Boston Flora

Thursday, April 18, 12:00 noon – 1:30 pm – The Green Ideal: Botanical Practices and the Creation of Santiago’s Civic Landscape

The Harvard Graduate School of Design presents a free lecture by Romy Hecht on April 18 at 12 noon at 48 Quincy Street in Cambridge entitled The Green Ideal: Botanical Practices and the Creation of Santiago’s Civic Landscape.

Romy Hecht is a Professor at the School of Architecture, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (PUC), where she gives courses and research seminars on historical narratives and design theories of nineteenth- and twentieth-century landscapes. She holds a Ph.D. in History and Theory of Architecture from Princeton University and an M. Arch and professional degree in architecture from the PUC. She has been a Visiting Professor in the Department of Landscape Architecture at the GSD (2012), in the Ph.D in Architecture program at the Universidad Nacional de Rosario in Argentina (2016) and in the Master in Architecture program at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Lima (2017). She is also a former fellow at Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection, Washington, D.C. (2015, 2017–2018).

As an author and recipient of National Grants and research fellowships, Hecht has developed a fundamental task in the studies of landscape architecture in Latin America. She has focused on constructing a comprehensive history of Chile’s landscape projects, particularly in post-independence Santiago, describing how landscape strategies have been shaped by a dynamic relationship between botanical practices, political decisions and economic circumstances giving form to an arboreal culture that has transformed the city.

Anyone requiring accessibility accommodations should contact the events office at (617) 496-2414 or events@gsd.harvard.edu.

Wednesday, April 17, 6:00 pm – The American Land Museum: Places as Cultural Artifacts

A free Public Lecture on Wednesday, April 17 entitled The American Land Museum: Places as Cultural Artifacts, will be given by Matthew Coolidge, Director, Center for Land Use Interpretation.

The Center for Land Use Interpretation explores how land in the United States is apportioned, utilized, and perceived. Through exhibitions and public programs, the Center interprets built landscapes—from landfills and urban waterfalls to artificial lakes—as cultural artifacts that help define contemporary American life and culture. Coolidge will discuss the Center’s approach to finding meaning in the intentional and incidental forms we create and also talk about the Center’s efforts to develop the American Land Museum, a curated selection of locations across the country that exemplifies our relationship with the American landscape.

The lecture will take place at the Harvard Art Museums, 32 Quincy Street, Cambridge, in Menschel Hall, Lower Level. Please enter the museums via the entrance on Broadway. Doors will open at 5:30 pm.

Free admission, but seating is limited. Tickets will be distributed beginning at 5:30 pm at the Broadway entrance. One ticket per person.

Free event parking at the Broadway Garage, 7 Felton Street

This Curatorial Innovations Lecture is presented by the Harvard Museums of Science & Culture in collaboration with the Harvard Art Museums and the Harvard Graduate School of Design

Thursday, April 25, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm – Nonstop Plants: A Garden for 365 Days

Join The Massachusetts Horticultural Society on April 25 at the Gardens at Elm Bank for this special evening and book signing. Copies of Margaret Roach’s all-new version of her first award-winning book, A Way to Garden, are being published in spring 2019 by Timber Press, on its 21^st anniversary. Copies will be available for purchase and signing at this event (before it’s on shelves)!

The evening will also include an inspiring and informative presentation, The 365-Day Garden. Want to make a garden for all seasons? Margaret loves looking out her windows 365 days a year—not just in “garden season.” She has worked for more than 25 years to make her garden in the Hudson Valley-Berkshires area a visual treat every day of the year. Meet the plants and the philosophy that make it happen, delivered with a dose of “horticultural how-to and woo-woo.”

Come hear the story of her garden, including:

the background of how she came to garden in rural Columbia County, NY—with a little “before and after” for perspective
how and why she made a four-season garden—and the basic principles of garden design that she applied
how to shop for plants with that goal in mind (with profiles of many of her garden-worthy favorites)
what makes the garden so appealing to nearly 70 species of birds and other welcome wildlife
how to go beyond “outdoor decorating” aimed at pure visual effect, and really engage with the garden through all your senses and emotions (that’s the “woo-woo” part!)

Cocktail hour begins at 6, presentation to begin at 7. $30 for Mass Hort members, $45 general admission. Register at www.masshort.org.

Saturday, April 13, 10:00 am – 12:00 noon – No-Till & Cover Crops for the Home Gardener

Maintaining living plant cover is one of the essential practices of building soil health. This Berkshire Botanical Garden workshop on April 13 from 10 – 12 provides practical guidance on using cover crops in a small-scale, non-mechanized, no-till context to improve soil health both for growing more nutritious food and for sequestering atmospheric carbon into the soil.

Sharon Gensler has been a homesteader, organic grower and educator for nearly 40 years. In her gardens, she uses no-till and cover crops soil building practices on a small scale. $15 for BBG members, $25 for non-members. Register at https://www.berkshirebotanical.org/events/no-till-cover-crops-home-garden-small-scale-practices-soil-improvement-and-carbon

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Saturday, April 13, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm, and Sunday, April 14, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm – Cactus & Succulent Show and Sale

The Connecticut Cactus and Succulent Society will celebrate its 36th Annual Cactus and Succulent Show and Sale on Saturday, April 13th and Sunday April 14th. at the Bristol Senior Community Center, 240 Stafford Avenue in Bristol. Connecticut.

This is the largest show of its kind in the Eastern U.S., with over two thousand visitors each year.

The judged show has more than 100 categories with over 500 entries. In addition, there will be at least 15 vendors with a huge selection of C&S plants, pots, soils, and books.

The sales area will be open to the public on Saturday from 10:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. and on Sunday from 10:00 A.M. until 4:00 P.M. Free plants will be given to the first 50 families entering the show on both days. Admission is free.

There will also be a series of free lectures (a schedule of lectures will be posted on the below website) and auctions of larger plants.

Details of the Show and Sale will be available at http://www.ctcactussociety.org

Saturday, April 13, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm – Growing a Cutting Garden at Home

Cutting gardens are lovely to view, provide fresh-cut flowers and keep your perennial borders from being raided for indoor display. Learn how to grow a small, highly productive cutting garden as an addition to the vegetable patch or as a stand-alone garden. Consider all aspects of growing cut flowers, including designing and constructing an efficient but beautiful garden using select flower varieties that hold up best as cut flowers. Included in the Berkshire Botanical Garden April 13 (from 1 – 3) talk will be tips on sowing, planting, transplanting, cultivating and preparing flowers for indoor use. This program is designed for the home gardener. $25 for BBG members, $35 for nonmembers. Register at https://www.berkshirebotanical.org/events/growing-cutting-garden-home

Elisabeth Cary is the former Director of Education at the Berkshire Botanical Garden and has been gardening for over 30 years. She specializes in perennial, vegetable and mixed-border gardens. She is currently embarking on her new adventure, Cooper Hill Flower Farm, a micro flower farm located in Sheffield, Massachusetts.

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Saturday, April 13, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm – Grow a Meadow, Large or Small

A native meadow is an ecologically vibrant landscape, providing food and habitat to native pollinators and other wildlife. The deep, undisturbed roots of mature meadow plants capture and store carbon. Meadows rarely need visits from lawnmowers or leaf-blowers, thus reducing air pollution and neighborhood noise. But meadows are not simply lawns or perennial beds gone wild. Understanding why meadows are different is critical to success. Designer Kathy Connolly will lead this intensive Grow Native Massachusetts seminar on April 13 from 10 – 4 at the Mosesian Center for the Arts, 321 Arsenal Street in Watertown, covering everything from the definition of a meadow, to site selection and preparation, the relationship of grasses and flowering species, and useful maintenance protocols. Class enrollment includes Kathy’s extensive plant lists and design resources. This is a great course for anyone, from home gardeners to professional landscapers, looking to take a deep dive into the ins and outs of meadow-making. Registration: https://connect.clickandpledge.com/w/Form/e435c942-ec37-4963-a706-b774bfce8d55

Kathy Connolly is a landscape designer, writer, and teacher, who brings over 20 years of experience in creating and tending meadows. She works with a range of clients, from homeowners to state parks, to develop meadows and other naturalized plantings, and has taught workshops throughout New England. Kathy has a Master’s degree in landscape design from the Conway School.

Image from Larry Weaner Landscape Associates

Friday, April 12, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm – Native Plant Conservation in the 21st Century

In 2015 New England Wild Flower Society released the “State of New England’s Native Plants” report, a groundbreaking, comprehensive assessment of New England’s plants and plant communities. The report articulates a research agenda, proposes frameworks, profiles habitats, and describes environmental stressors. To continue the important conversation the report generated, New England Wild Flower Society and Maine Audubon partner to present the 2019 “Native Plant Conservation in the 21^st Century” symposium, featuring leading experts in plant conservation science and management.

The Native Plant Conservation Symposium takes place on Friday, April 12, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Maine Audubon’s Gilsland Farm Center in Falmouth, ME. Space is limited–early registration is encouraged. To register for the event, visit www.newenglandwild.org.

The full-day event highlights current research, practices, and applications in native plant conservation. Leading plant professionals from Maine will discuss their roles and current projects, examine current trends and challenges, and posit next steps for regional native plant conservation efforts. Through a panel, keynote, workshops, and a community forum, participants will learn about a range of topics including plant evolution and genetics, conservation management approaches, habitat restoration, and growth in the nursery trade.

The Native Plant Conservation Symposium includes a keynote presentation by Dr. José Eduardo Meireles, Professor at University of Maine and new director of its herbarium, the most comprehensive collection of plants in the state. With expertise in plant evolution and genetics, Dr. Meireles will address how the study of plant evolution can shape perspectives on current native plant conservation strategies and biodiversity.

Additional panelists and workshop presenters include:

Arthur Haines, Research Botanist at New England Wild Flower Society. Mr. Haines is a plant biologist specializing in native plant taxonomy, conservation, and landscapes. He is the author of Flora Novae Angliae, the comprehensive technical guide to the region’s plants.

Shawn Jalbert, Founder of Native Haunts Plant Nursery. Mr. Jalbert is a native plant cultivator, consultant, and educator. He is also the steward of New England Wild Flower Society’s Harvey Butler Rhododendron Sanctuary in Springvale, ME.

Heather McCargo, Founder of the Wild Seed Project. Ms. McCargo is an educator in native plant propagation, landscape design, and conservation. She is dedicated to ethical native plant seed collection and to public education on propagation to promote native plant populations.

Kristen Puryear, Ecologist with the Maine Natural Areas Program. Ms. Puryear conducts and oversees ecological monitoring for the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry, including rare plant and natural community surveys, landscape analysis, and ecological integrity assessments.

Thursday, April 25, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm – Secret Garden Party Benefit

Join the Friends of the Boston Park Rangers Mounted Unit on Thursday, April 25 from 6 – 8 for a secret garden party to benefit the Friends. Enjoy cocktails, bites. and unparalleled views of our beloved city, all the while supporting a cause close to our hearts. The event, hosted by Cityscapes, will take place at 197 Clarendon Street on the 9th floor. Tickets are $265. You may order online at https://friendsofthebprmountedunit.org/events

Saturday, March 30, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm – Woolapalooza

Celebrate the coming of spring at our annual festival featuring fiber, food, and fun! Bask in the beauty of Mass Audubon’s Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary, the perfect setting to delight in all things sheep.
Festival highlights include:

Drumlin Farm’s new spring babies
A sheep shearing demonstration
A “sheep-to-Sweater Interpretive Trail” to learn how fleece on sheep becomes the warm woolen sweater you wear
Hands-on activities for all ages
Local fiber artisans who will offer demonstrations and sell their handmade products

Programs are ongoing throughout the day from 10:00–4:00 pm. Lunch—made with all natural, locally grown Drumlin Farm food—will be available for purchase.
Tickets
$15 Members • $17 Nonmembers • Free for children under 2

Advance registration is not available. Your entrance fee provides critical support for our education and conservation programs. Thank you!

→ Drumlin Farm is not open to regular (non-festival) visitors during Woolapalooza on March 30. Admission for Mass Audubon members and nonmembers is noted above.