Boston Flora

  • Saturday, February 15, 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm – Arizona’s Sonora Desert

    The Cactus and Succulent Society of Massachusetts will host a free lecture by Lau Magner on Arizona’s Sonora Desert on February 15 from 1 – 4 at the the Norfolk Public Library, 2 Liberty Land in Norfolk. What happens when 23 CSSM members come face to face with thousands and thousands of blooming desert cacti, miles and miles of stunning desert vistas, cactus and succulent nurseries by the dozen, and one confused rattle snake on the porch? Come to our February meeting to enjoy an entertaining CSSM travelogue and to meet the adventurers themselves. Details: https://cssma.org/meetings-%26-programs

  • Wednesday, February 5, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm – Beyond the Ballot: Climate Change and Sustainability

    Join Generation Citizen’s Massachusetts on February 5 for Beyond the Ballot: Climate Change and Sustainability, an evening of civic engagement featuring cocktails and conversation, a dynamic panel discussion, and ideas for action. The event begins at 6 pm at the offices of TripAdvisor, 226 Causeway Street, 2nd floor, Boston, and light appetizers will be served, along with cash bar. Featured on the panel are Michael Nichols, Executive Director of the Esplanade Association, Jayden Khatib, advocate with Sunrise Movement, Joel Simonson, Development Officer for Lovin’ Spoonfuls, and Yael Nidam, Research Manager, MIT Department of Urban Studies and Planning. Hosted by Generation Citizen’s Associate Board of Young Professionals, Beyond the Ballot is an annual event that creates an opportunity to learn more about local issues and how to go beyond the ballot and take action in our communities. Moderated by Samantha Perlman, Marlborough City Counsel. Register at gmabth2020.eventbrite.com. Please email ma@generationcitizen.org if you have any questions.

  • Thursday, February 20, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm – Understanding and Controlling Invasive Plants

    This Massachusetts Horticultural Society talk at The Gardens at Elm Bank on February 20 at 7 pm will be an introduction to common invasive plants found the Northeast. Horticulturist and Ecological Landscaping Alliance Board member Bruce Wenning will discuss why these new pests of the landscape are dangerous to the ecology and sustainability of unmanaged landscapes, and what you can do to manage these plants at home.

    $15 Mass Hort member, $20/general admission. To register for this class, click here.

  • Tuesday, February 4, 7:00 pm – Get Educated 2020 Election Series: Climate

    Join WBUR on Tuesday, February 4 at CitySpace, 890 Commonwealth Avenue, 3rd floor, for a free discussion on climate, part of the “Get Educated: The Defining Issues of the 2020 Presidential Election,” an eight-part series where WBUR reporters and a panel of experts dissect the issues and analyze policy plans being put forth by the candidates.

    Senior reporter Bruce Gellerman will moderate a conversation on climate change and how the urgency of this issue could finally take hold with real policy initiatives in a future presidential administration.
    Panelists
    Varshini Prakash – co-founder and executive director of Sunrise Movement
    Carlos Curbelo – former U.S. Representative, Florida
    Elizabeth Turnbull Henry – president, The Environmental League of Massachusetts. For more information visit www.wbur.org.


  • Saturday, February 22, 2:00 pm – Berkshire Botanical Garden Winter Lecture with Tom Coward

    Saturday, February 22, 2:00 pm – Berkshire Botanical Garden Winter Lecture with Tom Coward

    Berkshire Botanical Garden’s Winter Lecture will take place Saturday, February 22 at 2 pm in the Duffin Theater at Lenox Memorial Middle/High School, 197 East Street, Lenox. Tom Coward has worked as a gardener from the age of 15 at various gardens, but it was at Great Dixter (as Fergus Garrett’s assistant) that he believed he really honed his horticultural skills and style. In 2010, Coward joined Gravetye Manor in Sussex, England and set about the restoration of the garden, a project that has been extremely rewarding for him as a gardener.

    The historic gardens of Gravetye Manor were established in 1885 by writer and gardener William Robinson. Situated in the Ashdown Forest of Sussex— the basis of A.A. Milne’s Winnie the Pooh books— this would become Robinson’s inspiration for the creation of the English natural or wild gardens. The English Flower Garden and The Wild Garden were Robinson’s most notable books on the topic. The meadows of Gravetye’s wild garden are composed of naturalized bulbs and perennials mixed with native wildflowers. 

    Building on his experience restoring the wild gardens of Gravetye, and drawing from the inspiration of North American meadows, Coward will describe his process of how he continues to develop the wild garden at Gravetye and how the concept might translate to our own gardens.

    Copies of the newest version of The Wild Garden will be available for sale along with other horticulture books and gifts. In case of inclement weather, the Lecture will be held on Sunday, February 23 at 2 p.m. 

    Advance registration for Winter Lecture is highly recommended, but walk-ins are welcome, space permitting. $35 for BBG members, $45 for nonmembers. Register at https://www.berkshirebotanical.org/events/winter-lecture-tom-coward Sponsored by The Red Lion Inn

    A post-lecture reception and with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres is scheduled for February 22, 5-7 p.m. in the beautiful Center House at BBG. Join us for this rare opportunity to meet noted gardener Tom Coward and share a festive evening at the Garden. Limited space – reserve early to guarantee a place.

    Register for the Post-Lecture Reception Here

  • Tuesday, February 4, 10:00 am – 12:00 noon – The Impact of Climate Change at the Local Level

    Dr. Amy Weidensaul will speak about the effect climate change has had on local flora and fauna. In addition, she will provide suggestions on how to reduce one’s carbon footprints at the individual level. This Andover Garden Club event will take place February 4 at South Church, 41 Central Street in Andover.

    Weidensaul, who is director of Mass Audubon’s Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary, has more than 20 years of experience in the environmental field. Prior to assuming her current role, she served as deputy director for conservation and education at Audubon Pennsylvania and director of the Shehan Audubon Center at Audubon Maryland-DC.

    Weidensaul has also served as the outdoor center director of South Mountain YMCA near Reading PA. She has been involved in environmental issues at the state level in Pennsylvania.

    In 2011, she received the Together Green Fellowship for conservation leadership. Weidensaul earned a BS in biology from the University of New Hampshire, a master in education from Lehigh University, and a PhD in Environmental Studies from Antioch University.

    The event will begin with social time and refreshments, followed by a brief business meeting and the program.

    Cost: $10 donation requested for guests (includes refreshments)
    Hours: 10:00 AM to approximately noon. Call 978-475-3021 for more information.

  • Tuesday, February 18, 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm – Humans & Their Use of Plants

    Hannah Traggis, Massachusetts Horticultural Society senior horticulturist, manages Mass Hort’s edible gardens throughout The Gardens at Elm Bank and oversees the Seed to Table vegetable garden. In this Tuesday evening class on February 18 from 6:30 – 8, Hannah will cover how agriculture influenced civilization and how changes in the last century have impacted our food and environment. We will look ahead and discuss how the choices we make as consumers influence the future of food. Mass Hort Members $40, general Admission $50. To register for this class, click here.

  • Saturday, February 29, 10:00 am – 1:00 pm – Goodbye Gluten

    If there’s one thing we all have enough of in our diet, it’s wheat: it’s everywhere, one of the 4 pillars of baking, along with eggs, butter & sugar. It can be destabilizing when you take wheat out of the equation. Either for health or dietary reasons, baking gluten-free has become a challenge and a need for many people. Join pastry chef Rachel Portnoy on February 29 at Berkshire Botanical Garden from 10 – 1 to discover new grains, new techniques, and new flavors, by moving away from wheat in your baking. In this class we will make sweet and savory recipes, all designed to highlight the fun and flavorful ways that gluten-free baking can take you in new and delicious directions. We will cover a wide array of possibilities including French and American classics.

    Rachel Portnoy started out as a vegetarian cook during her time as a graduate student in English in the 1990’s, and then moved on to specialize in pastry at Le Cordon Bleu in London. She worked at French fine dining and Michelin-starred restaurants in New York, Washington D.C. and London, as well as in France at fine restaurants and bakeries. In 2002, Rachel and her husband, French chef Franck Tessier, moved to Lee, MA, and she fulfilled a long-term dream by opening her own bakery, Cakewalk, in Lee. Rachel eventually sold Cakewalk and moved up the road to open a restaurant on Main Street with Franck called Chez Nous where the couple focuses on fresh, healthy, handmade and delicious cuisine and desserts.

    Sponsored by Guido’s Fresh Marketplace. Contact Berkshire Botanical Garden at www.berkshirebotanical.org to place your name on a wait list for this event or to put yourself on a list for a future session.

  • Thursday, February 20, 1:30 pm – 3:00 pm – Reading Landscapes: Place as Creation and Reflection

    Join Courtney Allen, landscape historian and Director of Public Programs at Native Plant Trust, on February 20 at 1:30 pm at Garden in the Woods for a journey to discover the layers of our relationships to our surroundings. Together, we delve into why and how we define and understand place through the lenses of history, design, experience, and memory. This talk is a primer on how to “read” landscapes in our daily lives, and what those landscapes can reveal about us. $23 for NPT members, $27 for nonmembers. Register at http://www.nativeplanttrust.org/events/reading-landscapes-place-creation-and-reflection/

  • Monday, February 10, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm – Life’s So Sweet With a Sugar Maple in Your Yard

    Sugar maples provide New Englanders with shade, beautiful autumn color, and delicious maple syrup. Join Trish Wesley Umbrell, Natick Community Organic Farm’s Assistant Director, for a celebration of the versatility of sugar maples. She will share tips on tree identification and uses in the home landscape, explore the rich history and traditions of New England maple sugaring, and give a virtual tour of her local favorite sugar shack, as well as tips for making your own maple syrup on your stovetop. The program takes place Monday, February 10 at 1 pm at the Wellesley College Club in Wellesley. Free for Friends of the Wellesley College Botanic Garden, $10 for non-members. RSVP at 781-283-3094, or email wcbgfriends@wellesley.edu