Boston Flora

Month: January 2026

  • Friday, February 6, 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm Eastern – Designing with Fragrant Flowers and Aromatic Foliage, Online

    Ralph Waldo Emerson memorably said, “The earth laughs in flowers,” which captures the joy people find in cottage gardens and cheerful urban flower plantings. Unlike color, fragrance is ephemeral, invisible, and hard to describe, but just as powerful! It summons memories, provides comfort, and often takes gardeners and garden visitors to exotic parts of the world. In this session, Christopher Sheridan will explore the language of fragrance, share design strategies for scented plants, review a classic classification system, and journey through the scented bloom cycle. Get in the spirit and bring a new level of creativity and enjoyment to gardening, flower arranging, and garden touring.

    Christopher Barrett Sheridan, The Flower Sommelier, is a horticulturalist, floral design instructor, and aspiring historian, specializing in scented plants, heirloom flowers, romantic garden design, and Victorian floral traditions. Chris regularly offers immersive design workshops at Longwood Gardens and lectures at national events, including the Philadelphia Flower Show and the International Master Gardener Conference. A Harrison Fellow of the Historic Landscape Institute, he is developing Founding Era Garden programming to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary. Register HERE. American Horticultural Society members $15, non-members $20.

  • Thursday, February 5, 6:00 pm – Harm in the Water

    Harm in the Water is a powerful documentary that examines the devastating impact of industrial water pollution on Black communities along the Mississippi River. Through intimate portraits of community members, environmental activists and scientific experts, the film reveals how historical patterns of environmental hazards have created a modern crisis.

    Director Kendall Moore takes viewers on a journey through the affected communities, highlighting both the struggles and resilience of residents fighting for clean water and environmental justice. The documentary combines compelling personal stories with rigorous scientific evidence to create an urgent call for change.

    Thursday, February 5, 2026 at 6:00pm. Suffolk University’s Modern Theatre – 525 Washington Street, Boston, MA 02111. The screening will be followed by a talkback with director Kendall Moore.

    Admission to this Form Hall Forum event is FREE. Tickets are required and can be reserved online HERE. This event is open to the public.

  • Wednesday, February 18, 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm Eastern – Learning from Sheffield, Growing in Latin America, Online

    The final talk in The Gardens Trust’s online six part course in partnership with FOLAR showcasing women pioneers takes place February 18, individual tickets £8 (members £6). 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.

    Building on FOLAR’s popular series of Women in Landscape, this new collection of talks brings together insights into the motivations and work of three leading contemporary landscape designers and their teams, alongside stories celebrating the lives and achievements of earlier pioneers.

    Each of these women has pushed boundaries to improve the lives of others. Some have studied and worked in the UK before adapting their knowledge and ideas to suit the unique contexts of their home countries – an exciting process of creative cross-pollination.

    Every generation needs its pioneers, those who make lasting, and at times radical, changes, and who also inspire others to think boldly and act with confidence. Throughout the history of landscape design, there have always been people whose ideas and work transform the way we understand and shape our environments.

    Talk 6. 18th February: Learning from Sheffield, Growing in Latin America: A Woman’s Journey in Landscape Architecture with Martha Fajardo

    Martha will share a reflective talk about how her time at the University of Sheffield shaped not only her professional life, but also her vision of cities and landscapes as spaces for people and nature. For more than 35 years, her office has carried forward the lessons learned there, transforming them into projects in Colombia and across Latin America. She will also bring a more personal reflection on the role of women in landscape architecture — a perspective that, she believes, brings an essential sensitivity to our field. From a woman’s gaze, landscape design becomes a way of detecting structural inequalities and deficiencies in our public (and private) spaces, and of laying the foundations for integral transformation. It places nature and people at the very centre. It nurtures everyday life. It reimagines mobility with attention to the rhythms and needs of children, women, the elderly, and the disabled. And it invites co-creation as a cornerstone of urban regeneration.

    Martha Fajardo is a Colombian architect and landscape architect with a master’s degree and an honorary doctor of letters (DLitt) from the University of Sheffield UK. CEO of Grupo Verde, a firm dedicated to the professional practice of landscape architecture, urbanism, and urban design. She cofounded and was the first President of the Colombian Society of Landscape Architects (SAP). Former President of the International Federation of Landscape Architects (IFLA). She cofounded and chaired the Latin American Landscape Initiative (LALI). Martha is a Board of Directors member of The Nature of Cities (TNOC).

  • Saturday, March 28 – Save the Date: Massachusetts Urban Farming Symposium

    The Urban Farming Institute’s Urban Farming Symposium will be back on March 28, 2026. This one-day, in-person gathering will bring together farmers, growers, youth, policymakers, and community leaders from across the Commonwealth.

    Registration opens in February at https://www.urbanfarminginstitute.org/events/the-massachusetts-commercial-urban-farming-symposium
    For more info: rose.arruda@mass.gov

  • Wednesday & Thursday, June 17 & 18 – Flower Expo Massachusetts 2026 – Save the Date

    he Northeast’s Premier B2B Industry Trade Show, where Brands Meet Buyers, takes place June 17 and 18 at Three County Fair, 54 Fair Street in Northampton.

    Flower Expo Massachusetts is the Northeast’s premier industry trade show, bringing together plant-touching brands and dispensary buyers from around the Commonwealth. If you are a prospective exhibitor, dispensary decision-maker, budtender, or media representative, please visit https://theflowerexpo.com/massachusetts/. If you plan to attend, go to https://www.eventbrite.com/e/flower-expo-massachusetts-2026-tickets-1778183106539 for tickets.

  • Saturday, February 28, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm – Dine, Drink & Decorate Cookies

    Learn step-by-step techniques of cookie decorating on Saturday, February 28 at 6 pm at Good Pickin’ Farm in Westford. Topics include outlining, flooding, detail work, and more with class leader Stephanie Cate. Each guest will decorated woodland themed cookies and take home recipes, a scribe tool, and extra supplies. $90 per person, $85 per person if you bring a friend. BYOB (21+). All sales are final but reservations are transferable. Visit https://www.goodpickinfarm.com/events-2 to register.

  • Tuesday, February 10, 1:00 pm Eastern – The Restoration of Abney Park: Breathing New Life into a Magnificent Garden Cemetery and Nature Reserve, Online

    Tom Walker will document the journey to restore the Grade II listed park and buildings which began in the 1970s with the Save Abney Park Cemetery Campaign. Abney Park is one of the ‘Magnificent Seven’ garden cemeteries of London with a fascinating history. It is also a local nature reserve. The restoration, supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund in conjunction with Hackney Council preserves the park, its heritage and its wildlife for future generations. This online talk on February 10 is part of London Parks & Gardens Winter Lecture Series. £8.00. Register at https://londongardenstrust.org/lecture-details/?event=ONLINE-Restoration-of

    Tom Walker is Chair of Abney Park Trust. He is also the Executive Director of Economy, Investment and Public Health, Essex County Council.

  • Saturday, February 21, 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm – How’s the Wow?

    Berkshire Botanical Garden announces its 29th Annual Winter Lecture on February 21 at 2 pm – How’s the Wow? Discover How to Bring the ‘Wow” to Your Own Garden. The talk will take place at Lenox Memorial Middle and High School in Lenox. Celebrated horticulturist Karl Gercens III will explore how bold color, unexpected plant pairings and fearless experimentation create moments of surprise and delight. Drawing on his work at Longwood Gardens, Gercens will teach how to bring the “Wow” to your own garden, transforming ordinary spaces into extraordinary experiences. Reception to follow.

    Raised on a 10,000-acre cotton plantation in Mississippi, Gercens’ passion for horticulture began early. The long Southern growing seasons gave him room to experiment and innovate, eventually leading him to earn a B.S. in Ornamental Horticulture from Mississippi State University. His impressive career includes internships at Walt Disney World and the Filoli Estate in California, and today he curates many of the spectacular seasonal displays in Longwood’s world-famous four-acre Conservatory. With a distinctive eye for combining colorful trees, shrubs, and perennials, Karl’s work has earned him recognition across the country and around the world. He has visited public gardens in all 50 U.S. states and over 24 countries, each journey deepening his expertise and inspiration.

    Don’t miss this dynamic and visually inspiring talk, perfect for garden enthusiasts of all levels! $40 for BBG members, $55 for nonmembers. Register at https://www.berkshirebotanical.org/events/winter-lecture-2026

    Speaker lodging generously donated by Element in Lenox, Mass.

  • Wednesday, February 4, 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm Eastern – In Search of a New Occupation, Online

    The fourth talk in The Gardens Trust’s online six part course in partnership with FOLAR showcasing women pioneers takes place February 4, individual tickets £8 (members £6). 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.

    Building on FOLAR’s popular series of Women in Landscape, this new collection of talks brings together insights into the motivations and work of three leading contemporary landscape designers and their teams, alongside stories celebrating the lives and achievements of earlier pioneers.

    Each of these women has pushed boundaries to improve the lives of others. Some have studied and worked in the UK before adapting their knowledge and ideas to suit the unique contexts of their home countries – an exciting process of creative cross-pollination.

    Every generation needs its pioneers, those who make lasting, and at times radical, changes, and who also inspire others to think boldly and act with confidence. Throughout the history of landscape design, there have always been people whose ideas and work transform the way we understand and shape our environments.

    As with FOLAR’s previous series, these talks aim to showcase some of the most inspiring people, projects, and ideas in the field — past and present.

    Talk 4. 4th February: In Search of a New Occupation c.1900–1930 with Catharina Nolin

    This talk introduces the first Swedish women working professionally as landscape architects, especially Ruth Brandberg, who trained at Swanley, and Ester Claesson who visited England several times, and their relation to British education and landscape architecture. Catharina will also give an overview of what types of archives she has used.

    Catharina Nolin is a professor of Art History at Stockholm University. She has published extensively on Swedish nineteenth and twentieth century garden history and landscape architecture, especially urban parks (thesis), the gardens of architect Lars Israel Wahlman, historiography, and most recently on women landscape architects, c. 1900–1950.

  • Saturday, February 21, 10:00 am – 12:00 noon – Winter Tree Identification

    Break up the winter doldrums by getting outside and learning winter tree identification from Polly Hill Arboretum Director of Grounds & Facilities, Ian Jochems. Participants will learn how to use the characteristics of bark, twigs, buds, and more to identify common deciduous and evergreen trees.

    Registration Required. $20 for members, $30 for nonmembers. Register at https://www.pollyhillarboretum.org/event/winter-tree-identification/?instance_id=2634 Please meet at the Polly Hill Arboretum Visitor Center.

    This class will be indoors and outdoors, please dress appropriately for the weather.

    The dogwood allée in January 2017.