Boston Flora

Saturday, April 30 – Sunday, May 8 – Treasures of Japan

The American Horticultural Society is sponsoring a Ponant Cruise with AHS hosts Holly and Osamu Shimizu on April 30 – May 8, having been rescheduled from 2021. At its core, Japan is a place of tranquility and spirituality, where nature’s beauty remains abundant and unspoiled. Tour the Land of the Rising Sun via a beautifully appointed small ship and experience some of the most serene and breathtaking gardens in the world.

Highlights include a visit to the Korakuen Garden, considered one of the three best landscape gardens in Japan, a special performance of the Kagura dance at Itsukushima Shrine, a tour of Matsue Castle made entirely of pine and built in 1611, and the opportunity to be a guest of the Abbot at Kofukuji Temple in the heart of Nagasaki. You will also see an old sake brewery, the Amazake Chaya Teahouse, the Uchikoza Theater, and the Kami Hagitei, the former home and workshop of one of Uchiko’s most influential families. There will also be an exploration of scenic tea plantations en route to Chiran, a small town known for its fine collection of samurai houses and their enclosed gardens.

For more information and to make reservations, please contact Susan Klejst, Director of Development & Engagement at (703) 768-5700 ext. 127, or email development@ahsgardening.org. Itinerary may be found at www.ahsgardening.org.

Tuesday, January 4, 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm – The Cloisters Museum and Gardens: Medieval Europe in Manhattan Webinar

While New York City is well known for its towering modern skyscrapers, one of its most famous museums contains rooms and art that date back hundreds of years. But how exactly did a collection of old European chapels and structures find their way to New York, and what historic items were acquired to fill the gothic spaces to make it the premier collections of medieval art in America? It’s time to uncover the story behind the incredible art, architecture, and gardens of New York’s very own European medieval monastery.

Join New York Adventure Club on January 4 as we explore the Cloisters museum and gardens in Manhattan’s Fort Tryon Park — owned and governed by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, this museum in the neighborhood of Washington Heights is composed of architectural elements from various historic structures mostly in France and Spain along with prized medieval artworks including paintings and sculptures, stained glass windows, illuminated books, and more.

Led by Sylvia Laudien-Meo — art historian, museum educator, and NYC tour guide — this virtual journey surrounding the MET Cloisters, which gives great insight into life during medieval times, will include:

The history of The Cloisters’ foundation and its general architecture within Fort Tryon Park
A virtual slideshow through the museum with its beautiful gardens and vistas
A discussion of the museum’s collection of medieval architecture and sculpture, artfully integrated into the modern museum architecture
An overview of the enchanting cloister gardens, planted with culinary and medicinal plants, as well as those used for dyeing fabrics like tapestries
A close look at many of the masterpieces of the collection, including paintings, sculptures, and decorative arts
A special focus on the Unicorn Tapestries and Robert Campin’s Merode Altarpiece

Afterward, we’ll have a Q&A with Sylvia — any and all questions about the Cloisters are welcomed and encouraged!

Can’t make it live? Don’t worry, you’ll have access to the full replay for one week!

See you there, virtually! $10. Register HERE.

*Immediately upon registering, you will receive a separate, automated email containing the link to join this webinar

Wreath of the Day – Happy New Year

Wishing you all the best in 2022. May we all be able to gather again safely and see each other in person. Our January tea is upcoming, for members only this year, so join us today at https://www.gardenclubbackbay.org/membership/

Wreath of the Day – New Year’s Eve Celebration

The wreath below is one more example of a 2021 Garden Club wreath. If you have been a longtime customer frustrated with our inability to sell wreaths this year, and are reading these posts, please don’t think we have been conducting a secret market – literally we only had a handful of member wreaths to show this season, done independently by a handful of decorators who remain in Back Bay in the pandemic. We are certainly happy to be able to show them off, however.

Saturday, January 15, 11:00 am – 12:30 pm – For Us and Them: Edible Native Plants to Feed Us All, Online

Ask ten folks why they grow plants and you’re likely to get a variety of answers. The most common reasons are often aesthetic in nature—we like the look of a garden; it gives us a place to relax or play or drink wine with friends. However, simple beauty is not always enough, and in the modern era complicated issues such as sustainability and food stability are becoming more commonplace. Which plants will have the greatest ecological impacts? Which edibles are resistant to diseases and pests? What if you could have it all? Join Dan Jaffe Wilder as he explains how to create beautiful, edible landscapes that feed both us and wildlife using low maintenance native plants that also support the local ecosystem.

This Mt. Cuba Center program is part of its Winter Lecture Series and takes place online Saturday, January 15 at 11 am Eastern. Register ($25) at https://mtcubacenter.org/event/for-us-and-them-edible-native-plants-to-feed-us-all-online/

About the Instructor:
Dan Jaffe Wilder is the Ecological Horticulturist for Norcross Wildlife Foundation specializing in native plant ecology, plant propagation, wildlife habitat construction, and native edible landscapes. His professional experience has ranged from nurseries to botanical gardens to wildlife refuges. A prolific photographer and author, Dan’s book Native Plants for New England Gardens was released in 2018.

Thursday, March 3 – Sunday, March 6 – Flora in Winter 2022: Save the Dates

The Worcester region’s premier floral design event includes captivating and imaginative interpretations of artworks on view in the Museum. The muse for this year’s Flora programming is Love Stories from the National Portrait Gallery, London. Festivities include the evening celebration, Flora Euphoria! on Friday, March 4th and an exciting array of programming throughout the four days; tours, demonstrations, lectures, workshops, and music.

To note:

Due to Flora in Winter, “First Free Sunday” will not take place on March 6.
The Museum will be closed to the public on Wednesday, March 2, to allow for Flora in Winter installation. Flora in Winter is supported in part by the Bernard G. and Louise B. Palitz Fund and the Spear Fund for Public Programs.

More information will be available at https://www.worcesterart.org/events/flora-in-winter/ soon.

Wreath of the Day – Survey Question

Below is a picture of a wreath captured during a recent walk through Beacon Hill. A member referred to it as the Mies van der Rohe of wreath design. The body of the wreath is closely clipped greenery, and the decorations are minimalist. We actually quite like it, but question whether our customers would be interested in such a creation, or if they would think we were being a little lazy and frugal with our decorations? Feel free to weigh in at info@gardenclubbackbay.org.

Saturday and Sunday, January 22 & 23, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm – Cape and Islands Orchid Society Show

Cape and Islands Orchid Society Show is being held January 22 – 23, 2022 at The Resort and Conference Center, 35 Scudder Ave., Hyannis, MA. $10 admission, children under 12 $5. Group rates available on request. No tripods allowed. For a list of education programs, to be announced, link to http://www.caios.org/caiosshow2021.html

Saturday, January 15, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm – Diversify Your Lawn

Who says lawns need to be monocultures or only made of grasses? Enrich the traditional lawn with other complementary plants that bloom at different times and add intrigue. Learn how to identify the plants that already grow in lawn as “weeds,” and to incorporate new plants that create a rich, wildlife-friendly tapestry. The Native Plant Trust webinar taught by Anna Fialkoff will take place January 15 from 1 – 2, and is $12 for NPT members, $15 for nonmembers. Register at http://www.nativeplanttrust.org/events/diversify-your-lawn/

Wreath of the Day – Tribute to a Founder

One of our most talented members created a wreath for the Marlborough Street door of one of the original Garden Club of the Back Bay members, the late Stella Trafford. Stella was known as a driving force in parks activism in the Back Bay, and did much to push the City to pay attention to an increasingly shabby situation on the Commonwealth Avenue Mall, to name just one example. We are happy to see that the beautiful building where she lived is graced with one of our lovely wreaths, even in this hiatus year.