Boston Flora

Thursday, January 27, 12:30 pm – 2:00 pm – Recording the Garden, Online

Long-term gardening is easier when there’s a sense of continuity. Individual gardeners and community gardening teams can greatly benefit from recordkeeping to maintain consistency and direction over time. In this Native Plant Trust webinar on January 27 from 12:30 – 2, we discuss strategies to track what is planted in the garden and where, where plants came from, how well plantings survive over time, which gardening practices work best for a given location, and basic phenology concepts to help track the timing of plants’ life history events. Participants will also learn how to use garden records to track gardening experiments whose results can help inform future decisions about planting and maintenance. Led by Melanie Kenney, the program is cosponsored with the Ecological Landscape Alliance and is $18 for members of the sponsoring organizations, $23 for nonmembers. Register at http://www.nativeplanttrust.org/events/recording-garden/

Thursday, January 27, 6:30 pm – Frederick Law Olmsted: Designing America, Online

Historian and filmmaker Laurence Cotton joins The Morven Museum & Garden virtually to present a “mini-travelogue” of select Olmsted landscapes across North America in this special evening event. Discover the extraordinary legacy of a true Renaissance man and how Olmsted’s philosophy, his writings and his designs are still relevant today.

Mr. Cotton originated and served as Consulting Producer to the NEH-funded, nationally broadcast PBS special “Frederick Law Olmsted: Designing America.”

He will present an information rich and entertaining talk about Frederick Law Olmsted’s life, career and legacy including those sites designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, Senior, the two sons and the Olmsted Brothers landscape architecture firm. They left a huge imprint upon the landscapes of North America. Public parks, private estates and gardens, residential neighborhoods, entire community designs, and institutional campuses. Not only did Frederick Law Olmsted and his progeny found the field of American landscape architecture, they also were early proponents of urban planning. The Olmsted design philosophy addressed public health—physical and mental health, and issues of equity and access that are even more relevant to contemporary park managers and users. Frederick Law Olmsted foresaw the crucial role of the experience of nature in the urban setting and the very role that parks can play for the enactment of democracy in a multi-ethnic, multiracial society.

Tickets are $10 for Morven members, $15 for nonmembers. Register HERE. Zoom link provided day of program. Recording link available to attendees following program.

Image credit: *Olmsted’s 1874 plan for the U.S. Capitol grounds in Washington, D.C.* Architect of the Capitol

Wednesday, January 26, 12:00 noon – 1:00 pm – Engaging Landowners in Sustainable Stewardship, Online

The decisions that private owners of woodlands and other natural areas make in the coming decade will play a large role in determining the sustainability of not only our New England landscape but across the country as well.

How can we reach and motivate this audience to take specific actions that will benefit not only their own lands, but the larger landscape and community? This Ecological Landscape Alliance online presentation on January 26 at noon will share experiences and lessons from a multi-year landowner outreach project in the MassConn Woods, a rural, largely forested region on the border of central Massachusetts and northeastern Connecticut, as well as region-wide efforts to unite rural and urban communities in implementing natural solutions to climate change. We’ll discuss tools and resources for promoting climate change resilience and developing communications to motivate stakeholders across the country to take action in order to care for the places they love.

Presenter Lisa Hayden is the Outreach Manager for New England Forestry Foundation, where she works with steward volunteers and leads an outreach program in the MassConn Woods of south central Massachusetts and northeastern Connecticut. Collaborating with numerous partners, her recent grant-funded work focuses on creating and implementing communications tools about climate-informed forestry for land trusts and conservation partnerships. With a Journalism degree from the University of Connecticut and an MA in Urban & Environmental Policy & Planning from Tufts University, Lisa brings experience from The Nature Conservancy developing strategic messaging and blogging about how climate change affects people’s lives. A former journalist covering politics and environment in Connecticut and California, and a woodland owner herself, she is excited to be supporting land owners in her home area.

Free to ELA members, $10 for nonmembers. Register at www.ecolandscaping.org.

Wednesday, January 26, 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm – Lost on the Freedom Trail: The National Park Service and Urban Renewal in Postwar Boston, Online

Boston National Historical Park is one of America’s most popular heritage destinations, drawing in millions of visitors annually. Tourists flock there to see the site of the Boston Massacre, to relive Paul Revere’s midnight ride, and to board Old Ironsides—all of these bound together by the iconic Freedom Trail, which traces the city’s revolutionary saga. Seth C. Bruggeman of Temple University discusses the Freedom Trail’s role for tourism, how it was devised to lure affluent white Americans into downtown revival schemes, its success hinging on a narrow vision of the city’s history run through with old stories about heroic white men. When Congress pressured the National Park Service to create this historical park for the nation’s bicentennial celebration in 1976, these ideas seeped into its organizational logic, precluding the possibility that history might prevail over gentrification and profit. Professor Bruggeman will present his book on January 26 online through the Massachusetts Historical Society, and then be joined by experts with knowledge of the Freedom Trail today and in the past. Free. Register to attend online

Wednesday, February 9, 7:00 pm – Freshwater Mussels, Online

Ayla Skorupa will speak on the topic of Freshwater Mussels on Zoom on February 9 at 7 pm. The talk is sponsored by the Athol Bird & Nature Club. Why is brook floater rare? Synthesizing potential threats to a freshwater mussel’s persistance. Register in advance for this webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_vVEzmvJIS2qR1KUOBeVQ2A After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Ayla’s undergraduate education was in Marine Biology at Roger Williams University. After graduating with a B.Sc. she focused on research with plankton which led to an appointment as a Masters assistant at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks with Dr. Russell Hopcroft. She started studying under Dr. Allison Roy at the Department of Environmental Conservation at UMass, Amherst in Spring 2017.

Her research interests focus on fresh water mussel, Unionidae, conservation. This includes the artificial propagation of rare or endangered species and determining what makes their ideal habitat.

Friday, January 21, 9:00 am – 10:00 am EST- Shaw House: Berkshire’s Hidden Gem, Online

In this January 21 Berkshire Gardens Trust talk, Sarah Somerville will talk about the history of Shaw House, an Elizabethan manor house, told through the development and changes in its gardens. Built from the profits of the cloth trade in 1581, the house has enjoyed visits from royalty, including Elizabeth I and Charles I, as well as being the setting for Civil War battles and accommodation for soldiers during World Wars. The gardens were once as grand as the building itself, with aromatic shrubs surrounded by painted statues and sparkling fountains.

Now, following over £6 million of conservation and restoration, the House is a visitor attraction and conference center. Many of its secrets were not revealed until restoration and Sarah will have great pleasure to share them with us.

While completing her degree in Museum and Gallery Studies, Sarah Somerville first worked as a tour guide at Highclere Castle, used as the setting for the filming of Downton Abbey. She later joined the Public Opening and Events department, remaining at the Castle for over seven years before moving to Shaw House in 2019. In 2021, Sarah published the first guide book for Shaw House and hopes that her enthusiasm increases awareness of this important historic home and garden.

Booking: Book online by clicking HERE. The tickets are £5. We will send you a Zoom link for the lecture a few days before the 21st January. The lecture will last approximately 1 hour, followed by questions. The lecture will be recorded with the link available for a week to those people who have booked for the event.

Queries: Please contact Janet by email at bgtmembership@gmail.com.

Tuesday, January 25, 10:00 am GMT – Forgotten Women Gardeners: Petticoats and Plants, the Untold Story of Scotland’s Gardening Women 1800 – 1930, Online

Celebrate Burns Night with this Gardens Trust lecture on January 25. £5, and you may register HERE. Attendees will be sent a Zoom link 2 days prior to the start of the talk, and a link to the recorded session (available for 1 week) will be sent shortly afterwards.

The phenomenal success of Scotland’s gardening men has been well documented throughout history, but what of the women? Until now, there have been only glimpses of the extraordinary women who went ‘beyond their garden gates’ – women who cultivated, collected and made substantial contributions to horticulture within Britain. In this lecture, biographies of a selection of Scottish gardening women ranging from plant hunters to landscape architects reveal how they were effectively marginalized and why their work has largely been forgotten within the narrative of Scotland’s garden history.

Dr Deborah Reid promoted London’s Historic Royal Palaces and the Edinburgh International Conference Centre before swapping a career in Marketing and PR for plants. Having retrained in horticulture at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, she was awarded a PhD from the University of Edinburgh in 2015 for her thesis entitled ‘Unsung heroines of horticulture: Scottish gardening women, 1800 to 1930’ and has published widely on the subject, including the forthcoming work: Flora’s Fieldworkers: Women and Botany in 19th Century Canada, edited by Ann Shteir (McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2021). She is a visiting lecturer at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh where she lectures on the social history of gardening and mentors apprentice gardeners working within historic gardens at English Heritage properties. She is also a working gardener and serves as a trustee for Jock Tamson’s Gairden, a community garden in the heart of Edinburgh.

Saturdays, February 5 – February 26, 9:30 am – 12:30 pm – Garden Design Basics, Online

Capturing your ideas in an easy to understand plan is essential when creating a landscape design. This online Tower Hill Botanic Garden interactive workshop with Cheryl Salatino gets you focused on the methods and tools required to develop your design approach. We will use a common residential project as the foundation for sparking new ideas for what is possible. Each week you will evolve your design and present your work for feedback and questions. Our collaborative sessions will provide the skills you need to take the next step in designing your own personal garden. The sessions will be from 9:30 – 12:30, and are $125 for Tower Hill members, $150 for nonmembers. Register at www.towerhillbg.org.

Goals of the Workshop
1. Understanding existing site conditions, general measurements and reading a plot plan
2. Capturing your ideas on paper
3. Understanding key design principles
4. Applying your design knowledge on a residential project (instructor will provide)

Material List (Not provided W/ Course)
1. Pencil & Eraser
2. Engineering Scale
3. Circle template
4. Straight edge (ruler or triangle)
5. Tracing paper
6. Sketch paper
7. 10′ or greater tape measure

Cheryl is the principal designer and owner of Dancing Shadows Garden Design, a residential landscape design and services firm. She has been designing gardens across Massachusetts since 2002. Cheryl is a Certified Landscape Designer and a Massachusetts Certified Horticulturist (MCH). She received her certificate in landscape design from the Radcliffe Seminars Landscape Design Program of Harvard University. She was awarded the status of Massachusetts Certified Horticulturist by the Massachusetts Nursery & Landscape Association (MNLA) as evidence of achieving the industry’s highest standards in nursery and landscape professionalism. Cheryl has also earned an Advanced Certificate in Horticulture and Design as part of the New England Wildflower Society’s Native Plant Studies Program.

Wednesday, January 26, 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm – Balmoral Cottage, Benenden, Online

A visit to the extraordinary and charming garden around Balmoral Cottage in Benenden, Kent has become a ‘must‘ for all lovers of topiary. This Gardens Trust lecture , co-sponsored with the Kent Gardens Trust, on January 26 at 1 pm Eastern time will attempt to recreate the magic on our screens. £5. Register HERE.

Just over 30 years ago, Donald and Charlotte Molesworth were, by good fortune, able to purchase the almost derelict small house that stood in the abandoned old kitchen garden of Collingwood (Cherry) Ingram’s house, The Grange. They moved in with one light bulb, a bed, a small table , 2 dogs, a donkey , 7 hens, and boxes of Narcissus pseudo-narcissus from Donald’s father’s garden, yew seedlings as part of a wedding present, and numerous plants in every conceivable kind of container. A new garden started to form in their minds the next day.

Thousands of boxwood and other cuttings were taken, the old kitchen garden dug over and weeded to form a temporary nursery, and a pond was dug by a friend as a wedding present! A detailed plan emerged, and in time became a reality. Donald had gained inspiration from a wonderful garden made by his father; Charlotte had become inspired by the topiary loved by her mother. The fusion of interests at Balmoral Cottage has resulted in a marvelous blend of weird and wonderful topiary interspersed with quiet niches filled with plant treasures of all kinds.

Charlotte Molesworth is a professional garden designer and artist and has built up a reputation for her topiary designs. Donald has been a horticulturist for as long as he remembers!

Tuesday, February 1, 6:30 pm – Deer Resistant Design, Online

Deer Resistant Design author and garden expert Karen Chapman shares tips and tricks in this Morven Museum & Garden virtual program at 6:30 on February 1, with Q&A.

Discover time-and taste-tested design strategies, tips, and tricks that will help you create a beautiful fence-free garden that thrives despite the deer.

This informative and entertaining virtual lecture includes a powerpoint presentation highlighting information from Karen Chapman’s Deer Resistant Design book and is a great opportunity to share your garden’s deer challenges and find solutions during the live Q&A session.

Email questions to dlampertrudman@morven.org in the week prior to the program. This program will *not* be recorded, so be sure to save the date, reserve your most comfy seat at home, and have a paper and pencil handy to jot down lots of great tips!

Detailed handouts will be provided by email prior to the program. Zoom link will be sent to participants the day of the program – with reminder emails sent in the hours leading up to the program.

From Karen Chapman:

Born in England, I grew up with a trowel in my hand.

After moving to the Pacific Northwest in 1996 I joined one of the leading garden nurseries as a garden plant specialist. Helping hundreds of customers create beautiful combinations of plants to enhance their outdoor living spaces was always a delight. Ten years later I established my business Le jardinet in order to provide a service that takes all the time, stress and guesswork out of the design process.

In the recent past I have taught container gardening at a local Community College, and continue to teach both container and landscape design in occasional workshops and events as well offering a range of online learning opportunities .

When I’m not teaching garden design or talking about it I am usually writing about it, and my articles and designs have been featured in many national gardening publications including Fine Gardening, Country Gardens, Sunset, and Garden Design. I have co-authored two books: the award winning Fine Foliage (St. Lynn’s Press, 2013) and highly acclaimed Gardening with Foliage First (Timber Press, 2017), while my latest book Deer-Resistant Design was released in 2019 (Timber Press).

Specializing in creating artistic plant combinations with a four season foliage framework, functional outdoor living spaces and deer resistant, summer-dry designs, it would give me great pleasure to share my love of gardening with you.

$10 for Morven members, $15 for nonmembers. Register through Eventbrite HERE.