Boston Flora

Monday, February 21, 1:00 pm Eastern – The Life and Work of John Bradby Blake: John Bradby Blake and Chinese Go-Betweens’ Chinese Flora: A Joint Endeavour, Online

When John Bradby Blake arrived in Canton, his goal was to collect information and seeds on Chinese plants to constitute as complete a Chinese Flora as possible. This talk at 1 pm Eastern by Dr. Josepha Richard of the Courtauld Institute of Art, UK, will provide an in-depth look into Bradby Blake’s collaborative methods through a couple of specific examples. £5. The lecture will be recorded and a link accessible for one week will be sent following the event, should you have a time conflict. Register through Eventbrite by clicking HERE.

Thursday, February 24 – Sunday, February 27 – 40th Annual Connecticut Flower & Garden Show: Rhythm & Blooms

Spring 2022 will arrive early in Southern New England when the “40^th Annual Connecticut Flower & Garden Show” blossoms from Thursday, February 24 through Sunday, February 27 to the Connecticut Convention Center, 100 Columbus Blvd. in Hartford, Conn. Hours: Thursday, Feb. 24 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Friday, Feb. 25 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturday, Feb. 26 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; and Sunday, Feb. 27 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The prestigious yearly event will be New England’s only 2022 major flower exhibition and show, covering almost two acres, offering ideas for house, apartment, and condo dwellers. “Rhythm & Blooms” is the theme of this year’s show that features expansive live gardens, a nonstop schedule of seminars and demonstrations, the Federated Garden Clubs of Connecticut’s annual Standard Flower Show, and hundreds of vendors displaying and selling all types of items.

As soon as attendees step into the Exhibition Hall, they are welcomed by more than a dozen live gardens in full bloom by professional landscape designers and nonprofit organizations, including naturalistic, low maintenance, native, containers, vegetables, organic, herb, and pollinator gardens.

Over 70 hours of seminars and demonstrations will be presented by horticulturalists, landscapers, and industry professionals, and are free with admission. Every day, Mar Jennings, America’s Top Lifestyle Expert and a 10-time Emmy-nominated and Telly Award-winning TV host and best-selling author, tells How to Best Increase Your Home’s Value. An impressive roster of expert speakers includes Bob Buettner, Karen Bussolini, Pamm Cooper, Jeffrey Eleveld, Len Giddix, Dr. Nick Goltz, Trish Manfredi, Laurie Masciandaro, Thomas Mickey, Charlie Nardozzi, Dawn Pettinelli, Jen Plasky of Sam Bridge Nursery & Greenhouses in Greenwich; Paul Split, Rob Townsend ;George Trecina, and Steve Walowski. [Full list and schedule of events at www.CTFlowerShow.com]

The Federated Garden Clubs of Connecticut’s annual Standard Flower Show features over 12,000 square feet of beautiful design, horticulture, botanical arts, and photography competition with entries from members across the state – all themed “Rhythm & Blooms”.

Always popular are the hundreds of booths of displays, activities, shopping: artisans, handcrafted gifts, fresh flowers, plants, garden ornaments, metalwork sculptures, herbs, bulbs, seeds, fertilizers, soils, gardening books, patio furniture, lawn and garden tools, equipment and more. Bring 1/2 cup of soil for free testing at the UConn Co-op booth.

Discounted online tickets are $16 for Adults and Seniors are on sale now at www.CTFlowerShow.com.

General admission at the door: $20 Adults & Seniors; $5 Children 5-12; Free for Children Under Age 5.

Friday, February 25, 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm – Shear Genius and Ripping Yarns

The legendary woodland of the High Weald conceals and reveals an array of architecture, settings and horticultural feasts which is why Caroline Holmes chose it for her book Where the Wildness Pleases – the English Garden Celebrated. Published in July 2021 (view here), it has been well received worldwide. Watch and listen to Caroline via Zoom in this celebratory talk that will not only delve into many gardens to reveal their pleasing details but raise funds for the Kent and Sussex Garden Trusts as well as the National Garden Scheme.

Amongst the settings there are castles such as Hever, Penshurst, Scotney; rambling English country houses like Batemans, Borde Hill, Gravetye Manor, Great Dixter, Hole Park, Leonardslee, Nymans, Stonewall, Wakehurst Place; Wealden homes like Balmoral Cottage, Falconhurst, Hammerwood Park, High Beeches, Smallhythe Place and Standen. The list goes on with more properties offering contrasting inspirations in their dramatic landscapes and glorious plantings.

This ticket costs £5 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 at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/where-the-wildness-pleases-shear-genius-and-ripping-yarns-tickets-169776852135

Saturday, February 26, 12:30 pm – 2:00 pm – Clean Composting, Online

Compost is the answer to most soil problems, such as compaction, poor water-holding ability and low fertility. In this Berkshire Botanical Garden online class on February 26 at 12:30 pm with instructor Daryl Beyers, students will discover why compost is the key to gardening sustainably and how to use it effectively to improve their garden ground to grow healthy plants. Learn the basics of composting and the techniques to create your own compost at home, using bins, tumblers, heaps or pits or directly on garden beds. Daryl Beyers is the author of The New Gardener’s Handbook: Everything you need to know to grow a beautiful and bountiful garden, available from Timber Press. As gardening certificate program coordinator at the New York Botanical Garden, he helps guide the program’s curriculum and teaches popular gardening classes. Daryl has more than twenty-five years of professional landscaping experience, specializing in residential garden design and development. As a staff writer, photographer and editor for Fine Gardening magazine, he authored two special issues on garden design and served as a contributing garden editor for Martha Stewart Living. His articles on gardening and garden design have also appeared in Horticulture and HGTV Magazine. Register at www.berkshirebotanical.org

Thursday, March 3, 6:30 pm – Vizcaya: A Most Unusual American House, Online

Morven Museum & Garden’s exciting Grand Homes & Gardens Distinguished Speakers Series returns with another stellar lineup. This year we travel to the Roaring 20’s starting at Innisfree in New York, then south to Swan House in Georgia, down to Ca’ D’Zan on Florida’s west coast; finally arriving in Miami’s Vizcaya. Held live in Morven’s Stockton Education Center, adjacent to the Museum, and simulcast on Zoom, in February and March, this illustrated lecture series brightens winter up and down the coast.

In person program includes light refreshments tailored to the theme of each week’s featured lecturer. Online virtual program includes recipes for make-at-home fare. Tickets range from $15 – $90 (for the whole series) and may be purchased HERE.

The final talk of this year’s series is on March 3 at 6:30 with Remko Jansonius, Senior Director, Art and Artifact Stewardship, on Vizcaya: A Most Unusual American House.

Located along the shores of Biscayne Bay in Miami, Vizcaya was built to look like a centuries-old Italian estate, yet incorporated the most advanced technology of the day. It was the winter home of American industrialist James Deering from 1916 until his death in 1925. The house and gardens are filled with a wide array of European decorative art objects and furnishings, representing many styles and periods, countries and continents. The July 1917 issue of Architectural Review, entirely dedicated to Vizcaya, describes the estate as “the most ‘unusual’ of all the unusual American houses” illustrated that year. We will hear about Deering’s winter estate that holds the stories of tramps and movie stars, of rumrunners and prohibition.

Saturday, February 26, 10:30 am – 12:00 noon – Growing Nut Trees, Online

Learn the basics of seedling nut tree propagation and understand techniques such as air pruning and stratification. Explore the world of tree crops and discover the amazing diversity of nuts that can be grown in the Northeast. This Berkshire Botanical Garden online lecture will take place February 26 at 10:30 am. $10 for BBG members, $15 for nonmembers. Register at https://www.berkshirebotanical.org/events/growing-nut-trees

Elodie Eid is a forager and farmer who has a strong passion for bringing more nut crops to local food systems. She was first introduced to forest ecology at Binghamton University where she obtained a bachelor’s in Environment Science. Her deep passion for tree crops and food forests was inspired in part by her experience with Akiva Silver at Twisted Tree Farm, and she has always kept a small nursery of her own. Now at Arthur’s Point Farm in Ghent, NY, she is able to live out her passions by propagating trees and connecting growers in the Northeast.

Wednesday, March 9, 9:30 am – 11:30 am – Drawing Plants & Flowers, Online

Explore the beauty and variety of plant forms with pencil and paper on March 9 from 9:30 – 11:30 am. Taught by a scientific illustrator, the emphasis in this online Harvard Museum of Natural History workshop will be on close observation and realistic representation. We will explore a range of techniques for achieving more accurate drawings and will delve into contour, gesture, foreshortening, and shading to create volume and depth. Groups will be limited to twelve, allowing ample time for individual feedback. All skill levels are welcome.

HMNH Members $30/Nonmembers $35.

Advance registration required.

Class will be held over Zoom. To join the program, you will need to download the free Zoom app in advance. If you already have Zoom, you do not need to download it again. For details on how to improve your Zoom experience, visit the How to Attend an HMSC Program webpage.

Saturday, February 26, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm – Botany Story Slam, Live and Online

Join Native Plant Trust for an evening of plant adventure storytelling. Listen to some of the region’s top botanists, horticulturists, and fellow plant geeks share their most riveting and hilarious tales from the field. This one-of-a-kind event will be held live at Garden in the Woods on February 26 at 6 pm and also streamed virtually. $20 for NPT members, $24 for nonmembers. Register at http://www.nativeplanttrust.org/events/botany-story-slam/

Wednesday, February 23, 2:00 pm – Garden Club of the Back Bay Virtual Program – America’s Greatest Forgotten Garden: Restoration of the Untermyer Gardens

Join the Garden Club of the Back Bay online on February 23 at 2 pm for a free presentation on America’s Greatest Forgotten Garden: Restoration of the Untermyer Gardens. Stephen Byrns, President and Founder of the Untermyer Gardens Conservancy, will tell the story of Samuel Untermyer who purchased Greystone Estate in Yonkers, NY in 1899 and transformed the grounds into one of the finest gardens in the world. Beaux-Arts Architect, Welles Bosworth designed the 150-acre formal garden into a horticultural wonder. However, over time, the green spaces regressed and the buildings crumbled. Starting In 2011, a successful restoration was underway. Stephen Byrns will explore the revived reflecting pools, mosaic pavements, marble sphinxes and the Temple of Love on top of a rocky bluff. Sweeping views of the Hudson River framed by two 23-foot-tall Roman columns are jaw-dropping.

Note: This program will not be recorded. It is presented on ZOOM. Please rsvp by February 18 by clicking HERE. A ZOOM link will be sent a few days before the program. For additional information email info@gardenclubbackbay.org.

Wednesday, February 23, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm – Effective Solutions for Dealing with Deer, Online

The second of Innisfree Garden’s 2022 Roots of Inspiration webinar series will take place February 23 with Brad Roeller.

Innisfree trustee Brad Roeller believes that by learning about the environmental and biological factors which influence deer and their food choices, homeowners and professionals can implement informed strategies for deer-proofing their landscapes. Drawing on over forty years of gardening in deer country and his findings in the Deer Browse Garden he created at the Cary Institute funded by a ten-year grant from Cornell, Brad will share hard-won lessons on how to deter deer from browsing ornamental plants. Over the course of his career, Brad has evaluated hundreds of popular herbaceous and woody ornamentals. He will share those plants showing any inherent resistance to deer plus his top picks from the plethora of products, gadgets, and methods intended to discourage deer from foraging in landscape plantings. This talk will also examine how historic and current land use trends impact deer densities and look at the ramifications of high deer populations.

Retired but actively involved in planning for and managing the Innisfree landscape, Brad Roeller offers a wealth of ideas and expertise to gardeners at every level. Over the past forty years, he has held top horticultural positions at the Cary Institute of Ecosystems Studies, the New York Botanical Garden, and a storied private estate, has published widely, and has been teaching at NYBG and other major institutions. Reflecting his own interests, his research has focused on ecologically-driven and sustainable landscape practices, gardening in areas with high deer populations, and landscape plants for Northern gardens.

Free for Innisfree members, $15 for nonmembers. Register HERE.