Boston Flora

Thursdays through Sundays, April 18 – May 11 – Naumkeag Daffodil & Tulip Festival

The Daffodil & Tulip Festival at Naumkeag returns for its 6th year on Thursdays through Sundays, April 18 – May ll. Stroll through the 8 acres of the Trustees’ world-renowned gardens artfully decorated with daffodil, tulip and minor bulbs as we celebrate the return of Spring to the Berkshires. The 48 acre estate in the heart of Stockbridge will come to life with the colors and spirit of spring. There will be a plant sale, food, and refreshements for sale on site. Advanced purchase of timed tickets is required – tickets will not be sold on site. Member adults $15, nonmembers $25, children FREE. To learn more, reserve tickets, and for more information on parking and weather cancellations visit https://thetrustees.org/event/427419/

Saturday, May 10, 1:00 pm – 2:15 pm – Explorers Garden Tour

The Explorers Garden rests in a microclimate just below the summit of Bussey Hill. This nearly five-acre site provides ideal growing conditions for many species that have been challenging to grow in less protected areas of the Arboretum. As such, it has proven to be a perfect testing ground for plants collected in the expeditions of E. H. Wilson in the early 1900s to the NACPEC (North America-China Plant Exploration Consortium) expeditions of our own time. Join docent Marie Herbert on May 10 at 1 pm for a guided tour to learn more about some of the plants showcased in this special collection and to hear stories of the plant exploration expeditions that brought them to the Arboretum. This tour will include paved roads and woodchip paths. Please wear weather-appropriate clothing and closed toe walking shoes. Tours may be canceled in cases of the following weather conditions: severe wind, snow, ice, thunder or lightning events; temperatures over 90 degrees; temperatures below 20 degrees; or other weather events at the discretion of Arboretum staff. In the case of cancellation, you will be contacted by Arboretum staff no later than 2 hours before the start of the event. If you have questions about the status of a program, please email or call the Visitor Center at (617) 384-5209 between 10:00am and 4:00pm. Free but register at www.arboretum.harvard.edu. Meet at the Centre Street Gate.

Tuesday, April 15, 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm Eastern – Wonderlands: British Garden Designers at Home, Online

The Garden Museum is delighted to host the official launch of garden writer Clare Coulson’s new book, Wonderlands: British Garden Designers at Home, showcasing the stunning private gardens of eighteen leading landscape architects and garden designers. The event will be streamed online on April 15 from 3 – 4 pm Eastern, and is £10 Livestream.

With breathtaking photography by Éva Németh, the book offers a rare glimpse into the inventive and idiosyncratic ways these designers craft their own gardens, some of which have been photographed for the first time.

Miranda Brooks, one of eighteen designers featured in the book, will join Clare in conversation to discuss her career in landscape, which has taken her from apprenticing with Arabella Lennox-Boyd to founding her eponymous landscape studio in New York, where one of her first commissions was to create a garden for Anna Wintour.

Miranda’s gardens are distinctive yet completely timeless, with a deep sense of the pastoral and a connectivity to nature. Alongside discussion of her design practice, the talk will also cover her latest project developing the gardens and landscape at her home in Gloucestershire, which includes an expansive kitchen garden, herbaceous borders and meadows, all of which is managed biodynamically. Book at https://gardenmuseum.org.uk/events/talk-wonderlands-british-garden-designers-at-home/?mc_cid=40c0190e3d&mc_eid=03faa403db

Thursday, April 24, 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm Eastern – Native Plant Groundcovers, Online

Short native plants and low-growing groundcovers have the potential to form dense undergrowth, creating a lush floor for your garden and contributing to the local ecosystem. Join the American Horticultural Society online on April 24 at 2 pm Eastern to explore the dynamics of plant competition in the understory, the role of site preparation, and plants native plants that will enrich your garden. Kathy Connolly is a landscape designer who specializes in naturalized designs, low-impact landscape techniques, and native plants. She works with homeowners, municipalities, and organizations through her business, Speaking of Landscapes. She has a master’s degree in ecological landscape planning and design from the Conway School and is an Accredited Organic Land Care Professional. Connolly has received award and recognition for her communications efforts on the topic of invasive plants.

Tuesday, April 22, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm – Women of Color in Leadership in the Environment

As we mark the 55th anniversary of Earth Day, BHWOCC, in collaboration with the Conservation Law Foundation, invites you to a special event celebrating and uplifting women of color in the environmental sector.

Join us on Tuesday, April 22nd, from 6 to 8 PM for an insightful conversation with impactful BHWOCC members who have made significant strides in environmental leadership in Boston.

Our panel, “Women of Color in Leadership in the Environment,” will bring together voices from across the industry to share experiences, strategies, and reflections on the evolving landscape of green and blue spaces. Together, we’ll explore the future of these industries, the cultural wisdom that shapes our environmental work, and more. This is a great opportunity to connect, learn, and inspire alongside fellow BHWOCC members and other women of color in the field. Date & Time: Tuesday, April 22nd | 6:00 – 8:00 PM  Location: 62 Summer St, Boston, MA 02110. RSVP HERE.

Sunday, April 27, 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm – NABB Spring Fling

Step into spring with The Neighborhood Association of the Back Bay at our exclusive NABB members-only gathering on April 27 at The Newbury Hotel. Indulge in an elegant atmosphere filled with good company, delightful drinks—including beer, wine, and a specialty cocktail—and an array of exquisite hors d’oeuvre crafted to tantalize your taste buds. $50 per person. If you haven’t joined the Neighborhood Association yet (no residency requirements!) visit https://nabbonline.org/. This is your chance to connect with fellow NABB members, both old and new, while discovering how our dedicated volunteer committees are working tirelessly to enhance and preserve the charm of our historic neighborhood. Learn how you can contribute to our thriving neighborhood!

Ensure your place at this highly anticipated event by purchasing your tickets in advance; there will be no ticket sales at the door.

Wednesday, April 23 – Friday, April 25 – Saving America’s Working Lands National Conference

SAVING AMERICA’S WORKING LANDS, a national conference hosted by American Farmland Trust, focuses on the threatened and irreplaceable land that America relies upon to grow food, fiber, and fuel, provide critical environmental benefits, and sustain rural communities and agricultural economies. Whether you are new to the world of farmland retention and protection or a seasoned veteran, there is programing for you. Attend to learn about strategies to combat conversion or ways to make the case for working lands conservation. Expand your knowledge of how state conservation and beginning farmer and rancher tax credits are being used to incentivize land transfers or how sources of capital can be stacked to improve access to land for next generation producers. The event will take place April 23 – 25 at the Fairmont-Dallas Hotel. Register at www.whova.com

Saturday, May 3, 9:00 am – 1:00 pm Eastern – Join the Movement: 125th Anniversary Symposium, Online

Build community with other new and experienced gardeners, and join the movement to increase the beauty and resiliency of New England and the planet, one native plant at a time.

Do you want to learn more about why native plants matter, and gain practical tips for incorporating them into your life? Join the Movement is for first- and long-time gardeners, lovers of the natural world, environmental advocates, and curious learners who want to explore both why and how to work with native plants. Whatever the size of your space or your experience with gardening, our panelists will offer their expert perspectives on how to select plants, work with the space you have, and maintain your plantings across all four seasons.

This Native Plant Trust symposium on May 3 will be held on Zoom. Speakers include Uli Lorimer, Edwina von Gal, Dan Jaffe Wilder, and Trevor Smith. $125. Register at www.nativeplanttrust.org

Thursday, April 16, 12:00 noon – 1:00 pm Eastern – Poisons & Remedies, Online

Join the New York Botanic Garden on April 16 online for Poisons & Remedies, the second panel of our 2025 Plant Humanities Conversations, co-organized between NYBG’s Humanities Institute and Dumbarton Oaks. In this session, Dr. Michael Balick (NYBG), Dr. Hannah Cole (UCSC), and Dr. Luciana Martins (Birbeck) explore plant stories of poisons and remedies as they feature in ethnobotanical research, literature, and botanical collections. Dr. Balick will share examples of how plants have been identified and used as poisonous from Western and non-Western medical traditions; Dr. Martins will dive into the economic botany collections at Kew to uncover stories of remedies in them; and Dr. Cole will explore literary representations of plants and toxicity.

The panel will be moderated by Yota Batsaki, Executive Director of Dumbarton Oaks, and Lucas Mertehikian, Director of NYBG’s Humanities Institute.This event is free and open to the public. Register in the link HERE to receive a Zoom invitation.

Friday, April 11, 12:00 noon Eastern – John Ystumllyn, Online

This portrait below of John Ystumllyn is a central piece in The Garden Museum’s new ‘Black Gardening in Britain’ display in the museum. Ystumllyn was a Black Welsh Gardener who lived in North Wales in the 1700s.

Before the portrait – which is on temporary loan to the museum from Anthony Mould – leaves to go on display in the British Library’s Unearthed exhibition, come and say goodbye to John Ystumllyn at an evening centred around his life, where we discuss how he ended up in Britain, his legacy and how we view his life beyond the painting of him at 16. £10 Livestream Book tickets at GardenMuseum.org. The speaker will be Edward Adonteng. Edward Adonteng is an essayist, poet, artist, gardener, and academic from South London. He describes himself as a bridge-builder, facilitating discourse on several themes and creating platforms for people to thrive and fully exercise their ingenuity. Recently published as a Contemporary Ghanaian Poet, Edward ruminates on ways that human beings can communicate with each other in a new world that ignores the “little things.” He focuses on intellectual histories, epistemology, and anti-colonial thought/practice within academia. His attitude around growing is simple – to grow is to be human.