Thursday, September 13, 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm – Beekeeping & Honey Talk

Dave Strickler of the Boston Area Beekeepers Association will give a talk on Thursday, September 13 from 6 – 7 on honeybees in urban environments, what it’s like to raise honeybees in your backyard, and the small things you can do to help honeybees flourish. The free talk will take place at the Parker Hill branch of the Boston Public Library, 1497 Tremont Street in Roxbury. For more information visit 617-427-3820.

Dave will bring a sampling of honeys from all over the world for a tasting that will delight your taste buds and change the way you think about honey.

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Wednesday, September 12, 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm – Island Hopping: Landscape Design Lessons from Manhattan to Maine

Patrick Cullina is an award-winning horticulturist, landscape designer, photographer, lecturer, and planning consultant with nearly twenty-five years of experience in the landscape and green infrastructure fields. The Polly Hill Arboretum, in conjunction with SBS:The Grain Store, are pleased to host Pat for a September 12 lecture at PHA, in which he will discuss design lessons through the lens of his current work. His talk will cover site design and plant and material selection with a particular focus on current projects in New York City, along Boston Harbor, on Long Island, and on a private island off the coast of Maine. Topics will include ecological inspirations from the coastal plain and other maritime environments and the roles they play in design choices.

Pat has served as founding V. P. of Horticulture and Operations for New York City’s High Line, as Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s V.P. of Horticulture, Operations & Science Research and as Associate Director of the Rutgers University Gardens in affiliation with the school’s department of landscape architecture and the College of Agriculture and Environmental Science. His current practice is dedicated to the creation, development, establishment and maintenance of transformational living landscapes through the innovative integration of plants and management strategies, often in collaboration with some of the world’s leading architects, landscape architects and planners.

The lecture begins at 5:30, and is $5 for PHA members, $10 for nonmembers. Call 508-696-9426 to register in advance.

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Saturday, September 22, 10:00 am – 12:00 noon – Cold Frame Gardening

Cold frames, hot beds and hoop houses are great season extenders, allowing vegetables to be planted 2-4 weeks earlier than unprotected plants as well as extending the growing season in the fall. They can also play a key role in the transition of seedlings of all kinds from the sheltered windowsill / greenhouse environment to the outdoors.

Build your very own cold frame at this Massachusetts Horticultural Society class on Saturday, September 22 from 10 – noon at The Gardens at Elm Bank, 900 Washington Street, Wellesley. The cold frame’s footprint is 2′ x 4′, and slopes from 24″ at the back to 16″ at the front. It disassembles for easy transportation and storage. All tools will be supplied (though you can bring your own drill if you like), and no experience with woodworking is needed. $65 for Mass Hort members, $75 for nonmembers. Pre-registration is required at http://masshort.org, or by calling 617-933-4973.

Teacher Gretel Anspach is a Trustee of Mass Hort, a Lifetime Master Gardener, past-president of the Massachusetts Master Gardener Association and a retired systems engineer for Raytheon.

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Wednesdays, September 12, October 3, and October 10, 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm – Farm-To-Table Suppers

Wright-Locke Farm’s popular Farm-to-Table Suppers will return in 2018. Join them for a casual Wednesday supper at the Farm, located at 78 Ridge Street in Winchester. Celebrate the seasonal bounty, featuring Wright-Locke produce, new friends and old, and maybe some raspberries, too. Local never tasted so good!

Wednesday evenings: 9/12, 10/3 & 10/10
Supper starts at 6:30 & ends by 8:30pm
$60 per person for 2018 (seats are limited — only 30 per supper)
Cash Bar
Vegetarian option available by request; please let us know if you have any allergies or dietary concerns.

Reserve your tickets at www.wlfarm.org.  Photography by Mark Davidson.

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Thursday, September 27, 6:30 pm – 10:00 pm – Champions of the Charles

Experience a magical night at the Museum of Science on Thursday, September 27 from 6:30 – 10. Join Charles River Watershed Association for an evening of science, fun, and celebration at the Museum of Science on September 27th. We will honor Robert Zimmerman, our Executive Director, and John Sullivan of Boston and Water Sewer Commission for their tireless dedication to the Charles River.

Guests will enjoy fabulous food and drinks by Wolfgang Puck Catering while gazing out at the Charles River from the Museum of Science. Visitors will also be able to view the Yawkey Gallery on the Charles River. Free parking available in the MOS parking garage.

For more information or to purchase tickets ($250) by mail please visit http://www.charlesriver.org/champions

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Wednesdays, September 12 – November 28 (no class 9/19 or 11/21), 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm – Home Horticulture Class

The Massachusetts Master Gardener Association presents ten evening classes packed with practical information to make you a more successful home-gardener

Classes will take place on Wednesday evenings, 6:30-8:00 PM, Sept. 12 to Nov. 28, 2018 (No class 9/19 or 11/21) at Brigham Hill Community Farm (pictured), 37 Wheeler Road in North Grafton (15 mins. From Mass Pike Exit 11) – Classes will be held in the beautiful barn classroom, featuring new state-of-the-art audio-visual capabilities. Ample free parking in well-lighted, paved lot, just a few steps from the building.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN: The Home Hort Series covers the same topics as Master Gardener Training but in a streamlined format. No outside reading, homework, testing or volunteering required. Just 1-1/2 hrs. one night per week. Here’s a sample of what we’ll be covering:

Important fundamentals such as building great soil and how plants work
Practical how-to’s like basic landscape design, perennial selection and care, and combating weeds, diseases and pests

The cost of the 10-lecture series is $250, payable by credit/debit card or Pay Pal. That averages out to just $25 each for the ten sessions. For a complete syllabus, and to register, visit http://massmastergardeners.org/fall-2018-home-horticulture-class/

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Friday, September 14 – Sunday, September 16 – Vascular Plants of the Americas: A Searchable Database

On September 14 – September 16, at the September meeting of the New England Botanical Club, Dr. Carmen Ulloa, Missouri Botanical Garden, will present Vascular Plants of the Americas: A Searchable Database, that includes 124,993 species. This will be a joint meeting with the Botanical Club of Cape Cod and the Islands (BCCCI) to celebrate their 20th anniversary. The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution meeting space has been reserved, and field trip planning with BCCCI is underway. For updated information visit http://rhodora.org.

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Thursday, September 13, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm – Planting Spring Bulbs

In the depths of the New England winter we all long for the a little color and sunshine. Planting bulbs in the autumn helps us prepare for and look forward to the promise of the warmth and color of spring.

In this Massachusetts Horticultural Society talk on September 13 from 7 – 8:30 at Elm Bank, Lifetime Master Gardener Kathi Gariepy will discuss about bulbs: the history, how they fit into our landscape, and best practices for a lovely garden full of springtime beauty. $12 for Mass Hort members, $20 for nonmembers. Register at http://masshort.org, or call 617-933-4973.

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Saturday, September 29, 8:30 am – 3:30 pm – Inspiration for Next Year’s Garden

Each winter when the Massachusetts Master Gardeners Association Symposium Committee meets to come up with a “wish list” for our next event, we start with feedback from previous participants. (If you attended in 2017, thank you for your thoughtful suggestions!) In keeping with our theme, Inspiration for Next Year’s Garden, we prioritize speakers whose topics not only challenge and elevate our thinking as gardeners, but also offer advice that is both practical and realistic. We hope 2018’s inspiration become your 2019 garden reality. The Symposium will take place Saturday, September 29, from 8:30 – 3:30 at Westford Academy in Westford, Massachusetts.

Featured speakers include Joseph Tychonievich, author of Rock Gardening: Reimagining a Classic Style. Learn the basic principles of creating a rock garden, as well as knowing some of the most beautiful and easy to grow plants.
Peter J. Hatch, Director of Gardens and Grounds Emeritus, Thomas Jefferson Foundation, will speak on the third US President’s unique approach to gardening and how it inspired both a vegetable-centric culinary revolution and today’s garden-to-table movement. Then, Kelly D. Norris, Director of Horticulture and Education, Des Moines Botanical Garden, will teach us about stylish plant alternatives that can help you create a more fulfilling connection between you and your garden. Finally, Jessica Walliser, author of the bestseller Good Bug, Bad Bug, will discuss how to attract beneficial insects to your property, helping to preserve the garden’s natural balance.

Register online ($90, deadline 9/22) at http://massmastergardeners.org/2018-symposium/

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Tuesday, September 11, 8:30 am – 1:00 pm – Emerald Ash Borer Field Day

Join Tawny Simisky, UMass Extension Entomologist, Rick Harper, UMass Extension Associate Professor, Ken Gooch and Nicole Keleher, MA Department of Conservation and Recreation Forest Health Program, Phil Lewis, USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service PPQ, and Mollie Freilicher, MA Department of Conservation and Recreation Urban and Community Forestry Program, for a field day devoted to the invasive emerald ash borer (EAB). The morning will begin with a classroom-style overview of ash tree and EAB identification and status, as well as insect monitoring and management options. The remainder of the program will include on-site visitation of the Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary to view ash trees and EAB infestations. Trapping demonstrations and tips to carry out community tree inventories to detect and manage ash trees will also occur. This training is designed for arborists, tree wardens/urban foresters, municipal officials, landscapers, land managers, landowners and tree enthusiasts.

Co-sponsored by UMass Extension, the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, and Mass Audubon. Preregistration required – space is limited to 60 participants; cost is a reduced $25 per person, thanks to funding support provided by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation and meeting space provided by Mass Audubon. Lunch will be on your own but morning coffee and snacks will be provided. The event takes place at Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary, 127 Combs Road in Easthampton on Tuesday, September 11 from 8:30 – 1. Print registration form at https://ag.umass.edu/landscape/events/emerald-ash-borer-field-day

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