Why do flowers have distinct scents, and why do plants produce smells in the first place? This Native Plants Trust online program on June 23 at 7 pm explores these questions by examining how plants communicate and protect themselves. We’ll also investigate the remarkable ways plants perceive their surroundings—sensing, responding, and moving in ways that are largely invisible to humans. The session is led by Daphne Minner, Garden Coach and Botanical Educator. $25. Register at https://www.nativeplanttrust.org/events/plants-scents-and-sensibilities/
Gore Place in Waltham is pleased to once again welcome Rachel Benson from The Fiber Web to run a needle felting class at the Farm. Come create a bucolic landscape featuring sheep!
No experience necessary. Rachel will guide you step-by-step through the process. All supplies will be provided. Participants will take home their felt painting as well as have the option to purchase needle felting supplies to try new projects at home.
At Hollister House in Washington, Connecticut on June 13, join award-winning cyanotype artist Madge Evers for an exciting, full-day cyanotype workshop celebrating the release of her new book, Printing with the Sun. Cyanotype is a camera-less photographic technique for creating stunning art prints in dreamy shades of blue. You begin by coating high grade paper with a light-sensitive solution. Madge will show you how to work with patterns, layering and composition to create two original botanical prints. You will also get to try the wet cyanotype process—a playful, unpredictable variation that transforms classic Prussian blue into a range of rich, organic tones. After a break for lunch, learn to apply the cyanotype process to textiles! Madge will guide you through preparing and coating fabric and printing your designs. You’ll finish with an original cyanotype on a cotton tote bag—a functional, wearable piece of art to take home along with all your prints.
The workshop fee includes all materials. Bring a bag lunch. Water and plenty of snacks are provided. Madge will be happy to sign copies of Printing with the Sun, available for purchase at the workshop. (Allow me to shout out my husband’s 1979 book, The Keepers of Light, a history and workbook of non-silver printing techniques, which sparked the renaissance in historical photographic processes.)
Madge Evers is a visual artist who uses alternative photography, mushroom spores, and painting to depict plants and imagined flora. Her work has been exhibited widely throughout the East Coast, and she has participated in artist residencies in New York, Massachusetts, Virginia, and Ireland. Evers lives and works in western Massachusetts and teaches workshops throughout the northeast.
Discover the joy of floral arranging in this Massachusetts Horticultural Society creative workshop led by Lorraine Walsh and Mary Lou Ashur of Artistry Floral, With backgrounds rooted in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and a passion for eco-conscious design, Lorraine and Mary Lou bring a wealth of experience and artistry to each session.
Each hands-on class explores floral design fundamentals—from developing structure and balance to working confidently with color, texture, and movement. Whether you’re looking to refine your skills, create a meaningful handmade gift, or simply try something new, you’ll leave inspired—and with a beautiful seasonal arrangement to enjoy at home.
Lorraine and Mary Lou met in 2016 while working as floral associates at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, where they designed art-inspired installations for galleries, restaurants, special events, and holiday displays. Today, through Artistry Floral, they create distinctive bouquets, tablescapes, and large-scale installations rooted in sustainability, seasonality, and high-quality blooms sourced from both local growers and global producers. Their work reflects a commitment to environmentally responsible practices and thoughtful, client-centered design.
All levels are welcome—beginners encouraged. Class size is limited; registration closes one week prior to allow time for materials preparation.
Required: Please bring scissors and a bucket or box to carry home your arrangement. $55 for MHS members, $70 for non-members. Register at www.mhs.org
Enjoy the unique flavors of fruits and vegetables collected from the food forest at the Charter School at the FARM Institute, 14 Aero Avenue in Edgartown. Let Cathy Walthers, local five-time cookbook author, and Roxanne Kapitan, garden creator, wow your taste buds with delicious nutrient-packed greens, grains, herbal mocktails, and more.
This program is free thanks to a grant from the Cedar Tree Foundation and the MV Agricultural Society.
Pre-registration is required for all Farm Institute cooking classes. Please contact thefarminstitute@thetrustees.org with any allergy or food restriction questions at or if you’d like to join as a member and receive discounted programming.
Consuming raw or undercooked meat, poultry seafood or eggs may increase your risk of food borne illness. If you would like to attend but are unable to pay, please reach out LBrown@thetrustees.org for more information.
Use your journal to capture the delicate beauty of early June at a Hollister House workshop on June 6 from 10 – 3:30. Combining pen and watercolor, we will create impressions of the beautiful flowering trees and shrubs abundant in the Hollister House gardens. We’ll start with a lesson in the barn on journaling tips and techniques, followed by a slow meander through the gardens to observe and note different buds and flowers, adding to our journals along the way. Your instructor will provide plenty of drawing and watercolor tips, both inside the barn and outside in this beautiful garden setting. All skill levels are welcome, and beginners are encouraged to join!
Bring a bag lunch. Water and snacks provided.
Required Materials: Journal and pen. You may bring your own or purchase a set for $35 when you register. We suggest a Micron 01 or 02 pen. Please click on the registration page for details and a full list of recommended materials.
Betsy Rogers-Knox is a botanical artist with a fascination for the full lifecycle of plants and the ecosystems they inhabit. She holds a Certificate in Botanical Illustration from The New York Botanical Garden and her work has been exhibited widely across the U.S. and internationally, including the ASBA International Exhibitions, NYBG Triennials, and the RHS Botanical Art Exhibit in London, where her paintings of Beckley Bog earned the Judges’ Special Award for their educational and ecological value. Betsy’s illustrations are held in the permanent collections of the RHS Lindley Library and the Hunt Institute.
In this three-day Massachusetts Horticultural Society workshop on June 9, 11, & 12 from 10 – 2 with award-winning botanical artist, Alice Rosa, students will learn how to approach botanical subjects using colored pencils. We will begin with observation and drawing, focusing on how to study a plant and translate its structure onto paper. From there, we will work through the process of adding color, studying color layering and building it gradually while paying attention to subtle shifts in tone and hue. The course is designed to be an accessible introduction, allowing students to experiment, slow down, and become familiar with the medium. Some experience with drawing and the basics of botanical art will be helpful, though no prior experience with colored pencil is required.
Alice Rosa is a Fellow of the Society of Botanical Artists in London and a Professional Member of the Copley Society of Art in Boston, MA. She graduated with distinction from the Distance Learning Diploma Course of the Society of Botanical Artists. She is a studio artist at the Umbrella Arts Center in Concord, MA.
Alice was born and raised in Italy. She has a degree in foreign languages and literature from the University of Verona. She also holds a degree in art conservation from IVBC in Venice, where she specialized in the restoration of polychrome wood sculptures and paintings on panel. She currently lives in Concord, Massachusetts.
Join Cole Campbell, Production Horticulturist at Native Plant Trust, at Garden in the Woods to learn about how to care for your native plant seedlings. The June 13 and June 14 workshops will focus on how to successfully pot up seedlings and set them up for success as they grow in their first season. This is a follow up from the winter workshop, Introduction: Native Seed Sowing. $50 for either session. Register at https://www.nativeplanttrust.org/events/native-seedling-care-1/ or https://www.nativeplanttrust.org/events/native-seedling-care-2/
The grass family (Poaceae) is one of the largest families of flowering plants and generally the most diverse family in any local or regional flora. In this June 6 Native Plant Trust workshop at Garden in the Woods we’ll learn to identify the genera and common species of early-season grasses in New England that are dominant features of meadows and wetlands. This course is ideal for field botanists as well as gardeners interested in native meadow restoration and planting. The instructor is Dr. Lisa Standley, Botanist and Curator of Vascular Plants, New England Botanical Society. $150. Register at https://www.nativeplanttrust.org/events/early-season-grasses/
The Art Of Seaweed: We will explore the history of seaweed pressing in both a cultural and scientific context alongside a practical demonstration of the process. A Two Part Live Online Workshop With Molly MacLeod will be held on Tuesday 26th May & 9th June 4-6pm GMT 2026, but you can join the online sessions live, orwatch the recordings in your own time. Sign up and see more at https://plantsandcolour.co.uk/
