Boston Flora

Category: garden tour

  • Friday, January 29, 7:00 pm – A Full Moon Tour of Gore Place

    What was it like to live in the dark with only the Moon and a few candles to light your way?  Living in the Dark will explore life before the electric light.  Enjoy this special evening tour of the beautiful Governor Gore mansion. Led by a guide in period clothing, these tours focus on life in the early 19th century.

    Why is it called a Full Moon Tour? These tours take place each month on an evening near the full moon. The full moon was very important to early settlers as well as Native Americas. By providing additional light at night, the full moon allowed them to work late into evening and made night-time travel safer. Though varied in theme, each Full Moon Tour includes the major rooms of the mansion and offers a glimpse into the fascinating world of the Gores.

    Admission for Full Moon Tours is $12 adults, $8 children 6-12. Light refreshments are included.  Please note, these tours are designed for adults and older children and are not appropriate for children under 6 years of age. Parking is free. For reservations call (781) 894-2798.

    Additional Full Moon Tours will take place on Friday, February 26 and Wednesday, March 29 starting each night at 7pm (doors open at 6:30pm).  For directions, log on to www.goreplace.org.

  • Sunday, June 6 – Thursday, June 17 – Portugal: Gardens, Art & Architecture

    Pacific Horticulture Magazine announces yet another of its justly famous educational horticultural programs.  Katherine Greenberg, Past President of the Pacific Horticultural Foundation, will lead a trip to Portugal from June 6 – 17, 2010.  Experience the beautiful gardens and landscapes of Portugal.  Visit exceptional historic and private gardens featuring lovely tiles, water features, and sculptures.  Portugal is rich in garden traditions, since Roman times, with influences from Moorish designs and Portuguese explorations.  The tour begins in the northern city of Porto (known for its port wine), and continues through Bussaco and Lisbon, with an excursion to Sintra.  Along the way, enjoy the best of Portuguese culture and cuisine.  This tour is planned for a small group.  For a detailed itinerary, contact Sterling Tours at 619-299-3010, or log on to www.sterlingtours.info/choices.php.

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  • Sunday, June 27 – Tuesday, July 13 – The Tibetan Plateau

    On Sunday, June 27, Greg Graves, Board Member of Pacific Horticulture Foundation will lead a tour of the Tibetan Plateau which is described as a Journey for Plant Enthusiasts.  The high Tibetan Plateau has for centuries been a place of fascination for Western naturalists and explorers.  Its vast meadows support a wonderfully varied mix of grasses and wildflowers – and some of the richest alpine plant communities in the world. Expansive grasslands in the eastern part nurture those communities, while in the high basins further west, domestic yak and timid herds of wild ungulates like Tibetan gazelle and their predators, the Tibetan wolf and snow leopard, thrive.

    The Tibetan highlands form a resplendent tapestry of rolling hills, meadows, lakes surprisingly large and often a sky of deep blue with endless puffy clouds.  Local people still accompany their herds of yak, camping in traditional tents of canvas and felt (www.yurtalert.com).  Birders and plant enthusiasts tend to be well-rewarded for their efforts.

    From Chengdu in Sichuan Province, where you will visit the giant panda breeding center,  you travel by coach to Xining, with plenty of botanizing stops along the way, then by train to the historic town of Lhasa, and by bus again from the Lhasa Valley to Namco Lake, where wildflowers abound at 15,000 feet elevation.  For a detailed itinerary, contact Betchart Expeditions, Inc. at 1-800-252-4910, or log on to www.betchartexpeditions.com.  The per person cost of this extraordinary voyage is $4,395 plus air.

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  • Saturday, January 16, 9:00 – 12:00 noon – Trail Blazing with John Trexler

    Join Tower Hill Botanic Garden Executive Director John Trexler this Saturday, January 16, at 9:00 am, as he continues to improve the trails in the Asian Woods.  Learn basic plant identification, as well as proper pruning techniques – not to mention good, healthy aerobic exercise.  Bring gloves and pruning tools.  Free.  Meet in the Great Hall.  For directions and more information, log on to www.towerhillbg.org.

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  • Sunday, January 24, 1:00 – 1:45 pm – Winter Wellness Walk

    Great scenery and exercise, who could want more?  A brisk winter walk will help you stay healthy and connected to the Arnold Arboretum at a time when the landscape is pared down to its beautiful bones.  The emphasis is on fitness, with a healthy dose of information on seasonal plants and points of interest.   Join an Arnold Arboretum docent for this free walk, starting at 1 pm on Sunday, January 24 and lasting approximately 45 minutes.  Meet at the Hunnewell Visitor Center.  No registration is necessary.  After the tour, warm up with a cup of tea or hot chocolate in the Visitor Center.  For more information or possible weather cancellations, please call 617-384-5209.  For directions, log on to www.arboretum.harvard.edu.

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  • Saturday, January 16, 11:00 am – Snowshoeing Guided Walk

    On Saturday, January 16, beginning at 11 am, enjoy the signs of winter wildlife at the Mass Audubon Boston Nature Center, 500 Walk Hill Street, Mattapan, with a Teacher Naturalist as your guide.  Snowshoeing is an easy and fun way to get around.  You’ll discover animal tracks and signs, beautiful winter scenes, and hidden winter treasures.  Preregistration is not required, and snowshoe rental is included in the price ($8 for Mass Audubon members, $12 for non members),  For more information, call 617-983-8500, or email bnc@massaudubon.org.

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  • February 18 – March 2 – Explore Cuba: Environment, Botanical Gardens & National Parks

    Katherine Greenberg, Past President, Pacific Horticultural Foundation, will escort a tour to Cuba February 18 – March 2, 2010, under the auspices of Pacific Horticulture Magazine.

    Join like minded plant lovers for a long-awaited study tour of Cuba, where you  will visit the highly successful urban gardens of historic Havana, as well as the country’s national parks, important repositories of the island’s native flora. Cuba is the largest, most diverse, and species-rich island in the Caribbean. You’ll also enjoy the country’s cuisine, music, and culture. Meetings with Cubans will highlight the tour. All tour members must qualify to participate.

    Pacific Horticulture staff are working with a humanitarian organization, Global Exchange, to provide opportunities for those of you who work in the areas of horticulture, botanic gardens, or the environment to travel to Cuba as members of this information-gathering delegation. You must be a full-time or part-time professional or volunteer professional to qualify. Please contact them to receive an application to be a part of this exciting opportunity.  Global Exchange is a registered Travel Service Provider for Cuba with the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the US Treasury Department. This trip operates under their General License.

    Tour highlights will include visits to the Havana Botanic Garden, the La Terrazas reforestation project and the Sierra del Rosario Biosphere Reserve for orchids at the Orquidarium Soroa (pictured below), a trip to Zapata, recognized as the finest wetland in the Caribbean with extraordinary plantlife and wildlife, Cinfuegos, a city on the south coast, the Sierra del Cambray Mountains, the colonial city of Trinidad, and more.  For a detailed itinerary, contact 510-849-1627, or email office@pacifichorticulture.org.

  • Wednesday, March 3 – Monday, March 15 – The Gardens of India

    Every now and then we will call your attention to a luxurious garden tour opportunity.  We are in no way affiliated with any of these tour providers, so please do your own research, but if you’re looking for unusual, garden related travel, read this:

    India, most incredible India … the national fruit is the mango, the national tree is the Ficus bengalensis or the banyan tree and the national flower is the Lotus. Just like the Lotuses, prized for their serene beauty, the Taj Mahal is also prized for its beauty, beauty made as a result of a grief stricken Emperor Shahjahan as a memorial to his beloved wife Mumtaj Mahal. This is a very special one of a kind garden tour as it will focus on some incredible gardens and sights.Old Delhi – Raj Ghat – resting place of the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, Monument of Jama Masjid, Red Fort, Qutub Minar – Victory Tower, Lotus Shaped Bahai Temple, India Gate, Presidents Palace and Parliament House. Visit to Lodhi Garden, Mughal Garden – designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens and very rarely open to the public, Humayun’s Tomb – built in 1570, is of particular cultural significance as it was the first garden-tomb on the Indian subcontinent. It inspired several major architectural innovations, culminating in the construction of the Taj Mahal.

    Agra – Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, Taj Garden – Charbagh – In Islamic style of architecture, the garden is not just another feature but has a well-defined meaning and it symbolizes the spirituality.

    Bharatpur – the Royal City of Fatehpur Sikri – the city built of red sandstone includes the principal mosque of Old Delhi in India.

    Jaipur, the Pink City – Sisodia Rani Ka Bagh Garden – a symbol of love, Amber Palace, tour Pink City and Hawa Mahal for photos, Jantar Mantar – observatory built by the founder in 1728, City Palace Museum.

    Jodhpur – Mandore Garden, city tour including Jaswant Thada – Taking pride of place amongst the ornamental gardens and chattris is the fabulous white marble memorial to Jaswant Singh II, built in 1899.

    Udaipur, the city of lakes – Evening boat ride on Lake Pichola, visit to Jag Mandir Island, city tour including visits to City Palace, Sahelion-ki-bari – garden of the maidens, Jagdish Temple – built in 1651.

    Tour provider Donna Dawson achieved her master gardener certificate in 1995, through the University of Alberta Devonian Botanic Garden. She is a current member of the Royal Horticultural Society as well as the Garden Writers Association, Affiliate Member Canadian Institute of Travel Counsellors and member of the North American Travel Journalists Association.  Donna has been featured in numerous gardening magazines including Homemaker’s, Gardener for the Prairies, Gardens West, Canadian Gardening and Gardening Life, as well as local newspapers and Internet sites such as Familywave.com and iParenting.com where she is currently the expert on gardening. She is part of the expert panel at www.WorldReviewer.com with her specialty in gardens. She has also had the opportunity to provide photographs to European Homes & Gardens, BCAA and Doctor’s Review. Donna is the only outside writer for Tai Pan Travel magazine featuring gardens and plants from around the world and is also a writer for Vivir Bien, a lifestyle magazine out of the Republic of Panama where she talks about plants in tropical areas – in Spanish and English.

    Donna has appeared on Canada AM, HGTV’s Indoor Gardener and Calling All Gardeners. She and her husband were one of the few chosen to do a TV special called “the Garden Tourist” on Recreating Eden and while in China on tour, she was a special guest on China TV. She has also been a featured guest speaker at numerous Canadian gardening events including Canada Blooms and Victoria’s Art in Bloom.

    Land only cost of this trip $4,995, double occupancy.  For more information call toll free 1-866-642-7120 or email Donna Dawson at donna@icangarden.com.

  • Monday, December 28 – Wednesday, December 30, 10:00 am – Strawbery Banke Holiday House Tours

    Monday, December 28 – Wednesday, December 30, the docents of Strawbery Banke will enlighten you on the darkest days of winter. These guided 90-minute tours, beginning each day at 10 am,  focus on the evolution of winter traditions over the centuries. Visitors tour five historic houses at Strawbery Banke in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and experience the widely various decorations, sights, sounds, and smells of holidays and winter days past. Tickes are $12 for adults. Kids 5-12: $10. Kids 4 & under: FREE. Family rate: $30.  For tickets and information, log on to www.strawberybanke.org.

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  • Saturday, May 22 – Saturday, May 29 – Chelsea Flower Show and English Gardens Tour

    Do you need to give someone a Christmas gift wish list? The Education Department of Tower Hill Botanic Garden is sponsoring a guided tour of the Chelsea Flower Show and English Gardens from Saturday, May 22 through Saturday, May 29.  The Chelsea Flower show is considered to be the world’s pre-eminent horticultural event. Its Show Gardens are created by leading international landscape architects and garden designers. The Great Pavilion is the spectacular centerpiece of the CFS. Nurseries and growers dazzle visitors with displays of color from the world’s finest plant collections. The show also features the continuous Learning section that gives visitors insight into the gardens of the future. The Gardening Matters Marquee hosts talks by gardening experts, covering all aspects of gardening and design and gives the visitor the opportunity to pose questions to the experts. As added incentive, you will enjoy High Tea at a private estate overlooking magnificent gardens.  The price per person is $2,749, double occupancy, with a $585 single supplement.  Contact Tower Hill  at 508-869-6111, ext. 124 for a brochure, itinerary and purchase information.  You may also email registrar@towerhillbg.org.

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