Boston Flora

Category: Berkshires

  • Tuesday, March 3, 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm – Community Read: Wild Dark Shore

    Come together at the Stockbridge Library with the Library’s Director, Wendy Pearson, and Berkshire Botanical Garden’s Director of Education, Jennifer Patton, to discuss Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy on Tuesday, March 3, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. This program is FREE; registration is not required.

    Copies of Wild Dark Shore are available at Stockbridge Library, other area libraries and local booksellers.

    From the author’s website:

    A family on a remote island. A mysterious woman washed ashore. A rising storm on the horizon. Dominic Salt and his three children are caretakers of Shearwater, a tiny island not far from Antarctica. Home to the world’s largest seed bank, Shearwater was once full of researchers, but with sea levels rising, the Salts are now its final inhabitants. Until, during the worst storm the island has ever seen, a woman mysteriously washes ashore. Isolation has taken its toll on the Salts, but as they nurse the woman, Rowan, back to strength, it begins to feel like she might just be what they need. Rowan, long accustomed to protecting herself, starts imagining a future where she could belong to someone again. But Rowan isn’t telling the whole truth about why she set out for Shearwater. And when she discovers sabotaged radios and a freshly dug grave, she realizes Dominic is keeping his own secrets. As the storms on Shearwater gather force, they all must decide if they can trust each other enough to protect the precious seeds in their care before it’s too late—and if they can finally put the tragedies of the past behind them to create something new, together. A novel of breathtaking twists, dizzying beauty, and ferocious love, Wild Dark Shore is about the impossible choices we make to protect the people we love, even as the world around us disappears.

    Charlotte McConaghy is the award-winning, New York Times bestselling author of the novels Wild Dark Shore, Once There Were Wolves, and Migrations, which are being translated into more than thirty languages and adapted for screen. She has a Masters in Screenwriting and lives in Sydney with her partner and two children. https://www.charlottemcconaghy.com

  • Saturday, March 7, 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm – Introduction to Kokedama

    Discover the art of kokedama, a centuries-old Japanese practice that blends horticulture and design, on Saturday, March 7, from 1 to 4 p.m. at Berkshire Botanical Garden. Unlike bonsai, which focuses on outdoor trees, or ikebana, which features cut flowers, kokedama are living plants, such as anthurium, orchid, peperomia, or zantedeschia, displayed in moss-and-soil spheres that can hang or sit in a dish indoors. Led by artist and horticultural therapist Brian Mikesell, this hands-on workshop will teach you to create kokedama using only natural materials (soil, moss and string). No pots, expensive ceramics or specialized tools required. Learn the techniques for crafting, displaying and caring for your kokedama, while connecting with the calming, mindful experience of nurturing plants. All materials are included, and you’ll leave with your own kokedama to enjoy at home or give as a thoughtful, handmade gift. $110 for BBG members. $140 for nonmembers.

  • Thursdays, February 26 – March 19, 5:30 pm – 8:30 pm – Container Garden Design

    Acquire knowledge of the skills required for beautiful and successful container gardens with Jenna O’Brien, owner of Viridissima Horticulture and Design. Get to know the plants that thrive in containers and how to care for them. This three session class at Berkshire Botanical Garden in West Stockbridge will cover practical aspects of gardening with style in containers throughout the New England garden season. Considerations will include container selection, siting, planting, growing, controlling pests, and maintaining moveable gardens. The course will be held Thursdays, February 26 – March 19, from 5:30 – 8:30. BBG members $215, nonmembers $240. Register at https://www.berkshirebotanical.org/events/container-garden-design

    Jenna O’Brien has been working in Berkshire gardens for over 20 years. She is also a member of the BBG Horticulture Advisory Committee and the Education Committee. Jenna specializes in container gardening, perennial garden design and care, country estate garden management, and Berkshire Garden Style.

  • Saturday, March 7, 9:30 am – 4:30 pm – From Willow to Basket: Crafting Functional Art

    Create a beautiful, functional willow basket while learning the foundational techniques of stake-and-strand weaving on Saturday, March 7, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Berkshire Botanical Garden. Designed for beginner and intermediate weavers, this hands-on class is taught by Heleny Cook, a Williamstown-based basketmaker who grows her own willow and forages wild materials for her work. Alongside guided instruction, Heleny will share insights into the joys and challenges of cultivating willow and working with natural materials. A wonderful introduction to the art of traditional basketry and a chance to create something beautiful and useful. Perfect for holding bread rolls, chips or everyday odds and ends, your finished basket will measure approximately 8 inches in diameter and 5 inches tall. All materials will be provided for an additional fee of $25 per person. Bring lunch to have during a break in the day.

    Heleny Cook learned willow weaving by studying with experienced makers in Ireland, England, Canada, and across the United States. Her work is grounded in traditional techniques, shaped by years of practice, and informed by the material itself. She teaches because sharing skills keeps the craft alive. Heleny has led workshops at Hancock Shaker Village and Bon Dimanche Studio in Great Barrington, where students learn by working directly with willow and building a solid foundation through hands-on making.

    Add your name to a wait list by registering https://www.berkshirebotanical.org/events/willow-basket-crafting-functional-art

  • Saturday, February 28, 9:30 am – 3:30 pm – Garden Design Perspective Drawing: From Concept to Sketch

    Learn to bring your design ideas to life through clear, compelling perspective sketches at Berkshire Botanical Garden on Saturday, February 28, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Taught by Tom Smith of Springfield Technical Community College, this workshop introduces the fundamentals of freehand one-point and two-point perspective drawing, essential skills for communicating spatial concepts in garden and landscape design. Begin by sketching simple objects and small garden scenes, then build your skills to illustrate larger, more complex spaces, such as front yards, patios, and planting designs. Emphasis will be placed on accurate proportion, depth and clarity, ensuring your drawings effectively convey your vision in ways that flat plan or bird’s-eye views cannot. Perfect for designers, students and gardeners looking to strengthen their visual communication and present ideas with confidence.

    Tom Smith teaches at Springfield Technical Community College. His past career experiences include precision machining, HVAC ductwork fabrication, installation, and service technician roles, as well as a stint in the U.S. Navy. He also wore many ‘hats’ within a small landscape company as a designer, estimator, salesperson, horticulturist, and construction crew leader.

    $130 for BBG members, $150 for nonmembers. Register at https://www.berkshirebotanical.org/events/garden-design-perspective-drawing-concept-sketch

  • Tuesdays, March 3 – April 14, 5:30 pm – 8:00 pm – Landscape Design I

    This seven-part in-person Berkshire Botanical Garden course will introduce students to the design process—the systematic way designers approach a site and client. Taught by Tyler Horsley, this course will include a series of simple projects, ending with a garden designed by the students. Learn design principles such as form, balance, repetition, line, texture, color and spatial relationships. Additionally, students will be introduced to history and how it helps the designer resolve and inspire garden design. As the adage goes, we cannot escape our history, so we have to understand where we came from. Classes start March 3 and continue through April 14, from 5:30 – 8.

    A New York City resident for 30 years, Tyler Horsley was a member of the Green Guerrillas and the 6th Street and Avenue B Community Garden in the East Village. He holds a Master of Architecture degree from the University of Virginia and a Certificate in Horticulture from the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. He created Tyler Horsley Garden Design, LLC in 2005 and has since moved to Hudson, NY, where he joined Wagner Hodgson Landscape Architecture. $215 for BBG members, $240 for nonmembers. Register at https://www.berkshirebotanical.org/events/landscape-design-i

  • Wednesdays, February 11 – March 18, 10:00 am – 1:00 pm – Winter Watercolors

    Join Berkshire Botanical Garden and artist/instructor Pat Hogan for winter’s magic in watercolor. Stay snug and dry in the classroom while capturing the quiet, snow-covered story unfolding around us. Views from the Center House classroom are spectacular, plus there will be plenty of reference photos on hand. The classes will be held at the Garden on Wednesdays, February 11 – March 18, from 10 – 1.

    Pat Hogan’s work is inspired by nature, particularly the Berkshires, the Maine coast and the vanishing islands of the Chesapeake Bay. Each unique landscape provides a stunning connection with the beauty of our earth and wildlife, and the chaos associated with climate change and human disregard for sustaining a healthy planet.

    $285 for BBG members, $310 for nonmembers. Register at www.berkshirebotanical.org.

    copyright Pat Hogan

  • 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 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.

  • Saturday, February 7, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm – Crafting Wellness from Nature: Fire Cider and Elderberry Syrup Make-and-Take Workshop

    Join herbalist, artist and ritualist Nicole Irene for a delightful, hands-on workshop featuring the enchanting world of herbal medicine on Saturday, February 7, from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Berkshire Botanical Garden. Embark on a journey to create two powerful plant remedies, fire cider and elderberry syrup, time-honored elixirs celebrated for their immune-boosting properties. This immersive experience combines traditional herbal medicine’s rich lore and wisdom with the joy of creative expression.

    In this make-and-take class, you will:

    • Discover the history, medicinal properties, and health benefits of both fire cider and elderberry syrup;
    • Participate in detailed step-by-step demonstrations on how to make these recipes from scratch;
    • Enjoy a collaborative, fun, and creative environment while crafting your own bottles of fire cider and elderberry syrup;
    • Take home a bottle each of Elderberry Syrup and Fire Cider, along with the knowledge and confidence to recreate them on your own.

    This workshop welcomes all who share a passion for the power of plants. Be prepared to roll up your sleeves, get a little messy, immerse yourself in the magic of herbal medicine, and leave with two traditional folk remedies that will support your health and well-being naturally.

    Nicole Irene holds a master’s degree in fine art, two herbal certifications from Dandelion Herbal Center and Sage Mountain Botanical Sanctuary, and is a Reiki-trained ordained minister. Nicole has a love for local farms and sustainable, organic agriculture, and enjoys cooking nourishing meals and experimenting with her own herbal preparations at her home in Stockbridge. She has a deep passion for helping to grow the relationships we hold with our food, the earth and the cosmos. Learn more about Nicole at NicoleIreneArt.com and TheEnchantedAltar.com.

    BBG members $50, non-members $70. Register at https://www.berkshirebotanical.org/events/crafting-wellness-nature-fire-cider-and-elderberry-syrup-make-and-take-workshop-0