Explore the past, present, and future of the American chestnut in this full-day symposium at New England Botanic Garden, co-sponsored with the Ecological Landscape Alliance, on November 2 from 9 – 5 featuring expert talks, hands-on workshops—including natural dyeing—and a guided tour of the NEBG Chestnut Project. Cap off the day with the warm tradition of fresh roasted chestnuts. $95 NEBG members, $114 nonmembers, $99 ELA members. Register at www.nebg.org
Use the freshly fallen leaves at the Arnold Arboretum to make beautiful art, just like the famed nature artist Andy Goldsworthy. This is a chance to play in the leaves and make something beautiful– even if it only lasts until the next gust of wind!
We will meet on Saturday, November 1 at noon in front of the Hunnewell Visitor Center and then walk to the maple collection, collecting materials along the way. This is a members-only program. Not a member? Click here to join!
Accessibility: This program involves a short walk over paved roads to the grassy maple collection.
Audience: This program is suitable for all ages.
Inclement weather policy: 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.
Register at https://arboretum.harvard.edu/events/make-nature-art-like-andy-goldsworthy-470/?occurrence=2025-11-01
The 18th century landscape is viewed by many as being the pinnacle of English garden design. From its early Arcadian experiments and passion for all things classical, through to the vast and minimal landscapes of Capability Brown and his contemporaries, the gardening century was brought to a close with conflicting appeals for rugged wildness and domestic prettiness.
In a new five part series sponsored by the Gardens Trust, Dr Laura Mayer will explore some of the themes and trends that emerged during the century, with a particular focus on the role of art, antiquity and architecture in shaping 18th landscape designs. The series is designed to pick up on themes and ideas not covered in any depth in last year’s introductory course on the History of Gardens – and so may appeal whether or not you joined us for the earlier series. The ticket for the entire series costs £35 for the 5 sessions, or you may purchase a ticket for individual sessions, costing £8. [Gardens Trust members £26.25 or £6 each]. To register through Eventbrite, click HERE. Attendees will be sent a Zoom link 2 days (and again a few hours) prior to the start of the first talk (If you do not receive this link, please contact us), and a link to the recorded session will be sent shortly after each session and will be available for 2 weeks.
Week Three on November 4 covers Garden Buildings, Grottoes and Entertainment al Fresco. For all its aesthetic ideals and painterly compositions, the English landscape garden was ultimately intended for recreation. Follies, tea temples and other small-scale garden buildings encouraged architectural experimentation, whilst practically supplying shelter and shade for picnics and an exciting destination for drinking and dining.
Set apart from the country house, hermitages and classical pavilions provided privacy, seclusion and a sense of retreat within the landscape, encouraging study and quiet contemplation. At night, shadowy grottoes were illuminated by candlelight, and fireworks launched – often disastrously – from lodges or other purpose-built structures.
This lecture explores the role of architectural features within eighteenth-century garden design and considers how they were used and enjoyed in all weathers and throughout the seasons.
In 2018, OvS embarked on one of its most ambitious projects in the firm’s history: the renovation of the White House Rose Garden. In this Garden Conservancy online presentation on October 30 at 2 pm Eastern, Eric Groft, Principal-in-Charge of the project, will illustrate the research, planning, and design that helped guide the Garden’s renewal and curate an outdoor experience transcendent of each administration. The presentation will address OvS’ White House Rose Garden Landscape Report, and how it informed the design updates that allow for universal accessibility, modernized systems of irrigation and drainage, improved media technology and other electrical infrastructure, as well as a renewed palette of roses and other blight-resistant species that are better suited for this hallowed space. The talk should be enlightening in view of the recent destruction of the garden and transformation into a paved space for parties.
ERIC GROFT CEO and Director of OEHME, VAN SWEDEN | OvS, is renowned for his diversity in residential, commercial, and institutional work. He prides himself on a sense of regionalism, attention to the vernacular, and his work with cultural landscapes. Eric’s commissions include landscape master planning and design efforts for residential gardens throughout the east end of Long Island and the northeastern region of the United States. His commercial body of work features the American Museum and Gardens in Bath, UK, the Federal Reserve Campus in Washington, DC, as well as the 2020 renovation of the White House Rose Garden. Eric has a passion for horticulture and is dedicated to shepherding the evolution of OvS’ New American Garden Style. He is widely recognized as an industry leader in ecological sensitivity, environmental/wetland restoration, and shoreline stabilization/revetment. He frequently lectures on these topics and the work of OvS.
Note: You will receive the webinar link directly from Zoom. 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. $5 for Garden Conservancy members, $15 for nonmembers. Register at https://www.gardenconservancy.org/events/web25-white-house-rose-garden-10-30-2025
The Garden Club of the Back Bay will hold its November meeting on Thursday, November 13 at 10 am at The Chilton Club, 152 Commonwealth Avenue in Boston. Pastor James Hopkins of the First Lutheran Church, Boston, will speak on Gardens of the Bible. The garden is a popular motif in the Bible, cutting across every literary genre therein. From the account of creation to the revelation of the heavenly city, the garden is an important setting for the story of salvation. Pastor Hopkins will discuss how an understanding of the edenic arc illuminates the care we put into our own humble (or grand) gardens and justifies all the care and effort in maintaining them, especially in the city. This is a members only event. For information on joining, visit https://bostonflora.com. If you are already a member, register through Eventbrite
In June 2025 deCordova opened Nature Sanctuary, an outdoor exhibition that explores relationships between the natural world and ideas of home. Spanning the Sculpture Park’s front lawn and beyond, this exhibition features original, site-inspired commissions and loans by six women artists: Venetia Dale, Kapwani Kiwanga, Joiri Minaya, Zohra Opoku, Kathy Ruttenberg, and Evelyn Rydz. The exhibit will remain on view through October 4, 2026.
The artworks of Nature Sanctuary express refuge, care, and shared protective relationship between humans and the natural world. Through their work, these artists consider past, present, and future ramifications of climate change, as well as deeper histories of land use and the migration of people, plants, and animals across homelands. Their projects also reveal contradictions inherent to a “nature sanctuary” and expose how the exclusion or displacement of living beings has been justified to protect the natural world.
Nature Sanctuary is framed by deCordova’s former identity as a family home and the museum’s present-day integration within The Trustees. As Massachusetts’ largest and the nation’s first conservation and preservation nonprofit, The Trustees protects more than 120 special places, as well as countless plants and animals. The exhibition deepens awareness of deCordova’s “more than human” landscape and its unique ecological and geological features. Programming and interpretation led by environmental caretakers will center these interconnections of art and place. The deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum is located at 51 Sandy Pond Road in Lincoln, and more information may be found at https://thetrustees.org/exhibit/nature-sanctuary/
Although mulberry trees were introduced to Britain by the Romans in the 1st century AD, England’s legacy of ancient mulberries stems from a failed attempt by King James I in the 17th century to create an English silk industry. This London Parks & Gardens online talk on November 4 will delve into the history, cultural and social associations of these ancient trees exploring some of their stories and connections to local surroundings. Notable examples of the mulberry tree can be found in the grounds of Charlton House, Sayes Court Park, Ham House, Tower of London, Hogarth’s House, Charterhouse and Middle Temple.
Peter Coles is Author of Mulberry , a global cultural history of the mulberry tree and co-founder of Morus Londinium. He is an Europa Nostra 2021 Heritage Awards winner documenting, preserving and raising awareness of London’s mulberry tree heritage.
£8.00. Register online at https://londongardenstrust.org/lecture-details/?event=ONLINE-Unravelling-Tale
Join The Garden Museum on October 28 for a Tuesday evening talk exploring Little Sparta, the extraordinary garden created by poet and artist Ian Hamilton Finlay.
Nestled in the Pentland Hills of Scotland, Little Sparta is more than a garden – it is Ian Hamilton Finlay’s lifelong artwork, where landscape, sculpture, and language are woven together into a living poem. On this Tuesday evening at the Garden Museum, and livestreamed, Ian’s son Alec Finlay, Dr Patrick Eyres, and Tim Richardson invite you to discover the story of this unique place; from classical references and radical ideas, to moments of serenity and provocation, and the community of artists, gardeners, and thinkers it continues to inspire.
Through images, anecdotes, and reflections, our speakers will bring to life the creation and legacy of Little Sparta, offering insight into Ian Hamilton Finlay’s vision and the continuing relevance of his work. This event is ideal for anyone interested in art, gardens, poetry, or the fertile spaces where they meet.
This is an opportunity to discover more about how the garden is conserved and maintained now, and what the next chapter in its life is. To register, visit www.gardenmuseum.org. £10 Livestream
The gala dinner and after-party play a vital role in sustaining PEM’s vision: to serve as an engaging and welcoming gathering place where individuals feel inspired to learn and connect through experiences of wonder, joy and contemplation.
This year’s gala on November 8 is themed around our upcoming exhibition Andrew Gn: Fashioning the World— a dazzling retrospective of fashion, art and design. Experience the museum after dark as we dine, dance and explore the threads that connect us across cultures and the globe. The evening will feature fashion-forward immersive entertainment, a specially designed menu by chef Lydia Shire, a spirited paddle raise and auction and a glittering after-party.
We are delighted to announce Susan and Appy Chandler as our 2025 PEM Gala honorees. Individually and together, Susan and Appy have made invaluable contributions to PEM over many years. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to them and invite you to join us in celebrating them on November 8. For more information please email lauren_fairweather@pem.org
Buy tickets at https://www.pem.org/events/pem-gala-2025?date=2025-11-08&time=09:00. Unable to attend? You can still make a contribution and be listed as a supporter of the PEM Gala.
Join the Gardens Trust for a free 30 minute talk on October 22 to help make your gardens greener. This session originally was scheduled in July but was rescheduled. Lots of us see gardens as sources of mental and physical well-being, places we can be in tune with nature. So how can we tend our own plots more sustainably – and where can we visit gardens that encourage biodiversity and show us how to make our gardens greener?
This short session is open to all: just register through Eventbrite HERE for a free ticket. Ticketholders will receive access to the live event and a link to a recording available for two weeks afterwards. This session is hosted by the Gardens Trust, the UK national charity dedicated to protecting our heritage of designed gardens and landscapes.
Attendees will be sent a Zoom link 2 days prior to the start of each talk, and again a few hours before the talk. A link to the recorded session (available for 2 weeks) will be sent shortly afterwards.
