Wreath of the Day – Family Matters

Past President Ann Kneisel has four lovely children, who have children, who have children. And just recently, the very first great-granddaughter made her appearance, after the births of many boys. Ann ordered a wreath for her grandson, the father of said princess, and asked if we could make reference to the baby girl in the design without going over-the-top pink.  The decorator found little wooden toys, angels on rocking chairs, and attached white balls with the wires aloft to resemble balloons, as further playful accents.

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Wednesday, July 10 – Saturday, July 20 – Botanical Alaska: Wildflowers, Wildlife, and Spectacular Landscapes

Join Pacific Horticulture for an Alaskan adventure July 10 – 20. Our journey takes us from Anchorage to Seward, traveling along the scenic Cook Inlet and Chugach Mountains, then up the Denali Highway to Denali National Park, and inland to Fairbanks. We’ll see stately forests, beautiful gardens, streamside wildflowers, and dwarf tundra plants on the mountaintops. Experienced naturalist David Wimpfheimer will lead our expedition accompanied by John Burns, a botanist with years of Alaska expertise and other local guides.

For complete itinerary details and information about booking this trip click http://www.betchartexpeditions.com/na-alaska_phs_2019.htm

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Wednesday, May 1, 6:00 pm – 8:30 pm -Twilight Garden Party: Caring For Our City Trees : SAVE THE DATE

Co-chairs Stephanie Fletcher, Mary Carty, Carrie Pelzel, and Susan Viano are pleased to announce the date of this year’s Garden Club of the Back Bay spring benefit, the Twilight Garden Party: Caring For Our City Trees. We will return to the beautiful St. Botolph Club, 199 Commonwealth Avenue, on Wednesday, May 1 from 6 – 8:30. Planning is underway, and Garden Club members who wish to lend a hand are encouraged to let us know at info@gardenclubbackbay.org. Details will follow in the coming months, but put the party on your calendars now!

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Wreath of the Day – St. Botolph Club

We designed a wreath for the inner front door of the St. Botolph Club, where this year’s Twilight Garden Party – Caring For Our City Trees will be held on May 1.  The St. Botolph Club is known for its artist/writer/composer members, and the ribbon was perfectly chosen, threaded with musical notes and natural materials. A shot of it on the door may be seen on our Instagram feed.

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Wreath of the Day – Home Sweet Home

Yesterday we covered snow disasters, and today, we’ll deal with fire. On September 13, 2018, excessive pressure in natural gas lines owned by Columbia Gas caused a series of explosions and fires. These occurred in as many as 40 homes, with over 80 individual fires, in the Merrimack Valley, Massachusetts towns of Lawrence, Andover, and North Andover. One of our most loyal wreath customers was driven from her home for weeks, and as the temperatures dipped, she decided her wreath “theme” this year (yes, we do respond to theme requests) would be Home Sweet Home.  The lovely, traditional plaid bow shelters the pair of birds nesting in the lower right. We are happy to report the customer is back in her home, and we hope the wreath will bring her warmth and comfort.

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Wednesdays, January 9 – 30, 12:00 noon – 3:00 pm – Landscape for Life

This New England Wild Flower Society and Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University intensive four-part introductory course will provide the knowledge, skills, and understanding to create a great-looking garden that is healthier for people and for the environment. The course is based on the principles of the Sustainable Sites Initiative, the nation’s first rating system for sustainable landscapes. The comprehensive curriculum covers a range of topics, including soils, water, plants, and landscape materials. Classes will take place at the Arnold Arboretum on Wednesdays, January 9, 16, 23, and 30, from 12 – 3. Fees are $185 for members of  either sponsoring organization, and $218 for nonmembers. Register online at http://www.newenglandwild.org/learn/our-programs/landscape-for-life-1

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Wreath of the Day – Canadian Blizzards

We kick off our 2018 Wreath of the Day feature with a very scary tale – our entire wreath project was endangered last week when winter storms blasted through Canada and the upper Midwest, leaving multiple feet of snow on the ground and blanketing the roads with ice and snow.  In fact, snow in Canada began much earlier than usual, and by October, many tree farms were buried so deeply that workers could not access the trees to prune.  The prunings are used to make the holiday wreaths we all enjoy. Even when wreaths were made, they still had to be transported to the lower 48, and trucking was stalled everywhere. Our masterful supplier, Pat Riccardi, had obtained a truckload of standard sized wreaths for us which he was keeping in a truck under lock and key to keep pilferers away, but larger sizes were basically unavailable. The phone calling began, and co-chair Margaret Pokorny ended up traveling to New Hampshire to “score” our 16″ large sized wreaths, which then had to be driven down to The First Lutheran Church. We are warning everyone to secure their wreaths tightly to doors, since wreath theft may be more of a problem this year. Wreath prices, and tree prices, are up by 30%, according to Chris Mitchell, who runs the Neighborhood Association of the Back Bay tree sale, going on at the Clarendon Street Playground this weekend, December 8 and 9.  To illustrate the snowy near-catastrophe, we feature a silver, black and white flocked wreath which has been hung indoors by the purchaser. Check out our Instagram page @gardenclubbackbay to see it in its new home.

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Friday, December 14, 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm – Plant Shadows: Cyanotypes by Joan Dix Blair

Plant Shadows explores print making through cyantotypes — objects arranged on light-sensitive paper and exposed to UV light or sunshine, to produce images. This plein-air process vividly captures the silhouettes of plants, weeds, and shrubs from artist Joan Dix Blair’s garden in the Berkshires. Influenced by the botanical work done in the 1840s by Anna Atkins who recorded seaweed plants using cyanotype, this form of expression is a new medium for Joan Dix Blair, a printmaker whose solo and group exhibitions include Northeastern University’s Gallery 360, Boston, MA, Highpoint Center for Printmaking, Minneapolis, MN, and the Washington Printmakers Gallery, Wahington, DC. Her exhibition at the Garden brings together a current body of work created over the past two years in her Williamstown, MA studio. Image courtesy of Daily Hampshire Gazette.

A gallery reception is scheduled for Friday, December 14, 4-6 p.m. at theBerkshire Botanical Garden’s Center House Leonhardt Galleries, 5 West Stockbridge Road, Stockbridge, MA. The exhibition will be on view from December 15 at 11 am through March 1, 2019 at 4 pm. For more information visit https://www.berkshirebotanical.org/events/plant-shadows-cyanotypes-joan-dix-blair

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Friday, December 14, 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm – Quest for Resilience: Adaptive Strategies for Sustainable Plant Design Webinar

What do changing weather patterns mean with regard to how we design the landscape? In this Ecological Landscape Alliance webinar on December 14 from 1:30 – 2:30, Laura Hansplant will examine the concept of resilience with regard to landscape design.

Using a series of case studies and practical examples, she will discuss how we can replicate plant community dynamics and structure to foster robust and adaptable landscapes. She will also emphasize the importance of cultural expectations and their implications for ecologically-based planting design.

Laura Hansplant is a landscape architect and co-owner at Roofmeadow. Previously with Andropogon Associates, she has over 20 years’ experience in sustainable landscape design. She has worked on projects in a variety of locations ranging from Toronto to Virginia. Her current work explores dynamic approaches to planting design for urban landscapes. Free for ELA members, $10 for nonmembers. Register at www.ecolandscaping.com.

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Sunday, December 16, 1:00 pm – Festive Flowers at FoMu

Join Alice’s Table for a special collaboration with FoMu South End on Sunday, December 16 at 1 pm. Enjoy a special treat from FoMu and Learn the art of floral arranging with friends. Take home your gorgeous holiday flower arrangement-perfect for adding cheer to your space. FoMu is located at 655 Tremont Street in Boston.

Purchased tickets but something came up? You can transfer your ticket to another class as long as you contact us at least 48 hours before the event. Please note we do not offer refunds per our refund policy. The flower arranging can take anywhere from one to two hours, depending on the complexity and format of the arrangement. Alice’s Table provides aprons for you to wear for the duration of the event. Working with flowers can be messy, so make sure to wear something you won’t mind getting a little dirty. You don’t need to bring anything out of the ordinary with you – we provide the flowers, vases, and tools you will need to create your arrangement.

A little information from FoMu: There are a lot of food trends and buzz words out there these days. Sure… we can say that we are “small batch,” “local,” and use nothing but the “best ingredients.” We could also talk about our commitment to sustainability, community, and food awareness. We wouldn’t be lying. But what makes [FoMu] Ice Cream really different? Peace of mind has always been our priority. From the ingredients we source, to the disposables that we use, we always try to make decisions that instill pride in everyone at FoMu; It is that same peace of mind that we hope to pass along to our fans.

$68 per person. Register at https://alicestable.com/events/festive-flowers-at-fomu

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