Boston City Council President Mike Ross is bringing the war against climate change directly into our neighborhoods. He is working with a number of environmental and community organizers to sponsor a forum on May 27 at 6pm in the Boston Room of the Boston Public Library about ways neighbors can work together to save money and reduce consumption and waste. This is a pilot program in the Back Bay that will focus efforts on the residences and businesses from Exeter St. to Dartmouth St. between Commonwealth Ave. and Boylston St. All are welcome in this important conversation, and we urge you to learn more about how you can include your building, home or business in this effort. For more information, contact michael.ross@cityofboston.gov, or call 617-635-4225.
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Friday, June 5 – Saturday, June 6 – Concord Museum Garden Tour
Visit private Concord-area gardens on June 5 and 6, from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m., rain or shine, sponsored by The Concord Museum. The Concord Museum is a great place to start any visit to the historic town of Concord, Massachusetts. The Museum, founded in 1886, serves as a center of learning and cultural enjoyment for the thousands of visitors touring Concord each year, as well as for area residents of all ages. Celebrate the 20th Anniversary of this special event. Each of the eight private gardens reflects the individual interests and passions of the owners and their families and will inspire both new gardeners designing their first perennial bed and accomplished landscapers with acres of “garden rooms.â€Â The tour of Concord-area gardens is self-guided and self-paced, beginning each day at 9:00 a.m. and continuing until 4:00 p.m. Garden-goers should arrive at the Museum to pick up their maps prior to starting out.  Single-day tickets for either Friday or Saturday may be reserved in advance (through June 4) or may be purchased on the day of the tour. Single-Day Advance Tickets: $25 Members, $30 Nonmembers; Single Day Tickets at the door: $30 Museum Members, $35 Nonmembers. No refunds or exchanges; no photography. For more information call 978-369-9763, or log on to www.concordmuseum.org.
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Friday, June 12 – Saturday, June 13 – Garden ‘Sites’ & Floral ‘Delights’
The Acton Garden Club presents Garden ‘Sites’ and Garden ‘Delights’ from 10 – 4 on Friday, June 12 and Saturday, June 13. Explore seven unique gardens and enjoy outstanding fresh floral arrangements created by members. To further tantalize you, there is a labyrinth to walk and an adult tree house. Advance tickets $20, $25 day of tour. For tickets and more information, log on to http://www.actongardenclub.org.
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Saturday, May 30, 11-2 – Clarendon Street Playground Family Fun Day
Come to the Clarendon Street Playground on the corner of Clarendon and Commonwealth Avenue on Saturday, May 30. There will be food, drinks, games, balloons, entertainment, prizes, and fun for all. The playground is in need of new toys – please bring a new, fun, weatherproof toy to leave that day. Suggestions include sand shovels and pails, soft balls and bats, trucks, and push/riding toys. To make the day a success, the Playground Committee of the Neighborhood Association of the Back Bay needs volunteers. Contact playground@nabbonline.com, or call NABB at 617-247-3961.
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Saturday, May 16, 9 – 12 – Fun in the Garden Plant Sale
The Garden Club of Buzzards Bay is sponsoring a plant sale featuring club-grown annuals, perennials from members’ gardens, heirloom tomatoes, herbs, dahlias, unusual boxwood cultivars, groundcovers, succulents, and geraniums. The sale will take place at St. Mary’s Church Parish Center, 783 Dartmouth Street, South Dartmouth, Massachusetts, and more information may be obtained by calling 508-991-2271, or emailing GCBBplantsale@yahoo.com.
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Thursday, May 28, 6 – 8:30 pm – Healthy Lawns and Landscapes: A Free Workshop
David Holtzman of the Allston Brighton Community Development Corporation has announced a free program sponsored by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, the Allston Brighton Community Development Corporation, Allston Brighton Green Space Advocates, and The Brighton Allston Garden and Horticultural Society, entitled Healthy Lawns and Landscapes, taking place Thursday, May 28, 2009 from 6 – 8:30 pm at the Brighton Allston Congregational Church, 404 Washington Street, Brighton. Learn how to have a beautiful lawn and landscape that’s healthy for people, pets and the environment. Refreshments will be served. Participants will each receive a free gift, and will have the opportunity to win a new compost bin. Contact David at 617-787-3874, x. 217, or email dholtzman@AllstonBrightonCDC.org to sign up. Please bring a canned item for the church’s community food pantry, if possible.
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Monday, May 18, 5 pm – Garden Club of the Back Bay Annual Meeting
Pursuant to the terms of Article X of the By-laws of The Garden Club of the Back Bay, Inc., notice is hereby given of the Annual Meeting, to be held at 5 pm on Monday May 18, 2009. Written notice of the location of the meeting will be mailed to the membership, and anyone wishing to inquire or members who wish to respond may email info@bostonflora.com. Annual reports will be presented by the Co-Presidents and Treasurer, and new officers, directors, and committee chairs for the coming fiscal year will be presented by the Nominating Committee for election. Following the business portion of the meeting, members will have the opportunity to socialize.
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Friday, May 29, 5:30 – 8:30 – Preview Party at Tower Hill Botanic Garden, Boylston, Massachusetts
Kick off this year’s Tower Hill plant sale with Tower Hill’s annual Preview Party Sale and Silent Auction, where you’ll have first pick from the outstanding collection of trees, shrubs, perennials, annuals, herbs, “incredible edibles,” and Tower Hill grown plants, to name a few. This year, a collection of painted clay pots by various notable Massachusetts artists will be auctioned. Bid on such items as private consultations for your garden with renowned horticulturists, sailing on Cape Cod Bay, professional tree services, Red Sox tickets, Nantucket Garden Club Tour tickets, Hanover Theatre tickets, Worcester Country Club golf outing, and planted decorative containers. See http://www.towerhillbg.org for even more enticing items. Individual tickets $25. To reserve, call 508-869-6111 x 136, or you may buy tickets securely online at www.towerhillbg.org with your credit card.
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Sunday, May 10, noon – 29th Annual Duckling Day Parade
The Friends of the Public Garden, in partnership with The Boston Athenaeum, presents the 29th Annual Duckling Day Parade on Sunday, May 10, beginning at noon on Boston Common. Parade participation requires a $25 donation per family. This donation includes snacks, entertainment, and a toy for each child. Registration is available in advance on line at www.friendsofthepublicgarden.org. Based on the book Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey, children and their families will retrace the steps of Mr. and Mrs. Mallard and their family of eight ducklings. Led by the Harvard University Marching Band, children relive the adventures of Mr. and Mrs. Mallard dressed as one of their favorite characters from the book.Pre-registration is encouraged, and on site registration begins at 10:30 a.m. on the Boston Common, at the base of the Shaw Memorial, opposite the State House. The Friends of the Public Garden is a non-profit organization dedicated to the care and protection of the Boston Common, the Public Garden and the Commonwealth Avenue Mall. For additional information call 617-723-8144 or email fopg@gis.net. Duckling Day happens rain or shine because ducks love water.
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Wednesday, May 13, 7 pm – The IBA Program, Working to Protect & Prioritize Habitats for Birds in Massachusetts
Guest speaker Wayne Peterson, Director of the Massachusetts Audubon Important Bird Area (IBA) Program, will speak at the South Shore Natural Science Center 2009 Annual Meeting on Wednesday, May 13. Join him for dessert at 7 pm, followed by the presentation at 7:30. Pre-registration is requested. Call 781-659-2559, or email jazanow@ssnsc.org. For more information, log on to www.ssnsc.org.