Boston Flora

Monday, March 11, 12:00 noon – 1:30 pm – Kenneth Helphand on Lawrence Halprin

The Harvard Graduate School of Design will host a free lecture at noon on March 11 at 48 Quincy Street in Cambridge, featuring author Kenneth Helphand speaking about his book Lawrence Halprin.

Kenneth I. Helphand FASLA is Philip H. Knight Professor of Landscape Architecture Emeritus at the University of Oregon where he has taught courses in landscape history, theory and design since 1974. He is a graduate of Brandeis University (1968) and Harvard’s Graduate School of Design (MLA 1972). He is the recipient of distinguished teaching awards from the University of Oregon and the Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture. He is the author of the award winning books: Colorado: Visions of an American Landscape, Yard Street Park: The Design of Suburban Open Space (with Cynthia Girling), Dreaming Gardens: Landscape Architecture & the Making of Modern Israel, and Defiant Gardens: Making Gardens in Wartime and Lawrence Halprin. Helphand served as editor of Landscape Journal, is a Fellow of the American Society of Landscape Architects and CELA, Honorary Member of the Israel Association of Landscape Architects, a recipient of the Bradford Williams Medal, a Graham Foundation Grant, a board member of the Foundation for Landscape Studies, and former Chair of the Senior Fellows in Garden and Landscape Studies at Dumbarton Oaks, Washington DC.

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

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Friday, April 26 – Sunday, April 28 – 73rd Annual Garden Symposium at Colonial Williamsburg

The evolution of any garden happens naturally or at the whim of our own mind and hands. Whether you’re starting from scratch or renovating an existing garden that has lost its character, it’s almost always desirable to work with a plan. Even the most well-intentioned efforts result in disappointment when approached without a cohesive design strategy. Learn how to create harmonious gardens that sing with creativity, as well as those that reflect personal expression and reverence for design fundamentals. Guest speakers at the 73rd Annual Garden Symposium at Colonial Williamsburg on April 26 – 28 will discuss how to integrate existing elements, effectively combine plants and hardscape materials, and create features of distinctive landscape styles. If you are currently undecided about your own future gardens or simply ready for a refreshing renovation to existing ones, this symposium is for you!

This year’s theme of design recalls the title of Colonial Williamsburg’s magazine, Trend and Tradition, focusing our attention on how gardeners blend the old and the new to great effect in a variety of spaces. Gardens provide people with beautiful places of respite, and the art of designing and caring for them constantly evolves. While mixing tried-and-true traditions with new trends can make a space shine, it’s important to consider the latest innovations within the context of longstanding best practices, understanding why they have withstood the test of time. Experts with a breadth of knowledge in growing food, providing wildlife cover, making smart plant choices and cleverly utilizing small spaces are here to help.

Throughout the two-and-a-half-day Garden Symposium, nationally known experts on garden design and maintenance, including some of The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation’s own landscape and nursery staff, will lead a wide variety of sessions. Guest speakers will discuss how to rehabilitate an old space, create a pet-friendly oasis for your four-legged friends and design the perfect garden to enhance its ecosystem and help the flora truly thrive. This symposium is perfect for those new to gardening or seasoned professionals—there’s something for everyone!

** Shuttle service will be provided between the property hotels, Lane Auditorium, First Street in Williamsburg, and Historic Area for those who do not wish to drive. Register at www.colonialwilliamsburg.com

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Saturday, July 13, 9:00 am – 4:00 pm – Wareham Garden Tour 2019

Because we are in the dead of winter and the whole concept of a summer garden tour seems infinitely far away, we thought we’d tease you all with the notice of the 2019 Wareham Garden Club Garden Tour, to be held Saturday, July 13 from 9 – 4. Starting at the Wareham Public Library, there will be six lovely Wareham properties to tour. Stroll through big gardens, small gardens, trough gardens, moss gardens, herb gardens, organic vegetable gardens, vista gardens, and gardens by the sea. Bring your family and friends to enjoy a day of natural beauty and camaraderie, picnic lunches, vendors, raffles and so much more.

The Wareham Garden Club is a non-profit organization. Proceeds from this tour will support our scholarship fund, civic beautification and horticultural therapy. Save the date and spread the word! If you have a talent or a treasure you would like to donate to our raffle, please contact Linda Glennon, 617-910-6709 or glennoli1@icloud.com.

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Thursday, March 21, 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm – Right Plant, Right Place: Introduction to Choosing Native Plants

Join a March 21 New England Wild Flower Society workshop discussion of native plant selection, site assessment, and methods for choosing the right plant for the right place. Native plants offer a higher rate of success, as these plants are well-suited for the Northeastern climate, soil conditions, and environment. They require less maintenance and fertilizer, and permit more time to enjoy the garden. Native plants also support a healthy ecosystem, including pollinators and birds. The class will take place from 6:30 – 8:30 at Nasami Farm, and is $26 for NEWFS members, $32 for nonmembers. Register at http://www.newenglandwild.org/learn/our-programs/right-plant-right-place-introduction-to-choosing-native-plants

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Thursday, March 28, 5:30 pm – Friends of the Public Garden Annual Meeting

Save the date for the 49th Annual Meeting of the Friends of the Public Garden on Thursday, March 28 at 5:30 pm at the Omni-Parker House, 60 School Street in Boston. For rsvp information and more details visit http://friendsofthepublicgarden.org.

Tuesday, March 19 – Thursday, March 21, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm – Drawing Nature: Treasures From the Sea

Find inspiration from nature’s treasures found at the seashore. Bring to life the beauty of shells, pebbles and other wondrous shapes. Explore their structure and intricate details and learn how to create the silky shine of seaweed, surface of driftwood and other textural surfaces. Make graphite studies of your specimens and find out how to select the right tonal values to give form to a white shell or black pebble. From graphite sketches to realistic renderings, create a fun-filled page of beach treasures. Students of all levels are welcome to register for this three day Berkshire Botanical Garden class on March 19 – 21 from 10 – 4. $340 for members of BBG, $375 for nonmembers. A materials list and registration link may be found at https://www.berkshirebotanical.org/events/drawing-nature-treasures-seashore

Carol Ann Morley is an illustrator and dedicated teacher of botanical illustration working in Dover, NH. She founded the Botanical Art Illustration Certificate Program at the New York Botanical Garden and teaches illustration there and at other major botanical gardens.

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Wednesday, March 27, 1:30 pm – 3:30 pm – Ikebana Workshop

Garden Club of the Back Bay member Kaye Vosburgh will teach us the basics of ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arrangement, in our Club’s March meeting, to be held Wednesday, March 27 from 1:30 – 3:30 at The First Lutheran Church, 299 Berkeley Street in Boston. Ms. Vosburgh is an accredited Master Judge in the National Garden Clubs, Inc, and a First Grade ikebana teacher, Riji, in the Sogetsu School of Ikebana. She teaches many classes and has won numerous awards here and abroad. There will be a materials fee of $30 per participant, and the number of participants will be limited. Garden Club members will receive notice of the meeting and may pay online at http://gardenclubbackbay.org/shop.

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Thursday, April 11 – Sunday, April 14 – American Bonsai Society 2019 National Convention

The American Bonsai Society will hold its 2019 National Convention on April 11 – 14 at the Marriott Houston, 2900 Briarpark Drive, Houston, Texas. The theme this year is Bonsai on the Bayou, An American Bonsai Summit. Registration includes a weekend packed full of bonsai fun and learning. There will be a huge juried exhibit with more than $2,000 in cash prizes, along with seminars. workshops, and demonstrations. Featured guests artists are Boonyarat Manakitivipart, Ryan Neil, and Enrique Castano de la Serna. Register ($70 – $295) online at http://absbonsai.org/event/american-bonsai-society-2019-national-convention

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Wednesday, March 13, 7:00 pm – Frederick Law Olmsted & the Massachusetts Legacy

For those of you who may have missed The Garden Club of the Back Bay’s program earlier this fall, the Garden Club of Norfolk presents Frederick Law Olmsted & the Massachusetts Legacy on Wednesday, March 13, at 7:00 PM at the Norfolk Public Library Community Room, 135 Main St, Walpole. Alan Banks will sample the rich landscape legacy of Frederick Law Olmsted, and explore the ideas that shaped some of the most treasured lands in Massachusetts. Banks oversees the historical interpretation of Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site in Brookline, Massachusetts. For details visit https://gardenclubofnorfolkma.com/

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Saturday, March 16, 9:00 am – 12:30 pm – Grafting Woody Plants

Grafting is the technique of joining parts of separate plants in such a manner that they unite and continue their growth as one. Learn basic principles of grafting with an overview of different types of dormant-season grafts. Arnold Arboretum propagator Sean Halloran will provide step-by-step instructions on Saturday, March 16 from 9 – 12:30 in the Dana Greenhouse Classroom, 1050 Centre Street in Jamaica Plain, so that you can practice both cleft and side veneer grafts using apple root stock. Simple after-care will be required until planting out in springtime. Registrants will need to sign an Assumption of Risk and Release in order to participate in this class. Fee $62 Arboretum member, $75 nonmember. Register at my.arboretum.harvard.edu or call 617-384-5277.

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