Category: Cape Cod & Islands

  • Monday, July 30, 7:00 pm – Slow Money and Nurture Capital: A New Vision of Food, Money, and Soil

    On Monday, July 30, beginning at 7 pm, come hear Slow Money founder Woody Tasch speak about his new book Soil 2017, and Slow Money’s progress, including the $65 million invested in more than 728 small organic farms and local food businesses. This free event will take place Monday, July 30 at the Martha’s Vineyard Agricultural Hall in West Tisbury, and is sponsored by the Dukes County Conservation District, Island Grown Initiative, Slough Farm Foundation, Martha’s Vineyard Agricultural Society, and The Polly Hill Arboretum.

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  • Saturday, July 21, 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm – Blueberry Festival

    The First Congregational Church of West Tisbury’s Annual Blueberry Festival will be on Saturday, July 21, 2018 from noon to 4:00 pm. Enjoy blueberry treats at tables and chairs on the front lawn; Blueberry/Peach Cobbler “just like your Grandmother used to make,” Blueberry/Pomegranate Smoothies and Blueberry Sundaes. Blueberry iced tea and lemonade will also be served. Baked goods to go include: Blueberry/Peach Cobbler, Blueberry Pies, Blueberry Coffee Cake, Blueberry Muffins and Scones. You can even buy Blueberry Jam to go! Flower bouquets, freshly cut from local gardens, will also be available.

    A blueberry bush will be raffled off; no need to be present at the drawing to win and the church will deliver your blueberry bush to you. There are also fun activities for the kids and a children’s raffle for a blueberry themed gift basket. Look for the blueberry banner and bright balloons on the church fence in the center of town the week of July 15th. All proceeds of this fundraiser help support this historic church and our island community. For more information call 508-693-2842. The Church address is 1051 State Road. Image from www.mvtimes.com.

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  • Saturday, July 14, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm – Orleans Improvement Association Garden Tour

    Three gardens will be open for tours in Orleans on Saturday, July 14 from 10 – 4. Admissin: $5 Rain or Shine. For information, visit https://www.capecodchamber.org/events/orleans-improvement-association-garden-tours

    Garden#1
    Overlooking Paw Wah Pond, Little Pleasant Bay, and the Atlantic Ocean, this peaceful seaside garden features shady sections with hydrangeas, native blueberries, hosta, rhododendrons, and azaleas, laid out to complement the setting. Additional highlights include 39 different specimens of Japanese maples which are signed with the common and Latin names along with owner comments. Hardy plants which do well in a sometimes harsh seaside setting are a specialty of these homeowners. Two fairy gardens, colorfully planted containers, and garden art also add interest to this peaceful park-like setting.

    Garden#2
    This Arts and Crafts bungalow with its companion cottage in the rear is nestled on a hillside with peeks of Town Cove. The owner saved these houses from being torn down over 20 years ago and had the exteriors redesigned to reflect the Arts and Crafts style. The owner, a tireless gardener in his own right, hired a landscape designer to develop guidelines for the landscaping to complement the houses. He then planted what he liked while maintaining a calm but colorful and informal layout. Highlights include peach, apple, fig and pear trees along with hydrangeas, carefully arranged to draw the visitors along various paths surrounding the house.

    Garden#3

    This totally organic, multi-level secret garden with surprises at every turn is on the site of a 50’s neighborhood dumping ground of neglected overgrowth. The plants, garden layout, garden art, and whimsical features reflect the owner artist and her years living in the Pacific Northwest. This yard shows how a completely grass free garden can create a peaceful and intriguing environment. Challenging topography and a city lot transformed by large rocks, green visual barriers and a large Zen garden contribute to a sense of privacy and enclosure. The winding path through the garden begins with a drip basin, bamboo gate, and then winds along a created dry stream, ending at a small bridge and dry pond. A Japanese maple then begins the path through the hydrangea area which is still under development.

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  • Friday, July 20, 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm  & Saturday, July 21, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm – Nantucket Garden Club’s Art with Blooms Gallery Walk

    Friday, July 20, 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm & Saturday, July 21, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm – Nantucket Garden Club’s Art with Blooms Gallery Walk

    The public is invited to take a walk through participating art galleries in Nantucket on July 20 (5 – 9) and July 21(10 – 4) featuring floral interpretations of artwork. Free. Participating galleries in and near town will be announced soon. For more information visit www.nantucketgardenclub.org.

  • Sunday, July 15, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm – Secret Garden Tour

    Join the Provincetown Art Association and Museum on Sunday, July 15 from 10 – 3 for the 21st Annual Secret Garden Tour, a self-guided journey through Provincetown’s stunning gardens. Enjoy exclusive access to private gardens in a walkable loop in a residential neighborhood in Provincetown, free admission to PAAM, free parking, and free transportation between you car, the gardens, and the Museum. $40. For ticket information email info@paam.org.

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  • Friday, July 13, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm – Nauset Garden Club Garden Tour: An Edible Landscape

    Fruit trees and berry bushes are scattered among plots of veggies and wildflowers, providing food for pollinators as well as food for the gardeners. The four-season beauty of these trees and bushes are especially lovely when they flower in the spring, are fun to observe as they produce their various fruits in the summer and then turn lovely colors for autumn, and have beautiful profiles in the winter. Visitors are likely to leave with an edible souvenir, depending on what’s ready for harvest. More importantly, we hope they will be inspired to try a bit of edible landscaping on their own property. “Discretionary” is the best accessibility description. It’s neither Accessible nor Difficult, but there is a sloped, unpaved pathway down from the street. Image from Country Living Magazine. For address and more information contact http://www.nausetgardenclub.com/contact/ The proceeds from the garden tour will benefit the Nauset Garden Club. Admission:$5 per garden, Rain or Shine.

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  • Friday, July 13, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm – Barnstable Education Foundation Garden Tours

    The proceeds from the Barnstable Education Foundation Garden Tour on Friday, July 13 from 10 – 4 will benefit the Barnstable Education Foundation. Admission:$5 per garden. Rain or Shine. Details at https://www.barnstableeducationfoundation.org/hydrangea-fest

    Cape Cod Hydrangea Garden, South Dennis
    Come and visit a lovely Cape Cod Hydrangea garden created by a granddaughter of a farmer. You’ll see that the gardener loves growing beautiful flowers, plants, bushes, vegetables, and trees. Gardens surround the house and embrace the lay of the land incorporating terraced stonewalls to take advantage of the sunshine, and creating a structured backdrop for the plantings. You’ll find lots of annual and perennial flowers, and discover new varieties you might want to grow yourself. View this garden from many levels and terraced

    Pamela’s Garden, South Yarmouth
    When you visit Pamela Phipp’s gardens you’ll see a plant-lover’s paradise. This landscape has evolved over time, but it started with a scraggly lawn. Pamela’s first decision was to have no lawn at all, so If you’re also interested in a turf-free yard, come experience the diversity and beauty you can create. Trees and shrubs that Pamela has happily “taken in” have become a foundation for borders and paths. Hydrangeas and perennials play an important role, and there’s a great deal of beauty packed into a third of a acre. This is a real person’s garden that will inspire and delight visitors. Accessibility: Discretionary – Mostly flat but a few steps and narrow paths.

    Marlene’s Garden, Osterville
    A cypress glade emptying to “Sam’s” kettle pond beyond provides the backdrop for a mixed deciduous shrub and perennial garden. See the creative use of bird feeders and houses with an arbor and water feature visible from seating areas. Two raised beds feature dahlias, and an herb and perennial garden border the deck which hosts containers of annuals and patio tomatoes. Walk along the garage to see the vegetable garden and zinnia bed, and note that the garage is divided in half: her garden shed and his tool/fix it shop. Day lilies, hydrangeas will be in flower and you’ll see several specimen trees as you stroll around this third-of-an-acre village property. Accessibility: Discretionary – Parts are flat but also uneven land, soft ground, sets of stairs.

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  • Thursday, July 12 and Friday, July 13, 10 am – 4:00 pm – Osterville Garden Club Garden Tour

    Thursday, July 12 and Friday, July 13, 10 am – 4:00 pm – Osterville Garden Club Garden Tour

    Five Cape Cod gardens will be open for viewing on July 12 and July 13 from 10 – 4.The proceeds from the garden tours will benefit the Osterville Garden Club. $5 per garden tour. RAIN or SHINE.

    Garden #1 The Cobb Astro Park, Hyannis
    As gardeners, you will be fascinated by the wind sculptures, two unique water sculptures, and a Pathway of Discovery, which is home to 27 white marble busts of people who have changed the way we look at the universe, and ultimately ourselves. Search for the raised bed gardens maintained by the Garden Club of Hyannis and the Osterville Garden Club and the school’s memorial garden. Volunteerism and 12 years of community effort have produced this gathering space for strolling, learning, meditating, reflecting, and socializing. Accessible

    Garden #2 A Propagation Garden, Centerville
    The owners of this garden have been propagating trees, shrubs, perennials and annuals here for over 50 years. The couple is particularly knowledgeable about pollinator plants. Their greenhouse shelters the immature plantings and the composting bins provide soil filled with nutrients. As you explore the paths of the garden, you will notice many propagated hydrangeas including ‘Niko Blue’, ‘Todi’, ‘Bombshell’, and others. Discretionary

    Garden #3 Cape Cod’s Bountiful Landscape, Centerville
    In Centerville’s historic village, this property surrounds a sea captain’s house built in 1730. You can savor the sight of completely organic vegetables and flowers growing in a 50 ft.X 20 ft. year-round “hoop house”. The homeowner will be on hand to share the how-to’s of growing your own fresh produce year-round in an easily constructed hoop house heated by solar power. Accessible

    Garden #4 Seaside Gardens A-Z, Osterville
    Home overlooks beautiful hydrangeas out to the crystal waters of West Bay. Equally as spectacular is the elegantly designed raised beds vegetable garden with everything edible from A (artichokes) to Z (zucchini). All around this lovely property are flowerbeds bursting with blooms. The owner lovingly starts between 1500-2000 annuals and vegetable seedlings in her greenhouse every year. Accessible

    Garden #5 Mass Audubon’s Long Pasture Wildlife Sanctuary, 345 Bone Hill Rd., Barnstable, MA 02635
    Long Pasture Wildlife Sanctuary features a perennial garden maintained by the Osterville Garden Club. Tour a native bird garden with breathtaking views of Barnstable Harbor. Explore the Butterfly Mosaic Trail filled with pollinator plants that attract many species of butterflies, dragonflies, and bees. Stroll a short boardwalk through a salt marsh and meander down many trails to discover habitats that encourage and sustain wildlife. Long Pasture’s Visitor Center will be open for you to explore as well. Accessible.

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  • Friday, July 13, 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm – Pests and Disease Control Walking Tour

    Walk the grounds of the Heritage Museum and Gardens, 67 Grove Street in Sandwich on Friday, July 13 from 1:30 – 2:30 with Mal Condon, Heritage’s Hydrangea Curator, to learn about the pests and disease issues that most commonly affect hydrangeas. Learn how Heritage uses a more sustainable approach to control pest problems.

    The Cape Cod Hydrangea Festival returns, celebrating the iconic plant that makes Cape Cod so stunning in July. See the expanded North American Hydrangea Test Garden, participate in workshops, purchase plants, and tour the garden, which includes over 150 spectacular species and cultivars. All programs are free with museum admission. For more information visit https://heritagemuseumsandgardens.org/event/hydrangea-festival-2/

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  • Saturday, July 14, 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm – Meals in the Meadow

    Come celebrate summer and support the FARM Institute’s Farm-Based Educational programs at Meals in the Meadow on Saturday, July 14 from 5 – 9 at 14 Aero Avenue in Edgartown. Enjoy a silent auction and farm-o-ramas during which students turn into teachers, eager to show you what they’ve learned on The Farm. The buffet dinner will feature FARM Institute meat and produce from other Island farms. Dance to the music of the Sultans of Swing. $225 per person. Contact lbrown@thetrustees.org to learn more, or purchase online at http://www.thetrustees.org/things-to-do/cape-cod-islands/event-35166.html?srrelated_property=737500678

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