Boston Flora

Monday, February 10, 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm – Herbal Class: Elderberry

Join Wright-Locke Farm in Winchester in our next series of herbal classes, Elderberry! The class on February 10 at 6:30 pm will be led by Sarah O’Neill.

Known for its immune boosting properties the Elderberry has many health benefits. We will explore the Elder plant folklore, historical uses, medicinal properties and cultivation methods.

Each participant will take home a .5 lb bag of frozen elderberries to craft their own unique Elderberry syrup to incorporate in your wellness routine.

Registration Cost

Pricing includes the class and the cost for the elderberries.
Tier A $55 (pay-it-forward/Cummings Foundation match!)
Tier B $45 (cost to run the class)
Tier C $35 (reduced price)

Tuesday, February 11, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm – Designing Biodiversity from Gardens to Regions

Grow Native Massachusetts hosts Evan Abramson on February 11 at 7 pm at the Cambridge Public Library, 449 Broadway in Cambridge. Cities, towns and watersheds have a vital role to play in strengthening, expanding and enhancing regional biodiversity, ecological health, and climate resilience. On sidewalks, parks, campuses, working lands, conservation properties, front lawns and backyard gardens, functionally diverse native pollinator habitat can serve as a building block for linking intact natural areas across a fragmented landscape. But what to plant, where to focus on first and how to measure the results? Evan Abramson of Landscape Interactions will present a series of case studies from project sites across the Northeast. An interactive discussion with audience members will follow. The program is free and open to all.

Evan Abramson is a results-driven designer and planner on a mission to rebuild biologically diverse ecosystems through pollinator-plant interactions. As Principal of Landscape Interactions, he works closely with project partners on every step of the process, from conception to design, implementation, and maintenance. Since 2019, his firm has been responsible for over 380 acres of habitat installed in the Northeast, specifically targeting at-risk bees and Lepidoptera at each project location.

Wednesday, February 5, 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm Eastern – Marjory Allen: From ILA to DIY, Online

Join Friends of the Landscape Archive at Reading for the beginning of an online series of talks in partnership with the Gardens Trust, on six women – Susan Jellicoe, Sheila Haywood, Brenda Colvin, Mary Mitchell, Marjory Allen and Marian Thompson – who all contributed to the expertise, development and awareness of the landscape profession and in so many different ways. A ticket is for the series of 6 talks at £42 or you may purchase a ticket for individual talks, costing £8. (Gardens Trust and FOLAR members £6 each or all 6 for £31.50). There will be an opportunity for Q & A after each session. Please note that the 6th and final talk in this series is on 30th April. Ticket holders can join each session live and/or view a recording for up to 2 weeks afterwards. For tickets visit www.eventbriteco.uk

Join us in this online series to hear from these special speakers – Sally Ingram, Paula Laycock, Hal Moggridge, Joy Burgess, Wendy Titman and Bruce Thompson – who have each known, worked with, or researched one of these six remarkable women. On February 5, the focus turns to Marjory Allen.

Marjory Allen wrought change through everything she did. Known, by some, for the Selfridges Roof Garden in London – a relatively new concept in garden design in the 1920’s – it was the impetus for the garden which matters most. This beautiful place wasn’t created for wealthy customers but for shop girls who Marjory believed needed, nay deserved, to breath fresh(er) air and rise above the world.

Marjory created gardens and landscapes for famous and wealthy people, but she was also a pioneer of spaces for children, not for making beautiful environments for them but for their right to have and make their own places. These Adventure Playgrounds were once described as ‘children’s heaven and adults hell’. It was not how they looked but what they signified and enabled that mattered, essentially risk. Exploring the dichotomy that was Lady Marjory Allen of Hurtwood provides a fascinating insight into the life of a truly remarkable woman.

Through her design and development consultancy Wendy Titman has been involved in the creation of environments for children and young people in schools, nurseries and children’s centres in the UK. Her research into the semiotics of children’s environments, published as Special Places, Special People – the hidden curriculum of school grounds (Southgate Publishers, 1994) led to a period of international work. Prior to this Wendy was involved with provision for children outside school including the development of adventure playgrounds during which time she had the pleasure of knowing Marjory Allen.

September, 2025 – Opening of Calder Gardens

Dedicated to personal contemplation and reflection, Calder Gardens will spotlight the art and ideas of one of the twentieth century’s most influential artists, who happened to be a native Philadelphian. It will feature a building conceived by Pritzker Prize-winning design practice Herzog & de Meuron and gardens by internationally acclaimed Dutch landscape designer Piet Oudolf. Read more.

In January 2025, Calder Gardens announced the appointment of Juana Berrío as the Marsha Perelman Senior Director of Programs. Berrío is a curator, educator, and arts programmer, with extensive experience in the creative cultural field. In this new role, she will be responsible for curating public programs that foster engagement, enrichment, and community, including a robust and inclusive slate of performances, events, and wellness activities that resonate with Calder’s art in the galleries. Learn more.

Calder Gardens is scheduled to open in Philadelphia in September 2025. Stay up-to-date and be among the first to know when tickets go on sale.

Monday, June 9, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm – Twilight Garden Party: Save the Date

The Garden Club of the Back Bay invites you to a cocktail reception on June 9 at 6 pm in The Garden Room of The Newbury Hotel, an historic Boston landmark overlooking the Boston Public Garden. The event, the Club’s major annual fundraising event, is presented in sponsorship with The Newbury, Boston. For more information on tickets and sponsorship opportunities, visit https://gardenclubbackbay.org/ or contact co-chairs Lisa Cleary and Debbie Johnston at info@gardenclubbackbay.org.

Saturday, February 8, Sunday, February 9, & Sunday, February 23, 10:30 am – 12:30 pm – Maple Sugaring with Roland “Boot” Boutwell

Late winter in New England often features cold nights and warmer days, providing ideal conditions for the “running of the sap” in our sugar maples. This sap is vital to the health of the tree and has also created economic opportunities for local farmers who harvest the sap and boil it down to produce maple syrup.

Join Roland “Boot” Boutwell and Wright-Locke Farm in Winchester on either Saturday, February 8, Sunday, February 9, or Sunday, February 23 from 10:30 – 12:30 for a morning where we’ll take a close look at some majestic maple trees, identify the various species, and taste sap right from the bucket. We’ll talk about the history of maple sugaring and discuss just how sap is turned into syrup. We’ll conclude by boiling down a small amount of sap so we can watch it turn into syrup. In a blind taste test, we’ll see who can tell the difference between real 100% maple syrup and a typical “pancake and waffle syrup” made mostly of corn syrup.

This event is co-sponsored with Arlington Community Education (ACE) Register at https://www.wlfarm.org/adult-education-programs/ Tiered pricing available:
Tier A $25 (pay-it-forward/Cummings Foundation match!)
Tier B $20 (cost to run the class)
Tier C $15 (reduced price)

Saturday, February 8 – Sunday, March 16 – Pixels and Petals

Get ready for a blast from the past with New England Botanic Garden’s annual orchid exhibition on February 8 – March 16. Pixels + Petals combines the vibrant world of retro video games with the delicate beauty of orchids in a one-of-a-kind experience. Thousands of living orchids in bloom will be artfully showcased throughout the Garden’s two subtropical conservatories. Rewind, flash back, and immerse yourself in pixelated charm as nostalgia and nature unite. Join us during daytime hours or experience the exhibition in a different light during our special Orchids After Dark events.

On opening weekend, February 8 -9, Be among the first to experience the stunning orchid displays and nostalgic works of art of Pixels + Petals, An Orchid Exhibition. Enjoy live music in our subtropical conservatories and a curated artisan vendor market. Included with general admission.

On Fridays and Saturdays, February 14 – March 15 from 6 – 8, enjoy Orchids After Dark (21+). Experience the retro charm of Pixels + Petals, An Orchid Exhibition after-hours. Enjoy live music, drinks, and light bites while exploring our stunning orchid displays and curated ambience. Ticket price includes one free beverage and a unique night out. Members: $20, Non-Members: $30

For complete information visit https://nebg.org/pixels-and-petals/

Thursday, February 6, 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm Eastern – The Meaning of Gardens, Online

For garden makers and visitors alike, the beauty or symbolism of a garden may kindle a sense of connection to a larger world, physical or imaginary. Garden creation begins in the imagination as a quest for meaning. On February 6 at 5 pm Eastern, Jane Roy Brown and the Native Plant Trust will explore the process of imagining a garden that holds personal meaning and look at examples of types of gardens that fulfill meaning-making for their creators or for visitors. The class is online and is $17 for members and $20 for nonmembers. Register at https://www.nativeplanttrust.org/events/the-meaning-of-gardens/

Wednesday, February 5, 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm Eastern – The Botany of Design, Online

Using his book Understanding Perennials as a starting point, Bill Cullina tackles the thorny subject of garden design in an innovative way. In this fun and informative Mt. Cuba Center talk, he explores such things as the reasons for big leaves, variegation, red foliage and flowers and ways to create more satisfying designs without breaking the budget. He looks at life beyond the color wheel, and the importance of healthy soil and reveals some of his best horticultural secrets while weaving together aesthetics, psychology, botany, and ecology. Both beginning gardeners and seasoned pros will be able to learn from and enjoy this talk. Bill Cullina is the F. Otto Haas Executive Director of the Morris Arboretum. He is a well-known author, lecturer, and authority on North American native plants. His books include Wildflowers; Native Trees, Shrubs, and Vines; Native Ferns, Mosses, and Grasses; and Understanding Perennials.

This program takes place online on Wednesday, February 5, 2025. $25. Register at https://mtcubacenter.org/event/botany-of-design-online/

Looking into the rear garden at 3 Bush Road, Kew. Plants included Fatsia japonica, Dicksonia antarctica, Phyllostachys nigra, Musa bajoo and Eriobotrya japonica.

Thursday, April 24 – Sunday, April 27 – Nantucket Daffodil Festival 2025

The 2025 Daffodil Festival on Nantucket, April 24 – 27, includes art shows, a pet show, tours, exhibitions, contests, lectures, and, of course, the Garden Club’s annual Nantucket Daffodil Flower Show. There are activities for all ages, and faithful festival-goers dress up for the occasion and participate enthusiastically. In addition to the Antique Car Parade, window decorating contest, and the famous ‘Sconset Tailgate Picnic, the Nantucket Island Chamber of Commerce organizes a Daffy Hat Contest, a Children’s Parade featuring decorated bikes, strollers, wagons, and other self-propelled vehicles, and a family picnic at Children’s Beach. The Pine Woods Morris Dancers perform throughout the day at various outdoor locations. For complete information and schedule visit https://daffodilfestival.com/. Make reservations now, since lodging can be tight at the last minute.