A customer asked for a classic Christmas wreath with a bit of childhood whimsy. The decorator chose a cheerful red, green and white ribbon, added classic holiday elements of pine cones, berries and holly, along with a birch twig, and as a final touch inserted a little Santa. The toy might not be to everyone’s taste, and can easily be removed without spoiling the overall design of the wreath, but we think it fulfilled the order perfectly.
Join this “Citizen Science” project, the longest continuously running bird data in the area, on Saturday, December 14. Contact Dave Small for additional information and to participate in this nationwide annual event: 978-413-1772 or dave@dhsmall.net. Note: team leaders and participants will meet again this year at the Millers River Environmental Center, 100 Main Street, Athol. We will gather between 6:00 and 7:00 am and plan to hit the field by 7:00 am. We’ll have coffee available and potluck breakfast treats to share would be great to bring. Please let Dave know if you have a good dish you can provide. Image of evening grosbeak from www.birds.audubon.org.
We’re in the woodlands today, with a checked bow, pine cones, berries, shiny balls, and slivers of birch bark. A member discovered that soaking pieces of birch bark in water made the pieces pliable, so they could be shaped in curves and attached with thin wire to achieve a natural look.
Over the past two years, The Garden Club of the Back Bay has contributed $7,500 to The Esplanade Association in connection with its Eliot Memorial Restoration project. TEA’s contractor Sequoia has been hard at work at the site and has made great progress. The granite pavers and curbing, and the new pavement, have been fully installed and look fantastic. The soil remediation, irrigation and electrical work also have been completed, and the plant material has arrived – planting has begun. There will be many new and exciting additions in the next few months: restoration of the historic overlook fence, preparation of the lawn areas, installation of the new benches, and completed demolition of 3 feet of asphalt on the main pathway to reclaim green space. If you are interested in contributing to the project, contact Jessica Pederson, Director of Operations, at jpederson@esplanadeassociation.org.
One of our accomplished decorators is of French heritage, and received a request for a wreath with a Provence theme. This same customer, last season, asked for a Downton Abbey wreath, so we know she gives a lot of thought to her holiday design motif each year. The wreath features dried sunflowers and lavender, along with a fruit print ribbon. Club members felt the sun was shining just looking at the finished product.
Walk the Labyrinth at Armenian Heritage Park on the Rose Kennedy Greenway with the Labyrinth Guild of New England on Thursday, December 19, beginning at 12:30 pm. The Labyrinth Guild of New England was formed in 1999 to help create a community of labyrinth walkers, explore a deeper sense of the Spirit and wisdom that the labyrinth reveals, witness the manifestations of the labyrinth in each other, support each other in the creativity that the labyrinth awakens, learn from each other, teach each other, and celebrate all the labyrinths in homes, and houses of worship, schools, hospitals and community centers all over New England! The Armenian Heritage Park is located on Atlantic Avenue and Cross Street. Free. For more information visit www.rosekennedygreenway.org.
For the past two years we have featured pictures of holiday wreaths created during Wreath Week by The Garden Club of the Back Bay’s members, and this year we continue the tradition. A different wreath will be described from now through New Year’s Day. Wreath of the Day has become a very popular web site feature, and our readership increases during December – we believe the pictures are responsible for the uptick. We begin with a classic – “Plaid Bow, Outdoor Wreath, Designer’s Choice Accents.” What makes this an outdoor wreath? The use of holly, which would dry up pretty quickly if hung indoors. The addition of sprigs of umbrella pine add more texture, and the baby’s breath lightens the entire look.
Mark Richardson, Director of Horticulture, New England Wild Flower Society, will speak at Garden in the Woods in Framingham on Wednesday, March 11, from 7 – 9, in a program sponsored by the Ecological Landscaping Association, the New England Wild Flower Society, and the Boston Architectural College. New England Wild Flower Society’s Garden in the Woods is a 45-acre botanical garden. With over 1,000 native plant species on display and 150 rare and endangered species, the Garden is a valuable resource promoting conservation of native New England plants. The various gardens and habitats serve as the Society’s laboratory for horticulture, gardening, conservation and education, and has long been a model of naturalistic garden design.
Now, the Garden in the Woods must grapple with a future of uncertainty in the face of climate change. Get a behind-the-scenes look at the master plan recently completed by Andropogon Associates to envision the future and advance the sustainable operations of this botanical gem. Registrations are limited. For more information email ela.info@comcast.net, or call 617-436-5838. $26 members of sponsoring organizations, $32 general public.
Weston Nurseries’ fairies are getting in the holiday spirit this year! They have snowmen, sleighs, holiday mailboxes and more that will turn your fairy garden into a winter wonderland. Don’t forget to check out the ‘Fairy Tree’ in the Garden Center Holiday Shop for even more inspiration. The store, located at 93 East Main Street in Hopkinton, will stay open until 8:00pm that night so plan to end the evening with private shopping.
Cost: $10 Workshop fee includes registration, soil and moss. Additional items such as the planter, plants, fairies, fairy houses and stepping stones are priced a la carte. Space is limited. Please call 508-293-8091 to reserve your spot.
Art Scarpa is a busy man. As part of its Festival of Trees Celebration Mass Hort is offering this hands-on workshop to create a glass tropical terrarium with lid to give as a gift or to keep for your own home.
You will be making a 2-gal. round glass terrarium with lid. Included in fee are up to five miniature tropical plants, soil mix, charcoal, pea stone top dressing and decorative stones for landscaping. All necessary tools are provided. The terrarium will be suitable for an east or north window exposure with bright natural light- no direct sunshine needed – or you may choose to grow under fluorescent lights.
Art Scarpa is known for his expertise in growing succulents and for his love for unusual plants, is certified as a judge by the Cactus and Succulent Society of America and has competed and judged at numerous major shows, including Boston, Newport and Philadelphia and many regional cactus and succulent shows. Art is also a 2013 Mass Hort Gold Medal recipient.
All materials will be provided. Space is limited to 20 participants. Cost: $45 for Mass Hort Members; $55 for non-members. Register online at https://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/eventReg?oeidk=a07e8d31iohc35843b1&oseq=&c=&ch=
