Boston Flora

Saturday, December 21, 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm – Solstice in the Cemetery: Night Walk Through Oak Hill

What better time than Winter Solstice with the Museum of Old Newbury to grab a flashlight and join us for a walk through historic Oak Hill Cemetery on the longest night of the year, December 21?

To add to the intimacy and atmosphere of darkness, many epitaphs are easiest to read by flashlight. Join noted author and historian Ghlee Woodworth, a 12th generation Newburyport native, and Museum of Old Newbury executive director Bethany Groff Dorau for a nighttime stroll through the historic 1842 Oak Hill Cemetery, final resting place of shipwrecked sailors, sea captains and merchants, architects and photographers, writers and poets, silversmiths and newspaper editors, and adventurers who travelled to the California gold rush. We will visit several Ebenezers, though none of them Scrooges, and toast the longest night with hot cider, cider donuts, and good cheer. $10 for Museum Members, $20 for nonmembers. Buy tickets through Eventbrite HERE.

Saturday and Sunday, January 4 & 5, 9:00 am – 4:00 pm – The Science of Plant Propagation

In this two day Berkshire Botanical Garden in person course on January 4 and 5 from 9 – 4, learn the art and science of plant propagation with a focus on the basic botany needed to understand and successfully propagate plants. Sexual and asexual propagation methods including sowing seeds, cuttings, grafting, layering, and division will be covered. Students will learn the fascinating science behind propagation along with the various techniques used to create new plants.

Adam Wheeler started working and playing with plants at Broken Arrow Nursery in 2004 after completing his BS degree in Urban Forestry and Landscape Horticulture at the University of Vermont. His favorite role at Broken Arrow Nursery is plant propagation and the acquisition and development of new plants. Adam is a past recipient of the Young Nursery Professional Award from the New England Nursery Association and is the current Vice President of the North American Maple Society. He loves to share his passion for plants through photography and educational outreach. As a result, he lectures widely on a variety of subjects and is also an adjunct lecturer at Naugatuck Valley Community College and the Berkshire Botanical Garden. With his spare time he enjoys cultivating his eclectic collection of rare and unusual plants, rock climbing and competitive giant pumpkin growing!

$215 for BBG members, $240 for nonmembers. Register at www.berkshirebotanical.org.

Thursday, December 19, 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm – Christmas Cheers at the Eustis Estate

Enjoy a magical evening of music and holiday cheer on December 19 at the Eustis Estate, 1424 Canton Avenue in Milton. Explore the 1878 mansion, which has been lavishly decorated for Christmas, while live holiday music fills the halls.

Members of Historic New England $20; Students $15; Nonmember $35. Log in or Join now to have your discount applied at checkout.

Advance tickets are required. Refreshments, wine, beer, and cider are included with your ticket. Please call 617-994-6600 for more information.

October, 2025 – Roses and Rosè: A Portugal Garden Tour

Sterling Tours and Pacific Horticulture invite you to join Escort, Linda McKendry and Garden Guide Amy Kupec Larue, on an enriching journey through Portugal in October, 2025. Gardens, agriculture, sustainability, and the unique world of cork conservation will take center stage. Portugal aims to be climate neutral by 2050 and to cover 80% of its electricity consumption with renewables by 2030. In 2023 the population of 10 million in Portugal ran for six consecutive days in a row on 100 % renewables. They met their needs with wind, solar and hydro energy. After our introduction to Porto, excursions will include Douro Valley, the charming town of Lousada, Braga, and Santar. Continuing to Lisbon, with visits to Setubal, Queluz, and Sintra. Focusing on cultural preservation, showcasing sustainable garden maintenance and design. Discover how cork oak forests are conserved and protected. Extending our visit to Madeira to explore Monte Palace Gardens and Quinta do Arco Rose Gardens, both exemplifying the dedication to preserving rare, flora and roses. Savor special hosted visits to private gardens and Quinta’s, sustainable prepared meals, locally produced wines, and insight into Portugal’s ecosystem. Admiring the beautiful green spaces, architecture, and all this gorgeous country has to offer, you cannot help but be mesmerized… For more details visit https://pacifichorticulture.org/tours/roses-and-rose-a-portugal-garden-tour-october-2025-with-pacific-horticulture/

The Robert F. and Jeanne R. Para Family Preserve

The newly conserved Robert F. and Jeanne R. Para Family Preserve is a perfect example of what we can accomplish when we work together and plan for the future. This property is home to a variety of wildlife and important habitats including several ponds where osprey and bald eagles fish for their dinner, active beaver colonies creating dynamic wetland habitats, and sandy uplands that are perfect turtle nesting spots.

And making this parcel even more important – the property borders Cohasset Brook Reservoir, an important source of drinking water for the town of Southbridge. It not only expands the region’s protected habitat, but also safeguards the drinking water supply for Southbridge residents.

Robert and Jeanne Para purchased this land in 1956 for their family of seven. They built a home and gardens for vegetables and planted fruit trees and blueberry bushes. They created a beautiful place for the family to grow, live, and play. Once the children were grown and had families of their own, they shared their love of this land, nature, forestry, ponds, brooks and wildlife with their children and grandchildren.

For the Para family, completing this project fulfills a special wish. As Nancy Whittemore, trustee of the Robert F. Para Family Trust, puts it: “It was my parents’ dream that this land be protected and left in its natural state.” We’re honored to help make that dream a reality. To learn more, visit the website for the Opacum Land Trust at www.opacumlt.org

Wednesday, December 11, 4:00 pm – Garden Club of the Back Bay Pop Up Holiday Stroll

Here is yet another reason to head on over to the Garden Club of the Back Bay website and join if you are not already a member. A group led by Stephanie Fletcher, responsible for all the fabulous photos and posts on the Club’s Instagram page, will lead a stroll through the Back Bay to view holiday decorations, including some of the fabulous wreaths made last week.

Sunday, December 15, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm – Drop-In Art Making: Nature Journals

Artists Georgia O’Keeffe and Henry Moore were both inspired by the natural world and spent time experimenting with scale and composition in paintings and sculptures. Take a close look at a variety of objects, then use pencils and watercolors to connect with what you see in a nature journal. This Museum of Fine Arts Drop-In Art Making will focus on December 15 from 10 – 4. Last entry is at 3:45 pm. The event is in the Ruth and Carl J. Shapiro Family Courtyard, and is included with General Admission. https://www.mfa.org/event/gallery-activities-and-tours/drop-in-art-making-nature-journals?event=132301

Saturday, December 14, 2:00 pm – 2:30 pm – Science Spotlights: Sweaty Shrubs

On December 14 at 2 pm, meet up-and-coming scientists and learn about questions at the forefront of research today in this series of short talks. Presented by the Harvard Museum of Natural History and Harvard Museums of Science & Culture. The talk takes place in the Harvard Museum of Natural History, Classroom B on the third floor. No advance registration required.

Sweaty Shrubs

Speaker: Melissa Mai, Graduate Student, the Holbrook Lab

How do plants deal with too much salt? From the world’s driest desert and tropical coastlines to your own neighborhood, plants get exposed to more salt than they’d like. Some plants have developed unique adaptations to handle extra salt, including a shrub that sweats! Join Harvard scientist Melissa Mai as she explains how multiple branches of science come together to help unearth this shrub’s secrets. Regular museum admission rates apply.

Saturday, December 21, 11:00 am – 12:00 pm – Olmsted and the Arnold Arboretum

Frederick Law Olmsted, considered the father of landscape architecture, designed some 500 public spaces in North America. The Arnold Arboretum, the only arboretum he designed, is a National Historic Landmark and a model for others around the world. Arboretum docent, Bill Beizer, will identify the elements of the Arnold Arboretum that best reflect Olmsted’s philosophy and approach to landscape design. The walk takes place December 21 at 11 am.

Accessibility: This program will take place entirely on paved roads. Meet at the Bussey Street Gate. Register HERE. Space is limited.

Inclement weather policy: Participants will be notified via email at least 24 hours in advance if a program needs to be cancelled due to inclement weather, and will be notified by phone if a program must be cancelled with less than 24 hours’ notice. Click here to view our full inclement weather policy. If you have questions about the status of a program, please email publicprograms@arnarb.harvard.edu or call the Visitor Center desk between 10:00am and 4:00pm at (617) 384-5209.

Monday, June 2 – Sunday, June 8, 2025 – Great Houses and Gardens of Ireland

Embark on a captivating journey with the Berkshire Botanical Garden through the lush landscapes and rich history of Ireland. For more information, contact Lani Summerville at 413-446-8728 or office@classicalexcursions.com. Tour participants to make their own travel arrangements to arrive at Dublin airport no later than June 2, 2025.

Day 1, June 2, 2025

8 a.m. — Departure from Dublin Airport

11 a.m. — Enjoy a morning visit to Ballysallagh House and Gardens, County Kilkenny. The charming mid-18th-century house and gardens were restored and decorated by the present owners.

1 p.m. — Lunch at Dangan Cottage. Originally a late 18th-century cottage orné built in the grounds of a larger, now lost, country house. With the river Nore flowing past at the bottom of its garden, the building was subsequently extended so that it is now a substantial property, perfectly suited to owner Christopher Moore who has a renowned collection of Irish furniture and pictures that fill all the rooms and act as a living museum of Georgian taste.

4:30 p.m. — Check-in at the Cliff House Hotel, County Waterford – staying three nights. OR Lismore Castle (pictured below)

6:30 p.m. — Dinner at The Cliff House Hotel

Overnight at the Cliff House Hotel

Day 2, June 3, 2025

Breakfast at the Cliff House Hotel

9 a.m. — Tour in House & Garden, situated on the banks of the river Blackwater, home to the famous Jameson Whiskey family. Enjoy fifteen acres of various types of gardens, including walled gardens, rock gardens, formal gardens, and a woodland walk.

12:30 p.m.— Lunch and a visit at Kilshannig House, County Cork. Considered to be one of the finest Palladian houses in Ireland with superlative plasterwork by the Lafranchini brothers, the house was built in 1760 and designed by architect Davis Ducart.

4 p.m. — Return to the Cliff House Hotel

Dinner on your own tonight

Overnight at the Cliff House Hotel

Day 3, June 4, 2025

Breakfast at the Cliff House Hotel.

10 a.m. — Departure for Dromana House & Garden for a tour and lunch with the owner Barbara Villiers-Stuart, whose family has lived on this site for more than 800 years. Perched high above the river Blackwater, Dromana was originally a castle, then a 17th-century house, and finally an 18th-century house. Parts of the house were demolished some 50 years ago, but the most important interiors and contents remain and were sensitively restored by Barbara. Her husband Nicholas Grubb, himself a descendent of a very old Quaker family, has rescued large portions of the gardens.

1:30 p.m. — Visit Cappoquin House & Gardens, County Waterford. The Keanes have lived at Cappoquin since the first of their number bought the estate in the 1770s and built a house above the river Blackwater. It survived until burnt in 1923 during the Irish Civil War. However, Sir John Keane — who had wisely removed all furniture and pictures before the fire — immediately embarked on a rebuilding program and today it is impossible to tell if Cappoquin had ever been damaged. Surrounded by exquisite gardens, the house today is home to Sir Charles Keane and his wife Corinne.

4 p.m. — Return to the hotel

Overnight at the Cliff House Hotel

Day 4, June 5, 2025

Breakfast at the Cliff House Hotel

10 a.m. — Departure for Curraghmore Estate for a visit and lunch with the owners. One of the great houses of Ireland and only recently accessible to the general public, Curraghmore has been home to the same family for the past 800 years. Now home to the ninth Marquess of Waterford and his wife, at the core of the building is a medieval tower, the first floor of which now contains spectacular plasterwork created by the Lafranchini brothers in the 1740s. Much of the rest of the house was designed some thirty years later by James Wyatt, and today these are the finest set of rooms by that architect in Ireland. Curraghmore is complete with treasures as would be expected of a property occupied by successive generations for so long. On the grounds is the only surviving 18th-century shell house, decorated in 1754 by Catherine, Countess of Tyrone. The vast surrounding gardens consist of 2,500 acres of formal gardens and woodlands.

2 p.m. — Possible visit to Mount Congreve Gardens or LafCadio Hearn Japanese Garden

5:45 p.m. — Departure for Lismore Castle, County Waterford, for a private tour and dinner. Used since the mid-18th century as the Irish residence of the Dukes of Devonshire, Lismore Castle itself is much older, its origins going back to the 13th century when commissioned by King John. Since then, it has passed through various guises, but much of the present building was commissioned by the 6th ‘Bachelor’ Duke of Devonshire who invited his architect Sir Joseph Paxton to renovate and extend the existing castle which perches dramatically above the river Blackwater. Little has changed since then, and the main rooms today contain the largest private collection of furniture designed by Augustus Welby Pugin. (Alternative Ballynaytray Estate)

Overnight at the Cliff House Hotel

Day 5, June 6, 2025

10 a.m. — Check out of the hotel and depart for Dublin. Enjoy a morning visit to Gloster House & Gardens, a well-preserved 18th-century house thought to have been designed by the period’s pre-eminent architect Sir Edward Lovette Pearce.

Noon — Lunch at Birr Castle, County Offaly, with the Earl and Countess of Rosse. The castle has been home to the Parsons family for 400 years and contains much of the original furniture and paintings collected throughout generations. Our private tour of the house and renowned gardens will be conducted by the Countess of Rosse.

Check-in at the hotel in Dublin

Day 6, June 7, 2025

Breakfast at the hotel

A morning private tour at Burtown House & Garden. Burtown House has always belonged to the same Quaker family since being built in the first half of the 18th century, and is now home to photographer James Fennell and his wife Joanna, who have built a barn on the grounds offering fresh food from the gardens. Burtown was home to Ireland’s finest botanical artist, Wendy Walsh (James’ grandmother), and is still home to her daughter, landscape artist Lesley Fennell. We will tour the house, which is not open to the public.

Lunch at the Green Barn at Burton following our tour of the house & extensive gardens.

Irish National Stud Gardens

Farewell Dinner in Dublin

Day 7, June 8, 2025

Departures

COST: $4,974 per person for six nights, including a tax-deductible $500 donation to BBG. (An additional $1,500 charge will be applied to a single traveler using a room that could sleep two or more.)

• Here is the tour brochure. • Here is registration information and terms and conditions.