Boston Flora

Saturday, September 28, 12:00 noon – 8:00 pm – Oktoberfest 2024

There are countless Oktoberfest celebrations taking place this month and next (October being a flexible concept) throughout Massachusetts, and we have chosen to highlight one which is family friendly and closer to its Bavarian roots. Farmer Matt & Lost Towns Brewing host a local fest that captures the spirit of the original celebration of Bavarian culture and agriculture at your favorite Quabbin Hills farm, Farmer Matt’s. This fest is for the young and old, and everyone in between. Experience Oktoberfest trivia, a best dressed/bavarian costume contest, and a stein holding competition (a classic Bavarian strength challenge).
Amazing music throughout the day featuring: Lustige Steifenhornchens Deutsche Band and the Happy Chipmunks, a four instrument professional Bavarian Band with trumpet, accordion, drums & tuba. Also hear Woodshed, a local country folk band with 3 part harmony playing original music.

Farmer Matt is cooking up a special Bavarian menu, in addition to your farm fresh favorites. Lost Towns Brewing will be serving their celebrated Märzen, Lost-toberfest and many more of your favorite locally brewed beers. It’s time to lace up your lederhosen, don your dirndl, and join us for Bavarian food, culture and beer. Prost! Free to attend. Saturday, September 28th 12-8pm. Address is 860 West Brookfield Road in New Braintree, Massachusetts. The foliage on the drive out will be stunning. For more information visit https://ltbrew.com/oktoberfest-2024-presented-by-farmer-matt-lost-towns-brewing

Tuesday, October 1, 5:00 am – 6:30 am Eastern (but recorded) – A History of Gardens 2 – The French Baroque Garden, Online

What is a garden? Why were they created as they were? What influences were at play in garden making, and how have gardens evolved and developed over time? These are the questions we will explore as we traverse the history of gardens through the ages.

Following on from our opening talks on early gardens, this second series will examine how gardens developed during the 17th century. We will explore how exotic plants from around the world started to appear in European gardens, and were captured in botanical art, before the tumultuous impact of the English civil wars on gardens and gardening from the 1640s. The second part of the century saw the rise of extravagant, dramatic styles, now known as baroque gardens and exemplified by the work of André Le Nôtre for the Sun King at Versailles. We will explore these gardens through an analysis of the work of Le Nôtre and his contemporaries in France, and the series will end with a talk scrutinizing how the European baroque style played out in England.

This ticket – purchase through Eventbrite HERE – is for this individual talk and costs £8, and you may purchase tickets for other individual sessions via the links below, or you may purchase a ticket for the entire [second] series of 5 talks in our History of Gardens Course at £35 via the link here. (Gardens Trust members £6 each or all 5 for £26.25) Ticket holders can join each session live and/or view a recording for up to 2 weeks afterwards.

Visiting André Le Nôtre’s masterpieces, Chantilly, Vaux, Saint-Cloud, Sceaux, Versailles, the Grand Trianon, we encounter a series of static images, born out of the head of a ‘humble’ polymath for the greater glory of a megalomaniacal master. The myth of the sudden invention of the Louis XIV Grand Manner was carefully cultivated even at the time, but the roots of the Le Nôtrean taste stretched back to previous reigns, and designers. But what was the purpose of these linear perspectives and expanses of gravel? Of what were they made? How were they built and maintained?

This talk examines the construction and formal vocabulary of these compositions, but also their antecedents in garden and military architecture, and their usages and significance in the social and political practices of the court. The last part of the talk considers the afterlife of the idiom, its evolution under Louis XV and Louis XVI, its neglect and destruction in the 19th century, and its rehabilitation in the Belle Époque.

Dr Gabriel Wick is a landscape historian and curator. He teaches history of architecture and urbanism at the Paris campus of New York University and also lectures for the École du Louvre. He received his master’s in landscape architecture from UC Berkeley, a master’s of historic landscape conservation from ÉNSA-Versailles, and a doctorate in history from Queen Mary – University of London. His most recent book Gardens in Revolution: landscapes and political culture in France, 1760–1792 will be published in autumn 2024.

Friday, September 27 – Sunday, September 29 – South Coast Harvest Festival

Best of South Coast award winner The Cat and the Raven will kick off opening festivities on September 27 with a sound bowl demonstration in the show gardens. Professional Pumpkin Carver Richard Kaiser, one of the original carvers from Roger Williams Jack o’ Lantern Spectacular, will be doing live carving. Emily Deutra of Butterfly Effect Farm will discuss the importance of natives (they are all pollinator support plants!) A shiitake mushroom inoculation workshop will be held by Groundwork Farm, dedicated to regenerative, low till farming and offers seasonal workshops and interesting facets to farming. Enjoy an intimate view of owls, these secretive birds of prey. Mark and Marcia Wilson will dazzle you with their live owl presentation. All this will happen at the Westport Fairgrounds. Visit https://southcoastharvestfestival.com/home

Event Dates: September 27 – September 29

Event Times: Friday 10am-8pm, Saturday 10am-8pm, Sunday 10am-6pm

Thursday, October 3, 2:00 pm Eastern – The Garden Politic in Nineteenth-Century America, Online

How did ordinary home gardeners in nineteenth-century America perceive their gardens as tied to the fates of the nation and the world? This rescheduled Garden Conservancy webinar event at 2 pm on October 3 explores how caring for plants brought these gardeners face-to-face with the greatest political issues of the day: colonialism, conquest, slavery, and democracy. It focuses on a selection of gardeners who were also famous writers—including Emily Dickinson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Frederick Douglass—and shows how their homes and gardens were important places for broader environmental thinking. This talk draws on research from Mary Kuhn’s new book, The Garden Politic: Global Plants and Botanical Nationalism in Nineteenth-Century America.

$5 for members of the Garden Conservancy
$15 for General Admission

A recording of this webinar will be sent to all registrants a few days after the event. We encourage you to register, even if you cannot attend the live webinar. Register at https://www.gardenconservancy.org/education/

Wednesdays through Sundays, September 27 – October 27 – Naumkeag Pumpkin Show

The Trustees invites you to tour the Naumkeag Pumpkin Show, which opens Friday, September 27, and will be on view Wednesdays through Sundays through October 27. This is an outdoor event. Be prepared to walk across unpaved pathways on uneven terrain through the woods and gardens. Trails may be muddy or icy at times, sturdy boots are recommended. Dress appropriately for the weather that day. Costumes are encouraged! Details and ticketing information are available at https://thetrustees.org/program/naumkeag-pumpkin-show/ Naumkeag is located at 5 Prospect Hill Road in Stockbridge, Massachusetts.

Wednesday, October 2, 10:00 am – 11:30 am – Salt Marsh Garden Tour

Join the Newport Tree Conservancy on October 2 for a detailed look into the delicate art of coastal gardening. Salt Marsh Arboretum is a species diverse landscape bordering on the restored salt marshes of Gooseneck Cove. To learn more about Salt Marsh Arboretum visit our page here. Estate gardener Devin Skelly will join us for an engaging look at the intensive restoration efforts made, involving the reestablishment of native species. Devin will show us around the arboretum, describe the horticultural and restorative work he has done, and showcase the plant collection. Highlights of the arboretum include a paperbark maple grove, young giant sequoia trees, a collection of buckeyes (Aesculus), and the rare wheel tree (Trochodendron aralioides). Registration required at https://www.newporttreeconservancy.org/events/arboretum-tour-salt-marsh-98ngp

Thursday, September 26, 12:30 pm – 2:00 pm – Parks and Monuments: A Cultural Evolution

Since the mid-20^th century, US parks have evolved from highly programmed recreation spaces to ones that harken back to the 19th century, when strolling in nature and enjoying cultural offerings resonated with urban dwellers. Our monuments – those silent artifacts of history – have evolved along a similar course. As our nation becomes more culturally aware, many monuments are scrutinized for the values, meaning, and individuals they celebrate. Signe Nielsen, landscape architect and former President of the Public Design Commission, which owns all the public art in New York City, will discuss strategies to address controversial monuments in search of a deeper understanding of history. Nielson will highlight one park, Little Island, which embodies recent trends in park design and the intersection of art, nature, and culture. This Harvard Graduate School of Design lecture will take place September 26 at 12:30 pm at Gund Hall, 112 Stubbins in Cambridge, and is free and open to the public.

Signe Nielsen has been practicing as a landscape architect and urban designer in New York since 1978. Her body of work has renewed the environmental integrity and transformed the quality of spaces for those who live, work and play in the urban realm. She believes in using design as a vehicle for advocacy, to promote discourse on social equity and community resilience. She has served on multiple panels to effect positive change. A Fellow of the ASLA, she is the recipient of over 100 national and local design awards for public open space projects and is published extensively in national and international publications. Ms. Nielsen is a Professor of Urban Design and Landscape Architecture at Pratt Institute in both the Graduate and Undergraduate Schools of Architecture and is the former President for the Public Design Commission of the City of New York. Born in Paris, Ms. Nielsen holds degrees in Urban Planning from Smith College, in Landscape Architecture from City College of New York, and in Construction Management from Pratt Institute.

Wednesday, September 25, 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm Eastern – Restoration in Action: Northants: Burghley Walled Garden, Online

This September 25 Zoom is an illustrated talk presented by the Gardens Trust in partnership with Northamptonshire Gardens Trust, part of our Restoration in Action series. Here the Head Gardener will be discussing the gardens’ extensive history, and an outline of the plans for bringing them back to life.

The Restoration in Action series helps us to learn about researching, reporting and restoring a selection of glorious parks and gardens in the county. The chosen projects showcase the skills, sensitivities and determination needed to document and conserve historic sites. Burghley House, near Stamford in Lincolnshire, is one of the most impressive surviving mansions from the 16th century, built by William Cecil, Lord High Chancellor, in honor of Queen Elizabeth 1. George London and Moses Cook laid out elaborate formal gardens in the late 17th century and then, from the 1750s, the estate was transformed as one of Capability Brown’s biggest and most important commissions.

Built over 300 years ago, the walled gardens at Burghley are substantial, encompassing 6.5 acres (2.5 hectares) inside 10-foot (3m) tall walls. They are an impressive site even now, years after the gardens fell silent and the last spade turned its final sod of soil.

Today, the gardens are stirring, and plans are afoot to breathe life back into this amazing place, where 26 glass houses once stood and 120 gardeners labored behind those tall walls. Born in Worcester, lecturer Joe Whitehead grew up in the Bristol area and would spend his childhood summers at the estate where his grandfather worked who (like his father before him) was a head gardener, so not surprisingly he followed in their footsteps and, with a passion for plants and gardening, Joe pursued a career in horticulture.

Joe’s first positions were as an undergardener at Hollywell Hall, Lincolnshire, and then Burghley House, somewhere he would unexpectedly return. He studied for a National Diploma in Horticulture and then the prestigious Wisley Diploma in Practical Horticulture, training and working in the RHS gardens for two years. Joe also holds the RHS Diploma levels 2 and 3. After Wisley, head gardener roles at Salle Park and Raveningham Hall, both in Norfolk, and a period running his own business, led him back to Burghley House, where as head gardener he has been managing the 46 acres of gardens for 6 years.

This ticket is for this individual session and costs £8. Gardens Trust and Northamptonshire Gardens Trust Members may purchase tickets at £6. 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 will be sent shortly after each session and will be available for 2 weeks .

Saturday, September 21, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm – Art Reception and Talk: Ghost Trees

Please join The Arnold Arboretum on September 21 for a reception celebrating the opening of Ghost Trees, a digital art show presented in augmented reality which celebrates the lives of five iconic Arboretum trees. Artist Sonia Ralston has skillfully recreated these beloved trees as 3-D digital models: visitors can scan a QR code and see these trees superimposed on the landscape behind them, experiencing them as they once stood.

Timeline for the reception:

1:00–2:00pm: Refreshments and rendering viewings in the lecture hall.
2:00–2:20pm: Artist talk
2:30–3:00pm: Half mile walk in landscape to view two Ghost Trees in their original settings.

Accessibility: The Hunnewell Lecture Hall is wheelchair accessible. The outdoor portion will be on paved, level roads. Free, but registration required at www.arboretum.harvard.edu

Wednesday, September 25, 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm Eastern – Ecotypes: Ecological Gardening with Nature’s Heirloom Seeds, Online

It all starts with a seed. Join Sefra Alexandra, The Seed Huntress, on a conservation safari into the world of ecotypes— native plants grown from locally wildcrafted seeds. Discover why seed provenance is essential for plant resilience and ecological restoration.Learn how planting the right plants in the right place restores the living seed banks of our soils and strengthens the growing national movement of ecoregional seed networks. Embark on a journey into nature’s heirlooms and transform your garden with ecotypic seeds, the locally adapted treasures of pollinators. This American Horticutural Society online talk takes place September 25 at 7 pm Eastern, and is $15 for AHS members, $20 for nonmembers. Register at www.ahsgardening.org

Sefra Alexandra – the Seed Huntress- is the Ecological Health Network Education Coordinator for the Northeast USA Bioregion. She leads The Ecotype Project, teaching smallholder farmers how to produce autochthonous plant material for ecological restoration. These efforts have led to the formation of the farmer-led Northeast Seed Collective, making ecotypic seed commercially available. In 2020 she began BOATanical.org where she guides ‘backyard’ expeditions to plant native plants by boat along riparian corridors, an experience that contributes to a culture of citizen science and ecological stewardship. Alexandra is on the board of the Freed Seed Federation and the steering committee of the Northeast Seed Network. She holds a MAT in agroecological education from Cornell University and is trained in the tradition of seed saving by the Rocky Mountain Seed Alliance. She is also a WINGS WorldQuest expedition flag carrier, member of the Explorers Club, former Genebank Impacts Fellow for the Global Crop Diversity Trust, and has helped to fortify community seed banks on island nations with Tactivate- the disaster response company she runs with her twin brother.