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.
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!
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.
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!
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
We rarely finish early, in time to take a breath and have a sandwich and enjoy each other’s company one more time before breaking down the workshop, but this year we did, and the experience was special. Everyone who had signed in during the first three days received an email invite to come back one last time to partake as a group. We exchanged wish lists for materials for 2020, examined what went right and what went a little wrong, and strategized. We were so glad we were able to have that moment. Below is a richly ribboned designer’s choice wreath, and a long shot of lunch, catered by Milk Street Cafe.
Landscapes and Floral Botanic gardens, deep gorges, and the Valley of the flowers, all on view with this Pacific Horticulture Tour May 16 – 30, 2020.
Come and explore the spectacular landscapes and flora of Sikkim and the Darjeeling Himalayas! See tea plantations around Darjeeling – of British Hill station fame – and the foothills of the Himalayas. Visit botanic gardens and orchid gardens, then head to Sikkim which is filled with Old World charm. Learn about the art and heritage of the Tibetan culture of Sikkim. Then drive toward the higher Himalayas through narrow valleys and winding mountain roads, where waterfalls leap into deep gorges, en route to Lachung. This will be our base to explore two spectacular natural areas, the Yumthang “Valley of the Flowers” (below) and the Shingba Rhododendron Sanctuary which blooms during April and May. Our route is within sight of Kanchenjunga, at 28, 169 feet, the 3rd highest peak in the world. We’ll also explore the Thangu Valley which is carpeted with alpine flowers in May, and Tsomgo Lake, a glacial lake in eastern Sikkim.
Come join us as we discover the foothills and mountains of Himalayan India with the Pacific Horticulture Society’s Greg Graves and Alister Adhikari. Complete tour brochure and itinerary are available at https://www.pacifichorticulture.org/tours/the-sikkim-darjeeling-himalayas-2/
Many wreath committee members commit to purchasing a number of wreaths as holiday gifts for family and friends, and we take this opportunity to remind you all, for next year, that doing so not only supports all the good horticultural work of The Garden Club of the Back Bay, but makes your December shopping just that much easier. We send out wreaths to people who are sometimes hard to buy for – think hairdresser, fitness instructor, dental hygienist, babysitter, tutor – especially when just a check might seem too impersonal. The wreaths don’t need to be fully decorated, since one of our wreaths with a bow can be a statement all on its own. Please remember next season. We can attach a very attractive gift card to the tag, as well.
Join the James Beard Foundation as its 20 city tour makes a stop in Boston. The Gala Dinner will take place Friday, February 7 at The State Room, 60 State Street, 33rd Floor, in Boston. A 6:15 reception will be followed by a seated dinner and dessert reception. Host Chef David Blessing of The State Room will be joined by Elizabeth Falkner of New York City and Tony Messina of UNI in Boston. Get tickets now by clicking here. Tickets range from $275 per person and up. There is also a Raising the Bar 7 pm walk around cocktail reception with light bites at the Boston Public Market on Thursday, February 6, featuring distinguished local chefs and mixologists. Questions: call 617-527-9473, or email tasteboston@wiseupevents.com
Members bring in many unusual dried greens, twigs, pods, and flowers, but items of great interest this year were the light green globe shaped dried flowers showcased below, surrounded by sprays of long needled Japanese pine. They looked like exploding fireworks. Hard to believe these are actually carnations – a special type – pulled out of a Thanksgiving arrangement and brought to wreath week to use. According to the internet, green dianthus flowers are unique flowers that add textural accents to whimsical arrangements and centerpieces. Also known as green trick dianthus, these flowers feature fuzzy, ball-shaped blooms that look like something out of Alice in Wonderland.
