Boston Flora

  • Tuesday, August 21, 9:00 am – 3:00 pm – Northeast Regional Perennial Plant Symposium

    Tuesday, August 21, 9:00 am – 3:00 pm – Northeast Regional Perennial Plant Symposium

    The Northeast Region Perennial Plant Association Symposium is presented by Massachusetts Horticultural Society & the Perennial Plant Association. This year’s symposium includes four presentations led by some of the perennial industry’s best: CL Fornari, Nancy Lawson, Bobbie Schwartz, and Deb Trickett. Pre-registration required. Early Bird: $99; After August 12: $125. The event will take place Tuesday, August 21 from 9 – 3 at The Gardens at Elm Bank, 900 Washington Street in Wellesley. Register by calling 617-933-4973, or visit www.masshort.org.

    C.L. Fornari is a creative gardening expert (aka plant geek) who transitioned from artist to garden communicator in 1995. She is the author seven books including her latest, The Cocktail Hour Garden, published by St. Lynn’s Press. C.L. is the host GardenLine, heard on WXTK, and co-host of Plantrama, a podcast produced by Zachos and Fornari. She speaks to audiences at horticultural trade shows, garden clubs, botanical gardens, master gardener symposiums, alumni/women’s groups and neighborhood associations. In addition to speaking, radio, and writing, C.L. blogs and runs a consultation service for Hyannis Country Garden, an independent garden center on Cape Cod. In 2017 her book The Cocktail Hour Garden won awards from ASJA and GWA. She also won a GWA award in 2017 for writing on her website. In 2012 C.L. was awarded the Garden Communicator Of The Year from the Perennial Plant Association and in 2013 won three awards from the Garden Writers Association. In 2015 C.L. launched the first annual Cape Cod Hydrangea Festival, a ten-day regional celebration of open gardens. In its third year, 2017, the Hydrangea Festival raised over $43,000.00 for local non-profits.

    Nancy Lawson is the author of The Humane Gardener: Nurturing a Backyard Habitat for Wildlife. In this eloquent plea for compassion and respect for all species, journalist and gardener Nancy Lawson describes why and how to welcome wildlife to our backyards. Through engaging anecdotes and inspired advice, profiles of home gardeners throughout the country, and interviews with scientists and horticulturalists, Lawson applies the broader lessons of ecology to our own outdoor spaces.

    Bobbie Schwartz is the author of Garden Renovation: Transform Your Yard into the Garden of Your Dreams. Gardens, just like houses, sometimes need makeovers. The changes can be as minor as replacing a shrub or as major as pulling everything up and starting from scratch. No matter the size of your space or the scope of the project, the sage advice in Garden Renovation will help you turn a problem-filled yard into a paradise. Bobbie Schwartz draws on her years of experience as a garden designer to teach gardeners how to evaluate the plants and features present in their yards, determine what to keep and what to remove, choose the right plants and design plans for successful remodels, and how to know when to hire help. A gallery of before-and-after photos provides ideas and inspiration for turning a tired garden into an enlivening retreat.

    Deborah Trickett, owner of The Captured Garden, is an award-winning container garden designer whose work has been featured in The Boston Globe, Garden Gate magazine, New England Home magazine and on the TV show New England Dream Home. She is a Massachusetts Certified Horticulturist and a frequent lecturer on container gardening at the Boston Flower and Garden Show, as well as the Philadelphia International Flower Show. She also teaches classes and workshops at the Arnold Arboretum in Boston.

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  • Saturday, August 11, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm – Native Botanical Cyanotype Workshop

    In this hands-on New England Wild Flower Society workshop at Nasami Farm in Whatley on Saturday, August 11 from 10 – 2, we will explore the history and methodology of botanical cyanotype prints and create our own. Cyanotypes are an early photographic process using light-sensitive materials and sunlight to create unique and striking ‘blue prints’ or ‘sun prints.’ The process lends itself beautifully to the documentation of botanical specimens, both scientifically and artistically. The class will be led by Alexis Doshas and is $53 for NEWFS members, $64 for nonmembers. Register at http://www.newenglandwild.org/learn/our-programs/native-botanical-cyanotype-print-workshop

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  • Saturday, August 11, 10:00 am – 12:00 noon – Beecology Basics

    Native pollinator diversity is declining at an alarming rate in many areas of Massachusetts at for unknown reasons. The New England Beecology project aims to fill this critical knowledge gap by training ‘beecologists’ from across the state on how to use our newly developed iPhone and Android phone apps to collect ecological data on different bumblebee species and then send it to our central database where it can be used to identify key factors driving species decline. This workshop will cover the major issues associated with wild pollinator decline, provide training on how to use our smartphone technology, and give you information on how to incorporate ecological pollinator conservation strategies in your own backyard. The August 11 Tower Hill Botanic Garden presentation at 10 – 12 will be followed by a walk in the gardens to look for bumblebees and practice using the app. Free with admission to Tower Hill. To register, visit www.towerhillbg.org.

    Dr. Robert J. Gegear is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Biology and Biotechnology at Worcester Polytechnic Institute and Director of the New England Beecology Project.

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  • Saturday, August 11, 11:00 am – Historic Walking Tour of Jamaica Pond

    Please join The Jamaica Plain Historical Society for our 23rd season of historic walking tours. All JPHS tours are free to the public. All tours are held on Saturday at 11:00 a.m. sharp. Tours last between 60 and 90 minutes and are canceled in case of heavy rain. No reservations are required, just meet the guide at the location listed. On August 11, the tour will feature Jamaica Pond. Once a district that only included the houses of Boston’s elite, the Pond later was put to industrial use as tons of ice were harvested there each winter. Learn about the movers and shakers such as Francis Parkman and James Michael Curley who made their homes on the Pond’s shores. Discover how the Pond was transformed from private estates and warehouses into the parkland we know today.

    Leaves from the Bandstand, Pond St. and Jamaicaway. For a complete list of other tours and dates, visit https://www.jphs.org/2018-walking-tours/

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  • Tuesday, August 7, 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm – Dining Out in Victorian Boston

    Explore the history of drinking and dining in Victorian Boston on a Tuesday evening in August at Otis House, 141 Cambridge Street in Boston. Come early (5:30) for a reception in the courtyard, followed by lecture at 6 pm. Historian Jim O’Connell analyzes historic menus from the Parker House, Union Oyster House, Durgin-Park, Locke-Ober, Café Marliave, Jacob Wirth, and some long-forgotten eateries to explore how nineteenth-century Boston restaurants reflected Victorian culture. Topics include the influence of French and British cooking, ostentatious multi-course banquets, working-class oyster bars and eating houses, ladies’ tea rooms and ice cream parlors, and the emergence of ethnic eateries.

    Cosponsored with the Victorian Society of America/New England Chapter.

    $12 Historic New England and Victorian Society members
    $17 nonmembers

    Advance tickets recommended. Please call 617-994-5920 or buy online at http://shop.historicnewengland.org/HGO-TWILIGHT-8055/  Victorian Society members must call to receive discount.

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  • Wednesday, August 8, 11:00 am – The Intersection of Past & Present: Contemporary Sculpture in Historic Places

    Whether presented as an exhibition, as part of a permanent installation or as a singular focal point in the landscape, sculpture has always been an important element of the design of private and public outdoor spaces. Today, more and more institutions and historic house museums around the country and the world are integrating contemporary sculpture exhibits into their programmatic offerings. Ms. Kelley will share her research into the variety of outdoor sculpture exhibitions and installations which today include an unlimited range of media and physical expression and tend towards the experiential or sensorial with the goal of further enlivening and activating the landscape for visitors to historic sites.

    The Hartfield Foundation 2018 Research Fellows Lecture will take place on Wednesday, August 8 at Rosecliff, 548 Bellevue Avenue in Newport. Tanya Kelley is a designer with thirty years of experience and is the founder and Principal of PLACEstudio Landscape Design in Newport, RI. She received a Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture from the City College of the City of New York and a Masters in Landscape Architecture from The Rhode Island School of Design.

    Following Ms. Kelley’s talk, there will be an additional lecture on Rivalry and Friendship: The Contrasting Decorative Art of Robert Winthrop Chanler and Howard Gardiner Cushing. Complete information is available at http://www.newportmansions.org/learn/adult-programs or by calling 401-847-1000, Ext 178. Preservation Society members free, general public $5.

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  • Saturday, August 4, 9:00 am – 12:00 noon – OSIMA Summer Ikebana Workshop

    Saturday, August 4, 9:00 am – 12:00 noon – OSIMA Summer Ikebana Workshop

    In this Ikebana Workshop at The Gardens at Elm Bank, Parker House, 900 Washington Street in Wellesley on Saturday, August 4 from 9 – 12, you will create 2 Ikebana arrangements, Moribana and Heika, with Instructor and OSIMA President Hiroko Matsuyama.

    Attendees should bring an Ohara Moribana container, a rectangle kenzan, a 1 x 1/4 pie kenzan, an Ohara Heika container, skewers, floral wire, floral tape, cloth and ikebana scissors. If you need to borrow any of the required items, please make arrangements with the instructor. Admission is $60. OSIMA Members receive a $30 discount code. To get your code, email russ@oharaschoolma.com. Member discounts are only available for OSIMA members. To sign up for OSIMA Membership, go to http://oharaschoolma.com/osima-membership.html  Yearly membership is $25.

    Register for the workshop at http://www.japansocietyboston.org/event-2997753

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  • Saturday and Sunday, August 11 – 12, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm – Heirloom Tomatoes: Botanical Drawing in Color

    Heirloom tomatoes are the jewels of summer. In this two-day workshop at Tower Hill Botanic Garden on August 11 & 12 from 10 – 4, join botanical artist Helen Byers to draw their fascinating forms, rich colors, and surface and interior textures in detail. Helen’s demos, tips, and personalized instruction will guide students in practicing a technique of botanical drawing that combines colored pencil and watercolor.

    A supplies list will be sent to registrants. $150 for Tower Hill members, $165 for nonmembers. Register at www.towerhillbg.org.

    Helen Byers is an award-winning artist and educator whose botanical drawings and paintings have been internationally exhibited, published, and held in private collections. In recent years she has taught often at Tower Hill, as well as at Concord Center for the Visual Arts, Fruitlands Museums, Tin Mountain Conservation Center (NH), and Ghost Ranch Education & Retreat Center (NM). To learn more about her work, visit the artist’s website at http://helenbyers.com.  Illustration below by Asuku Hishiki.

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  • Thursday, August 9, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm – Evening Photography Stroll

    Learn how to add a “wow” factor to your garden pictures at a workshop on August 9 from 7 – 8:30 at The Gardens at Elm Bank, 900 Washington Street in Wellesley. Learn the top ten tips how to improve your photos, then stroll the gardens to put your knowledge into practice. Each participant will need to bring his/her camera, phone with picture capabilities or tablet to use. $12 for Massachusetts Horticultural Society members, $20 for nonmembers. Register at http://masshort.org or call 617-933-4973.

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  • Thursday, July 26, 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm – Liz Glynn: Open House

    Join NOW + THERE, along with the City of Boston’s Public Art Fund and the Paula Cooper Gallery on July 26 from 5:30 – 7:30 for the public celebration of Liz Glynn: Open House, at Kenmore Mall on the Commonwealth Avenue Mall, near Kenmore MBTA Bus Station, close to 499 Commonwealth Avenue. Refreshments will be provided by Island Creek Oyster Bar and Eastern Standard. Logistical support and water provided by Cornwall’s, Hotel Commonwealth, and Boston University. Rsvp to NOW + THERE at http://www.nowandthere.org/openhousecelebration?mc_cid=4360ef39db&mc_eid=1b30ed92a6

    At the turn of the 20th century, New England’s wealthy elite gathered in opulent private salons and ballrooms in Boston to define their social status. These gathering spaces were the seat of power, privilege, and politics in the city. In contrast was a growing movement to create more democratic gathering spaces through the development of public parks. The founding and incorporation of parks like Boston Common (established 1660; park status 1850), and the Commonwealth Avenue Mall (dedicated in 1888 as a promenade for public enjoyment), were milestones in American urban planning, representing an early effort — still on-going today — to grant democratic access to public space. The artist will be in attendance.

    Open House, an installation created by Los Angeles-based, Boston-born artist Liz Glynn, is organized for the Commonwealth Avenue Mall by Now + There. Originally commissioned by the Public Art Fund in cooperation with the artist and Paula Cooper Gallery, Open House was first presented at Doris C. Freedman Plaza in Central Park, New York (see below). This new installment of Open House transforms the Commonwealth Avenue Mall West into an open air ruin of a ballroom. In this work the artist highlights class distinctions and the dynamics between public and private space and beckons you to take a seat and linger. Bringing this work to Boston during a time of rapid development, we are sparking a dialogue about economic inequality and supporting Glynn’s desire to incite future action. Glynn’s lavish Louis XIV sofas, chairs, and footstools evoke these extravagant late nineteenth century interiors, but with a twist — these objects feature sculpted additions and are cast in concrete, a utilitarian material more commonly seen in modern architecture. With this revision, the artist invites the public to enjoy a previously exclusive interior space that is now open and accessible to all.

    The work highlights historic class distinctions and references the architecture and interior design of New York’s William C. Whitney ballroom, a magnificent, now demolished, interior designed by Gilded Age architect Stanford White, the architect of the Boston Hotel Buckminster and numerous Commonwealth Avenue mansions.

    This fully-functioning furniture will offer residents and visitors alike a place of respite and reflection while also evoking the history of leisure in Kenmore Square and the often-manipulated wetlands of Charlesgate.