Boston Flora

Mondays, October 4 – October 25, 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm Eastern – Plant Hunters & Pioneers: Veitch Nurseries, Online

This Gardens Trust online series of talks, organised in association with Devon Gardens Trust, is part of a longer program from The Gardens Trust for autumn/winter 2021/22 on Commercial Plant Nurseries, Plant Hunters and Pioneers. The four part series begins Monday, October 4 and runs through Monday, October 25, beginning at 1 pm Eastern time.

When the Scot, John Veitch, arrived in Devon in the late 18th Century to lay out the grounds at Killerton, the foundations were laid for the establishment of one of the most remarkable horticultural dynasties. John’s son James pioneered the sending of his own plant collectors abroad on difficult and often dangerous journeys in search of new plants, which was fueled by the insatiable appetite of the Victorian elite who were prepared to pay high prices for a new exotic novelty. Between 1840 and 1912, Messrs. Veitch sent 23 plant collectors to various continents in search of new plants for our homes and gardens.

Five generations of the Veitch family took charge of the businesses and in the years that followed, they claimed many firsts. These included many hundreds of new plant introductions, pioneering hybridisation work including the creation of the first official orchid hybrid, the introduction of the Giant Redwood, new fuchsias, dahlias, escallonias, Ceanothus, orchids, pitcher plants, rhododendrons and the tuberous begonia to name but a few. Success brought further success including expansion to London from where the business grew into an institution of immense importance. In addition, James Junior and his son, Sir Harry Veitch were very much involved with the Royal Horticultural Society and later, Sir Harry helped organise the Royal International Horticultural Exhibition of 1912; the precursor to the Chelsea Flower Show before receiving the first knighthood in horticulture.

Plant Hunters & Pioneers – Veitch Nurseries Tickets, Mon 4 Oct 2021 at 18:00 | Eventbrite

The schedule begins on October 4th with a lecture on The Early Years, followed by Plant Hunters for Veitch: The Lobb Brothers on October 11, then on October 18 James Veitch & Sons Pioneering Hybridists and Plant Introductions, and finally, on October 25, Robert Veitch & Son.

Lecturer Caradoc Doy trained at Bicton College of Agriculture (1986) and Pershore College of Horticulture (1987-1990), and following a career with some leading nurseries and garden centres around the U.K., He has become an authority on the history of the Veitch nurseries and their plant hunters, which led him to publish a centenary edition of Hortus Veitchii by James H. Veitch in 2006. In 2003, he staged a Veitch exhibit at St. Bridget Nurseries, Exeter and at the Devon County Show in 2004 which received a Large Gold Medal (both on behalf of St. Bridget Nurseries). Caradoc was featured on BBC TV in May 2012 where he helped stage an exhibit at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show for Plant Heritage, winning a Silver Gilt Medal and meeting HM The Queen. Caradoc travels widely to give talks about Veitch and their pioneering plant hunters and other horticultural stories.

The ticket (through Eventbrite) is for the entire course of 4 sessions, and tickets are not available for individual sessions. £20. Attendees will be sent a Zoom link 2 days prior to the start of the first talk, which will be the same link throughout (If you do not receive this link please contact us), and a link to the recorded session will be sent shortly after each session and will be available for 1 week. Register HERE.

Thursday, October 5, 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm – People & Plants of the World: Landscape Commonalities, Online

Viewing landscapes and plants through the lenses of different cultures will help designers create panoramas that are not only aesthetically pleasing but are spaces where Nature is no longer reorganized and alien. Working with Nature to create landscapes in which both people and plants are considered is the new frontier for landscape designers. Join the Native Plant Trust and Wambui Ippolito on October 5 at 6:30 pm online. $15 for NPT members, $18 for nonmembers. Register at http://www.nativeplanttrust.org/events/people-plants-world-landscape-commonalities/

Wednesday, October 6, 12:00 noon – 1:00 pm – Implications of Climate Change for Invasive Species Webinar

Invasive species and climate change are two of the most prominent forms of anthropogenic global change identified by the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. Invasive species have pronounced negative impacts on ecosystems and economies, and these impacts may be exacerbated by climate change. But for most invasive species and invaded ecosystems, the outcomes of this interaction remain unknown. This Ecological Landscape Alliance online presentation on October 6 at noon Eastern will review the current state of knowledge about how climate change influences invasive species as well as describe the work of the Northeast Regional Invasive Species and Climate Change network that is bringing together researchers and practitioners to address this challenge.

Carrie Brown-Lima is a Senior Extension Associate and the Director of the NY Invasive Species Research Institute at Cornell University. In this role, she works closely with research scientists, state and federal agencies, the NY Invasive Species Council and Advisory Committee, and regional stakeholders to promote innovation and improve the scientific basis of invasive species management. Carrie has over 20 year of experience working with natural resource conservation and management across ecosystems and borders. Prior to her position with the Research Institute, she spent 11 years promoting conservation strategies and partnerships in Brazil and throughout Latin America on diverse programs such as sustainable fisheries certifications, agriculture and conservation, and transboundary protected areas.

Free for ELA members, $10 for nonmembers. Register at https://www.ecolandscaping.org/event/webinar-implications-of-climate-change-for-invasive-species/

Fridays, October 8 – October 22, 10:00 am – 11:30 am – The Potomac: A National and Cultural History, Online

The Potomac River is one of the most storied in North America, with a rich natural and cultural history reflected throughout its nearly 400 miles of waterways that extend from the Appalachian highlands of West Virginia to the Chesapeake Bay. Environmental historian Hayden Mathews brings that heritage to life in a three-part Smithsonian Associates online series that focuses on how the Potomac has shaped the lives of the those who settled along its banks from their arrival after the last Ice Age to the present day and how those lives, in turn, have had an impact on the river. He offers a chance to gain a fresh appreciation for the riches of this lovely valley, the river that carved it, and the people that populated its shores.

The Potomac flows through rocks that hold more than a billion years of Earth’s history and encompasses many different ecological areas that are home to an extraordinary diversity of plant and animal species. Mathews’ first program examines the natural, ecological, and geological forces that defined the character of the land we see today, covering continental collisions, glaciations, and species lost and gained.

He shifts to cultural history in subsequent programs that highlight some of the most notable aspects of the 15,000 years that humans have inhabited this area. Mathews moves from the lifeways of the Paleoindians and First Nations peoples to the stories of slaves seeking freedom, inventors, smugglers, fishermen, floods, and first ladies, painting a colorful portrait of Mid-Atlantic history and some of the memorable men, women, and events that played roles in that saga.

Register at www.smithsonianassociates.org. $65 for Smithsonian members, $75 for nonmembers. If you register multiple individuals, you will be asked to supply individual names and email addresses so they can receive a Zoom link email. Please note that if there is a change in program schedule or a cancellation, we will notify you via email, and it will be your responsibility to notify other registrants in your group. Unless otherwise noted, registration for streaming programs typically closes two hours prior to the start time on the date of the program. Once registered, patrons should receive an automatic email confirmation from CustomerService@SmithsonianAssociates.org. Separate Zoom link information will be emailed closer to the date of the program. If you do not receive your Zoom link information 24 hours prior to the start of the program, please email Customer Service for assistance.

Monday, October 4, 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm – Cohabitation, Online

The New York Botanical Garden’s 23rd Annual Landscape Design Series kicks off October 4 at 6:30 online with Lisa Switkin speaking on Cohabitation. As a senior principal at James Corner Field Operations, Lisa Switkin
has led many of thefirm’s most complex, bold, and transformative projects and has helped to reshape New York
City’s public realm for the past 20 years. Switkin will discuss new forms of public space that foster environmental
health and resilience, social cohesion and well-being, and connection to place. She will examine “cohabitation” and our evolving human relationship with nature, showcasing projects such as the High Line in Manhattan; Domino Park and River Ring in Brooklyn; the transformative master plan for Freshkills Parkland in Staten Island; and Shelby
Farms Park in Memphis. Lisa Switkin, FA AR, ASL A, is the former President of the Landscape Architecture
Foundation and a 2008 Rome Prize recipient at the American Academy in Rome. She earned a Bachelor in Urban Planning from the University of Illinois and a Master of Landscape Architecture from the University of Pennsylvania. She continues to teach design studios and lecture at universities, symposia, and institutions around the world.

Registration fee for each lecture: $15/$18. Register for the series and receive a discount: 222L AN801AO | $39/$49 For more information, click HERE

Saturday, October 2, 3:30 pm – 5:00 pm – History and Preservation of the American Elm in New England

Tom Zetterstrom initiated Elm Watch in 1999 to protect the Baldwin Hill Elm from the threat of Dutch elm disease, and launched a regional effort with Tim Abbott of The Nature Conservancy to “adopt” specimen elms in our tri-state region. Several of these elms remain on the landscape. National Arboretum research on disease resistant elm cultivars in 2001 prompted elm restoration nationally. Learn what elm cultivars performed well and how to reduce the risk of Dutch elm disease.

Tom Zetterstrom’s photographic record reveals a changing landscape impacted by species decline, alien plant invasion and forest collapse. In these talks he will describe projects in Connecticut and Massachusetts that have protected trees in natural and community forests. In 1999 he co-founded Elm Watch. Tom received the 2011 Public Awareness of Trees award from the national Arbor Day Foundation, and the 2013 Connecticut Urban forest Council’s meritorious service award for efforts “to educate and promote positive change regarding trees and plants.” He is recognized for his Portraits of America Trees exhibition and his photographs are in the collections of 43 museums nationally.

This Berkshire Botanical Garden talk will be held October 2 at 3:30 pm at the Garden. BBG members $10, nonmembers $15. Advanced registration requested at https://www.berkshirebotanical.org/events/history-and-preservation-american-elm-new-england

Thursday, September 30, 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm – Leave the Leaves Webinar

Let’s rethink the annual autumn ritual of removing leaves, planting lawns, and hauling debris to the local transfer station. In this one-hour talk Tower Hill Botanic Garden webinar, ecological landscape designer Kathy Connolly will talk about leaves—what they are, their role in nature, and what they can do for us. She’ll offer ways to reduce leaf cleanup, help soil, support wildlife, and still make landscapes ready for winter—and for next year’s planting beds. She’ll also explore the latest equipment for fall clean-ups, the quiet, high-powered electric leaf blowers, trimmers, mowers, clippers.

Kathy Connolly is a landscape designer who specializes in naturalized designs, low-impact techniques, and native plants for homeowners, municipalities, and other organizations. Kathy has a master’s degree in landscape planning and design from the Conway School in Easthampton, MA. She completed the advanced master gardener program and is an Accredited Organic Land Care Professional through NOFA. She is an active member of the Connecticut Invasive Plant Working Group (CIPWG). She is a regular columnist for The Day community papers which circulate throughout southeastern Connecticut and has written about lawn alternatives for The Spruce/About.com. She gives about 25 talks and workshops each year for conservation organizations, master gardeners, museums, libraries, land trusts, and garden clubs. Her website is www.SpeakingofLandscapes.com.

$10 Member Adult; $15 Adult Register HERE.

This is a recorded webinar. This program will be conducted live on September 30, 2021. Once you register you will receive a link to the video in the confirmation email. This recording is available for 2 months after the live webinar.
This webinar recording will be available until November 30, 2021.

Saturday, October 9, 10:00 am – 11:30 am – The New Heirloom Garden

Get a head start planning next years’ garden and take home fresh ideas for designing your kitchen garden, featuring Ellen Ogden’s six steps to an heirloom garden. Discover what vegetables to grow for the best flavor and what flowers for old-fashioned fragrance and why it is important to save seeds. Learn about the wide diversity of heirloom plants that you can grow to enhance your edible landscape. This class takes place on October 9 at Hollister House Garden in Washington, Connecticut.

Award winning food and garden writer Ellen Ecker Ogden, author of The New Heirloom Garden, closes our season of Barn Talks with a history of heirloom gardens and shows us how to create our own unique garden. Her new book will be available for sale at the talk.

Ellen is a Vermont writer and author of The Complete Kitchen Garden. She cofounded The Cooks Garden seed catalog, introducing cooks and gardeners to European specialty vegetable, herbs and flowers. Her articles have appeared in the New York Times, Martha Stewart Living, Better Homes and Gardens and Country Gardens. Ellen lives and works in Manchester Vermont.

HHG Members $25

Non-members $35

REGISTRATION

Friday, October 9, 4:00 pm – Conversations with Great American Gardeners: Karen Washington, Online

The American Horticultural Society is pleased to announce our new speaker series featuring current and past Great American Gardeners Award Winners and Book Award Winners. Since 1953, the AHS has been recognizing and celebrating horticultural champions that represent the best in American gardening and we are thrilled to soon launch a new dedicated webinar series to highlight these outstanding individuals.

The first conversation in the series will launch Friday, October 8, with Karen Washington, an award-winning urban farmer and food justice activist who was the recipient of the 2018 Urban Beautification Award. Karen has been a community gardener and activist in New York City since 1985. As a New York Botanical Garden trustee, she currently works with Bronx neighborhoods to turn empty lots into gardens. In her earlier role as an advocate and former president of the New York City Community Garden Coalition, she championed garden protection and preservation. She’s also active with the La Familia Verde Garden Coalition, helping to launch a City Farms Market to bring fresh vegetables to the community. She serves as a board member of organizations such as Why Hunger and Just Food, often leading workshops on food justice and growing food. Washington is also a co-owner and farmer at Rise & Root Farm. In 2012, Ebony magazine voted her one of the 100 most influential African Americans in the country. In 2014, she was the recipient of the James Beard Leadership Award.

Host Holly Shimizu, former executive director of the United States Botanic Garden and an AHS board member, will lead the conversation, which you won’t want to miss!

To register, access the member and non-memberrates. Sponsorship opportunities are available to support the speaker series.

How to Prune Wisteria, Online with The National Trust

Try your hand at growing and caring for wisteria. One of the great treats of late spring and early summer is the spectacular blooming and sweet smell of wisteria. Wisteria is a gorgeous plant but it needs to be pruned twice a year to keep it looking its best. In this free, short video, National Trust gardener Andy Darragh shows Rebecca Bevan, the author of The National Trust School of Gardening, how he cares for the wisteria at Fenton House in London. Access the video on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kaSSu2NAU8