Join the Isabella Stewart Gardner Curator of the Collection Alan Chong for this fascinating exploration of Isabella Gardner’s artistic vision and broader goals in creating a museum that would be architecturally distinct yet seamlessly interwoven into Boston’s urban fabric. Tickets are free and may be reserved in advance. A $1.50 service fee applies to tickets reserved online. Tickets may also be reserved in person at the Museum’s front entrance at 280 The Fenway or by calling the Gardner Box Office at 617-278-5156. For more information log on to www.gardnermuseum.org.
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Saturday, June 6, 11-5 – Festival of Historic Houses, Providence
The 30th annual Festival of Historic Houses, sponsored by the Providence Preservation Society, will take place 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eight houses in the Queen Anne, Victorian, and Colonial Revival styles will be featured on the tour. Formed in 1956 to respond to the proposed demolition of a number of 18th- and early 19th-century houses on College Hill, the Providence Preservation Society (PPS) has grown from that small neighborhood group to a multifaceted citywide preservation organization. The Saturday tour will begin with registration at Wheeler School’s Baker House (217 Hope Street, Providence, RI 02906) on the corner of Stimson Avenue. The Stimson Avenue area features superb examples of restored Queen Anne, Victorian, and Colonial Revival architecture. See the remarkable interior detail behind these otherwise-closed doors. Tour goers who purchase their Saturday tour tickets by June 4 will be entered in a drawing for one of four Tiffany & Co. Sterling Silver Key Pendants from the new Tiffany Keys Collection. Tickets, $35, at the Baker House, 217 Hope Street. Information: (401) 831-7440 and ppsri.org.
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Sunday, June 7 , 6 a.m. – noon – Paul Parent Live Broadcast
Mahoney’s Garden Center in Winchester will host a live broadcast of Paul Parent’s Gardening Advice show on Sunday, June 7 at Mahoney’s Garden Center in Winchester, Massachusetts. Paul Parent has been on the radio providing gardening advice to listeners in New England for the last twenty years. Paul’s expert gardening advice is now heard on stations all over the country with one half million listeners. The Live Broadcast is from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m., and the Q & A will be from 10 a.m. – noon. Seating is limited so please sign up early to reserve your seat. Log on to www.mahoneysgarden.com for more information and to register. The same event will take place in Falmouth on Sunday, June 28, from 6 a.m. to noon.
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Friday, May 29, 6:45 a.m. – Bike Friday
Join a safe, guided bicycle convoy with police escorts! Led by experienced cyclists and escorted by Boston Police, convoys follow a fixed schedule and route and originate at locations throughout metro-Boston. All convoys finish at City Hall Plaza Boston, where free breakfast, bike expo and music await you! To sign up go to www.bikefridays.kintera.org. Registration is free!
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Monday, June 1, 7 – 9 pm – Save the Boston Mounted Park Rangers Horses
The Emerald Necklace Conservancy announces a night of fun and fundraising to Save the Boston Mounted Park Rangers Horses on Monday, June 1 from 7 – 9 pm. The Boston Park Ranger Mounted Unit has its own department horses, tack, trailers, and patrol vehicles. They patrol all nine parks in the Emerald Necklace as well as neighborhood parks and cemeteries. Over the years, The Boston Park Ranger Mounted Unit has grown into a highly recognized and respected agency in the City of Boston. There will be delicious food and drinks and live music presented by the hot Boston band Felix Brown at Jacob Wirth Restaurant, 31-37 Stuart Street, Boston, between Washington and Tremont Streets. Saddle up and help the Mounted Park Rangers as a “Mane Supporter” ($1,000), “Chomping at the Bit” ($500), “Hot to Trot” ($250), “In the Saddle” ($100) or “Stirrup Enthusiasm” ($50). Please rsvp to Susan Knight: sknight@emeraldnecklace.org or call 617-522-2700. All contributions are tax deductible. Payments can be made by check or credit card. Make checks payable to Justine Mee Liff Fund. Mail to Emerald Necklace Conservancy, 891 Centre Street, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130. RSVP by May 30 – checks only at the door. Log on to www.emeraldnecklace.org for more information.
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Wednesday, June 10, 6 – 8 pm – Floral Designs Inspired by Art
Artwork can be interpreted with flowers just as it can be expressed with words. Kathy Thomas, an accomplished landscape painter and a top floral designer, will use her own works and Elm Bank’s flowers to create a series of arrangements that reflect the mood and composition of the artwork. She’ll show you how she approaches the art and the tools she employs to capture the essence of a painting with flowers. $10 non-members, $5 members. For directions, and to register on line, log on to www.masshort.org.
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Friday, May 29, 6-9 – Tiffany Garden Party
This year, the signature Providence Preservation Society event celebrates its 30th Anniversary in style with a “Tiffany Garden Party†on Friday, May 29 from 6:00-9:00 p.m. in an historic Angell Street house and garden, owned by Brooke and Eugene Lee, adjacent to the Saturday Festival tour neighborhood. Tickets for the Tiffany Garden Party are $100 and must be purchased in advance. Tickets for the Tiffany & Co. Blue Box Fundraiser are $125. All boxes contain a Tiffany gift, with one special box containing a dazzling quatrefoil diamond key pendant. For more information, call 401-831-7440 or log on to www.ppsri.org.
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Thursday, June 11, 5 – 7 pm – Wines Along the Rhine Walk with Rhododendrons
Once again the New England Wild Flower Society hosts a members’ only event at Garden in the Woods in Framingham. Bring a bottle of wine from the Rhine River Region to share. Admission is $5, and the event is limited to 25 people. Stroll the Garden, sip your wine, admire the rhododendrons, and stop at the Garden Shop for a personal shopping adventure with the Botanic Garden Director. Make your reservations by calling 508-877-7630, ext. 3001. If you’re not already a member, joining is easy – log on to www.newfs.org, or sign up when you reserve.
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Sunday, May 31, 12 – 5 – Newton House Tour
Eight houses will be open from noon to 5 p.m., including an 1865 Mansard Victorian, four Colonial Revivals built between 1903 and 1925, and a 1920 Arts and Crafts house. The tour, sponsored by the Newton Historical Society, will take place in five historic neighborhoods. Tour tickets, $30 (members, $25), will be available at the Newton History Museum, 527 Washington Street (Jackson Street). For advance tickets, $25 (members, $20), and information: (617) 796-1450 and newtonhistorymuseum.org
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Wednesday, March 24 – Sunday, March 28 – New Boston Flower & Garden Show
The flower show is back in town! Nearly two years after its absence, the city of Boston will once again host a major flower show, featuring a new location and an experienced team of show producers. The Boston Flower & Garden Show, to be held March 24 – 28, 2010 at the Seaport World Trade Center in Boston, will boast major exhibits, a garden marketplace, daily gardening demonstrations, lectures, judged competitions and more. The flower show will be produced by the Paragon Group, event specialists for many consumer exhibitions, including the New England Auto Show, under the direction of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society’s (MHS) former flower show director, Carolyn Weston. For more information, log on to www.TheBostonFlowerShow.com.