Boston Flora

Saturday, August 29, 10:00 am – 12:00 noon – Summer Flower Crown Workshop

Flower crowns can serve as the perfect accessory to wear for any special occasion or to make an ordinary day a special one. In the Trustees Summer Flower Crown Workshop on August 29 from 10 – noon at the Stevens-Coolidge Place in North Andover, learn to assemble your very own flower crown using the blooms of the garden to create a lush and beautiful crown. During the workshops, participants will have the opportunity to tour our Potager and Cutting gardens to gain inspiration and enjoy a first-hand look at which flowers would work best when assembling your own flower crown.

In this workshop, participants will learn:

Step-by-step construction techniques to assemble a flower crown
Choosing the correct foliage, flowers, and materials for your crown
Understanding textures and colors

All materials provided for workshop. No prior experience necessary.

Space is limited. $55 for Trustees’ members, $65 for nonmembers. Pre-registration required. http://www.thetrustees.org/things-to-do/northeast/event-54065.html

Wednesday, August 26, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm – Totally Tomatoes Cooking Class

It’s tomato season on Powisset Farm in Dover. Come learn new and creative recipes using farm-fresh tomatoes. Led by a PowissetCooks! instructor, participants will get to learn ways to prep and cook these delicious red (and orange….and yellow) beauties. The class will take place August 26 from 6 – 8, and is $64 for Trustees members, $80 for nonmembers.

Included in this class:

Cooking demonstration and partially hands-on learning experience.
Instruction from an experienced, top-notch instructor.
Recipes to take home.
A meal to enjoy on-site or to take with you.

Class is limited to 8 participants to allow for social distancing within the classroom space. Pre-registration is required 2 days prior to a class or event. If it is within 2 days and you wish to register, please email powissetfarm@thetrustees.org or call 508.785.0339 to find out if there is space remaining.

Powisset is NOT a nut-free or gluten-free kitchen. Register at http://www.thetrustees.org/things-to-do/metro-west/event-56175.html

Saturday, August 22, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm – Sunflower Centerpiece Tutorial

From stem to vase, learn the skills to assemble a summer-inspired centerpiece fresh from our garden with a seasonal favorite, sunflowers. Whether these sunflowers are from your garden or from your local market, learn how to create a beautiful centerpiece that will be the essence of fresh summer blooms to feel like you have brought the garden inside your home. During this August 22 workshop at Stevens Coolidge Place in North Andover from 1 – 3, participants will learn step-by-step instructions by a Trustees staff member to learn how to assemble their very own Sunflower Centerpiece to reflect the summer season.

In this workshop, participants will learn:

Step-by-step centerpiece construction techniques
Choosing the correct floral supplies and vessels
Understanding colors and fundamental ingredients
Understanding basic floral design fundamentals

Space is limted; Pre-registration required. $42 for Trustees’ members, $50 for nonmembers.

Register at http://www.thetrustees.org/things-to-do/northeast/event-54064.html For questions, please contact Julie Olivere (978) 607-1135 or at jolivere@thetrustees.org

Thursday, August 20, 12:00 noon – 1:00 pm – Horticulturist Lunch and Learn Garden Tour

Join Naumkeag’s Horticultural Manager Catherine Martini on August 20 at noon for an exclusive tour of Naumkeag’s renowned gardens in Stockbridge. Picnic lunch included for your enjoyment after the tour; we suggest you bring a blanket or chair so you can find a shady spot and marvel at the views. Masks required. Trustees’ members $44, nonmembers $55. Register at http://www.thetrustees.org/things-to-do/berkshires/event-56976.html

Wednesday, August 19, 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm – Stunning Stewartias: Asiatic Stewartias and their Culture, Online

Join Polly Hill Arboretum Executive Director Tim Boland online on Wednesday, August 19 at 3 pm as he shares the fascinating history, diversity, and culture of the beautiful white-flowering trees, the Asiatic Stewartias. Tim will detail Polly Hill’s own introduction to the group of trees which are highly valued for their camellia-like flowers, expressive bark patterns and garden adaptability. The PHA holds the national collection for the genus along with the Arnold Arboretum in nearby Boston. Come join us as we learn about new cultivated varieties and helpful suggestions as to how you can grow these trees in your own landscape. Free for PHA members, $10 for nonmembers. Proceeds benefit Polly Hill Arboretum and help make it possible for us to hold future affordable and free educational programs for our community. Thank you for support! Register here: bit.ly/Stewartias-Webinar-2020

Thursday, August 27, 10:30 am – 12:30 pm – Print and Stitch

Tower Hill Botanic Garden has scheduled a workshop on August 27 from 10:30 – 12:30 with Suzanne Hauerstein. Use fresh botanicals and printmaking inks to create an embroidery hoop canvas, wall art piece. After printing we will add simple, free-form embroidery accents using needle and embroidery floss. Printmaking and stitching demonstrations will be shown. No experience necessary. Tower Hill member price $46, nonmembers $56. Register at www.towerhillbg.org. As with all live classes during the pandemic, please check with Tower Hill the week before the program to confirm.

Wednesday, August 19, 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm – Season Extension Online Workshop

As the summer winds down, the gardening season doesn’t have to! Join urban farmer Apolo Catala and The Trustees on August 19 at 6 pm for a free virtual workshop on crops, materials, and techniques for extending the growing season into the fall.

This workshop, like many we’re presenting this season, is made possible by TD Bank’s Ready Commitment.

Pre-register here and you will receive an email with the Zoom link.

Wednesday, August 19, 7:00 pm – World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments, Online

Please join Porter Square Books for a virtual event with Aimee Nezhukumatathil in conversation with Hanif Abdurraqib for her new book, World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments! This August 19 event, beginning at 7 pm, is free and open to all, and is hosted on Crowdcast. From beloved, award-winning poet Aimee Nezhukumatathil comes a debut work of nonfiction–a collection of essays about the natural world, and the way its inhabitants can teach, support, and inspire us, gorgeously illustrated by Fumi Nakamura.

As a child, Nezhukumatathil called many places home: the grounds of a Kansas mental institution, where her Filipina mother was a doctor; the open skies and tall mountains of Arizona, where she hiked with her Indian father; and the chillier climes of western New York and Ohio. But no matter where she was transplanted–no matter how awkward the fit or forbidding the landscape–she was able to turn to our world’s fierce and funny creatures for guidance.

“What the peacock can do,” she tells us, “is remind you of a home you will run away from and run back to all your life.” The axolotl teaches us to smile, even in the face of unkindness; the touch-me-not plant shows us how to shake off unwanted advances; the narwhal demonstrates how to survive in hostile environments. For it is this way with wonder: it requires that we are curious enough to look past the distractions in order to fully appreciate the world’s gifts.

Aimee Nezhukumatathil is the author of four collections of poems, including, most recently, Oceanic, winner of the Mississippi Institute of Arts and Letters Award. She serves as poetry faculty for the Writing Workshops in Greece and is professor of English and creative writing in the University of Mississippi’s MFA program.

Hanif Abdurraqib is a poet, essayist. and cultural critic from Columbus, Ohio. His second collection of poems, A Fortune For Your Disaster, was released in 2019 by Tin House.

Monday, August 17, 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm – Music Monday in Lucy’s Garden

Join Berkshire Botanical Garden among 24 whimsical topiaries for live music presented by local favorites as well as exciting new acts from outside the area. Bring a blanket and a picnic for an enjoyable evening soaking up some great tunes. Admission is free. Big Elm beer and non-alcoholic refreshments will be available for purchase.

On August 17, we warmly welcome The BTU’s performing rock, jazz, blues, and funk.

In accordance with state regulations, masks and online admission ticketing are required. Click here to register.

Dogs other than registered service animals, are not allowed on property or in the gardens.

Saturday & Sunday, August 15 & 16, 9:30 am – 4:30 pm – Landscape Tour: The Historic Gardens of Castle Hill

Come explore the gardens and curated landscape of Castle Hill in Ipswich on August 15 and 16. Tours leave every hour on the half hour, last tour at 3:30 pm. This socially distanced outdoor tour of the grounds walks you through the history of the property, the thought behind the gardens and the Grand Allee, and how the Crane family interacted with it all.

Pricing is per family group – no more than 4 people per family. Masks required.

Tours are booked to coincide with a timed parking pass for Castle Hill, which is included in the cost. Your ticket for this tour includes up to 3 hours at Castle Hill (including your tour). Please plan to arrive at the Great House at the top of the hill at least 10 minutes early. Trustees Member carload $40, nonmembers $50. Register at http://www.thetrustees.org/things-to-do/northeast/event-56855.html