Boston Flora

  • Friday, October 19 – Monday, October 22 – American Society of Landscape Architects Annual Meeting and EXPO

    The ASLA Annual Meeting and EXPO in Philadelphia October 19 – 22 offers over 130 courses, allowing attendees to earn up to 24 professional development hours (PDHs). There are also many tours and special events connected with the event, including The Cultural Landscape Foundation look at Longwood Gardens: Experience a World Apart on Friday October 19 from 9:30 – 6:30, the LAF’s 33rd Annual Benefit on Friday night from 7 – 10 at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, A Tailgate at the Pennsylvania Convention Center on Saturday at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, The ASLA Council of Fellows Investiture Dinner on Sunday at 7 at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown, Land8 Happy Hour on Sunday from 8 pm at the Field House Sports & Beer Hall, and a Women in Landscape Architecture Walk on Monday from 7 am – 8:30 am, highlighting the recent transformation of urban parks and plazas along Philadelphia’s iconic Benjamin Franklin Parkway.

    Discounted rates have been negotiated for meeting attendees at nine Philadelphia hotels, all within walking distance of the Pennsylvania Convention Center. You must register by September 14 for discounted registration rates. Complete information on the entire event may be found at https://www.aslameeting.com/

    Image result for asla annual meeting

  • Wednesday, September 26, 7:30 pm – Chefs as Catalyst Connectors in Our Complicated Food World

    Vittorio Ettore (Bistro 5 & A Tavola), Frank McClelland (L’Espalier), Lori Deliso (Kid’s Cooking Green & Dave’s Fresh Pasta) will speak at Wright-Locke Farm on Chefs as Catalyst Connectors in Our Complicated Food World. Join us for a panel discussion with local chefs who have been making strides to reconnect people with the food they eat and the landscapes and people that are behind those meals. What is the role of a chef in this complicated time that we live in? How do they inspire and teach? How are chefs working within our local food systems? Where do the see their greatest impact? These are some of the questions that we’ll be asking our Chef Panel. Make sure to bring your own questions to ask, too!

    The session will be held at 7:30 at Wright-Locke Farm in Winchester on Wednesday, September 26 in our beautiful 1827 Barn, and will be followed up with a Q&A session. We will also offer a casual supper before each presentation. For more details, check out our website, http://wlfarm.org, or to RSVP, email Kim Kneeland at kkneeland@wlfarm.org.

    Image result for Vittorio Ettore

  • Sunday, September 23, 12:00 noon – 4:00 pm – Arlington’s Tree-mendous Fall Garden Tour

    Sunday, September 23, 12:00 noon – 4:00 pm – Arlington’s Tree-mendous Fall Garden Tour

    The Arlington Garden Club and the Arlington Chamber of Commerce will host a 2018 Fall Garden Tour on Sunday, September 23, 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm (Rain or shine). The self-guided tour will include private and public gardens that feature trees and their importance in the landscape. The tour will offer a variety of gardens, each with special qualities to inspire the visitor: street side gardens, native plant gardens, hidden backyard gardens, and even edible gardens. The selected gardens will be located in several areas of Arlington, including Morningside, Arlington Center/Jason Heights and East Arlington.

    Tickets can be purchased immediately at http://arlcc.chambermaster.com/events/details/arlington-s-tree-mendous-fall-garden-tour-700 or in person at Book Rack, 13 Medford St. in Arlington beginning on September 1.

    $25 in Advance, $30 on day of tour.  For information on The Arlington Garden Club visit www.arlingtongarden.org

  • Thursday, September 20, 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm, and Saturday, September 22, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm – Asters and Goldenrods

    In late summer and early fall, asters and goldenrods come into their own. In this two-session New England Wild Flower Society class, the morning discussion will include a presentation of the many asters and goldenrods in our region, focusing on their ecology and identification features. We will also examine specimens from the Society’s herbarium. Later we’ll visit a nearby natural area to identify the asters and goldenrods growing in the fields, woodlands, and wetlands. In the field, we’ll look carefully at the differences that characterize these species. Bring a hand lens and a bag lunch. Ted Elliman leads the sessions at Garden in the Woods in Framingham on September 20 and 22. $86 for NEWFS members, $104 for nonmembers. Register online at www.newenglandwild.org. Image from www.27East.com.

    Image result for asters and goldenrods White Flower Farm

  • Thursday, September 20, 6:00 pm – Breakpoint: Reckoning with America’s Environmental Crises

    Jeremy Jackson, Emeritus Professor of Oceanography, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Senior Scientist Emeritus, Smithsonian Institution, will speak on Thursday, September 20 at 6 pm in a program sponsored by the Harvard Museum of Natural History, in collaboration with the Harvard University Center for the Environment. The venue will be announced – check at https://hmnh.harvard.edu/event/breakpoint for updated information.

    Mounting environmental crises—extreme weather events, uncontrollable fires, rising sea levels, droughts, and unsustainable agriculture—are pushing America toward a series of alarming environmental and economic breaking points. Jeremy Jackson will examine the country’s current environmental destruction and highlight both successful and failed attempts by communities to achieve greater environmental stability. With a call to action, he will offer achievable solutions—and optimism—for tackling this multidimensional challenge.

    The free presentation will be followed by a discussion with Rebecca Henderson, Harvard Business School; John Holdren, Harvard Kennedy School; and Daniel Schrag, Harvard University Center for the Environment. Free parking at the 52 Oxford Street Garage

    Breakpoint with speaker Jeremy Jackson

  • Monday, September 24, 6:00 pm – 8:30 pm – Fermentation 101 Workshop, Dinner, & Drinks

    Jamaica Plain’s fabulous restaurant, Brassica Kitchen, and Boston Ferments are teaming up on Monday, September 24 from 6 – 8:30 for a night of fermentation. The workshop will include a fermented dinner & paired fermented drinks, a short lecture on the history & culture of fermentation, and a hands-on fermentation demo.

    The evening kicks off with a fermentation-inspired vegetarian meal (which can be vegan and gluten free – please just let us know). We are pairing this meal with unique fermented cocktails (served in handcrafted cups which you will take home!) by our workshop leader.

    Next, we will have a short discussion on the biological, political, and symbolic ‘culture’ of fermented foods around the world with Jeremy Ogusky, a local fermenting enthusiast and JP studio potter. We will then learn to make one of the simplest lacto-fermented treats – sauerkraut! We will break into groups, chop veggies and everyone will go home with a jar full of fermenting cabbage.

    All participants will finish the workshop with a healthy belly full of fermented foods as well as the knowledge & confidence to begin fermenting in their kitchen, and a jar full of fermenting kraut. This starter class will cover everything you need to start fermenting on your own: philosophy, preparation and problem-solving.

    If you want to learn to ferment AND go home with a handcrafted fermentation crock (at 1/2 the price! – crocks are usually $100) to create your own sauerkraut, kimchi & pickles in, this is your chance. Our instructor, Jeremy, is a studio potter and creator of the crocks and he will bring a selection of colors to the workshop that you can choose from. Then you can prepare your own sauerkraut in the workshop in your own handmade crock. Tickets range from $49 – $100 and may be purchased online at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/fermentation-101-workshop-fermented-dinner-drinks-at-brassica-kitchen-tickets-47476518545. Brassica Kitchen is located at 3710 Washington Street in Jamaica Plain.

    Image result for brassica restaurant jamaica plain

  • Thursday, September 20, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm – COG Annual Project Showcase

    Thursday, September 20, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm – COG Annual Project Showcase

    Reservations accepted at https://my.arboretum.harvard.edu/Info.aspx?DayPlanner=1778&DayPlannerDate=9/20/2018

  • Sunday, September 16, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm – Rocky Summits, Spruce Forests, and the Habitats in Between

    On Sunday, September 16 from 10 – 2, hike with Patricia Swain and the New England Wild Flower Society through Mt. Watatic Reservation’s open summits, the adjoining spruce and northern hardwoods forests, and several types of transition communities between them. The views of the multiple community types should provide near-peak fall color, great for differentiating species and for our enjoyment. Habitat: northern forests including spruce, fir, northern hardwoods, and rocky summits, known for red spruce forest, spruce and northern hardwood forests, acid rocky summits, open oak forest, ridgetop heathland, blueberries, and huckleberry barrens. Difficulty: Moderate/Difficult. $38 for NEWFS members, $46 for nonmembers. Register at www.newenglandwild.org.

    Image result for mt. watatic in ashburnham ma

  • Wednesdays, September 19 – October 24, 6:30 pm – 9:00 pm – Plant Form and Function

    This six-session New England Wild Flower Society introduction to botany covers the basics of plant anatomy and physiology and addresses the fundamentals of the plant kingdom through slides and live materials. Microscopic study provides a close look at roots, stems, leaves, and their component tissues. Participants examine flowers, fruits, and seeds and discuss pollination, fertilization, dispersal, and germination, with an emphasis on the relationship between plant form and function. Classes will take place Wednesday evenings September 19 – October 24 from 6:30 – 9, and are taught by Nancy Eyster-Smith. $231 for NEWFS members, $272 for nonmembers. Register at www.newenglandwild.org.

    Image result for plant form and function

  • Peggy Nakache, 1932 – 2018

    It is with great sadness that The Garden Club of the Back Bay announces the passing of one of our long time members, Peggy Nakache. Peggy moved to Palo Alto, California earlier this year to be with family while in hospice care. Below is a picture taken at one of our January tea meetings a few years ago.

    Born in Hartford, Connecticut to Joseph and Alice Lynch, Peggy received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Rhode Island School of Design in 1954. She continued her studies for two years at École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris, obtaining certification in French language studies. An accomplished, celebrated artist, Peggy’s work is found in the permanent collections of L’Ambassade du Liban in Paris, Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, DC and exhibited in solo and group shows at galleries in the United States and France. In 1957, Peggy married Fernand Robert Nakache, who predeceased her. She is survived by their two daughters, Catherine “Kate” Kemether and Patricia Nakache.

    A memorial service celebrating Peggy’s life will take place on Cape Cod in the near future. Notes of condolence can be sent to her daughters in care of:
    Patricia Nakache
    1360 Hillview Drive
    Menlo Park, CA 94025