Boston Flora

  • Saturday, November 3, 11:00 am – 12:30 pm – Cacti and Succulents 101

    Founder of the Cactus and Succulent Society of Massachusetts, Art Scarpa will teach you the basics of care for succulents and cacti on Saturday, November 2 from 11 – 12:30 at The Gardens at Elm Bank, 900 Washington Street in Wellesley. Art will bring live plants and describe their care: including light and watering requirements, soil mixes, sources and lots more. You’ll be able to choose the right plants for you and understand the basic care of these wonderful plants.

    Art Scarpa has been growing unusual plants all his life and his hobby greenhouse is filled to the eaves with plants that reflect his diverse interests. His curiosity has taken him to many exciting places to view them in their natural habitats, such as the US south and southwest, Hawaii, Europe, Australia, South America and South Africa. Art was awarded Mass Hort’s Gold Medal in 2013 and has spoken and led workshops at garden clubs and flower shows all over the Northeast. He is a founder and past president of the Cactus & Succulent Society of Massachusetts, and is certified as a judge by the Cactus & Succulent Society of America.
    $12 for Mass Hort members, $20 general admission. Register at http://www.masshort.org.

    Image result for cacti and succulents 101

  • Thursday, November 8, 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm – Thomas Woltz: Restoration Ecology

    Over the past two decades of practice, landscape architect Thomas Woltz has forged a body of work that integrates the beauty and function of built forms with an understanding of complex biological systems and restoration ecology. As principal of Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects (NBW), a 45-person firm based in Charlottesville, Virginia and New York City, Woltz has infused narratives of the land into the places where people live, work and play, deepening the public’s enjoyment of the natural world and inspiring environmental stewardship. NBW projects create models of biodiversity and sustainable agriculture within areas of damaged ecological infrastructure and working farmland, yielding hundreds of acres of reconstructed wetlands, reforested land, and flourishing wildlife habitat.

    Presently, Thomas and NBW are entrusted with the design of major public parks across the United States, Canada and New Zealand, they include Memorial Park in Houston, Hudson Yards in New York City, NoMA Green in Washington DC, Cornwall Park in Auckland, the Aga Khan Garden in Alberta, Canada, and three parks in Nashville, including Centennial Park.

    In 2013 was named Design Innovator of the Year by the Wall Street Journal magazine and in 2017 Fast Company named Woltz one of the most creative people in business. Thomas will speak at the Harvard Graduate School of Design’s Piper Auditorium on Quincy Street in Cambridge on Thursday, November 8 at 6:30 pm. Free and open to the public. For more information visit http://www.gsd.harvard.edu/event/thomas-woltz/

    Image result for thomas woltz restoration ecology

  • Fridays, November 2 – November 16, 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm – The Business of Gardening

    This Berkshire Botanical Garden course on The Business of Gardening meets for 3 weeks on Fridays, November 2-16, 1 – 5 pm.

    This course is a must for those working or planning to work professionally in the field of horticulture. Participants will learn how to write a simple business plan, understand a team approach using employees and subcontractors, leasing equipment, bidding out materials and plant materials to a business advantage. Also general ways to organize a business, from sole proprietor to incorporation (S-Corp, Inc., LLC) and the legal deductions it is allowed. Learn the industry standards for markups on materials and labor, what the going rate is to charge clients, and how to cost-estimate projects. Students will complete a cost estimate for a residential project—start to finish. The focus will be how to best prepare yourself to run your own business and how to make a profit.

    Instructor: Craig Okerstrom-Lang, A.S.L.A. BBG Members: $175, Non-Members: $185. Register online at www.berkshirebotanical.org.

    Image result for business of gardening

  • Thursday, November 15, 8:00 am – 5:00 pm – Examining Nature as Medicine: Designing Landscapes that Improve Quality of Life and the Human Psyche

    The Ecological Landscape Alliance Mid-Atlantic Conference on November 15 at Winterthur from 8 – 5 explores the intersection of ecological landscape design and its effect on human beings. Sometimes referred to as Social Landscape Design or Ecological Psychology, emerging research is taking a closer look at the interaction of people and landscapes. Join ELA for leading-edge research, compelling case studies, and practical strategies to consider in your future designs.

    In both urban and suburban locales, rising health concerns have prompted research on how the human body changes when introduced to planned landscapes. Compelling conclusions point to the benefits of evaluating the intersections between specific elements in ecological landscapes and human health, specifically in the context of urban, public spaces. As an ecosystem of people, nature, and infrastructure, the built landscape can become a prescription to improve human health. This landscape trend in urban social-ecology is a design imperative to create gardens informed by nature in order to improve the environment, benefit human health, and develop cities that are resilient, healthy, sustainable, and livable.

    Sessions include Time in Nature = A Healthier You with Dr. Donald Rakow, Beyond “Nature is Good”: Research on the Benefits of Contact with Nature on Human Health, The Vibrant Cities Lab and Urban Forest Toolkit with Larry Wiseman, Observe/Inform/Improve: Nurturing Living Landscapes through Social Performance Research with Lauren Mandel and Erin Ramsden, and Landscapes as Living Infrastructure with Gena Wirth. Complete biographies and descriptions are found at https://www.ecolandscaping.org/event/ela-mid-atlantic-conference-winterthur/. $119 for ELA members, $139 for nonmembers.

  • Saturday, November 10 – Sunday, November 11 – What’s Out There Weekend: San Antonio

    San Antonio’s rich landscape legacy includes cultural institutions, places of worship, historic districts, public parks, gardens, and a famed river walk – among many others. Participate in a weekend of free, expert-led tours exploring this vibrant and diverse city, during the celebration of its tricentennial year. The What’s Out There Weekend is sponsored by The Cultural Landscape Foundation.

    An opening reception will take place on Friday evening, November 9, at San Pedro Springs Park (details TBA). Additionally, TCLF will be hosting tours to the following cultural landscapes throughout the weekend:

    – The Alamo
    – San Antonio River Walk
    – The Blue Hole
    – Brackenridge Park (pictured below)
    – Miraflores
    – Confluence Park
    – Hemisfair Park
    – La Villita
    – Main Plaza
    – Military Plaza
    – The Spanish Governor’s Palace
    – Pearl District
    – Phil Hardberger Park
    – San Antonio Botanical Garden
    – San Antonio Missions National Historical Park
    – Trinity University
    – Basilica of the National Shrine of the Little Flower
    – Villa Finale Museum and Gardens
    – Steves Homestead
    – King William Historic District
    – San Pedro Springs Park
    – San Pedro Creek Culture Park
    – San Antonio National Cemetery
    – Chris Park
    – McNay Art Museum

    Tour registration information may be found at https://tclf.org/whats-out-there-weekend-san-antonio?destination=events . An online city guide highlighting the landscapes of San Antonio is forthcoming.

    Image result for brackenridge park san antonio

  • Thursday, November 1, 6:00 pm – Rising: Dispatches from the New American Shore

    Harvey. Maria. Irma. Sandy. Katrina. We live in a time of unprecedented hurricanes and catastrophic weather events, a time when it is increasingly clear that climate change is neither imagined nor distant and that rising seas are transforming the coastline of the United States in irrevocable ways. In her new book, Rising, Elizabeth Rush guides readers through some of the places where this change has been most dramatic, from the Gulf Coast to Miami, from New York City to the Bay Area. For many of the plants, animals, and humans in these places, the options are stark: retreat or perish in place.

    Elizabeth Rush’s journalism has appeared in the Washington Post, Harper’s, Guernica, Granta, Orion, and the New Republic, among others. She is the recipient of fellowships and grants including the Howard Foundation Fellowship, awarded by Brown University; the Andrew Mellon Foundation Fellowship for Pedagogical Innovation in the Humanities; the Metcalf Institute Fellowship; and the Science in Society Journalism Award from the National Association of Science Writers. She received her MFA in nonfiction from Southern New Hampshire University and her BA from Reed College. She lives in Rhode Island, where she teaches creative nonfiction at Brown University.

    The Preservation Society of Newport County will host the author on Thursday, November 1 at 6 pm at Rosecliff, 548 Bellevue Avenue in Newport. Advance ticket purchase is required. Preservation Society Members $10 / General Public $15. You may purchase tickets at https://www.newportmansions.org/learn/adult-programs

    Image result for rising elizabeth rush

  • Saturday, November 3, 1:30 pm – 4:30 pm – Introduction to Bonsai

    Bonsai is the ancient Japanese method of growing and caring for a tree whose growth is restricted by the size of the shallow pot in which it is planted and by the pruning of its branches and roots.

    In this Arnold Arboretum class on November 3 from 1:30 – 4:30, Glen Lord, who consults for the Arnold Arboretum’s bonsai (Japanese) and penjing (Chinese) collection of dwarf potted plants, will speak first about the history of bonsai. He will then demonstrate the methods employed in creating and caring for a bonsai.

    Participants will plant a tropical specimen and learn about basic pruning, styling, and aftercare. The methods learned in this class can then be applied to other plants, such as temperate trees. The class fee includes a tropical plant, tools, soil, and a pot. $80. Register on line at www.my.arboretum.harvard.edu

    Image result for Glen Lord bonsai

  • Holiday Wreaths 2018 – We’re Back!

    Holiday Wreaths 2018 – We’re Back!

    2018 Order Forms will soon arrive in the mailboxes of past customers and Club members, and for those of you new to the game, now is the time be part of the exclusive group of holiday wreath and poinsettia buyers supporting the charitable work of The Garden Club of the Back Bay. Every penny of our net proceeds goes to neighborhood beautification projects and area-wide grants to not for profit horticultural organizations with missions mirroring our own, especially in support of trees. You may order on line, of course, in our store (www.gardenclubbackbay.org/shop), and if you search on our website you may view hundreds of photos of past wreaths. Remember, you are not ordering any specific style – our volunteers never copy, and each wreath is original – but if you especially like a specific wreath, we can assign your order to a decorator who specializes in that particular look.  Questions? Email info@bostonflora.com.

  • Saturday, October 27, 12:00 noon – 2:00 pm – 8th Annual Canine Promenade

    Named to Boston Magazine’s 10 Can’t-Miss Halloween Events Around Boston, the Canine Promenade is a dog fair, costume contest, and 1/2‐mile Halloween costume parade around the Esplanade to celebrate the Fall season!

    SCHEDULE

    12:00pm: Dog Fair

    1:00pm: Costume Parade Begins

    1:45pm: Prize Winners Announced

    PRIZES

    Gift baskets will be awarded to the Top 3 Individual Costumes and Top 3 Group Costumes overall. Some of the prizes include:

    $150 Cunard Tavern gift card

    $100 Bar Boulud gift card

    $100 Pawsh gift card

    $75 75 Chestnut gift card

    Fluff & Tuff toys

    All registered dogs will receive a favor bag with their costume contest entry! All dogs must be registered to be eligible to receive a goody bag and prizes. Sign up at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/8th-annual-canine-promenade-tickets-50452318242 Spectators are welcome!

    DOG FAIR

    Prior to the Costume Parade there will be a Dog Fair featuring local companies giving away samples and treats while showcasing their services for dog owners in the community. Vendors include:

    Back Bay Veterinary Clinic

    Boston Dog Lawyers

    Boston Veterinary Clinic

    Bridget Foster Reed Art

    Douglas Elliman Real Estate

    Fred Levy Pet Photography

    Lina Kriva Homes International

    Pawsh Dog Boutique & Salon

    Polka Dog Bakery

    Red Dog Pet Resort & Spa

    Shameless Pets

    WalkyWalk

    The Esplanade Association event is hosted in partnership with Pawsh, a dog boutique and saon conveniently located on Gloucester Street in Back Bay.  Photograph below of past winner copyright Fred Levy Pet Photography.

    Image result for Fred Levy Pet Photography halloween dog

  • Sunday, October 28, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm – Pollinator Symposium

    On Sunday, October 28, at the Susan N. McLane Audubon Center in Concord, New Hampshire, attend a day-long symposium to discuss interactions between native plants and pollinators and learn how to combat the pollinator crisis through panels and workshops led by specialists in the field. The symposium addresses such topics as: researching and tracking different types of native pollinators, creating and growing gardens that support the region’s native pollinators, and selecting the most effective pollinator-friendly native plants for particular habitats and ecoregions. With an engaging keynote by Dr. Robert Gegear, creator of The Beecology Project, this symposium offers a fitting culmination to a summer of pollinator programs and a vision for next steps. Register and be part of the solution!  $75 for members of the sponsoring organizations, the New England Wild Flower Society, New Hampshire Audubon, and the New England Field Office of the US Fish and Wildlife Service, $90 for nonmembers. Photo from the Times Free Press. Register at http://www.newenglandwild.org/learn/our-programs/pollinator-symposium

    Image result for pollinator symposium 2018