Boston Flora

Tag: Arnold Arboretum

  • Wednesday, March 30, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm – Working with Stone: Creating a Connection with the Spirit of Place

    Rescheduled from February 1 due to snow. The gardener’s perspective is the perfect loci for seeking inward and reaching outward, for ordering the experience of time and space, and observing higher orders.  Dan Snow is a designer of outdoor spaces in stone, and an art maker specializing is dry stone constructions.  He is the author of In the Company of Stone and Listening to Stone—Hardy Structures, Perilous Follies, and Other Tangles with Nature and the subject of the PBS documentary Stone Rising.  Working solo to build garden walls and dry stone features, Master Craftsman Dan Snow finds that the most successful designs are born of an intimate relationship with the landscape and knowledge and understanding of the materials at hand. Dan’s presentation will examine the many uses of stone in the garden; how stone can support a garden design, or simply be the garden itself. Illustrated with images of his work, the presentation will also explore the “give and take” experience of working in nature, and the connection to spirit expressed through stone.  Book-signing to follow. Co-sponsored by Trinity Church and the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University.

    The lecture and reception will now take place Wednesday, March 30, beginning at 7 pm. Tickets $20 member, $25 non member, available at The Shop at Trinity (206 Clarendon Street, lower level), by phone (617.536.0944 x225) or online arboretum.harvard.edu. Questions: Kathy Acerbo-Bachmann, 617.536.0944 x217 or kacerbobachmann@trinitychurchboston.org.  The beautiful photo below of Dan Snow’s work in Vermont is by Peter Mauss.

  • Monday, February 28 & Wednesday, March 2, 6:30 pm – 9:00 pm, and Saturday, March 5, 9:30 am – 1:30 pm – Bones of the Garden: Strengthening the Design

    Every memorable landscape has one thing in common – strong “bones”. The placement of trees and shrubs creates form, directs movement and organizes the garden space. With instructor Cheryl Salatino, learn to select, situate, and integrate these stately elements into the cultivated landscape. Explore the concepts of creating space, the impact of plant growth over time in locating structural elements, and review a selection of native plant varieties that are well-suited for New England sites. Using your new knowledge, develop your own site-specific design. Receive feedback on designs and plant combinations, and during the final session, inspect the “bones” of Garden in the Woods with a late winter walk. Three sessions, Feb. 28 and March 2, 6:30 pm – 9 pm, and March 5, 9:30 am – 1:30 pm. For more information, log on to www.newfs.org. $98 for NEWFS and Arnold Arboretum (co-sponsor) members, $117 for non-members.  Image from www.agardeninthecity.com.

  • Saturday, February 5, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm – Darwinian Botany

    As a young man, Charles Darwin traveled on the HMS Beagle to the Galapagos archipelago, and later in his life offered to the scientific world the theory of evolution by natural selection. Darwin was also an expert botanist, and in his writings described pollination mechanisms, heterostyly, and insectivory. Join Darwinian student and botanist Dr. Judith Sumner at Garden in the Woods in Framingham, Massachusetts on Saturday, February 5, from 10 – 3, for this exploration of the life and botanical work of Charles Darwin. Discuss Darwin’s life, his voyage (1831-36) on the HMS Beagle, and his various botanical works. The course includes hands-on demonstrations and observations of plants that fascinated Darwin, as well as a traditional English tea to celebrate the anniversary of his birth on February 12. Co-sponsored by The New England Wild Flower Society and the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University. $70 for members of either sponsoring organization, $84 for non-members. www.newfs.org.

  • Monday, February 7, 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm – Restoring Hawaii’s Marvels of Evolution

    The Arnold Arboretum presents an exciting lecture series in 2011: the new Director’s Lecture Series at the Hunnewell Lecture Hall, 125 The Arborway in Boston. The lectures are free but advance registration is required.

    On Monday, February 7, from 6:30 – 8:30 pm, botanist Robert Robichaux of the Hawaiian Silversword Foundation and University of Arizona discusses recent efforts to restore Hawaii’s Marvels of Evolution. Evolving in splendid isolation over millions of years, Hawaii’s native plants exhibit patterns of diversity that are unrivaled elsewhere on Earth. Especially striking are the many examples of adaptive radiation, in which original immigrants to the islands evolved into dazzling arrays of plants exhibiting great variation in form and habitat preference. Yet, Hawaii’s native plants face an uncertain future. Many native plants, such as the exquisitely beautiful silverswords (below, photo from www.silverswordalliance.org) and lobeliads, now teeter on the edge of extinction.

    Contact Pamela Thompson, 617.384.5277. http://calendar.arboretum.harvard.edu/index.php

  • Monday, January 31, 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm – A Darwinian Look at Darwin’s Evolutionist Ancestors

    NEW DATE: The Arnold Arboretum presents an exciting lecture series in 2011: the new Director’s Lecture Series at the Hunnewell Lecture Hall, 125 The Arborway in Boston.  The lectures are free but advance registration is required.

    On Monday, January 31, from 6:30 – 8:30 pm, Ned Friedman, newly-appointed  Director of the Arnold Arboretum, will speak on A Darwinian Look at Darwin’s Evolutionist Ancestors. Is Darwin truly deserving of his place in history? Examine the question of what set Darwin apart from the dozens of theorists who preceded him. For over a century before the publication of On the Origin of Species, naturalists, theologians, atheists, horticulturalists, medical practitioners, poets, and philosophers had advanced evolutionary concepts for the diversification of life through descent with modification. The early history of evolutionary thought will be examined through the lens of Charles Darwin’s highly personal views of his evolutionist ancestors.

    Contact Pamela Thompson, 617.384.5277. http://calendar.arboretum.harvard.edu/index.php

  • Saturday, January 22, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm – Trees of My City: Photography of Roberto Mighty

    Newton artist Roberto Mighty presents a public, new-media, fine art project, Trees of My City, in the Hunnewell Building Lecture Hall of the Arnold Arboretum. His work focuses on dormant, dead, and decaying trees in surprising and beautiful ways. While photography is the main component of the Arboretum exhibition, the reception will also feature high-definition video and audio surround-sound installation. There will also be an on-line component using geotagged locations of the subjects portrayed in the show. Opening reception from 1 – 3 on Saturday, January 22. Show will remain on display through March 6. For more information, log on to www.arboretum.harvard.edu/news-events/art-shows/.

  • Wednesday, January 19, 6:30 pm – 9:00 pm – The Buzz on Beekeeping

    Learn the art, science, and craft of beekeeping from Beekeepers’ Warehouse owner Nancy Bentley Mangion, in this one session class, The Buzz on Beekeeping,  to be held at The Arnold Arboretum on Wednesday, January 19, from 6:30 – 9 pm. She will discuss equipment, site requirements, environmental benefits, and a bit of the history of beekeeping. She will also touch upon beeswax crafts, the medicinal uses of honey and beeswax, and have honey for tasting and purchase. There’s much to learn and gain through a closer connection to these vital pollinators. (Note: for an in-depth series in your area, consult the Massachusetts Beekeepers Association for a list of Bee School programs.)  Fee $45, and you may register online at www.arboretum.harvard.edu, or by phone at 617-384-5277.

  • Friday, January 21, 9:30 am – 4:30 pm – Walls and Steps, Garden Structures and Decks

    The Arnold Arboretum, in conjunction with the Landscape Institute of the Boston Architectural College, will hold a morning and an afternoon class on Friday, January 21, with Landscape Architect Scott Scarfone, principal and founder of Oasis Design Group, a landscape and architectural design firm in Baltimore, Maryland.  He is the author of Professional Planting Design – An Architectural and Horticultural Approach for Creating Mixed Bed Plantings, published by John Wiley & Sons.

    In the first session, held from 9:30 am – 12:30 pm, you will learn about Walls and Steps – Design and Construction. In this class you will consider the various design opportunities that walls and steps provide and the proper construction techniques that ensure that the resulting structures are safe, secure, and built to withstand the effects of time. Structural issues and consideration for safety as it relates to wall foundations, earth retention, risers, treads, and landings will be discussed. The fee for this session is $45.

    In the second session, Garden Structures and Decks – Design and Construction, beginning at 1:30 pm – 4:30 pm, more construction issues will be addressed.  Building principles for trellises, pergolas, arbors, small buildings, and decks are fundamentally similar. You will learn about basic and detailed construction techniques for footings, post and beam construction, treillage and roofs, as well as railings as applied to decks and garden pavilions. Scott will show a variety of examples and lead discussion of design and construction techniques. The fee for this session is also $45.  You may sign up for either or both sessions.  The classes will be held at Boston Architectural College, and you may sign up on line at www.arboretum.harvard.edu, or by calling 617-384-5277.

  • Arnold Arboretum Lilac T-Shirt Design Contest

    Create a piece of Arnold Arboretum history.  Enter the contest to design next year’s Lilac Sunday T-shirt.  The Arnold Arboretum invites artists of all ages to submit T-shirt designs for Lilac Sunday 2011.  Lilac-themed T-shirts have been a tradition at Lilac Sunday for many years, and continue to be a highly anticipated and popular memento of this event.

    Designs must be original artwork for the front of a T-shirt, suitable for men and women.  Color of T-shirt will be determined by the Arboretum staff.  Design must be a maximum of 2 color for T-shirt screen printing, and white is considered a color.  Open to all ages, and you may submit up to three designs.  The deadline is January 31, 2011, so get sketching!  Please submit a digital file of your design (may be a digital photograph).

    Winning artwork becomes the property of the Arnold Arboretum.  Colors and fonts may be altered at Arboretum discretion.  Artwork may be used in other promotional materials for Lilac Sunday, possibly including but not limited to day-of-event signage and temporary tattoo (!). Submissions will be evaluated based on how well they reflect the spirit, history, and beauty of Lilac Sunday at the Arnold Arboretum. The competition will be judged by Arnold Arboretum staff, and the winner will be announced in February 2011.  The winner will receive ten T-shirts and be credited on all promotional materials.  For complete submission rules, log on to www.arboretum.harvard.edu.  Questions and submissions may be sent to arbweb@arnarb.harvard.edu – put “Lilac Sunday T-Shirt Competition” in the email subject line.  Last year’s winning design below was created by Lisa Rosowski.

    Lilac Sunday T-shirt 2010

  • Through December 12 – Environmentally Friendly: Works on Wood by Tova Speter

    Somerville artist Tova Speter uses found wood as a conduit to artistic exploration. The grain serves as her guide on a journey into the lines, shapes, and flow of the composition of the particular piece. In transforming scrap wood into works of art, she conveys the idea that everything has an inherent beauty that will shine through when viewed from a new perspective. Her work is currently on display in the Hunnewell Building Lecture Hall at the Arnold Arboretum in Jamaica Plain, through December 12. For hours and directions, log on to www.arboretum.harvard.edu. The artist will donate a portion of the sales from this exhibition to Spontaneous Celebrations in Jamaica Plain.