Boston Flora

Category: Rhode Island

  • Thursday, April 26 – Sunday, April 29 – The 26th Annual Newport Symposium: Great Collectors – Taste, Passion, & Patronage

    Throughout the centuries and around the world, collectors have passionately pursued objects of fascination and beauty reflecting an intriguing combination of personal interests and aesthetics, validation, and outside influences. Join The Preservation Society of Newport County for a stimulating weekend of lectures, social events, and camaraderie as the Newport Symposium returns with a perennial favorite topic: great collectors. Preeminent national and international presenters will explore the underpinnings of collecting, and bring the fascinating stories of collectors to life. Opening Reception: Thursday, April 26, 2018 5:30 – 7:30 PM. Lectures, Private Tours, Events: Friday, April 27 to midday Sunday, April 29.
    Gala Dinner at The Breakers: Saturday, April 28. View the full weekend schedule and  at http://www.newportmansions.org/learn/newport-symposium/symposium-schedule

  • Saturday, March 3, 8:30 am – 4:00 pm – Creating a Resilient Garden

    The URI Master Gardener Program is pleased to bring you Creating a Resilient Garden, an engaging one-day gardening symposium designed for those who want to learn more about creating beautiful and environmentally-sound gardens. The sessions will help you DESIGN resilient gardens, DISCOVER herb gardening, and DECODE the truth about garden remedies. Educating and entertaining their audiences, these three keynote speakers are accomplished specialists in their fields and possess a wealth of knowledge and expertise.

    Please join us on Saturday, March 3 at the Center for Biotechnology and Life Sciences on URI’s Kingston Campus. The facility is accessible to all, and the symposium is open to gardeners of all skill levels — novice to expert! Topics and Speakers include:

    Beauty, Integrity, Resilience: Can a Garden Have Everything? by C. Colston Burrell (pictured below)

    Do our gardening practices have a negative impact on the environment? Can we make a difference by changing the way we approach design, plant choice, planting techniques and maintenance regimes? How do we meet our aesthetic goals while providing the structure and resources necessary to maintain the insects and birds we love? Can we create healthy habitat with a mixture of native and exotic plants? We’ll explore these topics in relation to sustainability, aesthetics and ecosystem function.

    Bloom Where You Are Planted: A Medley of Herbal Ideas by Linda A.Fleming

    Learn everything you have ever wanted to know about growing and using herbs. Seed starting, seed saving, growing, propagation, and harvesting, as well as Linda’s favorite herb garden design, will be presented. Linda will share wonderful herbal ideas and recipes for entertaining. There will be a “hands on” lesson for herbal vinegars. Topics such as her love affair with scented geraniums as pass-along plants, herb topiary instructions and handmade seed packets will be included.

    The Truth About Garden Remedies by Jeff Gillman

    From beer used as fertilizer to baking soda for powdery mildew, there is no shortage of amazing cabinet cures for whatever ails your garden, but which of these cures actually work and which don’t? In this talk we will take a look at many of the most common cabinet cures from all over and discuss which ones work, which ones don’t and why.

    Tickets are $75 and registration deadline is February 20. Register at https://web.uri.edu/mastergardener/symposium/

  • Friday, December 22, 5:00 pm, 6:00 pm, and 7:00 pm – Sparkle!

    Sparkle! Enjoy Blithewold’s marshmallow-roasting-Christmas-carol-singing-cocoa-sipping-strolling-through-the-twinkling-garden-paths-fun-for-the-whole-family event at the Gardens located at 101 Ferry Road in Bristol, Rhode Island.

    Free Hot Cocoa. S’mores kits are 1 for $2, and 3 for $5 (a part of the proceeds benefits the Boy Scouts). Carol-singing around the fire performances at 6 and 7 pm.

    The beautifully illuminated Gardens and lavishly decorated Mansion are fragile and can suffer from too many visitors. This year they’ve set up 3 Sparkle sessions at 5 pm, 6 pm and 7 pm that will help us better control the flow of traffic and help preserve the House and Grounds.

    Pre-registration is required:
    Member Adult $2
    Member Child (3 years and older) $1
    Member Family (2 Adults and 2 Kids) $5
    Non-Member Adult $16
    Non-Member Child (3 years and older) $3
    Non-Member Family (2 Adults and 2 Kids) $36

    Please select your arrival time during registration. Admission to the Mansion is included. To register call 401-253-2707, or visit https://www.blithewold.org/sparkle-an-outdoor-family-event/

  • Thursday, December 7, 8:30 am – 4:30 pm – Christmas at Blithewold and Linden Place

    Join Tower Hill Botanic Garden on Thursday, December 7 for a field trip to Rhode Island. Enjoy the charm and beauty of Bristol at Christmas Time with guided tours of Blithewold and Linden Place, both decked out in holiday splendor, and lunch at the Lobster Pot with spectacular views of Narragansett Bay. Tower Hill member price $125, nonmembers $150, includes transportation, lunch, and guided tours. Register online at http://www.towerhillbg.org/trips-and-tours/

  • Thursday, November 2, 11:00 am – Managing Newport’s Veteran Trees

    Newport’s landscapes comprise one of the largest and most diverse collections of mature and exotic specimen trees in the United States. As with all living organisms, providing optimum conditions to help ensure tree longevity becomes more important and extensive as trees age. This November 2 discussion at Rosecliff, 548 Bellevue Avenue in Newport, will describe key considerations for managing mature tree populations within the arboreta setting. We will also discuss efforts by the Preservation Society to plan and plant the next generation of landscape trees within The Breakers Arboretum. Bruce Fraedrich, Ph.D, and Christopher Fletcher, Bartlett Tree Experts, will lead the discussion.

    Admission is free, but advance registration is required. Sign up at http://www.newportmansions.org/events/events-calendar/lecture-managing-newports-veteran-trees

  • Wednesday, October 25, 11:00 am – The Breakers Cultural Landscape Report

    John Grove, Landscape Architect, and Leslie Carter, Landscape Architect, Reed Hilderbrand, will speak on Wednesday, October 25 at 11 am at Rosecliff, 548 Bellevue Avenue in Newport.

    The Preservation Society of Newport County commissioned Reed Hilderbrand Landscape Architects of Cambridge, MA in collaboration with Robinson & Associates Landscape Historians of Washington, DC to prepare a Cultural Landscape Report (CLR) for The Breakers. A CLR documents a site’s history and existing conditions, provides an analysis of the landscape’s integrity and significance, and outlines treatment recommendations for the preservation, interpretation and stewardship of the property. Join us to learn about the fascinating history of The Breakers grounds and the guidelines established in preparation for its upcoming landscape rehabilitation. Image from www.change.org.

    Admission is free, but advance registration is required. Register online at http://www.newportmansions.org/events/events-calendar/lecture-the-breakers-cultural-landscape-report

  • Saturday, October 21, 10:00 am – Pumpkin Decoupage Workshop

    What could be more “autumn in New England” than pumpkins decorated with fall leaves. On Saturday, October 21 beginning at 10 am, enjoy a morning of family crafts, where we will be decorating our pumpkins with colorful leaves gathered at Green Animals. Join us for a garden walk and decoupage! The workshop takes place at Green Animals Topiary Garden, 380 Cory’s Lane in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, and is presented by the Preservation Society of Newport County.

    Open to families with kids of all ages, but limited to 24 participants. Materials fee of $15. Advance registration is required. Register online at www.newportmansions.org, or call (401) 847-1851.

  • Wednesday, October 11, 11:00 am – Ernest Bowditch: Out of Olmsted’s Shadow

    The Preservation Society of Newport County will host a lecture on Wednesday, October 11 at 11 am at Rosecliff, 548 Bellevue Avenue in Newport. Jim Donahue, Curator of Historic Landscapes & Horticulture for the Society, will speak on Ernest Bowditch: Out of Olmsted’s Shadow. Ernest W. Bowditch (1850-1918) was a key figure in the evolution of the profession of landscape architecture in the late 19th century. Over a 40-year career, Bowditch’s firm designed over 2,500 projects ranging from Gilded Age estate master plans to designs for planned garden suburbs and civil engineering projects. The Breakers landscape plan helped to launch Bowditch, and he returned to redesign the site over the course of his career. Come and learn about Bowditch, his relationship to the Vanderbilts, and the private paradise they created at The Breakers.

    Admission is free, but advance registration is required. Register at http://www.newportmansions.org/learn/lectures/lecture-ernest-bowditch-out-of-olmsteds-shadow

  • Friday, October 13, 9:00 am – 3:30 pm – The Telling and Selling at Blithewold Gardens

    Join The Association for Garden Communicators (GWA) on Friday, October 13 from 9 – 3:30 at Blithewold Gardens in Bristol, Rhode Island, for a day long seminar and garden tour to help develop a better marketing plan for yourself, your business, your not for profit, or horticulture at large. Speakers include Angela Treadwell-Palmer and C.L. Fornari, plus a tour of the Blithewold Gardens and Greenhouse with Gail Read, Garden Manager. Additional tour opportunities on Thursday, October 12 and Saturday, October 14 include trips to Green Animals Topiary Garden, Roger Williams Park Botanical Center, Samuel Whitehorn House, and the Farmers Daughter Nursery. Registration prices range from $50 – $95, online at www.gardenwriters.org.

  • Friday, September 8 – Sunday, September 10, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm – Newport Secret Garden Tours

    A self-guided walking tour of private gardens in historic Newport, Rhode Island will take place September 8, 9, and 10 from 10 – 5. Tickets may be purchased for $25 on the day of the tour or $20 in advance, at http://www.secretgardentours.org/calendar.htm

    To Purchase Ticket(s) on the Day of the Tour:
    Tickets may be purchased for $25 at the Newport Visitors’ Center at 23 America’s Cup Avenue (cash or credit card), or at Kingscote Mansion at 253 Bellevue Avenue (cash and personal check accepted).

    To Purchase Ticket(s) in Advance
    You may purchase tickets in advance by calling (401) 439-7253 or online. Tickets will be held for you at Kingscote in September, and can be picked up during tour hours Fri, Sat and Sun 10:00am to 5:00pm.

    When You Arrive
    Check in at the ticket office desk at Kingscote Mansion at 253 Bellevue Avenue and you will be given a program with a map and directions to each of the gardens. Your ticket will be honored for the purchaser on any or all days of the tour, allowing for inclement weather, schedule conflicts, or just a late start.