday, January 18 – February 8, 10:30 am – 4:30 pm GMT – Looking at Historic Landscapes and Gardens: An Introduction to Garden History 2025, Online

Hosted in partnership with The Gardens Trust, this Garden Museum livestreamed course provides an introduction to the history of gardens and garden design through the ages. This course offers students with little or no previous knowledge a chronological panorama of the development of garden history from medieval and Tudor gardens through to the twentieth century, and will end with the 21st century, tomorrow’s history in the making!

The sixteen lectures will run over four Saturdays, January 18 – February 8, and be delivered by well-known speakers and experts in their fields.

Week One: Saturday January 18 2025

  • What is  garden history with Tim Richardson
  • Overview of the early modern era with Jill Francis
  • John Tradescant naturalist, gardener, collector with speaker TBA
  • Looking at surviving 17th century gardens with Jill Francis

Week Two: Saturday 25 January 2025

  • Setting the scene of the Georgian era with Dr. Twigs Way
  • Looking at landscape parks with Dr .Twigs Way
  • Looking follies and grottoes with Peter Cooke
  • Understanding picturesque landscapes with Dr. Deborah Evans

Week Three: Saturday 1 February 2025

  • Setting the scene on the Victorian era with Francesca Murray
  • High Victorian design with Ben Dark
  • Working class gardening with Ben Dark
  • Looking at the arts and crafts garden with Cherrill Sands

Week Four: Saturday 8 February 2025

Modern women gardeners with Caroline Holmes

Overview of the 20th & 21st Century with Tim Richardson

Post industrial landscapes with John Little

Planting styles in the 20th century flower garden with Andrew Wilson

Livestream 4-week course: £100. Livestream single day: £30. Register at www.gardenmuseum.org.uk


Wednesday, January 15, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm – Watercolors in the Conservatory with Linda

Painting outdoors can be lovely and wonderful but that’s not always possible when the weather gets cooler. Fortunately for us, New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill has beautiful indoor conservatories with an array of plants to enjoy year-round! Walk together through the Orangery and sit with a watercolor journal, water brushes, and watercolor paints to create your own depiction of the amazing flora NEBG has to share. 

Learn the basics of watercolor painting by experimenting with different brushes and water amounts. Discover how watercolors mix with materials like salt and ink, and see how these techniques affect your artwork. Create your own piece in the subtropical conservatory while exploring how watercolors behave and how to control their flow.

All materials are included in this January 15 class.  No experience needed.

Meet Your Instructor: Linda Snay

Linda Snay was born in Connecticut and has always been drawn to the world of art.  She discovered watercolors at a young age and was encouraged by art teachers.  She studied art in college and went on to graduate from Eastern Connecticut State University with a BA, double major in Studio Art and Art History.  After moving to Massachusetts, her career led to positions in education in museums and art centers, and she is currently a teaching artist leading engaging art classes for both children and adults.  She works in various media, including watercolor, acrylic, oil, and pastel.  She is a member of Arts Worcester and participates regularly in exhibitions in Central Massachusetts.

$55 Member Adult | $66 Adult (includes admission to the Garden on the same day of the event) Register HERE.