Boston Flora

Category: Members Only

  • Wednesday, October 18, 2:00 pm – Art in Bloom On The Road

    The October meeting of The Garden Club of the Back Bay will be held at The Chilton Club, 152 Commonwealth Avenue, on October 18 at 2 pm. This is a members only meeting, but if you’d like to join the Club, visit their website at https://bostonflora.com/store to take advantage of the full year of activities planned for 2023 – 2024.

    The MFA Boston was the first museum in the country to host Art in Bloom — a magnificent pairing of flowers and art.  The Art in Bloom Roadshow brings the Art in Bloom experience to you with an informative PowerPoint presentation of the art and flower arrangements that wows visitors. 

    The PowerPoint will be presented by an engaging MFA art guide who has been trained by the museum.  It is followed by a live floral demonstration by an MFA trained Associate.  The floral arrangement is inspired by an art object from the MFA’s collection.  

    The Art in Bloom Roadshow offers a compelling “guided tour” and an up-close look at the stunning flowers and art that make Art in Bloom the busiest weekend of the year at the MFA Boston. If you have any questions about GCBB programs, feel free to contact Program Committee co-chairs, Jackie Blombach or Christine Hirshland.

  • Thursday, April 13, 10:00 am – Immersion: Living and Learning in an Olmsted Garden

    Please join The Boston Committee’s Spring Meeting and Luncheon on Thursday, April 13 at The Country Club, Clyde Street, Brookline, at 10 am. Author Nola Anderson will recount her personal story of restoring The Chimneys, a 28-acre estate in Manchester-by-the-Sea. The original Italianate gardens at The Chimneys were designed by Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. between 1903 and 1914. By 1991, when Ms. Anderson and her husband purchased the property, the gardens had been neglected for more than 40 years and she had never gardened a day in her life. The restoration and renewal of these historic seaside gardens became Ms, Anderson’s three-decade, hands-on personal passion, as she developed the expertise and horticultural proficiency for the evolving design and management. The Chimneys’ gardens are once again the centerpiece of the estate and a vibrant example of horticultural elegance. Using archival materials and sumptuous contemporary photographs, Ms. Anderson’s talk will offer rare views of one of the most beautiful private gardens in America.

    $30 for the lecture only, and an additional $35 for the optional luncheon following. The book may be ordered in advance through the Eventbrite invitation, which will be sent to members of Clubs which participate in the Boston Committee of the GCA. The Garden Club of the Back Bay is one such club, and if you are a member, you will receive the invitation. If you are not already a member, and wish to join, visit https://bostonflora.com/

  • Tuesday, March 28, 1:00 pm – Texture in Floral Design Workshop

    Join Carolyn Ellis on Tuesday, March 28 at 1 pm at The First Lutheran Church of Boston, 299 Berkeley Street, to explore the role of texture in floral design. Create your own arrangement, following Carolyn’s step-by-step demonstration, or use workshop materials to create your own design. All materials, including container, flowers and tools will be provided but if you have favorite flower snips, feel free to bring them. There is a $65.00 non-refundable materials fee for this program.
     

    Carolyn has been designing flowers at the Museum of Fine Arts as an MFA Associate for more than ten years. Her work includes flower arrangements for the visitor center and for special events, holiday demonstrations for museum members, and training for incoming floral designers. She has done many Art in Bloom Roadshow demonstrations. Carolyn loves to share the basics of floral design with flower lovers, and one of her teaching videos for LexMedia cable television received an award for excellence in 2021.

    This program is for Garden Club of the Back Bay Members Only. For information on joining the Club to entitle you to participate, visit https://bostonflora.com/ Even counting the annual dues into the calculation, this class is good value. Plus, you are contributing to the beautification of the Back Bay and the Club’s commitment to urban tree care. Please rsvp by March 15 and pay the materials fee on Eventbrite by clicking HERE. 

    For questions about this program contact Nancy Cyr by clicking HERE. Nancy will keep a waiting list should spaces fill up. Out of respect for our fellow club members, please be sure to let her know if you cannot attend and need to cancel. 

    Tickets are non-refundable. If you cannot attend, we will consider your payment a contribution and you will receive an 
    acknowledgment. 

  • Wednesday, February 7, 10:00 am – Garden Club of the Back Bay February Meeting: Urban Gardening with Gretel Anspach

    Urban gardening is about growing food and ornamentals in small spaces.  Whether you have a huge yard without the time or desire to tend it all, or an apartment with no outdoor space at all, this talk will give you tips and techniques to start and maintain a garden you can call your own. We will also learn about what’s new in small space gardening. The Garden Club of the Back Bay’s February 7 meeting will be held at The Chilton Club, 152 Commonwealth Avenue (entrance on Dartmouth Street) beginning at 10 am.

    Gretel Anspach is a Trustee of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, a Lifetime Master Gardener with the Massachusetts Master Gardener Association, and a recently-retired systems engineer for Raytheon. She won the MMGA Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016. Gretel established and maintains a 20,000 square foot food production garden that has provided fresh produce to the Marlboro and Maynard Food Pantries for the last ten years. Her primary interest and focus is always in the science behind horticulture (Biography citation: Plymouth Public Library).


    If you are not a member but are interested in attending, email info@bostonflora.com

  • Thursday, November 10, 10:00 am – The Boston Committee of The Garden Club of America Fall Lecture and Luncheon: The Importance of Conserving Plant Diversity in New England

    As Director of Conservation, Michael Piantedosi leads the Native Plant Trust’s internationally recognized Conservation Department, which focuses on saving imperiled plants, restoring habitat, and documenting the state of New England’s plants. Michael oversees a team of conservation staff and many of the 1,500 trained volunteers who work throughout New England each year to monitor and protect rare and endangered plants, collect and preserve seeds to ensure biological diversity, detect
    and control invasive species, and conduct research. Michael is active in the Center for Plant Conservation network where the Native Plant Trust acts as a Participating Institution (PI). He is also the point of contact for listing New England rare plants on the IUCN Red List (the international list of rare and endangered species). Prior to joining NPT, Michael was Curatorial Horticulturalist at the Museum of Science, Boston, and held positions at the Woodman Horticultural Research Farm and the
    Center for Freshwater Biology. He recently co-authored the landmark publication ‘Conserving Plant Diversity in New England,’
    ” a collaboration of NPT and the Nature Conservancy. The Boston Committee of The Garden Club of America invites its members to the Fall Lecture and Luncheon on November 10 beginning with a reception at 10 am, the lecture at 10:30, and luncheon at 11:30, at The Country Club in Brookline. Club members will receive an invitation through Eventbrite. For more information visit https://bostoncommitteegca.org/

  • Wednesday, November 9, 2:00 pm – Garden Club of the Back Bay November Meeting: Speak for the Trees

    The mission of Speak For the Trees is to improve the size and health of the urban tree canopy in Boston, with a focus on under-resourced and under-canopied neighborhoods. They partner closely with community organizations to better understand and deeply engage residents in their work by raising awareness about the importance of trees and the role that every resident can take in planting and caring for trees.

    David Meshoulam, Co-Founder and Executive Director, will speak to us about how we can advocate for municipal policies governing tree planting. He will also cover:

    • What they do at Speak For The Trees 
    • Defining “tree equity”
    • Selecting sites and species  
    • How they educate residents to care for their trees
    • Their collaboration with the City of Boston

    David (pronounced Dah-veed) co-founded Speak for the Trees in 2018. Trained as a science educator, his work has focused on ways to increase understanding of the connections between science, culture, and history and to empower people to be change agents. He holds a PhD in Curriculum & Instruction from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, is a Senior Fellow at the Environmental Leadership Program, and is co-chair of the Urban Ecology Collaborative.

    This will be a combined meeting with the Beacon Hill Garden Club. rsvp to Susie Shafer before November 1.

  • Thursday, October 27, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm – Night of Illumination at Garden in the Woods

    Night of Illumination is back and tickets are on sale now! All Native Plant Trust personal members are eligible to purchase tickets to our annual members-only fall event, Night of Illumination. Stroll along paths at Garden in the Woods lit by more than 1,000 luminaria on Thursday, October 27, 2022. There will be food for purchase brought to the Garden by Anzio’s Brick Oven Pizzeria food truck. Join us for this wonderful evening filled with intriguing sights and seasonal strolls.

    Tickets must be purchased online and in advance. There will be no on-site ticket sales on the night of the event. 

    Adults – $14.00 (18+)

    Children – $7.00 (6-17)

    Children 5 and under – free 

    Parking for Night of Illumination will be available at Hemenway Elementary School (729 Water Street, Framingham, MA 01701), Potter Road Elementary School (492 Potter Road, Framingham, MA 01701), King Elementary School (454 Water Street, Framingham, MA 01701), and Cameron Middle School (215 Elm Street, Framingham, MA 01701). There will be a continuous shuttle bus service throughout the evening to bring you to and from the Garden.

    Night of Illumination is an exclusive event for Native Plant Trust members and their guests, but tickets will go quickly. Get your tickets today!

  • Monday, October 17, 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm – Mini Pumpkin Decorating Pop Up

    Garden Club of the Back Bay member Nancy Cyr will demonstrate how to embellish mini pumpkins with succulents and dried flowers, in a workshop to be held October 17 from 3 – 5. The cost of $20 will include all materials, including the glue! RSVP no later than Friday, October 14 if you plan to attend, so she may purchase the correct number of pumpkins and accessories. The event will be held at 181 Marlborough St Unit 2. Please pay in advance at https://bostonflora.com/shop/

  • Wednesday, September 14, 10:30 am – Garden Club of the Back Bay September Meeting: Beauport, Sleeper-McCann House

    The Garden Club of the Back Bay kicks off the 2022/2023 year with a field trip to Beauport, the Sleeper-McCann House, operated by Historic New England. There will be a docent-led tour of the 25-room house and gardens in Gloucester, followed by an optional box lunch meal at a local yacht club just down the street from Beauport. Members will receive notification and sign up details.

    Beauport, the Sleeper-McCann House, a National Historic Landmark, was the summer home of one of American’s first professional interior designers, Henry Davis Sleeper. Perched on a rock ledge overlooking Gloucester Harbor, Beauport was Sleeper’s retreat, backdrop for entertaining, and professional showcase, and an inspiration to all who visited.

    After Sleeper’s death, Beauport was purchased by the McCanns, who left it largely intact. Visit Beauport and see Sleeper’s lifetime collection of curiosities, colored glass, folk art, china, and silhouettes in every nook and alcove. Each of the forty rooms is distinguished by a historical or literary figure, theme, color, shape, or object. No two rooms are the same, and each is more visually dazzling than the last. Get to know Sleeper, a gay man living in the early twentieth century; his housekeeper, Mary Wonson; his fascinating neighbors; and the house’s many colorful guests.

  • Tuesday, September 13, 12:00 noon – Garden Club of the Back Bay New Members’ Luncheon Reception

    The Garden Club of the Back Bay welcomes its new members – invitations will be sent – to lunch at the St. Botolph Club on September 13. The reception will follow the fall Executive Committee Board meeting. If you are reading this and wish to join the Club, visit https://bostonflora.com/membership/