Boston Flora

  • Thursday, January 16, 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm – Exotic Fiji

    Located in the Southern Pacific, Fiji is an island nation that embodies the beauty of the Pacific. An archipelago of over 300 islands, these emerald jewels are a traveler’s paradise. With a wide range of environments to explore from rainforests, to white-water rivers to coral reefs, the island-nation has a lot to offer visitors, including her greatest asset—her people.

    Join Ethan Gordon on January 16 from 6:30 – 8:30 at Broadmoor Wildlife Sanctuary, 280 Eliot Street in Natick for a look into Fiji, including wildlife, island attractions, cultural scenes, and an inside look at some of Fiji’s most exclusive (and beautiful) private island resorts. Ethan is a photojournalist who has visited Fiji several times for his magazine work. His specialty as an underwater photographer will bring a different view of this ocean paradise as we see the colorful life beneath the waves. Register by clicking the links below or call 508-655-2296.

    → Dinner & Lecture (must register by January 14) $29 for Mass Audubon members, $39 for nonmembers.
    → Lecture Only

  • Wednesday, January 15, 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm – Jumpstart Spring: Forcing Bulbs

    Cure the winter doldrums! Students in this Arnold Arboretum workshop on January 15 from 5 – 7 will learn the basics of bulb forcing and will plant a layered bulb container containing daffodils, hyacinths, grape hyacinths, and tulips. Bulb arrangements will be taken home to nurture and enjoy. Fee for all materials, including bulbs, soil, and container, is included in the cost of the class.

    Limited to 10; register early. Register no later than Monday morning, January 13 as we must prepare materials for this class. The session will be led by Tiffany Enzenbacher, Manager of Plant Production at the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University. $40 for Arboretum members, $48 for nonmembers. Register at http://my.arboretum.harvard.edu or call 617-384-5277.

    Image courtesy of Jamaica Plain News

  • Wednesday, January 8, 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm – Nature on Tap: Building Resilience to Climate Change Through Nature

    Join the Massachusetts Audubon Society on January 8 at 6:30 at Jack’s Abby Brewery, 102 Clinton Street in Framingham, for food, locally-brewed beer, and a thought-provoking discussion with Paige Dolci, Central/MetroWest Regional Coordinator for Mass Audubon. Paige’s topic is Building Resilience to Climate Change Through Nature. Nature-based solutions involve actions that work with, and enhance, nature to help people adapt to the impacts of climate change. These solutions also often provide co-benefits for the economy, human health, and biodiversity. Join us for an overview of nature based solutions and some examples of the important role they play in communities throughout our region. $15 for Mass Audubon members, $20 for nonmembers. Register online at www.massaudubon.org. This informal series is hosted by Broadmoor Wildlife Sanctuary and Mass Audubon’s Conservation Science department, and co-sponsored by Jack’s Abby Brewing.

  • Saturday and Sunday, January 11 – 12, 9:00 am – 4:00 pm – Science of Plant Propagation

    Learn the art and science of plant propagation with a focus on the basic botany needed to understand and successfully propagate plants. Sexual and asexual propagation methods including sowing seeds, cuttings, grafting, layering, and division will be covered. This two day Berkshire Botanical Garden course will take place January 11 and 12 from 9 – 4 at Berkshire Botanical Garden, 5 West Stockbridge Road in Stockbridge, and is $180 for BBG members, $195 for non-members. Please bring a bag lunch. Register by calling 413-298-3926 or online at http://berkshirebotanical.org/

  • Thursday, January 23, 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm – Garden Club of the Back Bay Annual Winter Tea

    Thursday, January 23, 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm – Garden Club of the Back Bay Annual Winter Tea

    The Garden Club of the Back Bay’s Annual Winter Tea will be held Thursday, January 23 from 3 – 5 at the Courtyard Restaurant of the Boston Public Library. Member price is $50, member guests $55. You may reserve online at https://bostonflora.com/shop/. Invitations will be sent electronically to Club members. The tea is a favorite time to socialize in the middle of winter, and we promise the food will be rich and traditional. Clotted cream, everyone?

  • Sunday, January 5, 9:00 am – 10:30 am – Winter Birding Guided Tour of Arnold Arboretum

    Take a 90-minute walk in the Arnold Arboretum on January 5 with docent Bob Mayer from the Main Gate to Bussey Hill and back. The focus will be on winter birds, as well as the woody plant collection.

    Meet inside the Main Gate off the Arborway (parking is along the Arborway). This tour is in conjunction with the Brookline Bird Club.

    Free, but registration requested at www.my.arboretum.harvard.edu

    For cancellations due to inclement weather, call 617-384-5209 by 5:00pm January 4.

  • Wreath of the Day – Happy New Year

    We wish you all Happy New Year, and bid farewell to Wreath of the Day for another season. Stay tuned next October for previews of the coming wreath sale event. Meanwhile, stay safe on the ice out there!

  • Tuesday, January 28 – Thursday, January 30, 9:30 am – 3:30 pm – Drawing Succulents: Creating Plant Portraits in Graphite

    Through the observation of the unusual forms of various succulent species Carrie Megan will help you discover the sculptural structure of these unique plants. Carrie’s demonstrations and practical techniques will guide you in using a range of graphite leads, from the hardest to the softest, to create an artistic composition of your succulent specimen. This class is suitable for artists at intermediate and advance skill levels. Three days, January 28 – January 30, 9:30 – 3:30, snow date January 31, held in the Putnam classroom at The Gardens at Elm Bank, 900 Washington Street in Wellesley. Friends of Wellesley Botanic Garden members $295, nonmembers $345. Register at 781-283-3094, or email wcbgfriends@wellesley.edu.

  • Wreath of the Day – New Year’s Eve Party

    So what do you plan to wear tonight? This wreath was designed by a member who was a fashion designer and color consultant for many years, and it shows. The customer never wants anything with traditional Christmas coloring, and inevitably her wreaths end up being among the best produced. We all had better start ordering pink or chartreuse!

  • Saturday, January 18, 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm – How to Prep Plants for Show and Display

    Ever go to a plant show and wonder what separates the winning plants from the also-rans? Come to the Cactus and Succulent Society of Massachusetts’ January meeting and find out. Here’s your chance to learn from an accomplished Master Gardener, our very own Carrie Waterman. Carrie has won numerous awards at horticultural events across New England. Come for the secrets of a prepping beautiful show plants, insider tips, and lots of fun. The meeting takes place January 18 from 1 – 4 at the Norfolk Public Library, 2 Liberty Lane in Norfolk, MA. Free and open to the public. For more information visit www.cssma.org