Boston Flora

Wednesday, February 12, 1:00 pm – Well-Designed Gardens

You know a well-designed garden when you see it. You enjoy the space. There are places to go. There are surprises. There is lush vegetation. Enjoy a trip through several well-designed residential gardens with Professor Emerita Mary Coyne as she shares images from her garden travels and explain what makes a garden work from her point of view as a landscape designer. The lecture will take place at the Wellesley College Botanic Garden on Wednesday, February 12 beginning at 1 pm.

After her retirement from the College, Mary Coyne embarked on her retirement career and received her Certificate from the Landscape Institute in 2010. The Harriet B. Creighton Educational Garden across the driveway from the Visitor Center is designed and maintained by her. WCFH Members Free / Non-Members $10. To register, contact wcbgfriends@wellesley.edu, or call 781-283-3094.

Sunday, January 26, 2:30 pm – The Black Bear in Massachusetts

The Sterling Land Trust will host Department of Fisheries & Wildlife Technician Sue Ingalls, who will cover black bear natural history, research efforts, management practices, and human/wildlife interactions. Her talk will take place at 2:30 P.M. at the First Church Parish Hall on 6 Meetinghouse Hill Road in Sterling (on the common just off Rte 12/Rte 62.) The event is free and open to the public and the building is handicapped accessible. Contact Marion Larson of the Sterling Land Trust at (978) 422-5162 or email marion46@verizon.net for more information.

Monday, July 7 – Friday, July 18 – Great English Gardens & the Hampton Court Flower Show

England is famous for its gardens. The Pacific Horticulture itinerary includes vast stunning landscapes of Capability Brown, the extraordinary designs of Tim Smit and John Brookes, as well as exquisite, small cottage gardens where you can chat with the owners. Youâ€™ll visit Sissinghurst Castle, Wisley, Great Dixter, Denmans, Heligans, Hever Castle, Hampton Court Palace â€” where youâ€™ll take in the spectacular Hampton Court Flower Show featuring creative display gardens and horticultural exhibits â€” Hestercombe, and more.

Greg Graves, PHS board member will escort this tour, taking place Monday, July 7 – Friday, July 18. The tour is under development at this time; contact Sterling Tours to be notified of a full itinerary once it is completed.Â See more at: http://www.pacifichorticulture.org/tours/great-english-gardens-the-hampton-court-flower-show/#sthash.KEcGyayJ.dpuf

Jesse Brackenbury to Serve as Executive Director of the Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy

The Board of Directors of the non-profit Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy named Jesse Brackenbury as the Conservancy’s Executive Director. Brackenbury joined the Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy as Chief Operating Officer in December 2009 and assumed the role of acting Executive Director following the January 2013 departure of founding Executive Director Nancy Brennan.

Prior to joining the Greenway Conservancy, Brackenbury worked for The Boston Consulting Group where he managed strategy, real estate, organizational development and other projects for Fortune 500 companies and government. Brackenbury also held management roles at the City of New York Department of Parks and Recreation, where he oversaw a billion-dollar capital budget and a 14-person special projects team. He holds an MBA from the University of California at Berkeley and a BA in Political Economy from Williams College.

Wednesday, January 29, 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm – Grow Your Food

Make your garden dreams a reality! Gardening for Life and the Concord Seed Lending Library are pleased to co-sponsor Grow Your Food, with two talented and experienced speakers, on Wednesday, January 29, from 7:30 – 9:30 at the Fowler Branch Library, 1322 Main Street, West Concord. This mid-winter program will help you plan your food garden before the growing season has begun.

Grow Your Food features Meighan Matthews, Growing for Good founder, and Linda Ugelow, Dancing Tomato Farmer, who use slides, stories, handouts and plenty of time for Q&A. Geared for less experienced gardeners, or as a refresher for more advanced gardeners.

The two hour presentation covers how and what to grow and to save seeds, maintain and build soil health, site the garden plot, use season extenders, find local sources for compost and plants etc with plenty of time for Q&A. The program is free though donations are welcomed to offset costs.

Space is limited to 30 participants. RSVP by January 24 to deb01742@comcast.net to reserve your seat! For details go to: www.concordfood.ning.com.

Saturday, February 1, 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm – The Garden in Winter

The garden can be a magical place in winter. Stripped of summer foliage and flowers, the success of a winter garden lies in its structure, basic design and choice of plant material. This Tower Hill Botanic Garden lecture on Saturday, February 1 from 1 – 2:30 provides inspiration and tips on designing your garden for winter interest, choosing the best trees, shrubs and perennials, and grouping them to create arresting vignettes. Following the lecture, join the presenters Jana Milbocker and Joan Butler of Enchanted Gardens for a walk at Tower Hill to view some of the plants and plant combinations mentioned in the lecture. $15 for THBG members, $25 for nonmembers. Register at www.towerhillbg.org, or clickÂ here.Â Image from www.parkcitynursery.com.

Friday, February 7, 6:45 pm – The Role of Seed Banks in Plant Conservation

The February lecture sponsored by the New England Botanical Club will take place Friday, February 7, beginning at 6:45 at Harvard University in the Haller Lecture Hall (Room 102), Geological Museum, 24 Oxford Street (door to the right of the Harvard Museum of Natural History entrance,) and will feature Dr. Tristram Seidler, Herbarium Curator at University of Massachusetts, Amherst, speaking on The Role of Seed Banks in Plant Conservation. Dr. Seidler was a post doctoral fellow at Imperial College, England, and his work has been sponsored by the Food and Health Foundation, the Burroughs Wellcome Fund, and the William F. Milton Fund. For more information visit www.rhodora.org.

Saturday, January 25, 5:00 am – 5:00 pm – Superbowl of Birding

Winter is a wonderful time to bird in northeastern Massachusetts and southeastern New Hampshire. In celebration of this season, the Joppa Flats Education Center, 1 Plum Island Turnpike, Newburyport,Â is hosting the Superbowl of Birding XI on Saturday, January 25, 2014 – 5am to 5pm (Snow date: Sunday, January 26).

Superbowls I-X were great successes with teams from as far away as Delaware and Pennsylvania participating. The challenge is renewed this year, with prizes awarded in ten categories!

This is a unique competition to find the greatest number of species and to earn the greatest number of points based on the rarity of the birds recorded. The Nikon Joppa Cup is awarded to the team that collects the most points by the end of the specified 12-hour birding day. Strategy and planning are essential in order to win this competition.

The event consists of activities targeted for all levels of birders. Expert birders can compete for a number of awards, including the Nikon Joppa Cup, Essex County Award, or Rockingham County Award. Teams with young birders 18 years old or younger can vie for the Seekers Award. The Fledgling Award encourages young families to participate. Nikon is the lead sponsor, and complete information may be found at http://www.massaudubon.org/get-outdoors/wildlife-sanctuaries/joppa-flats/news-events/superbowl-of-birding.

Saturday, January 25, 1:45 pm – 2:45 pm – Frogs, Mussels, Crayfish and Other Critters: Biodiversity of Lakes and Ponds in Massachusetts

Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Aquatic Ecologist, Peter Hazelton, will speak on Frogs, Mussels, Crayfish and Other Critters: Biodiversity of Lakes and Ponds in Massachusetts, at a meeting of the Massachusetts Congress of Lake and Pond Associations (COLAP) from 1:45-2:45 pm on Saturday, January 25. The COLAP meeting will take place at Worcester State University and is open to the public.Â MASS COLAP is a non-profit organization.Â Its membership consists of private lake and pond associations, publicly appointed lake committees, students and professional organizations. For more information contact Carol Hildreth at hildrethcr4@gmail.com.

Saturday, January 25, 10:00 am – 12:00 noon – Annual Duck Walk with the Waltham Land Trust

Come to the popular Duck Walk and see beautiful waterfowl along the Charles River.Â Tag along on this very popular walk along the Charles River to see dabbling and diving birds, visiting from Canada. In the past we have seen mergansers (hooded and common), ring necks, golden eyes, grebes, and others, even a bald eagle! Bring your binoculars, cameras, and bird books. Dress warmlyâ€“we only cancel if there is very heavy snow falling.Â Meet in the back corner of River Street Shaw’s parking lot by footbridge.Â For more information visit http://walthamlandtrust.org/calendar-events/annual-duck-walk/event_view?None&month:int=1&year:int=2014&orig_query=None