Boston Community Gardens and The Food Project present Winter Workshops in the Greenhouse, at the Dudley Greenhouse, 11 Brook Avenue in Roxbury, On January 15, learn from cosmetologist and herbalist Ebriel Rai how to protect your skin from seasonal elements, using plant based materials. Visit https://thetrustees.org/ for details on the winter workshops.
The Trustees will sponsor an intensive, skill-building training course for community and home gardeners from Greater Boston and beyond. Whether you’re just getting started or have been gardening for decades, the Master Urban Gardening curriculum covers everything you need to know to thrive in a community garden. The application deadline is January 1. Apply at https://thetrustees.org/mug/. There is a sliding scale course fee, and you can access all details on the website.
Learn how native plants serve as the ecological cornerstone for the gardens of today and the future in this Native Plant Trust webinar on January 8 with Stephen Kiely. Explore what makes a plant “native,” and gain insights into the reciprocal relationships between insects and native plants. Find out how to use your ecoregion to guide your gardening practice, and hear recommendations for beautiful, ecologically beneficial native plants to bring into your space. $10. Register at https://www.nativeplanttrust.org/events/introduction-to-native-plants-for-gardeners/
Explore the basic principles and practices of ecological gardening for birds with Cole Campbell and the Native Plant Trust online on January 13. We will discuss design, maintenance practices, plant choice, and more. This class was most recently offered as Using Native Plants to Support Northeastern Birds. If you are looking to build on that class, we suggest Ecological Gardening for Birds: Plant Choice. $10. Register at https://www.nativeplanttrust.org/events/introduction-to-ecological-gardening-for-birds/. Photo courtesy of Mass Audubon.
A surprising number of plants remain green through the winter; lichens, mosses and liverworts, ferns, ericaceous shrubs and evergreen trees, and many more. Which plants stay green, how, and why? In this Native Plant Trust online class, you will learn how to recognize and identify the groups of evergreen plants and explore evolutionary strategies for year-round foliage. $75, with instructor Neela de Zoysa. Register at https://www.nativeplanttrust.org/events/bot3326-green-in-the-winterscape/
Design an elegant seasonal showstopper with poinsettias, roses, evergreens, and berries. Learn expert floral design skills and techniques. This New England Botanic Garden class on December 13 from 10:30 – 12:30 is $115 for members, $140 for nonmembers. Register at www.nebg.org
Deck the halls with dazzling winter florals. Join us for a festive floral design workshop where you’ll create beautiful holiday décor for your home. Great for gifting or brightening your own home.
All ability levels are welcome and all supplies will be provided along with a light coffee & tea service. Instructor Mary Beth Hayes is an avid gardener and floral designer who began studying floral design so she could bring the beauty of the garden into her home. She’s taken classes with the Mass Horticultural Society and Cass school of Floral Design in Watertown, Massachusetts. She has studied with noted floral designers Francoise Weeks, Holly Chapple, and Hitomi Galliam. Mary Beth loves to share the techniques she has learned with others so we can all “play with flowers” and create beautiful, natural flower arrangements and more.
Making a gift for someone is an opportunity for you to create something unique and beautiful, something truly useful and practical, and express love from your heart for that special person.
The Herbal Holiday Gifts Workshop at Berkshire Botanical Garden on December 6 from 2 – 4 is an opportunity to make rich and diverse herbal gifts for the holidays, or other occasions, feel connected with the gift giving process, and nourish another person by crafting something special for them from the Earth.You are offering your loved one the opportunity to dip into that vibrant, natural health by giving them a handmade herbal gift that will support their well-being. These gifts are so much more special than what you can find in a store. They are novel, enticing, fresh, and low-cost once you have the skills.
Workshop leader Nicole Irene holds a master’s degree in fine art and two herbal certifications from Dandelion Herbal Center and Sage Mountain Botanical Sanctuary. She is a Reiki-trained ordained minister and has a love for local farms and sustainable, organic agriculture. She 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, Mother Earth and the cosmos. Learn more about Nicole Irene at NicoleIreneArt.com and TheEnchantedAltar.com
Register at https://www.berkshirebotanical.org/events/herbal-holiday-gifts-workshop $70 for BBG members, $90 for nonmembers.
Get into the holiday spirit and put in some “pencil miles” at this fun online class on December 1 with John Muir Laws on drawing and painting pinecones, branches, and needles. A widely respected artist, educator, author, and nature journaler for more than 40 years, John Muir Laws (a.k.a. Jack) will help you learn to see and understand the complex geometry of a pine cone, which will empower you to make quick and accurate sketches as well as more detailed drawings. Jack will also explore pine/fir branches and needles and share tips and techniques on how to draw them in a foreshortened view so your sketch looks like what you see when you look into the branches of a tree. You could even use your new skills to paint homemade holiday cards for friends and family!
BONUS: The class will include special live holiday musical interludes brought to you by two musical members of the nature journaling community: guitarist Anne Chadwick @annechad61 and vocalist and ukulele player Beth Kelley Gillogly.
This class is a fundraiser for the Wild Wonder Foundation, and Jack, Anne, and Beth are donating their time. Thank you for making a donation if you are able when you register. All levels welcome! .FREE! Registration required. Suggested donation: $25. Visit the EVENTS link in bio or wildwonder.org/events to sign up today!
Celebrate the season with Massachusetts Horticultural Society Garden Educator Melissa Pace in this hands-on workshop that shows how to use the materials around you to create festive arrangements for indoors or out. Melissa is the creative force behind the natural displays featured each year at our holiday event, Festival of Trees, where her work is always a highlight. She’ll share the same techniques she uses to design arrangements that are both beautiful and long-lasting.
Working with fresh evergreens, grasses, and other natural textures, participants will first learn the basics of building a strong base arrangement, then explore different ways to embellish it for the holidays. Guided step-by-step, you’ll create your own seasonal piece to take home—brimming with greenery, texture, and accents that capture the magic of the season.
What to Bring: Participants are encouraged to bring a pair of garden shears if they have them; extras will be available to share. Work gloves are optional for handling greenery, and a box to carry your finished arrangement home is recommended.
Melissa Pace is an award-winning horticulturist, competing in numerous flower shows nationwide – from the Philadelphia Flower Show to specialized cacti and succulent showcases. A University of Rhode Island Master Gardener since 2003, she also maintains an active membership in the Cactus and Succulent Society of Massachusetts.
For over 30 years, Melissa has always been eager to share her knowledge of plants. From working with local garden clubs and civic organizations to giving hands-on tours for nationwide conferences and symposia, her engaging talks blend practical insights with her passion for plants, captivating audiences from all walks of life.
Holding a Master’s degree in teaching from Bridgewater State University, she seamlessly integrates her roles as a teacher and horticulture enthusiast at Massachusetts Horticultural Society (MHS), where she engages with learners of all ages using her dynamic approach to plant education. She embodies the mission of MHS by encouraging everyone to become active growers.
$53 for Mass Hort members, $65 for nonmembers. Workshop size is limited – Preregistration required HERE
Botanical art, with its rich history and high standards, has always informed and promoted botany and the plant world. Since the Renaissance and fueled by centuries of plant exploration, great discoveries in global flora, advances in printing techniques, and an increasing interest in horticulture, botanical art gained a wide audience and flourished as both an art form and a means to document plant species from 1600 – 1900. Beginning in the 1990’s, there has been a resurgence of interest in contemporary botanical art. Join Sarah Roche as she reviews the significant roles and styles of botanical art from early times to the present. At the second session of this class, you will view rare botanical books & prints from Massachusetts Horticultural Society’s extraordinary collection. $170 for Mass Hort members, $200 for nonmembers. Register HERE
