Boston Flora

Category: Rhode Island

  • Sunday, April 24 – Wednesday, April 27 – Inspired by the Sea: The Material Culture of Newport and Other Ports of Call

    There is still time to register for the 2016 Newport Symposium, to be held April 24 – 27. The sea has always been the heart of Newport’s cultural identity. Through the 17th and 18th centuries, maritime enterprise forged cultural connections between cosmopolitan Newporters and makers, traders and collectors in Asia, Europe, and the Americas. But even as the city’s economy shifted away from trade towards scientific inquiry and recreation in the 19th and 20th centuries, the environment, heritage and mythology of the sea ensured that Newport remained a wellspring of artistic inspiration.

    Tom Michie, Senior Curator of American Decorative Arts at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, will speak on Real and Imagined Luxury Goods and their Impact on New England.  Patricia Kane of the Yale University Art Gallery will give a talk entitled Faithfully Made of the Best Materials: Cabinetmaking in Rhode Island, and Karina Corrigan, H.A. Crosby Forbes Curator of Asian Export Art at The Peabody Essex Museum in Salem will present Asia In Amsterdam: The Culture of Luxury in the Dutch Golden Age, and all that happens before lunch on Monday!  For a complete list of speakers and topics, and we assure you the list is tantalizing, visit http://www.newportmansions.org/learn/newport-symposium/symposium-program

    $550 for members of the Preservation Society of Newport County, $600 for general public.  Register online at www.newportmansions.org.

    symposium-banner

  • Thursday, February 18 – Sunday, February 21 – Rhode Island Spring Flower & Garden Show

    The 2016 Rhode Island Spring Flower & Garden Show at the Rhode Island Convention Center in Providence will surely be one to remember. Our Spring Fling theme will be our first show to delight ALL of your senses. As seen at our past shows, our talented gardeners will create beautiful gardens, full of eye-popping color for you to SEE. You will certainly SMELL the wonderful fragrance of the fresh flowers and greenery again this year. Many of our displays will be completely interactive, allowing you to TOUCH and feel the gorgeous bounty that spring provides. But hold on to your hat- this is where we really mix things up— At this year’s show, right in the heart of our magnificent garden displays, you will HEAR something so spectacular that your feet just won’t be able to keep still. Yes, that’s right- You may find yourself singing and dancing while viewing the gardens at this truly memorable Spring Fling. Chances are you won’t even realize that it’s the dead of winter or freezing cold outside because we will be seriously cranking up the heat at the 2016 Rhode Island Spring Flower & Garden Show!

    On Friday, February 19, from 4-7, the ever popular band, Reminisce will absolutely dazzle you with their amazing 50’s & 60’s musical performance – you heard it here, Doo Wop- right in the in the middle of our gardens! As if that weren’t exciting enough, on Saturday, February 20, from 4-7, the electrifying World Premier Band will kick it up a notch bring a whole new twist to your favorite music of the 90’s and today seeding it with funk, lots of dance, some exciting originals and their remarkable Rhythm & Blues. Tickets and all other information are available online at www.flowershow.com.

  • Through January 1 – Sparkle!

    Blithewold Mansion, Gardens & Arboretum invites you to partake in festive holiday fun for the entire family! Come, stroll through Blithewold’s illuminated Gardens (a special event in itself) and Greenhouse (warm up a bit while you take in the lovely Greenhouse displays), breathe in that crisp winter air, or join our carolers as they spread holiday cheer. There will be carol singing, hot cocoa, and s’mores around roaring bonfires in Blithewold’s Enclosed Garden.

    Each Friday night a different group will present two performances of carol singing, from 6:15 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. & 7:15 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. around the bonfire. The event, taking place at 101 Ferry Road in Bristol, Rhode Island, runs through January 1. For more information call 401-253-2707, or visit www.blithewold.org.

  • Thursday, November 5, 6:00 pm – The Gilded Plate: A Culinary History of America, 1870 – 1920

    Based on her recent book, The American Plate: A Culinary History in 100 Bites, Dr. Libby H. O’Connell, Chief Historian, The History Channel, will present a slide lecture about food in America, beginning just after the Civil War and ending with the close of World War I. From Gilded Age gourmet dishes like Baked Alaska and Oysters Rockefeller to every day basics like steelworkers’ goulash and Oreo cookies, Dr. O’Connell highlights the stories of food (and a few drinks) that enrich your understanding of the past. The lecture will take place at Rosecliff, 548 Bellevue Avenue in Newport on Thursday, November 5 beginning at 6 pm. Admission: Preservation Society members $10, General Admission $15. Advance registration is required. Please register online at www.newportmansions.org or call (401) 847-1851.

  • Wednesday, September 30, 6:00 pm – Living Artfully : At Home with Marjorie Merriweather Post

    In this illustrated Jacalyn and William Egan lecture to be held at Rosecliff on Wednesday, September 30 at 6 pm, author Estella Chung will discuss her book Living Artfully: At Home with Marjorie Merriweather Post, introducing us to Post’s life in three magnificent homes. From the opulent glamour of Mar-A-Lago in Palm Beach, to the rustic whimsy of Camp Topridge in the Adirondacks, to the elegant and formally furnished Hillwood estate and gardens in Washington, D.C., Marjorie Post brought to her residences a flawless style of living and entertaining. The personal stories of family, staff, and former guests bring to life the formal dinners, charity events, garden parties, and weekend retreats that made an invitation from Post the most sought after in her time. Ms. Chung will reveal not only the splendor of life in these residences, but also the behind-the-scenes efforts necessary to make it all happen.

    Estella M. Chung is head of oral history and curator of American material culture and historian at Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens, in Washington, D.C.

    Admission: $5 for Preservation Society members, general public $10. Advance registration required. Please register online at www.newportmansions.org, or call (401) 847-1851.

  • Saturday, August 29, 8:30 am – 12:30 pm – Taste of the Market: Tomatoes

    The Coastal Growers’ Market and Historic New England invite you to taste a variety of fruits and vegetables from local Rhode Island farmers during the height of Southern New England’s agriculture season. The event takes place Saturday, August 29 from 8:30 – 12:30 at Casey Farm, 2325 Boston Neck Road in Saunderstown, Rhode Island.

    Casey Farm is one of three vegetable growers offering a taste of the season. Tasting is free, but feel free to support local farmers by purchasing your favorites from each of the vegetable growers. In addition to tasting, there will also be music, coffee, bakery items, and many other delicious treats. Free. Date is subject to change due to availability of crop. Please call 401-295-1030 for more information, or visit www.historicnewengland.org.

  • Friday, August 14, 8:30 am – 5:00 pm – Trip to Sakonnet Garden & Sakonnet Vineyard

    Travel to Little Compton, RI, for an owner-led tour of the unique Sakonnet Garden. Lunch will be at Carolyn’s Sakonnet Vineyard, followed by a winery tour and tastings of their award-winning wines.

    Sakonnet is a secret garden embedded within a native coastal fields landscape. At the diminutive scale of a cottage garden, it is conceived as an intimate place to explore, with multiple paths leading one onward to unexpected experiences. Each outdoor room reflects the owner’s ongoing experiments with lighting, space, color mixing, collecting and growing wonderful plants.

    Sakonnet Vineyard’s microclimate and soil conditions resemble the maritime climate of northern France, allowing for production of some of New England’s most popular and distinctive wines. The trip is sponsored by Tower Hill Botanic Garden, and you may register online at www.towerhillbg.org. THBG Member $125, Non-member $140, includes bus transportation, guided tour of garden, lunch, and winery tour and tastings.

  • Thursday, July 16, 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm – A Path to Beauty and Bounty: Building a Sustainable Eco-System

    For landscape designer Sanne Kure-Jensen, this path began with a historic farm dating to 1670. After years of ecologically-guided design, planting and maintenance, this Portsmouth, Rhode Island destination is a thriving landscape ecosystem and bountiful garden.

    The professionally designed, organically managed property includes a wildflower meadow, liberty lawn and honeybee apiary. Perennial and woodland gardens offer food and shelter for pollinators, birds and wildlife as well as compost inputs and firewood. Leaves, twigs, finished compost and wood ash feed soil life, continuing the cycle.

    Vegetable and herb gardens feed the homeowners with a comfortable balance between pests and beneficial insects. Fruit trees and shrubs benefit honeybees; homeowners share berries, fruit and honey. This organically managed property has received a Backyard Wildlife Habitat certification from the National Wildlife Federation. As you stroll through this idyllic property, you will learn how the garden welcomes diversity in plant, animal, insect and microbial life. Throughout the tour, Sanne will share tips for how you can create client enthusiasm for sustainable landscapes. Register for this Ecological Landscape Alliance tour, to be held on Thursday, July 16 from 4 – 6. $20 for ELA members, $30 for nonmembers. See more at: http://www.ecolandscaping.org/event/a-path-to-beauty-and-bounty-building-a-sustainable-eco-system/#sthash.iQK6Ohuk.dpuf

  • Thursday, July 9, 9:30 am – 11:30 am – Angela Moore Fashion Show & Champagne Brunch

    The Preservation Society of Newport County and nationally known designer Angela Moore host a fashion show and brunch at Rosecliff, 548 Bellevue Avenue in Newport. This year marks Angela’s 16th show and the second year of the special collaboration with the Preservation Society. All proceeds from this debut event will benefit the Preservation Society’s mission to protect, preserve and present its exceptional collection of house museums and landscapes.

    The theme of the show will be Fashion Through the Decades, celebrating the 70th anniversary of the Preservation Society.  The show will include an exclusive exhibit of iconic fashions from the Preservation Society’s collection, dating from 1945 to the present, plus the latest in resort fashions modeled by Newport style stars and VIP guests.. In addition to showing her own new collection and debuting limited edition Newport Forever jewelry, the show will also feature other well-known designers including Manuel Canovas, Just Madras, and Jack Rogers.

    The doors of Rosecliff will open at 9 a.m. Guests are invited to have their picture taken on the “Red Carpet” staircase of Rosecliff prior to enjoying cocktails on the terrace before proceeding to the ballroom for the fashion show and brunch.

    Seating is limited. Admission is $90 for Preservation Society members and $95 for non-members, and includes the Fashion Show, Champagne Brunch, a $25 Angela Moore Gift Certificate and an exclusive package ticket to tour another Preservation Society property, The Elms (1901), and take the behind the scenes Servant Life Tour.

    Purchase tickets at http://tix.newportmansions.org/ecommerce/default.aspx.

  • Friday, June 5, 9:30 am – 3:00 pm – Sustainable Sites Tour of Rhode Island

    Visit two notable sustainable landscapes in Rhode Island with the Ecological Landscape Alliance. The first is Kent Hospital, where an award-winning landscape design transformed the 40-acre campus into a showcase for sustainable design practices; we will see rain gardens and healing gardens. The second site is a small urban lot that was redesigned to reflect Rhode Island native plant communities, demonstrate enhanced storm water management, and promote biodiversity. Bring a bag lunch.  $68 for ELA members, $85 for nonmembers. Register and see more at: http://www.ecolandscaping.org/event/sustainable-sites-tour-rhode-island/#sthash.ode0GjV8.dpuf

    Tom Benjamin is an independent registered Landscape Architect and LEED Accredited Professional (AP BD+C) practicing design and sustainability consulting and is Principal of Wellnesscapes. Tom has more than 20 years experience in environmental design and sustainability work often focused on green design, including energy, waste, water and food systems. In addition to residential restoration, Tom’s site planning work emphasizes low cost, low maintenance landscape solutions for healthcare, academic and senior institutions, public facilities, commercial and residential developments, large-scale solar farms and community farms/gardens. Tom teaches sustainable landscape design at the University of Massachusetts. He is the recipient of multiple awards, including three for his sustainable landscape design work at Kent Hospital located in Warwick, RI. Tom is also a Board Member of the Ecological Landscape Alliance (ELA).