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.
Hollister House Garden presents Ian Stewart, PhD, on Saturday, September 20 at 10. He will discuss Using Native Plants to Enrich Habitat and Support Migrating Birds. Many of our songbirds are in decline, for a variety of reasons. The main reason is loss of habitat, but a secondary reason may be the degradation of the remaining habitat by non-native, invasive plants. These are less valuable to birds because they do not support many of the insects they feed upon, especially during periods of high energy use like migration. Learn how you can help both migrating and resident birds by using a diversity of native plants to create a garden that is both beautiful and filled with food. This presentation coincides with the peak of southward migration and will be followed with a relaxing walk around the idyllic garden in search of birds.
Ian Stewart, PhD, was raised in Newcastle, England and received a doctorate in biology from the University of Leicester. He has conducted research on tree swallows and bluebirds and studied how local land management activities are affecting bird numbers and diversity throughout the year. Ian is the staff Ornithologist at the Delaware Nature Society and is currently researching how alien plant removal impacts nesting birds. Ian conducts public bird banding sessions and give presentations to audiences of all ages about aspects of bird biology
Join Berkshire Botanical Garden for some food and drink, followed by a tour in Spanish using our audio guide app on your phone on Sunday, September 14, from 5 to 8 p.m. Luana Dias David will begin a salsa dance lesson and party inside the Education Center after the tour. Admission is free, registration is encouraged (below).
Luana Dias David is a Brazilian performing artist, choreographer and cultural educator whose work bridges tradition and innovation in Afro-Latin dance. Born in São Paulo, she carries over 20 years of international experience, performing and teaching across Europe, Asia and the Americas. Her artistry is deeply rooted in the rhythms of Samba, Capoeira and Latin dance, shaped by her training in classical ballet, jazz and breakdancing.
Attracting butterflies to your yard with native plants is a rewarding way to support local wildlife, increase the ecological value of your property and connect with the natural world. Led by Duncan Himmelman on Saturday, September 13, from 10 a.m. to noon, learn how to design a butterfly garden and discover plants that provide nectar for adult butterflies and foliage for their caterpillars. Leave with two simple garden plans that create beautiful sanctuaries for these colorful pollinators.
Duncan Himmelman earned his doctorate at Cornell University and taught horticultural science at the college level for 24 years. He recently retired as the education manager at Mt. Cuba Center, a public garden in Delaware devoted to native plant advocacy. He enjoys teaching, designing landscapes and promoting ecologically focused gardening practices. Photo from Troy’s Tropics.
Kevin West, author of The Cook’s Garden: A Gardener’s Guide to Selecting, Growing, and Savoring the Tastiest Vegetables of Each Season, will lead a talk on growing your own garden and incorporating homegrown produce into everyday cooking on Saturday, September 6, at the Berkshire Botanical Garden from 2 to 3:30 p.m. The event includes a kitchen demonstration.
Kevin West comes from East Tennessee farmers and Smoky Mountain settlers, country people with generations of commitment to growing delicious food. He is the author of Saving the Season: A Cook’s Guide to Home Canning, Pickling, and Preserving (Knopf). He also coauthored The Grand Central Market Cookbook (Clarkson Potter) and contributed to Edna Lewis: At the Table with an American Original (The University of North Carolina Press). He gardens and cooks in the Berkshires. $25 for BBG members, $40 for nonmembers. Register at https://www.berkshirebotanical.org/events/cooks-garden-kevin-west
Grasses are an integral component of naturalistic plantings, the garden style popularized by New York City’s High Line and the “Dutch Wave.” But with names like Schizachyrium, Spodiopogon, and Hakonechloa, they can be bewildering to even experienced gardeners. Join plantsman Robert Clyde Anderson at Berkshire Botanical Garden on Friday, September 5, from 2 to 5 p.m., for an overview of the most useful and beautiful species and cultivars for our climate, with an emphasis on their ecological value, distinguishing characteristics, and design possibilities. This three-hour session will include an illustrated lecture, handouts, and an on-site walkabout on the BBG grounds, as well as time for questions and shared experiences.
Robert Clyde Anderson is a garden designer, consultant and writer who found his way to the Hudson Valley after a New York City career in illustration and book design. A native of Louisiana and a lifelong gardener, he has designed and maintained gardens in Columbia County as well as working in area nurseries, most recently at Pondside Nursery in Hudson for five years and before that, at Loomis Creek Nursery in Claverack for eight years. Robert makes his home in Stuyvesant, where he maintains a two-acre “laboratory” garden that includes shrub borders, a sunny, terraced xeric garden, a shady, wooded streamside area, a moist meadow planting, a kitchen garden, and a small flock of chickens.
Hollister House Garden, 300 Nettleton Hollow Road in Washington, Connecticut in the Berkshires, will present Editing the Garden – Advice from the High Line with Yuki Kaneko on September 13 at 10 am. A naturalistic garden does not necessarily mean it is wild or low maintenance – it flourishes through intentional care and thoughtful curation. Learning to edit your garden is a crucial part of this process. Join Yuki Kaneko of New York City’s High Line for an exploration of the principles and practices of maintaining and enhancing naturalistic gardens. Learn editing strategies that preserve design clarity while managing dynamic plant communities. Get expert guidance for selecting plants that emphasize texture and structure for four-season interest. Help foster biodiversity in your own garden with a naturalistic aesthetic that changes seamlessly through the seasons. Autumn is the perfect time to make thoughtful edits that will keep your garden vital, evolving and looking its best.
Yuki Kaneko is the Senior Horticulture Manager at the High Line in New York City, overseeing a naturalistic landscape designed by Piet Oudolf. Yuki holds an MFA from Tara Art University in Japan where she was born, and was awarded the Blanchette H. Rockefeller Fellowship to study in the United States. Yuki studied horticulture and botany through New York Botanical Garden’s certificate program and further trained as a horticulturist through a John Nally Internship at Wave Hill. She is an author and has also translated a number of nature themed Japanese children’s books into English.
Taught by Lee Buttala, this Berkshire Botanical Garden essential course for the serious gardener covers basic herbaceous plants used in the garden setting, including identification, planting, fertilizing, pest control and pruning. Perennial selection will be the focus, although some time will be spent on annuals and bulbs. (4 Classes) All students participating in this class as part of the Horticulture Certificate Program are required to complete a final project. BBG Members $215/Non-members $240. The class, running Tuesdays September 2 – 23 from 5:30 – 8:30, will be taught on site.
Lee Buttala is the former Executive Director of Seed Savers Exchange, an heirloom vegetable genebank that is the only non-governmental organization storing seed at the Svalbard Global Seed Vault. He has also worked for BBG and the Garden Conservancy, and currently serves as chair of the Historic Landscapes Committee of the APGA. Lee won an Emmy award for his role as a garden television producer for Martha Stewart Living and was the creator of PBS’s Cultivating Life. He is the editor of the award-winning book, The Seed Garden: The Art and Practice of Saving Seed, writes a weekly garden column for the Berkshire Edge and serves on the board of Hollister House Garden in Washington, CT. Lee studied garden design at the Chelsea Physic Garden, the New York Botanical Garden and the Kyoto School of Art and Design. He lives in Ashley Falls, MA. Register at https://www.berkshirebotanical.org/events/herbaceous-plants-5
Berkshire Botanical Garden’s Cocktails in Great Gardens series provides a rare opportunity for guests to savor a drink and a nibble in some of the finest private gardens in the region. Book early, as tickets may be limited, and they always go fast! On September 12 from 5 – 7, visit The Gardens at Kenmore Hall in Richmond. Exact location and directions will be emailed to you upon registration. $40 for BBG members, $60 for nonmembers. Register at https://www.berkshirebotanical.org/events/cocktails-great-gardens-september-12
Berkshire Botanical Garden’s Cocktails in Great Gardens series provides a rare opportunity for guests to savor a drink and a nibble in some of the finest private gardens in the region. Book early, as tickets may be limited, and they always go fast! On Friday, August 22 from 5 – 7, visit the gardens of Jane Iredale in Stockbridge. Exact location and directions will be emailed to you upon registering. $40 for BBG members, $60 for nonmembers. Register at https://www.berkshirebotanical.org/events/cocktails-great-gardens-august-22
