Boston Flora

Wednesday, September 2, 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm – Herbs of New England

Herbs grow everywhere, including Bird Park in Walpole! Join Jenny Hauf, owner of Muddy River Herbals, on Wednesday, September 2 at 6 pm for an introduction to the world of New England’s herbs. Learn about herbs found wild in our parks, fields, forests, and lawns, as well as the many plants that thrive in our gardens. Come for an evening of lore and an armful of practical know-how.

Preregistration required. Limited seating available. Register online to secure your spot: https://thetrustees.org/event/herbs-of-new-england/

Price for this workshop: $15/member; $25/nonmember

The workshop will be held outdoors under a tent, near the Gate Way entrance and the Bird Park Office (located in the park’s Maintenance Area). More details will be shared with registrants. All attendees must wear a mask. Seats will be separated for social distancing. You can download a trail map of the park here: https://thetrustees.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/BirdPark_TrailMap_2017.pdf

The largest parking lot is on Polley Lane (135 Polley Lane, if using GPS), but there is also a small parking lot on Pleasant Street (315 Pleasant) and a medium-sized lot on Rhoades Avenue (55 Rhoades Ave, next to church). You will need to walk through part of the park to get to the tent. If you have difficulty walking, please contact Maura (mogara@thetrustees.org; 508.668.6136) for information on handicap parking. For questions on the day of the program, please contact Maura at 617.750.4329.

Questions? Membership? Please contact Maura (mogara@thetrustees.org; 508-668-6136). For updates and announcements, please follow Bird Park programs on Facebook @friendsofbirdpark. To learn more about this event and others at the park, please visit www.thetrustees.org/birdpark. For more information on Muddy River Herbals, please visit www.muddyriverherbals.com.

Wednesday, September 9, 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm – Pickle Party

It’s peak harvest–the perfect time for some pickling! Share your favorite recipe with the group or just join The Trustees on September 9 from 5 – 6 online to learn. We’ll cover lactofermented goodies as well as quick pickles and you’ll be ready to improvise your own tasty, nutritious pickles at home.

This free workshop, like many we’re presenting this season, is made possible through TD Bank’s Ready Commitment. Pre-register here and you will receive an email with the Zoom link.

Monday, September 21 – Monday, October 5 – The Cultural Landscape Foundation Sixteenth Annual Silent Auction: Online

The Cultural Landscape Foundation’s (TCLF) Annual Silent auction this year will be held online and will feature dozens of works of art created by landscape architects, architects, artists, photographers, and others. The 2019 silent auction, for example, featured works by the likes of Roberto Burle Marx, Cindy Sherman, Pat Pickett, Dan Tague, Lawrence Halprin, and many others.

The auction will run September 21, through October 5, 2020.

Proceeds benefit the Pioneers of American Landscape Design® Oral History Project, an ever-growing, award-winning series of videotaped first-person interviews with significant practitioners. TCLF is grateful for the generous support of our auction donors and our Annual Sponsor, the ASLA. Their continued commitment to this project ensures that the funds raised go directly to support TCLF’s programming. In 2003, TCLF launched the Pioneers of American Landscape Design® initiative in partnership with the ASLA, with the goal of documenting, collecting, and preserving the unique, first-hand perspectives of renowned landscape practitioners.

If you have any questions about the bidding process or would like to learn more about the auction, please contact Aileen Beringer at aileen@tclf.org, or (202) 483-0553

Wednesday, September 23, 9:30 am – 11:00 am – Plant-Insect Interactions Online

Ever wonder how plants and insects interact beyond pollination and herbivory? In this Native Plant Trust online program with George LoCascio, we will explore plant-insect interactions through a combination of discussion and field examination. This class is a great opportunity to improve your identification skills for insects and the plants they call home. $23 for NPT members, $27 for nonmembers. Register at http://www.nativeplanttrust.org/events/plant-insect-interactions/

Through October: Community Garden Club of Cohasset Flower Flash

In July, The Community Garden Club of Cohasset began its latest project, the Bicycle Flower Flash. As part of the project, CGCC members will create a new flower arrangement to be placed in a basket attached to a bicycle, each week. The bicycle will be roving, moved to new spots in town continuously so the entire community, and visitors can enjoy . The project was inspired by New York City’s trash can flower arrangements, widely published online, but the CGCC favored a “retro-style bicycle” for the base. The Club hopes the project will enliven the community, leaving residents eager to see where the bike will pop up next.

Friends of Mount Auburn Virtual Twilight Wine Tasting

Although we cannot be together for our annual Twilight Wine Tasting event this summer, Jay Faber of Magnolia Wine Company, in Watertown, MA has created a special offer to bring you delicious wines and support the Friends of Mount Auburn. Jay has curated a selection of five wines perfect for summer. When you order these special wines $2 from every bottle ordered will be donated to the Friends of Mount Auburn. Jay says “the folks at Magnolia hope that all of our Friends are well, and we are looking forward to seeing everyone in-person at next summer’s wine tasting.”

Pares Balta, Cava, Spain
Wonderful sparkling wine from the vineyards outside of Barcelona. An excellent alternative to Prosecco. $12.99

Alan Scott, Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand
Clean, crisp and lemony. $14.99

Peyrasson Rose, France
Dry Rose from the south of France. Perfect backyard sipping wine for sweltering summer temps. $14.99

Tarima, Monastrell
Medium bodied red. Smooth and spicy. $11.99

Sangiovese, Di Majo Norante
Rich and ripe. Great for the grill. $14.99

To order, please download and complete the order form below: Magnolia-Wine-Order-Form-2020

Email orders accepted at Magnoliawines@verizon.com. Orders can be picked up at the store daily from 10-7, and 12-6 on Sunday. Free Home Delivery to surrounding towns for all orders, 6 bottles or more. Any questions, call Jay at 617. 924-6040. The Magnolia Wine Company is located at 130 Belmont St., Watertown, MA.

Wednesday, September 23, 12:00 noon – 1:00 pm – Why Rain Gardens Fail and Tools for Success Webinar

Rain impacts each of our lives. Past generations developed methods that quickly whisk the rain from roofs, roads, and plazas on its journey to the ocean. The contemporary stormwater model features the design and installation of landscapes that mimic nature, capturing, storing, and infiltrating the water close to its source. Rain gardens and bioretention facilities are two practices in the green infrastructure toolbox, and they are often the first choices for designers, contractors, public agencies, and landowners due to their relatively low cost, large stormwater treatment capacity, and perceived ease of installation. However, complaints ranging from unsightly weedy holes to mosquito breeding water can leave agencies and landowners wishing for another stormwater alternative. With appropriate planning, design, construction, and maintenance, these stormwater treatment workhorses can be an artistic part of our landscapes, gardens, streetscapes, and public spaces.

Steven Torgerson is a Registered Landscape Architect and the Director of Landscape Architecture at AMT Landscape Architecture + Design Division. He has nationwide experience in planning and design within an ecologically resilient framework and is passionate about creating spaces that are a catalyst for people to interact with their environment and community. Mr. Torgerson’s multidisciplinary design approach encourages alternative solutions to complex rainwater problems. He delights in community engagement and the opportunity to integrate public preferences into the design outcome. Before coming to AMT, Mr. Torgerson served as the Cultural Landscape Architect at Yosemite National Park and was the lead landscape architect for the Forest Service during the 2002 Winter Olympics. He has won numerous awards for his work in landscape architecture including the 2018 ASLA Potomac Chapter Honor Award for Brookside Gardens and the 2017 ASLA, Potomac Chapter Honor Award for Greening DC’s Streetscapes. Mr. Torgerson holds a Master in Landscape Architecture from the Pennsylvania State University with an emphasis in watershed planning and a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture from Utah State University.

This ELA webinar is free for ELA members, $10 for nonmembers, and you can register at https://www.ecolandscaping.org/event/webinar-why-rain-gardens-fail-and-tools-for-success/

Monday, September 14, 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm – Deer-Resistant Native Groundcovers Webinar

Effortless and Evergreen— Move over pachysandra, myrtle, and mulch. Discover the many native groundcovers that are easy to grow, shunned by deer, and offer year-round interest. Create a living mulch that provides seasonal beauty, is beneficial to wildlife, and moderates soil temperature and moisture.

Melissa (Missy) Fabel is a native plant designer, consultant and writer. She has a certificate in Field Botany from the New York Botanical Garden and a certificate in Gardening with Native Plants from the Native Plant Center at Westchester Community College, where she also teaches and is a Steering Committee member.

This Ecological Landscape Alliance Webinar will take place September 14 from noon – 1 and is free for ELA members, $10 for nonmembers. Register at https://www.ecolandscaping.org/event/webinar-deer-resistant-native-groundcovers/#get-ticket

Thursday, August 27, 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm – Summer Harvest Dinner at Home

It’s peak harvest season in Massachusetts and the Boston Community Gardens team wants to bring the taste of summer to you in your homes! We have curated a vegetarian menu featuring some of the best late summer produce. You’ll pick up a bundle of fresh seasonal ingredients from one of three locations (JP, Quincy or Medford) and return home for a Zoom cooking class on August 27 from 6:30 – 8 where we’ll prepare a delicious meal together. You’ll learn recipes you can adapt to whatever produce is in season.

All proceeds directly support Boston Community Gardens. Tickets sales stop at midnight on Wednesday August 26. Trustees members get a 20% discount. For any questions or to become a member, please reach out to mdelima@thetrustees.org. $28 for members, $35 for nonmembers. For more information visit http://www.thetrustees.org/things-to-do/metro-boston/event-57195.html

Wednesday, August 26, 9:00 am – Sunday, August 30, 9:00 pm – Newport Mansions Exclusive Experiences Online Auction

With the right bid, you can go beyond the ordinary while also supporting The Preservation Society of Newport County!

Host an elegant dinner for family and friends in the dining room at Rosecliff. Watch the sun set over Newport Harbor from the roof of The Elms while enjoying cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. Explore the third floor of The Breakers – not normally accessible to the general public – with a special private tour capped by a glass of wine on the third floor terrace overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. These are just three of the exclusive experiences in this auction.See the website for the full list.

One item of gardening interest is a Landscape Consultation. The Preservation Society’s Director of Garden & Grounds, Jeffrey Curtis, will visit your home or business and provide advice on the care and maintenance of your existing landscape. Jeff’s decades of experience caring for our historic grounds will allow him to pass along the best practices and advice for your current landscape to make it the garden oasis you always dreamed of! Available on Aquidneck Island or other nearby locations. We hope all members and supporters will consider bidding on one or more of these items.

Questions Events@newportmansions.org