Boston Flora

Category: benefit

  • Spring, 2012 – Sakura Festival in Boston Will Include Planting of Cherry Trees in Boston

    2012 marks the 100th Anniversary of the original gift of cherry trees from Japan to the United States in 1912. Planted at the Tidal Basin of the Potomac River in the nation’s capital and supplemented with more cherry trees over the years, the blossoming cherry trees of Washington DC have become a national treasure and attract hundreds of thousands of viewers to the “Cherry Blossom Festival” along the Potomac each spring. Japan will mark this Centennial with new gifts of cherry trees to Washington and to a number of other American cities, Boston among them. The Consulate General of Japan in Boston will arrange ceremonial cherry tree plantings in many Boston parks and public places. To accompany the new cherry trees, planning is now underway for a rich festival of Japanese cultural events in Boston, beginning in March 2012 and spanning more than three springtime months. Highlights of this festival include the events listed below. Many, many more festival events will be added during the coming weeks and months. For detailed information, schedules, details, and ticketing, please keep checking this website: www.japansocietyboston.org.

    An Evening of Kabuki Dance
    March 27: Paramount Theater, Boston
    A spectacular presentation of classic dance pieces from the
    Kabuki repertory, featuring Kabuki star performer Kotoji Bando.
    (Presented by The Japan Society of Boston)

    Anime Boston
    April 6-8, Hines Convention Center, Boston
    New England’s Largest Annual Celebration of
    Japanese animation, comics and pop culture.
    A not-to-be-missed festival and trade show of Anime art and publications.
    Thousands attend, many in incredible anime costumes!

    Boston Gagaku Concert
    “From Centennial to Millennial Spring”
    April 9, Boston Symphony Hall, Boston
    The Kitanodai Gagaku Ensemble and
    Members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra
    will perform music by Tchaikovsky, and Gagaku
    traditional Japanese Court Music.

    Japan Society Annual Dinner
    April 18, Westin Boston Waterfront Hotel, Boston
    The Japan Society of Boston’s single largest annual gala event.
    Keynote Speaker: Mr. Kazuo Inamori (Chairman of Japan Airlines and Founder/Honorary Chairman of Kyocera Corporation). Other guests of honor will include Japan’s internationally acclaimed wheelchair marathoner Ms. Wakako Tsuchida.

    The Kioi Sinfonietta
    May 1, Sanders Theater, Cambridge
    Japan’s celebrated chamber orchestra will present a single concert appearance at Harvard’s beautiful Sanders Theater
    (Presented by The Reischauer Institute of Japanese Studies, Harvard, & The Japan Society of Boston).

    The Beauty & Mystery of Japanese Textiles
    May 2, Remis Auditorium, The Boston Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
    Reiko Sudo, Japan’s brilliant textile designer and founder
    of the world famous NUNO textile shop will speak on the transformation of traditional Japanese textiles into
    contemporary works of art.
    (Presented by the MFA and The Japan Society of Boston as the 2012 Rad Smith Program in Japanese Art)
    ________________________________________

    Many other “Sakura Festival” events in Spring 2012 will include exhibits, performances, demonstrations, receptions, concerts, film programs, and symposia.

  • Sunday, March 4 – Sunday, March 11 – The Philadelphia International Flower Show – Hawaii: Islands of Aloha

    Join the Philadelphia Horticultural Society at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, 12th and Arch Streets in Philadelphia, for the 2012 Philadelphia International Flower Show.  This year, the theme is Hawaii: Islands of Aloha.  Complete information and ticket purchase capabilities may be found at www.theflowershow.com. The 2012 Philadelphia International Flower Show will introduce visitors to a tropical experience that blends next-stage digital technology with the natural beauty and rich culture of the Hawaiian Islands. Guests will have fun, learn, and be wowed by real-time floral competitions, the world’s largest lettuce wall, internationally renowned speakers, and a new layout of displays.

    Guests will enter the Show beneath dynamic projections of crashing waves and one of the most exciting displays of white orchids ever assembled. Towering palms, bamboo, green walls, and a plant canopy will immerse visitors in the Hawaiian rainforest.

    A 25-foot-high waterfall will splash down into Pele’s Garden, an island of exotic flowers and plants where performers will conjure volcanic flames and the Fire Goddess. The islands will be celebrated in showcase gardens that highlight their culture through flowers and landscapes, performances and art.

    Gardeners of all skill levels will find an ocean of ideas in the 150 free presentations held throughout the week, as well as dozens of educational displays that explore the latest gardening techniques and trends.

    Shoppers will find an array of take-home products to get the garden started and wonderful gifts in the Marketplace, Meadowbrook Farm Store and Flower Show Shoppe. A Hawaiian Village will offer authentic crafts and products from the islands.

  • Friday, February 24, 7:00 pm – Good Things Are Worth Preserving

    You are cordially invited to an elegant dinner to benefit Historic New England, with guest of honor Arie L. Kopelman, Vice Chairman of Chanel, Inc, and Event Chair Nina Longtine, on Friday, February 24, beginning at 7 pm (cocktails) and8:30 (dinner.)  The black tie event will be held at Roughwood, 400 Heath Street in Chestnut Hill, a grand chateau-styled shingle and stone house which now serves as the administration building of Pine Manor College. Ticket prices begin at $1,000, $775 of which is tax deductible.  To respond, call the Development Office at 617-994-5951, or email ProgramInfo@HistoricNewEngland.org.

  • Tuesday, March 13, 5:30 pm – 8:00 pm – Boston Flower & Garden Show Preview Party

    The 2012 Boston Flower & Garden Show will kick off with an elegant fundraising Preview Party at The Seaport World Trade Center chaired by Fox 25′s Maria Stephanos and hosted by Mayor and Mrs. Thomas Menino. Proceeds from the Preview Party will help restore Boston Parks Department’s Greenhouses, where plants are propagated for the Public Garden, Boston Common, and dozens of neighborhood parks. Special guests, entertainment, delightful food and beverage and a silent auction make this an exclusive and enjoyable opportunity to view the show’s gardens and exhibits before the show opens to the general public the following day. Tickets are $100 each before February 14, $125 per person thereafter.  You may also purchase a $500 Friend ticket, and your company name or patron name will be displayed in the program.  Ticket includes admission to the private party, exclusive viewing of the Flower Show’s gardens and the chance to meet the designers, open bar, complimentary hor d’oeuvres reception, live music, and one ticket to return to the Flower Show later in the week.  You may download a ticket order form by visiting www.bostonflowershow.com/preview-party/.  Pictured below is the original Olmsted greenhouse in Franklin Park.

  • Wednesday, February 1, 4:30 pm – 7:00 pm – The Smile Project to Benefit the Greater Boston Food Bank

    A public showing of local area artists with complimentary appetizers & beverages to benefit the Greater Boston Food Bank will take place Wednesday, February 1 from 4:30 – 7 pm.  The Blue Glass Cafe at 200 Clarendon Street in Boston (John Hancock Tower)  has teamed up with Smile Boston Artist Bren Bataclan, Daruma, the Factory Inc. artists Minatsu Ariga (picture below) & Kotaro Morita, Faith Hyde & Marjorie Montemayor to support the Greater Boston Food Bank with The Smile Project. The Cafe is collaborating with the Greater Boston Food Bank to hold a can drive, as well as to provide donations on a weekly Smile Project item. The event is free – call 617-275-0250 for more information.

  • Saturday, January 28 – Sunday, January 29 – Be Healthy Boston

    Be Healthy Boston is a two day urban wellness retreat, right in the heart of Boston, at The Westin Boston Waterfront, 425 Summer Street.  Meant to educate, inspire and empower members of the Boston and surrounding communities to live and maintain healthy lifestyles, Be Healthy Boston promises to be a unique experience in a unique environment, like no other.

    There’s lots to look forward to! Just a few things include:

    Learning how to adopt a healthy lifestyle holistically
    Sampling new and exciting fitness classes from local studios
    Trying acupuncture, reiki, and other integrative therapies
    Enjoying mini-massages and other spa-therapies
    Speaking with local health and wellness experts and business owners (Siena Farms owner Chris Kurth and his fabulous chef wife Ana Sortun will be among them)
    Be Healthy Boston will be more than just an event; it will be an experience like no other. Nowhere else can you meet face to face with local wellness providers, services, and businesses, all of which can help you create the healthy lifestyle you want, all under one roof.

    Your Two-Day Pass includes:

    15 Workshops on innovative topics, including nutrition, stress management, and green living
    Sample fitness classes in Gyrotonics, Yoga, Kettlebells, Zumba and more
    Mini spa treatments and integrative therapies from Aveda, Chuan Body + Soul, Spa Intercontinental, Massage Envy and others
    Coaching and wellness consultations with leading wellness coaches
    Cooking demonstrations with award-winning chefs, such as Oleana’s Ana Sortun
    Book signings with best-selling authors, great take home gifts and plentiful samples
    Healthy and delicious lunches and Saturday early evening reception
    Silent auction to benefit Dana Farber’s Zakim Center for Integrative Therapies
    and more!

    Be Healthy Boston is a two day urban wellness retreat, right in the heart of Boston! Meant to educate, inspire and empower members of the Boston and surrounding communities to live and maintain healthy lifestyles, Be Healthy Boston promises to be a unique experience in a unique environment, like no other.

    There’s lots to look forward to! Just a few things include:

    • Learning how to adopt a healthy lifestyle holistically
    • Sampling new and exciting fitness classes from local studios
    • Trying acupuncture, reiki, and other integrative therapies
    • Enjoying mini-massages and other spa-therapies
    • Speaking with local health and wellness experts and business owners
    • Attending innovative workshops
    • Participating in cooking demonstrations with local restaurants and chefs
    • Meeting like minded Bostonians interested in their health and wellbeing
    • And more!

    Come to Be Healthy Boston and be inspired to create the healthy life you deserve!
    Attending innovative workshops
    Participating in cooking demonstrations with local restaurants and chefs
    Meeting like minded Bostonians interested in their health and wellbeing
    And more!

    Come to Be Healthy Boston and be inspired to create the healthy life you deserve! For complete information, log on to www.behealthyboston.com.  Register by January 8 for the best price ($79 – $159).

  • Friday, February 17, 7:30 pm – Friends of Copley Square Second Annual Mardi Gras Celebration

    The Friends of Copley Square, a non-profit organization that provides funding to assist the City of Boston with the preservation, maintenance, and beautification of the Copley Square, will host its second annual Mardi Gras Celebration on Friday, February 17, 2012 at 7:30 p.m. The event will be held at The Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel.

    The evening will bring the feeling of the French Quarter into the heart of Boston’s Back Bay. The event will include a New Orleans dinner buffet, live music and dancing, and auction prizes. Guests are encouraged to come in festive Mardi Gras attire, including masks if desired.

    Tickets are $300 per couple, which includes two tickets to the event, as well as accommodations on February 17 donated by The Copley Square Hotel, The Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel and The Lenox Hotel. Hotel availability is limited so guests are encouraged to make their reservations early. Individual tickets are available for $175 per person.

    To purchase tickets, please visit www.friendsofcopleysquare.org. All of the proceeds from the event benefit The Friends of Copley Square. The organization’s activity includes maintenance of the fountain, care of the trees and the development of programming to create a vibrant park for all to enjoy.

    For more information on The Friends of Copley Square  email friendsofcopleysquare@gmail.com. The Friends of Copley Square is a registered 501(c)3 not for profit corporation.  Photo by Courtney Sacco from www.backbay.patch.com.

  • Sunday, January 15, 4:30 pm – 6:30 pm – NABB 2012 Member Reception

    Welcome new members and greet old friends at The Neighborhood Association of the Back Bay’s 2012 Member Reception, to be held this year at towne stove and spirits, 900 Boylston Street, on Sunday, January 15, from 4:30 – 6:30.  This event is free to members.  Enjoy complimentary hors d’oeuvres, with a cash bar.  An rsvp is requested by January 6.  Email names to info@nabbonline.com, or call 617-247-3961.

  • Wreath of the Day 2011 – Happy New Year

    Wreath of the Day 2011 – Happy New Year

    Our final wreath of the day for this season is one of the volunteers’ favorites.  The mosaic mirror “disco ball” ribbon was the inspiration for a wild, Saturday Night Fever design which sparkles on a door between Fairfield and Gloucester on Marlborough Street, should you be walking by.  We wish you all a very happy New Year, filled with joy, and look for more “wreath talk” next autumn.

  • Wreath of the Day 2011 – Billing and Accounting

    Wreath of the Day 2011 – Billing and Accounting

    As December progresses, The Garden Club of the Back Bay wreath project wraps up with the final submission of expenses to our intrepid Treasurer, and a final mailing of bills to last minute wreath buyers who didn’t get their payments in with their orders.  We rarely have had any collection problems, but sometimes we do have to send out gentle reminders once or twice – December and January can be hectic, we know.  Once we reconcile the accounts, we’re on to our next projects – this year the Twilight Garden Party, which will raise funds for our 50 for 50 Magnolia planting celebrating our fifty year history with the planting of fifty magnolia trees throughout Back Bay.  We’ll be reporting on this in the coming months, but right now our focus remains tying up all loose ends to finish our 2011 wreath project with a healthy profit.   Every cent of net revenue goes right back into the community, so we like to know how much we have to spend.  Below is a pretty wreath with a burgundy bow that looks ready to go out for New Year’s Eve.