Boston Flora

Monday, May 16, 1:00 pm – The Rose: My Time at David Austin Roses, Online

As the roses in our gardens start to come into bloom the Gardens Trust is delighted to announce an online lecture on May 16 in partnership with the Historic Roses Group. This ticket for this individual session costs £5, and you may register via Eventbrite by clicking HERE. Attendees will be sent a Zoom link 2 days prior to the start of the talk, and again a few hours before the talk. A link to the recorded session (available for 1 week) will be sent shortly afterwards.

Michael Marriott says: I was very fortunate to work at David Austin Roses for 35 years starting not long after the introduction of the rose Graham Thomas. It was a wonderful opportunity to see the small Shropshire nursery grow to the very well-known institution it is today and along the way I met many people in the rose and wider horticultural world. I saw how roses are bred, trialed and then introduced at the Chelsea flower show. As the main representative of DAR I was invited or sent to various rose gardens and conferences around the world. One of my roles at the nursery was to design rose gardens – everything from small borders to major gardens and everywhere from the UK to Bhutan! I also helped with photography which meant visiting some wonderful private gardens. Altogether a wonderful experience.

Michael Marriott has been a very keen gardener from a very early age going on to study Agricultural Botany at university. After 5 years working in the South Pacific he joined David Austin Roses in 1985 first as nursery manager and then as head rosarian spending most of his time advising gardeners from around the world on every aspect of rose growing as well as designing rose gardens. He also lectured and wrote about roses and visited rose gardens helping the owners and head gardeners with rose related issues. He has now retired from David Austin’s but continues to advise, lecture and write and has completed a book called RHS Roses published in May 2022.

Tuesday, May 17, 11:00 am – 12:00 noon – Landscapes of Memory and Meaning, Online

This year marks the bicentennial of Frederick Law Olmsted’s birth, a towering figure whose work continues to benefit communities nationwide. Join the New York Botanical Garden and landscape architect Sara Zewde on May 17 at 11 am as she discusses Olmsted’s often overlooked journey through the Southern slave states, a period that shaped his understanding of the many ways landscape, class, ecology, and power intersect. This lecture will take place online. Registered students will receive login instructions. $23 for NYBG members, $26 for nonmembers. Register HERE.

By exploring the four months she spent retracing Olmsted’s steps and her own deep archival research, Zewde examines the extent to which Southern landscapes today memorialize history and what that reveals about modern power dynamics.

She will also discuss her own design work such as Genesee Street in Houston, TX and Graffiti Pier in Philadelphia, PA which will serve to illustrate just how transformative landscapes can be.

Sara Zewde, founding principal of Studio Zewde, upends traditional assumptions of what public spaces can be with her unique blend of landscape architecture, urbanism, public art, archival research, and community engagement. A Harvard University Graduate School of Design professor, Zewde has been named a United States Artists Fellow and an Emerging Voice by the Architectural League of New York.

Saturday, May 14, 9:30 am – 12:00 noon – Spring Wildflowers of Arlington’s Great Meadows

It’s mid May and the wildflowers are out in abundance. Join Boot Boutwell at Arlington’s Great Meadows on May 14 from 9:30 – noon for a stroll in search of mid to late-spring wildflowers. The walk will focus on wildflower ID as well as some fun and interesting natural history about the plants we see. We’ll also take a look at some cool plants that aren’t in flower. Children ages 10+ can sign up with a registered adult. $35. Register HERE for this program sponsored by Wright-Locke Farm.

Wednesday, May 11, 1:00 pm – Unforgettable Gardens: The Sound of Water, Online

The Gardens Trust is delighted to partner once again with London Gardens Trust, this time to look at some slightly more unusual Unforgettable Gardens which highlight the value of gardening with all the senses. This ticket is for this individual session and costs £5, through Eventbrite by clicking HERE. Attendees will be sent a Zoom link 2 days prior to the start of the talk, and again a few hours before the talk. A link to the recorded session (available for 1 week) will be sent shortly afterwards.

Wetlands have always provided benefits to people and wildlife and their sounds are a source of joy and inspiration. In this presentation, James will talk about the soundscapes that wetlands provide in the places where we live and work. He will explain why creating more wetlands in our gardens can help us to create wonderful habitats for wildlife and address some of the biggest challenges we face in our towns and cities. James will also talk about how WWT’s London Wetland Centre in Barnes is helping future generations to understand how we can learn to live with water for a brighter future.

Dr. James Robinson leads a team of conservationists at The Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT) working to create a world where healthy wetland nature thrives and enriches lives. He is based at WWT’s headquarters at Slimbridge on the banks of the River Severn and has been working in nature conservation for over 25 years.

Thursday, May 12, 5:00 pm – The Nineteenth Century Garden: James Shirley Hibberd, Online

This Gardens Trust talk on May 12 is the third in our 2nd series on Victorian Gardens on Thursdays @ 10.00 GMT. £5 each or all 6 for £30. Attendees will be sent a Zoom link 2 days prior to the start of the talk, and again a few hours before the talk. A link to the recorded session (available for 1 week) will be sent shortly afterwards. Register through Eventbrite HERE.

James Shirley Hibberd (1825 – 1890) has been called ‘the father of amateur gardening’. He wrote for those he called ‘plain people’ – those who had a town garden or a suburban garden that they looked after themselves It is through his writings that we get a vivid idea of what ordinary Victorian gardens were like.

He wrote books, he edited two magazines simultaneously and started a third towards the end of his life, he lectured all over the country on a wide range of subjects, he was a judge at horticultural shows, he chaired committees and celebratory dinners at which he was always called on to make a speech. Eventually he was involved with improvements at Kew and at the RHS Chiswick Gardens and was advising the Government on possible ways to deal with potato disease.

He deserves to be better known. Lecturer Julia Matheson says ‘All my life I have lived in a mid-Victorian suburban semi not far from London. I had always wanted to know what might have been in my own garden when the first owners lived there, and once I had retired I had time to look into the subject. My start in research began at the Garden History Society’s summer school at Ashridge, and my enthusiasm grew until I studied for an M.A. at the Open University with a dissertation on 19th century working class flower shows in London. Not content to stop there, I went on to a Ph.D. with a thesis on East End horticulture 1840-1900. It was in the course of this research that I first encountered Shirley Hibberd – who is now my Number One Gardening Hero’.

Sunday, September 11 – Sunday, September 18 – The Regal Estates & Jacobean Manors of Norfolk and Suffolk

A defining period of British history and culture; for the first time Scotland, Wales and England were united under one monarch, the Jacobean era left its indelible mark on many of England’s historic houses. The Jacobean style can be characterized by flamboyant design and extravagant detailing both inside and out. From the unique architectural style of Ickworth to the sumptuous interiors of Blickling Hall, we discover the homes of Britain’s aristocracy while also exploring the historic cities of Cambridge and Norwich, which flourished during this period. This Royal Oak Foundation Tour, in association with the National Trust for Historic Preservation and Albion Tours, will take a splendid one week trip to England this September.

Special extras included in your itinerary
• Guided walking tour of Cambridge
• High tea at Sandringham
• Guided gardens tour at Blickling Hall
• Guided tour of Ickworth House
• Guided walking tour of Flatford
• Introductory talk at the Guildhall of Corpus Christi, Lavenham
• Exclusive out-of-hours Champagne guided tour of Hatfield House including champagne greeting, a two-hour guide and complimentary guidebook
• Themed evening talk by a guest speaker

There will be gardens, fabulous gardens. Sandringham’s mostly informal gardens include woodland walks, rockeries, magnificent sweeping lawns, lakes and streams and the more formal North Garden. Ickworth’s impressive Italianate garden mirrors the house architecture, with box hedges and Mediterranean planting plus a Victorian stumpery planted with shade-loving ferns. You will roam the Suffolk countryside with a guided walk to discover the locations immortalized by John Constable’s most famous paintings; created around the hamlet of Flatford in the heart of beautiful Dedham Vale. You will continue on to The Vyne, a splendid Tudor red-brick mansion set in 13 acres of attractive gardens. For complete itinerary and hotel information, visit www.albionjourneys.com

John Judge Appointed New President and CEO of The Trustees

The Board of Directors of The Trustees of Reservations  announced the appointment of John Judge as its fifth President and CEO.  Judge joins The Trustees following his role leading the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC).  The appointment follows an eight-month search.  

As President and CEO,  Judge will oversee all aspects of management for the conservation and preservation organization, which protects and cares for over 120 properties for the public in perpetuity.  Judge will lead the organization by setting strategy, advancing programmatic goals, fostering environmental innovation, and supporting a culture of diversity, inclusion, and equity. Judge will also work closely with the Board Chair and Directors to develop and nurture The Trustees’ outstanding staff and ensure effective governance and leadership. 

The Trustees now welcomes two million visitors annually, with its membership reaching over 100,000 households and an annual operating budget topping $40 million. During the pandemic, the organization has welcomed visitors with increased interest in being outdoors to enjoy safe, enjoyable experiences across its full range of properties: from woodlands, to farms, to museums, to historic sites and public gardens.  

As President and CEO of the AMC for a decade, Judge’s leadership has been rooted in community-building, increasing access to and engagement with the outdoors for all people and tackling climate change. He has long-standing expertise in conservation policy, outdoor recreational infrastructure, nature system services, and climate resiliency. He has long focused on welcoming diverse and urban audiences, with a focus on creative partnerships. 

Prior to the AMC, Judge was the Chief City Planning and Economic Development Officer for the City of Springfield. During this time, he oversaw redevelopment in Springfield including various commercial and industrial projects and the establishment of the University of Massachusetts Design Center.   For more information on Mr. Judge and new initiatives of The Trustees, visit www.thetrustees.org

Thursday, May 19, 6:00 pm – Young Friends Social

The Young Friends of the Public Garden invites you to join them at Carrie Nation Cocktail Club, 11 Beacon Street, Boston, on Thursday, May 19 at 6 pm as they raise goodwill for the #threeparks. Tickets include one drink and plentiful hors d’oeuvre. To learn more, order tickets, and join the Young Friends, visit https://friendsofthepublicgarden.org/young-friends/ A Young Friends membership is $25 and is fully tax deductible.

Tuesday, May 10, 5:00 am – Forgotten Women Gardeners – Edith Lady Londonderry, Online

Neil Porteus and The Gardens Trust will discuss Circe’s Garden, Edith, Lady Londonderry’s Garden at Mount Stewart, on May 10 at 5 am (recording link sent following the talk, good for a week to view at your leisure.)

Visionary garden designer, suffragist and society hostess, Edith Vane-Tempest-Stewart, Lady Londonderry, created one of the most original gardens of the 20th century at Mount Stewart, in County Down, Northern Ireland. After the First World War and in her 40s, Edith channeled her energies into the garden, filling it with rich symbolism inspired by her Celtic upbringing and Greek myths. She amassed an unrivalled collection of rare and tender plants, taking advantage of the mild climate of Strangford Lough and experimented with bold planting schemes. She even famously turned down Gertrude Jekyll’s proposals for the garden in favour of her own. The talk will have new research and information on what is one of the most enchanting gardens in the world.

Neil Porteus has been a head gardener since 1990, he took a voluntary redundancy from the National Trust in December 2020 and works as a garden consultant in Ireland and Northern Ireland. He also propagates a lot of plants from home which are hard to come by now in the horticultural trade. Neil has a BSc Hons in Horticulture and an MA in Garden History.

£5 – Register through Eventbrite by clicking HERE.

EDITH, MARCHIONESS OF LONDONDERRY, by Philip de Laszlo (1869-1937), in Lady Londonderry’s Sitting Room at Mount Stewart House, Co. Down, Northern Ireland. (MST/P/2445)

Saturday, May 21, 9:00 am – 1:00 pm – Scituate Garden Club Plant Sale

The Scituate Garden Club will hold its annual plant sale on May 21 from 9 – 1 at the Wildflower Garden at the Mann Farmhouse, 108 Greenfield Lane in Scituate. Admission is free. Located on the grounds of the historic Mann House, the Wildflower Garden is a hidden gem that delights in all seasons. The garden showcases wild and primarily native plants. The garden is open to the public year-round for walking, bird watching, nature observation and peaceful contemplation.