Boston Flora

Month: September 2025

  • Wednesday, September 24, 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm Eastern – Gardening for Climate Change, Online

    Should gardeners be changing how we garden due to the climate crisis? The answer is yes. Knowing your ecoregion and the plants native to your area can help your garden be a part of a climate solution. Planting a garden that is water-wise, provides for local pollinators, aids in biodiversity efforts, and feeds songbirds is a simple way to support your environment as warmer weather shifts northward. Permanent climate changes mean the ways we work with the land must change as well. Learn about this and other important steps for having a climate-forward garden during this Grow Native Massachusetts online talk on September 24 at 7 pm Eastern.

    Cheryl Rafuse owns and operates Plant Magic Gardens in Danvers, MA. They are an ecologically conscious gardening company that focuses on planting native plants. She and her team of top-notch gardeners design and install gardens, perform garden maintenance and teach DIY clients to care for their gardens as land stewards. Cheryl is also co-host of Gardening for Hot People, an unserious podcast that provides serious educational content on how we can all support local pollinators and wildlife with our gardens.

    $28 for Grow Native members, $38 for nonmembers. You may also sponsor the workshop for $100. Register at https://grownativemass.org/Our-Programs/Calendar-of-Events/Gardening-for-Climate-Change

  • Saturday, September 27 & Sunday, September 28, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm – Flowers on Paper: Plant Dyes and Book Art

    Join Berkshire artist and writer Suzi Banks Baum in Berkshire Botanical Garden’s Mother Earth Lodge for a hands-on art workshop on Saturday and Sunday, September 27 and 28, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. We will harvest from the grounds of BBG just as the gardens reach their glorious peak of color. Expect to immerse yourself in the world of natural dyes and make intimate rituals of floral art. You will depart with a beautiful handbound book to inspire your creative practice. Along with harvesting and preparation of dyes, participants will be offered a daily centering meditation and writing prompts. A short materials list will be provided upon registration. There will be a materials fee of $15 per person, payable on the day of the workshop. Participants should bring an apron and their lunch.

    Suzi Banks Baum is a protector of imagination, nurturer of attention and devotee to the handmade. Her work dwells at the crossroads of literary and visual art. She creates fresh traditions through the ceremony of daily creative practice. An award-winning author of creative nonfiction and a national workshop leader of book art, Suzi brings an embodied approach to artistic expression with deep respect for land and community.

    To be put on the wait list for this program, visit https://www.berkshirebotanical.org/events/flowers-paper-plant-dyes-and-book-art

  • Saturday & Sunday, September 27 & 28 – Southwick Zoo’s Harvest Fest

    Harvest Fest is back and better than ever at Southwick’s Zoo in Mendon, Massachusetts on Saturday and Sunday, September 27 and 28. Mark your calendars and join us for an exciting weekend of festivities! Our annual Harvest Fest is packed with:
    Artisan Vendors: Explore a variety of unique, handcrafted goods from talented local artisans.
    Live Entertainment: Enjoy live music from talented local artists.
    Beer Garden (21+): Savor the flavors of the season in our beer garden featuring a variety of craft beers and ciders.
    Plus, enjoy Keeper Chats and so much more. Visit https://southwickszoo.com/event/harvest-fest-2025/2025-09-27/

  • Tuesday, September 30, 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm Eastern – Famous Orchids in History, Online

    Humans and orchids have a long and storied history. Confucius first wrote about them in 500 B.C.E. Over the millennia, orchids have found their beautiful place in society. Learn about highlights, including the Vanilla orchid, Darwin’s orchid, ghost orchid (below), and the first ladies Cattleya orchids. This relaxing, interesting Smithsonian online talk on September 30 focuses on the sometimes unexpected presence of orchids throughout history. The instructor is Barbara Schmidt. $25 for Smithsonian Associates members, $30 general admission. Register at https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/programs/famous-orchids-in-history

  • Saturday, September 27, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm – Plein-Air Pastel Workshop

    Join pastel artist Lisa Regopoulos on September 27 (rain date September 28) from 10 – 3 at the Hall Tavern at Historic Deerfield, 84B Old Main Street in Deerfield for a day of making art with pastels outside on the beautiful grounds of Historic Deerfield.

    En plein air, a French expression meaning “in the open air,” gives experienced artists and novices alike an opportunity to paint outdoors and immerse themselves in the landscape.

    Recommended for ages 16 and up. Advance registration required; $55 per person, $50 for members (materials are incuded). The workshop is limited to 10 participants. The fee includes instruction and all materials.

    Register here.

  • Saturday, September 20, 10:00 am – 12:00 noon – Plants for the Winter Garden Talk and Book Signing

    The winter garden is truly a low-maintenance affair — no weeding, no watering and no dead-heading. The winter landscape may be quiescent, but the garden need not be bleak. Plants with brightly colored berries, twigs, stems, foliage, and even winter-blooming flowers shrug off the snow and cold. They bring cheer, even as the sun enters Capricorn.

    Landscape horticulturist Warren Leach, and author of the new book from Timber Press Plants for the Winter Garden, will showcase gardens he has designed that celebrate the winter season as well as planting design ideas for your own garden on Saturday, September 20, from 10 a.m. to noon, at Berkshire Botanical Garden (Book signing to follow the talk)

    For more than 35 years, Warren Leach has been creating beautiful landscapes throughout New England as well as making captivating and educational display gardens as co-owner of Tranquil Lake Nursery in Rehoboth, R.I., a specialty nursery that is a prominent grower of daylilies, iris and distinctive perennials and woody plants.

    To register ($25 for BBG members, $40 for nonmembers) visit https://www.berkshirebotanical.org/events/plants-winter-garden-talk-and-book-signing

  • Sunday, September 28, 10:00 am – 12:00 noon – The Native Garden in Fall & Winter

    This Massachusetts Horticultural Society lecture at The Garden at Elm Bank on September 28 at 10 am explores how native plants can provide color, texture, and structure throughout fall and winter. Learn how to incorporate striking foliage, architectural forms, and the vibrant hues of branches, berries, and seed pods to create visual interest while also supporting birds, pollinators, and other wildlife during the colder months. Weather permitting, the session will conclude with a walk in the garden. $48 for Mass Hort members, $56 for nonmembers. Register at https://www.masshort.org/upcoming-classes

  • Saturday, September 27, 10:00 am – 11:30 am – Hands-On Workshop: Floral Design

    Join Lorraine Walsh and Mary Lou Ashur from Artistry Floral at the Gardens at Elm Bank on September 27 for a hands-on floral design workshop focused on the art of the “coffee table arrangement.” If you’ve ever wondered what kind of flowers work best for a low, stylish centerpiece that doesn’t block conversation, this class is for you. Learn how to create a beautiful, eye-catching arrangement that elevates your space while maintaining clear sight lines for seated guests. Perfect for both beginners and flower enthusiasts.

    In 2016, Lorraine Walsh and Mary Lou Ashur met as floral associates at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. There, studying fundamentals of floristry and working in teams, they designed and executed a variety of art inspired floral arrangements for certain museum locations as well as the restaurants, special events, and holiday installations. Now in the marketplace, they are committed to producing artistic floral creations, using only the highest quality flowers and plants, from local growers and flower producers around the world.

    They are also focused on sustainable floral design and eco-friendly floral purchases from wearables to table arrangements, bouquets, and large installations They are inspired to produce arrangements that are unique and designed to honor their clients’ significant events respecting their individual styles, while sourcing seasonal flowers, and respecting the environment.

    $55 for Mass Hort members, $70 for nonmembers. Future dates for this program will be held monthly through December 6. Register at https://www.masshort.org/upcoming-classes

  • Wednesday, September 24, 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm Eastern – Yorkshire’s Designed Landscapes: Gale Common Artificial Hill of Fly Ash, Online

    In 1961 Brenda Colvin was appointed, with engineers Rendel Palmer & Tritton, to design a new hill made from pulverized fuel ash from two coal fired power stations, together with waste shale from the nearby coal mine. It is 7 miles SW of Selby, beside the M62. The 50m high hill, 1.5km wide by 2.2km long, was designed to be constructed in three phases to an “unabashed and obvious artificial form” with the surface returned to agriculture, arable fields on top. Construction started in 1972 under Hal Moggridge, Brenda’s new partner; at first experiencing a number of awkward landscape problems and continued until the coal-fired power stations were closed. The brief gradually developed preferring nature conservation over economic land use, and on this basis Phase 1 was completed successfully in 2004. However, fuel ash has now become a valuable raw material so that the further parts of the hill which were commenced in the 1980s are not to be permanent features. This September 24 online lecture is sponsored by the Yorkshire Gardens Trust.

    Colvin & Moggridge, the oldest active landscape practice in the UK, was founded in 1922 by the late Brenda Colvin. Hal Moggridge joined her as partner in 1969; Chris Carter became partner in 1981. Both are now consultants to the practice which continues thriving under younger directors, with a staff of 15. (www.colmog.co.uk). This link is for this individual session and costs £8. 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 will be sent shortly after each session and will be available for 2 weeks .

  • Tuesday, September 30, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm – Native Plant Trust’s 125th Anniversary Gala

    One more notice – it’s not too late to purchase tickets to The Native Plant Trust’s 125th Anniversary Gala, honoring Dr. Jonathan Foley and Abby & Peter Coffin. Purchase tickets now at www.nativeplanttrust.org