Boston Flora

Wednesday, June 12, 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm – Brainstorming Meeting for a Dog Park – NEW LOCATION

The Charlesgate Alliance and Landing Studio will be holding a meeting on Wednesday, June 12th, in conjunction with the Back Bay Dog Park group, from 5:30 to 7:00pm at a meeting room at 91 Bay State Road (to the right as you enter the building) for a brainstorming session about a dog park. This is the first Charlesgate Alliance meeting devoted solely to the dog park element of the future Charlesgate Park. If you are interested in attending this or future meetings, please e-mail Rachel Bakish at charlesgatealliance@gmail.com who will be chairing a Dog Park committee for the Alliance.

Saturday, June 22, 11:30 am – 1:30 pm – Laura LeBoutillier

Enjoy an elegant, seated luncheon on the grounds of the Newport Flower Show at Rosecliff on June 22 at 11:30 am and then remain for an entertaining presentation with Laura LeBoutillier.

Get to know Laura LeBoutillier of Garden Answer in this Q&A style presentation. During the presentation you’ll learn about Laura’s journey to video fame and the passion for gardening that inspires her videos.

Laura grew up around her parent’s garden center in Eastern Oregon. She worked there for 10 years and in 2014 started making gardening YouTube videos as a hobby along with her husband Aaron. After 2 short years of creating online videos she amassed over 1 million followers. Today she has over 2.5 million followers on Facebook and approaching half a million on Youtube. This easily makes her the most watched gardener on the internet.

Admission: Luncheon & Lecture $100/Lecture Only $50 (Both include one-day Show admission) Purchase at https://www.newportmansions.org/events/newport-flower-show/lectures-and-demonstrations

Saturday, June 8, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm (rain date Sunday, June 9) – Wonderful Water

Come to The Gardens at Elm Bank on June 8 from 10 – 4 and enjoy family activities in the gardens that will help kids learn about the water cycle, the differences between water-loving and desert plants, and more. There will be fun and games, and presentations to help adults find ways to garden in water-savvy ways. Bring a picnic to enjoy a special day at The Gardens at Elm Bank! Rain date Sunday, June 9.

If you’re interested in volunteering at the event, please contact education@masshort.org

Admission: Members: Free; Children 12 and under: Free; General Public: $10

Wednesday, June 5, 7:30 pm – Sacred Cow: The Nutritional, Environmental, and Ethical Case for Better Meat

Red meat is vilified as unhealthy and unsustainable while the plant-based diet is seen as ideal. But is there more to the story? Could there be nuance to this conversation that’s not being discussed? Does eating beef really cause diabetes and will grazing animals destroy the planet? Diana Rodgers, an author, podcast host and dietitian living on a working organic farm, will review the evidence against red meat and illustrate why raising animals for meat is not only healthy, but can be beneficial for the environment. The June 5 free program at Wright-Locke Farm in Winchester begins at 7:30, but if you’d like, come for a casual picnic supper from Clover Food Lab for around $20, beginning at 6:30. You must email or register to reserve your meal and place at the talk at www.wlfarm.org.

Diana Rogers RD, LDN, NTP

Diana Rodgers, RD, LDN, NTP is a “real food” nutritionist living on a working organic farm near Boston, Massachusetts that runs a vegetable and meat CSA. She is the author of two bestselling cookbooks and runs a clinical nutrition practice. Diana writes and speaks about the intersection of optimal human nutrition, environmental sustainability, animal welfare and social justice. She is also the producer of The Sustainable Dish Podcast, interviewing experts in the environmental and health movement. Her new book and film project examines the environmental, nutritional and ethical case for “better meat’. She can be found at www.sustainabledish.com.

Wednesday, June 5, 1:30 pm – Garden Herbs: Their Cultivation, Cookery, Cures, and Caveats

Many medicinal plants brought to the New World escaped dooryard gardens and naturalized in our local flora, which now includes many plants with legitimate or presumed curative properties. A number of these same medicinal herbs were used in cookery and food preservation, revealing the ethnobotanical wisdom of herbal antibiotic properties. On June 5 at 1:30 pm, Judith Sumner, a specialist in ethnobotany, flowering plants, plant adaptations, and garden history, will present an intriguing overview of medicinal and culinary plants—from ancient traditions to gourmet cookery, military history, and modern medicine.

Sought after as a speaker, Sumner has been guest on the “Martha Stewart Living” TV show, the PBS program “Cultivating Life,” and various other PBS and educational programs. She lectures widely at botanical gardens, universities, and various symposia. The talk will be held at the Lexington Depot, followed by a tour of the Lexington Historical Society’s Hancock-Clarke House herb gardens and refreshments in Hancock-Clarke Barn. Tickets available at https://www.lexingtonhistory.org/events.html

An optional private tour of the Hancock-Clarke House is available after the presentation at 4:30 PM. LHS/LFGC members free, $10 for non-members. This add-on is available at the ticket link above.
This tour is limited to 30 people.

Saturday, June 8, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm – The 26th Annual Northampton Garden Tour

The 26th Annual Northampton Garden Tour, benefiting the Forbes Library, will take place June 8 from 10 – 3, rain or shine.

In advance: $15 at Forbes Library, Bay State Perennial Farm, Cooper’s Corner, Hadley Garden Center, North Country Landscapes & Garden Center and State Street Fruit Store. Day of the tour: $20 at Forbes Library only.

Raffle: 2 tickets/$5, 5 tickets/$10, or 12 ticket/$20. Raffle display and tickets for sale at Forbes Library, now – June 8 & on the day of the tour, at one of the gardens. Raffle items include compost, gift certificates, landscape consultation & gardening supplies. For more details visit https://forbeslibrary.org/friends/events/garden-tour/

Friday, June 7 & Saturday, June 8, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm – Carlisle Country Garden Tour

THE POPULAR CARLISLE COUNTRY GARDENS TOUR IS RETURNING
ON FRIDAY JUNE 7 and SATURDAY JUNE 8, 2019. Advanced ticket sale is now open at www.carlislegardenclub.org Six memorable private gardens are open from 10 am to 4 pm each day, and our 2019 theme is Come to your Senses. At each property we’ll highlight details that encourage you to sharpen your senses as you bathe in the healing power of nature. So grab a small notebook to jot down ideas and plan a leisurely one- or two-day tour in a rural setting, just a few miles from Boston. Buy your advance tickets online, or pick up self-service ticket forms at Ferns Country Store in Carlisle Center or Gleason Public Library at 22 Bedford Road in Carlisle.

Friday, June 7, 6:30 pm – 10:30 pm – Glow in the Park

The Greenway Conservancy invites you to celebrate and support the non-profit Greenway Conservancy at Glow in the Park on June 7 from 6:30pm to 10:30pm, at the Rose Kennedy Greenway on High Street at Atlantic Avenue.

Tickets (which can be purchased online at www.rosekennedygreenway.org) are $85 and include food from our Greenway Food Trucks, drinks from Jack’s Abby and 90+ Cellars, live music from Vivian Luo and Them Apples Band, lawn games from Social Boston Sports, prizes, and MORE!

Saturday, September 28, 8:30 am – 3:45 pm – Inspiration for Next Year’s Garden

For the Massachusetts Master Gardener Association’s 2019 Gardening Symposium we’ve assembled a group of horticulturists and garden designers whose innovative work is widely recognized. In addition to their presentations, speakers will be available to meet and greet you during breaks and for book signing. The event takes place Saturday, September 28 from 8:30 am – 3:45 pm at Westford Academy in Westford, Massachusetts.

Fergus Garrett, Head Gardener at Great Dixter House & Gardens in East Sussex, England, and horticultural heir to legendary designer Christopher Lloyd, will speak on how to design with plants “the Great Dixter way,” keeping the garden constantly changing throughout the seasons by experimenting with new plants and plant combinations.

Jacqueline Van Der Kloet, Dutch garden designer, Piet Oudolf associate, and designer of Martha Stewart’s iconic 120,000 blue bulb linden allee, will teach us how to interplant Dutch tulips and other spring-flowering bulbs with annuals and perennials in naturalistic displays that delight the eye and extend the seasons.

Paul Zammit, Director of Horticulture at the Toronto Botanical Garden, will show us how to create an eye-catching and lasting planter that transcends the seasons, including favorite choice plants, container combinations, and planter accents.

Finally, learn about the history of vegetables as well as proven and new ways to raise veggies organically in our challenging New England climate with Matt Mattus, award winning plantsman, blogger, and author of the newly-published book Mastering the Art of Vegetable Gardening.

Early bird pricing is in effect now – $85 per person through August 17, $100 per person through September 22. The price includes lectures. admission to the Garden Marketplace and Silent Auction, box lunch, and parking. Visit http://massmastergardeners.org/2019-symposium/

Sunday, June 2, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm – Bristol County Open Day

Visit three gardens in Rehoboth, open to benefit the Garden Conservancy, on June 2 from 10 – 4. No reservations required; rain or shine.

Highlights include stone work, fragrant blooms, an herb garden, water features, and acres of display gardens.

Bonus Garden Extras include plant sales, guided tours and discussions on herbs, plant combinations, and the use of color and fragrance in the garden. At the McIlwain Garden, 12 p.m, Garden Host Susan McIlwain will lead a tour of her herb garden and a lively discussion of the history of herbs, their medicinal and culinary uses, and cultivation tips. Later, visit the nearby herb garden she stewards at the Carpenter Museum and the Museum’s free annual strawberry festival, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Admission is $10 per private garden, free admission to Tranquil Lake Nursery; children 12 and under free.

Begin at Tranquil Lake Nursery or see www.gardenconservancy.org/open-days for additional locations.