Boston Flora

Holiday Wreath Sale – Auction Reminders

The Garden Club of the Back Bay contributes many wreath gift certificates to not for profit organizations throughout eastern Massachusetts (and even to a few farther afield). They are auctioned off and then, sometimes, those certificates sit in someone’s drawer and are forgotten. If you have been a lucky winner, please remember to contact us with your information and wreath design preferences before it’s too late. Since we specialize in one of a kind creations, we love to have the opportunity to gather a few special decorations before we are in the middle of wreath making in December. Deadline for fully decorated wreath orders is November 30, so email info@gardenclubbackbay.org right away. If you haven’t been fortunate enough to win a wreath, you may buy one at http://gardenclubbackbay.org/shop.

Friday, November 23, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm – Learn & Burn: Mr. Olmsted’s Neighborhood

Won’t you join the National Park Service on our annual post -Thanksgiving walk? Expect brisk walking, along with a little talking, while we weave our way to and through some of the places that make up the neighborhood the Olmsteds called home. Due to safety concerns, enrollment for this walk is limited. Please RSVP at https://www.nps.gov/frla/special-events.htm .

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Sunday, December 2, 10:00 am – 11:30 am – Winter ‘Frost and Glow’ Arrangement Class

Celebrate the season in a creative way on Sunday, December 2 from 10 – 11:30 at Cass School of Floral Design, 531 Mt. Auburn Street in Watertown. Learn how to design a festive flower arrangement you can use to enhance your celebrations or give as a unique handmade gift. Enjoy a great time out with friends to share the fun and enjoyment of creating a joyful arrangement filled with beautiful greenery and fresh flowers. $75.00. Register by calling 617-926-2277, or email info@cassschooloffloraldesign.com.

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Friday & Saturday, December 7 & 8, 8:00 am – 4:30 pm – RootSkills Conference

Wondering how to start a zero waste, living economy, or land & water project in your neighborhood? Exploring how to deepen and get to root causes in your food systems, energy or environmental health work? Have questions about fundraising or group governance? Are you looking to center equity in your community efforts?

The goal of the RootSkills Conference, to be held in the Hogan Center at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester on December 7 & 8 is to create synergy among community organizers working towards environmental, social and economic justice. Workshop sessions highlight trends, best practices, and solutions-based tools by and for community organizers. A planning committee representing a broad range of lived experiences helps design the event and an open call for workshops sessions creates space for new leadership, new voices to work towards co-created learning objectives. The event is sponsored by the New England Grassroots Environmental Fund. There are 11 workshop tracks with a total 33 interactive sessions. Keynote speaker will be Kali Akuno, Co-Founder and Co-Director of Cooperation Jackson. He served as the Director of Special Projects and External Funding in the Mayoral Administration of the late Chokwe Lumumba of Jackson, MS. Kali is also an educator, writer, and an organizer with the Malcolm X Grassroots movement.To register visit www.grassrootsfund.org. The conference is sponsored by the Appalachian Mountain Club, Barr Foundation, Food Solutions New England, Harvard Pilgrim HealthCare Foundation, Kennebunk Savings, New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, Patagonia, Primmer Piper Eggleston & Cramer PC, Revision Energy, Solidago Foundation, Tamarack, and The Fine Fund.

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Tuesday, November 27, 5:00 pm – Massachusetts State House Tree Lighting

A giant Christmas tree in the Rotunda lights up in the annual tree lighting event ceremony at 5pm on Tuesday, November 27, followed by an open house and visit from Santa in Doric Hall. This marks the official kick-off of the holiday season in Massachusetts. More to do: Before the ceremony, explore the special treasures in the State House. After the tree is lit, walk across Beacon Street to Boston Common, rent skates, and take a twirl around the Frog Pond ice rink.

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Friday, December 7, 5:30 pm – 8:30 pm – Young Friends of the Public Garden Winter Social

Mark your calendars for December 7 from 5:30 – 8:30, and come join The Young Friends of the Public Garden on a winter’s eve at the Union Club of Boston, 8 Park Street, to raise goodwill and funds for Boston’s first public parks – the Boston Common, the Public Garden, and the Commonwealth Avenue Mall. Ticketing information may be found at http://friendsofthepublicgarden.org

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Wednesday, November 28, 10:00 am – 12:00 noon – Low Maintenance Gardening

While native plants are said to be well-adapted to New England, that doesn’t mean just any native will do. Though trilliums and lady slippers are beautiful, they rarely thrive in built landscapes without considerable care. The good news for landscape designers and gardeners is that there is a long list of native plants that are strong performers in a designed landscape and perform well. Choosing certain species can produce built landscapes that require little care after they’ve been established. Join Dan Jaffe at Garden in the Woods on November 28 from 10 – noon to learn about plants that thrive and spread on their own, and even weed the garden. Dan Jaffe is the propagator and stock bed grower at New England Wild Flower Society (NEWFS) in Framingham, Massachusetts. He earned a degree in botany from the University of Maine and an advanced certificate in Native Plant Horticulture and Design from NEWFS. After interning at Garden in the Woods, Dan worked for a year as Plant Sales Coordinator at the Garden. The program is sponsored by the Ecological Landscape Alliance and is $26 for members, $32 for nonmembers. Register at https://www.ecolandscaping.org/event/class-low-maintenance-gardening/

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Tuesdays, November 27 – December 18, 5:30 pm – 8:30 pm – Plant Health Care

This Berkshire Botanical Garden course on Plant Health Care meets for 4 weeks on Tuesdays, November 27 – December 18, 5:30 – 8:30 pm in the Education Center at the garden in Stockbridge, Massachusetts.

Look at factors that affect plant health care, including insects, diseases, pathogens, and abiotic influences. Basic diagnostic techniques will be taught. Learn to minimize potential problems through proper site preparation, plant selection, and placement. Managing problems using biological, chemical, and cultural techniques will be discussed with a focus on IPM (integrated pest management).

BBG Members: $175, Non-Members: $185. Register online at https://www.berkshirebotanical.org/events/plant-health-care

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Sunday, November 25, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm – Make Your Own Evergreen Wreath

Learn how to make an evergreen wreath from scratch at this November 25th workshop led by a master gardener in the barn at Casey Farm, 2325 Boston Neck Road in Saunderstown, Rhode Island. Then, using natural materials, decorate another wreath to take home or give as a present. Casey Farm will supply hot cider, seasonal goodies, and all craft materials; you bring your holiday cheer and creativity. $35 for members of Historic New England, $45 for nonmembers. If you aren’t going to be in Rhode Island, feel free to purchase on of the Garden Club of the Back Bay’s own wreaths, such as the one pictured below, at http://gardenclubbackbay.org/shop. Register at http://shop.historicnewengland.org/CAS-WREATH-10878/

Friday, November 23 – Sunday, December 9 – Festival of Trees

Massachusetts Horticultural Society’s Festival of Trees showcases dozens of trees and the Snow Village at Elm Bank for children and adults to enjoy. This annual festival takes place from the end of November through the first two weeks of December at Mass Hort’s The Gardens at Elm Bank, 900 Washington Street, Wellesley, MA 02482.

The Festival of Trees, displayed in the Hunnewell Building, offers beautifully decorated holiday trees that are donated and decorated by local businesses, garden clubs, and individuals. Visitors “vote” with their raffle tickets, in hopes of being the tree winner at the end of the festival. Visitors can also enjoy the decorated buildings and grounds at The Gardens at Elm Bank with a stroll. For the young at heart, there are Santa Visits and other activities.

Snow Village at Elm Bank is a wonderful addition to the holiday spirit of the Festival of Trees. Bill Meagher of Needham graciously donated the product of his thirteen year “hobby” of building Christmas villages and trains. It is a bit different each year as he continues to tweak the arrangement. Massachusetts Horticultural Society is delighted to share his enchanting displays with model trains winding through villages and vignettes, including Christmas in the City (Boston of course!), Fenway Park, and hundreds of decorated houses and lights. This amazing scenery in miniature is sure to get kids of all ages excited about the holiday season.

Admission is $10 for visitors aged 12 and over, and Member admission is $8. Join Mass Hort at the Festival and get in free! The Festival is open November 23 through December 9, weather permitting: Wednesdays and Thursdays 4 – 8 p.m.; Friday through Sunday 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.; Sunday December 9 until 6 p.m.; Monday through Thursday mornings, by appointment, for senior group visits; Monday and Tuesday evenings, by appointment, for corporate events.

The Festival of Trees is a holiday fundraiser for Mass Hort, a 501(c)(3) educational organization.

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