Boston Flora

  • Monday, July 20, 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm – Slow Wood

    Join The Walden Woods Project for an evening with environmental historian and forester Brian Donahue as he discusses his new book, Slow Wood: Greener Building from Local Forests. Drawing on history, ecology, and his own experience building a timber-frame home from sustainably managed Massachusetts woodlands, Donahue explores a compelling question: Can our homes once again be connected to the forests that surround them?

    For centuries, New England homes—including those near Walden Woods—were built and heated with locally harvested wood. As industrial logging transformed the lumber industry, that relationship was largely lost. Slow Wood asks whether a different path is possible—one that supports healthy forests, resilient communities, and more sustainable building practices.

    Donahue, Professor Emeritus of American Environmental Studies at Brandeis University and author of The Great Meadow, brings decades of research on New England’s environmental history to this timely conversation about conservation, forestry, and the future of housing.

    Monday, July 20, 2026 from 7:00–8:00 PM ET. The free talk takes place at The Walden Woods Project, Lincoln, MA (address provided upon registration) Register at https://www.walden.org/events/slow-wood-greener-building-from-local-forests-with-brian-donahue/

  • July & August – Massachusetts Summer Fairs

    Fair season in Massachusetts starts in mid-July and ramps up quickly through August. The western half of the state leads the way, with small agricultural fairs that feel more like Vermont than Boston.

    July: The Westport Fair (July 15–19) near the Rhode Island border is a classic agricultural fair with oxen pulls, horse shows, and a packed midway. On the same weekend, the Hampshire County 4-H Fair (July 18) in Cummington gives families a small, welcoming introduction to the fair circuit. The month wraps with the Barnstable County Fair (July 20–25) on Cape Cod — one of the few fairs in the state where you can smell salt air from the midway — and the Hampden County 4-H Fair (July 25) on the Big E grounds.

    August is peak fair month in Massachusetts. The Bolton Fair (August 14–16) in central Massachusetts is a local favorite — a traditional agricultural fair with demolition derbies, baking competitions, and a strong 4-H presence. The nearby Middlefield Fair (August 14–16) and Martha’s Vineyard Fair (August 13–16) run the same weekend, giving you options from the Berkshires to the islands.

    Later in August, the Littleville Fair (August 7–9), Heath Fair (August 21–23), Westfield Fair (August 21–23), and Hardwick Fair (August 21–23) all compete for your weekend. The massive Marshfield Fair (August 21–30) runs for ten days on the South Shore and draws some of the biggest crowds in the state.

    The month closes with the Cummington Fair (August 27–30), the Shelburne Grange Fair (August 29), the 3 County Fair in Northampton (August 29), and the Middlesex County 4-H Fair (August 28–30).

    For updated information check the websites of the organizing groups or visit Meet Me At The Fair.

  • Wednesday, July 15, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm Eastern – Essential Oil Perfume Workshop, Online

    Perfume can be traced back thousands of years to an Ancient Egyptian tradition, beloved by Cleopatra. Discover the history of perfume and the therapeutic benefits of essential oils. Learn scent-blending techniques and how to identify and keep perfume notes. Through demonstration, you’ll learn how to formulate three unique signature scents using wax, carrier oils, and essential oils, and one solid perfume, aromatherapy spray, and a roll-on perfume. This New York Botanical Garden online workshop takes place July 15 from 6 – 8 pm, and is $62 for NYBG members, $68 for nonmembers. Register at www.nybg.org

    Materials for Online Sessions: Click Here for pdf. Karine Gordineer is the instructor. Karine Gordineer is an Herbalist, Educator, and Healing Arts Practitioner with over 35 years of experience in herbalism, sustainability, and Earth-centered healing traditions. Introduced to the medicine ways by her father of Algonquin heritage and carrying forward the work of her grandfather and great-grandfather, both herbalists, she blends ancestral knowledge with formal, clinical training, including a Certificate in Botany from the New York Botanical Garden.

    Karine is also a Certified Plant Spirit Healing Practitioner, Shamanic Practitioner, and Reiki Master/Teacher. As the founder of Green Girl Herbs & Healing working with clients and as an instructor at NYBG, she weaves plant science, herbal wisdom, and spiritual traditions into teachings that help students reconnect with the Earth and its healing gifts.

    While participants are not required to blend materials along with the demonstration, the materials list explains what supplies you’ll want to have available so you can put what you’ve learned into action after class.

  • Saturday, July 18, 5:00 pm – 6:30 pm – Building a Local Food Movement: Organic & Regenerative Ideas in Practice

    Join the Martha’s Vineyard Agricultural Society on July 18 for a lively discussion about the future of food and farming with organic and regenerative principles. Caroline Pam, Co-Executive Director of Island Grown Initiative, will moderate a conversation between Dave Chapman of Long Wind Farm in VT and the Real Organic Project and Andrew Woodruff, owner of Whippoorwill Farm and IGI’s Regenerative Farming Consultant.

    COST: FREE and open to all, registration helpful. Register at www.marthasvineyardagriculturalsociety.org

  • Saturday, July 18, 10:30 am – 12:00 noon – Boston Greenspace Alliance President’s Walk on Riverway Park

    Riverway Park is a key part of Frederick Law Olmsted’s Emerald Necklace. After years of neglect, the park has been improved by the Muddy River Restoration Project. Learn more about Riverway Park’s history, recent changes, and future on a guided walk with Brookline GreenSpace Alliance President Sean Lynn-Jones on Saturday, July 18. The walk will start at 10:30 a.m. at the Longwood MBTA station on the “D” branch of the Green Line. Total distance will be about 1.25 miles. Participation is limited to 25 people. Please email info@brooklinegreenspace.org to register.

  • Saturday, July 25, 3:30 pm – Naumkeag Garden Party

    Experience the beauty of Naumkeag at their annual Garden Party.

    Stroll through lush gardens and explore the historic, rare Gilded Age “cottage” while enjoying seasonal cocktails, gourmet bites, and live music. Proceeds from this special event raise crucial support for our continued stewardship and programming of Naumkeag and all Berkshire region properties. This year, there is no valet parking. All parking will still be on site. Friends of Naumkeag and Fletcher Steele level tickets will be parked on our lower-level parking with a quick shuttle to the entrance of the party. All ticket holders purchasing at the Mabel Choate level and above will have preferred parking at the upper-level terrace by our greenhouses.

    Friends of Naumkeag (under age 40): $100
    Fletcher Steele (1 ticket): $185

    New this year, on-site childcare will be provided for children ages 3–12. If interested, please reserve your child’s spot when purchasing your tickets. Spaces are limited. Tickets may be purchased at https://thetrustees.org/program/naumkeag-garden-party/

  • Thursday, July 16, 12:00 noon – 1:30 pm Eastern – Plants that Pay the Rent, Online

    Many young and new gardeners approach gardening enthusiastically, but often without sufficient knowledge to make the best choices. They count on the word of a less-than-trained employee or standardized marketing labels to select plants for their garden. The aim of this Ecological Landscape Alliance online talk on July 16 at noon is to provide pithy information and plant suggestions that will end the cycle of buying or killing non-performing plants. They can then remove them (or not buy them) and replace with ones with traits ascribed to the selections vetted by Dan and horticulturists across the US. As one horticulturist could not know every great plant for every region, the author has reached out to others across the US to compile lists and pictures of plants that do not disappoint.   Plants are graded on everything from pest and disease resistance to flowering period, fall color and controlled nature.  Each chapter will cover a subclass of horticulture and the best plants within this group to plant. This talk has been adapted to accommodate various hardiness zones (Pacific Northwest, Midwest, Southeast and Southwest) and listed for cold tolerance to humidity to sun tolerance. Individual plant listings will be assigned a score based on the points accumulated by a criteria poll.

    Instructor Dan Heims has been deeply involved in all facets of horticulture since 1973. He has taught horticulture courses, wholesaled exotic plants, and run his own design-and-install landscape business. Terra Nova’s breeding programs have produced numerous international gold- and silver-medal winners, not to mention an impressive 1400 plant introductions! Dan’s articles and photography have been featured in a number of magazines. He has hosted a weekly radio gardening show on KKSN and has appeared on The Martha Stewart TV Show, Martha Stewart Omnimedia Radio, HGTV, and the BBC. His work and his garden have been featured in USA Today, Forbes, Better Homes and Gardens, Sunset Magazine, and Organic Gardening. Dan is a published author, having written 2 books. Dan travels the world in search of the newest plants. Along the way, he uses his unique blend of knowledge, wit, and humor to captivate audiences around the globe. He is a frequent speaker in every corner of the United States, as well as in Japan, England, New Zealand, Costa Rica, Germany, Holland, Denmark, Sweden, Switzerland, Tasmania, Australia, and Canada. Winner: Reginald Cory Memorial Cup | Royal Horticultural Society 2003 Winner: Award of Merit |Perennial Plant Association 2019 Winner: Luther Burbank Award | American Horticultural Society 2020.

    Free for ELA members, $35 for nonmembers. Register at https://ecolandscaping.org/events/

  • Thursday, July 16, 4:30 pm – In Full Bloom: A Conversation on Women in Horticulture

    Join The Trustees at Long Hill in Beverly on July 16 for an inspiring evening celebrating the women shaping the world of horticulture. This special event aims to bring together women at all levels of the horticulture field to share successes, discuss challenges, exchange practical tips, and explore the many paths that lead to a career working with plants and landscapes.

    The evening begins with tours of the gardens, offering a unique opportunity to experience the beauty and diversity of the landscape while learning from horticulture professionals. Tours will be led by Long Hill Horticulturist, Kristyn Stogner, and Plant Records Manager, Robin Karoway-Waterhouse. Following the tours, guests are invited to gather under the tent for a reception and panel discussion featuring women from a variety of horticultural backgrounds. Through candid conversation and audience engagement, panelists will reflect on their experiences, lessons learned, and the evolving opportunities within the green industry. Trustees members $15, nonmembers $25. For more information visit https://thetrustees.org/event/448109/

  • Tuesday, July 14, 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm – Garden to Glass

    Learn fresh cocktail making tips & tricks featuring ingredients from the UP roof garden during this free class on July 14 at Urban Park.

    Let’s shake things UP! During this class we’ll be learning cocktail making tips and tricks, featuring ingredients growing in the raised veggie beds at the Urban Park roof garden! For July we will be making a “Garden Gimlet” with cucumbers and basil from our garden.

    Each class will last approximately 1 hour. We ask that registered attendees arrive no later than 10 minutes after class start to ensure they can participate. Guests that have not checked in by this time, may be counted as no shows so that we can open spots to walk ins.

    Every occurrence of this popular series is free to attend and open to all, but space is limited and registration is required. T The only way to register is via Eventbrite. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/july-garden-to-glass-garden-gimlet-tickets-1990439263418?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

    As space is limited for these classes, please cancel your registration if you can no longer attend, and do so a minimum of 1 hour prior to the class start. Each session typically has a waitlist, so cancelling your registration in a timely manner gives those waiting a chance to register and attend.

    The Urban Park (UP) roof garden is a public park atop the Kendall Center Green Garage in Cambridge, MA. Come on up and enjoy a rooftop oasis; accessible via the garage’s elevators and stairwells or via the Main Street social stair next to the MBTA outbound station.

  • Wednesday, July 22, 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm – Flora Culture: How Flowers Shape Our World

    Our love of flowers and desire to be close to them has, across cultures and for millennia, created both landscapes and livelihoods. In her book Flora Culture: How Flowers Shape Our World, Christin Geall covers hot topics such as aesthetics, appropriation, fair trade, floriculture, globalization, indigeneity, modernism, seasonality, and tokenism—to name only a few of the over eighty entries presented here in an accessible A to Z format.

    In her inimitable style, Geall shares personal stories and ideas from growers and designers, weaving her narratives between art, ecology, and history to get readers truly thinking about their relationships to plants, gardens, and design. Hear the author at the Boston Athenaeum, 10 1/2 Beacon Street, on July 22 at 6 pm. Register at www.bostonathenaeum.org

    ABOUT THE SPEAKER

    Christin Geall is an acclaimed writer, designer, and photographer whose work focuses on the intersections of nature, culture, and horticulture. She is the author of Cultivated: The Elements of Floral Style. Following the success of her first book, she now turns her attention to our global relationships with flowers and plants.

    TICKETS & TICKET POLICIES

    Tickets are required for this event. Members and their guests are at no cost. Visitor tickets are $20 and include first floor admission. Tickets are refundable if canceled up to 48 hours before the event.

    By attending an event at the Boston Athenaeum, you may be photographed or recorded. Your presence indicates consent to the use of your image, voice, and name in any media related to the Boston Athenaeum’s work, including on websites, social media, news, and promotional materials.