Birds love the Arboretum’s many fall fruiting trees and shrubs, but how about us folks? Come and identify trees and shrubs with edible fruits, suitable for growing and harvesting at home. Maggie Redfern, Visitor Education Assistant at the Arnold Arboretum, will lead the walk on Tuesday, October 19, beginning at 10 am. Meet at the Hunnewell Building. Free. No registration required.
Broaden your photographic vision beyond traditional landscape shots and explore your surroundings with new eyes with photographer Robin Radin at the Arnold Arboretum in Jamaica Plain. We will supplement weekly assignments by looking at the work of some extraordinary landscape photographers to see what makes them great. Bring your own camera (any kind) and prepare to bring in 4†x 6†prints each week. (Classes begin October 6. No class meeting on Nov 24.) Fee $235 Arnold Arboretum member, $260 nonmember.  Offered in collaboration with The Eliot School. Register at www.arboretum.harvard.edu.
The Fall Plant Giveaway celebrates the Arnold Arboretum’s longstanding tradition of sharing and promoting woody plants for temperate climates. In addition to making plant material available to researchers and other botanical institutions, the arboretum has distributed plants to members of the Friends of the Arnold Arboretum in recognition of their support. This year’s event gives members the opportunity to receive free Arboretum-grown plants as a part of their membership benefits, gain first-hand expert knowledge from the staff, and enjoy the beauty of the landscape in autumn. The event will be held at 10 am on Saturday, September 25 on the Arboretum grounds. If you are not a member, you may join or renew your membership at the Plant Giveaway to attend and receive the free plant benefit that day. This is a rain or shine event. Questions? Contact Wendy Krauss at 617-384-5766 or email membership@arnarb.harvard.edu.
For gardeners of all levels, this program, taking place Saturday, October 9 from 9:30 am – 3:30 pm in the Hunnewell Building of the Arnold Arboretum in Jamaica Plain, provides a comprehensive foundation for garden design using regionally native plants. Carolyn Summers will present topics including wildlife benefits, sustainable design and maintenance, and strategies for “safe sex in the garden” to reduce the spread of non-native invasive plants. Participants will learn how to apply basic ecological and design principles in all their gardening endeavors.
Carolyn Summers is the author of the recently published Designing Gardens with the Flora of the American East and is an adjunct professor for continuing education at Westchester Community College. She provides technical assistance to the Native Plant Center, an affiliate of the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. Please bring your own lunch. A book sale and author signing will follow the class. This program is offered by the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University, the New England Wild Flower Society, and the Wellesley College Friends of Horticulture. $60 for members of one of the affiliated sponsors, or $70 for non-members. You may register at www.wellesley.edu/WCFH.
Learn botany at the Arnold Arboretum in Jamaica Plain from dedicated instructor and plant nomenclature specialist Kanchi Gandhi. Among the topics to be explored: plant cells and tissues, anatomy and morphology, reproduction, nutrition, growth and development, plant diversity, evolution, classification, and nomenclature. This course, offering both lecture and laboratory activities, introduces botany to new students or serves as a refresher course. Required text: Botany for Gardeners by Brian Capon. Contact the Arboretum’s bookstore (617.384.5209) for book availability. Course is co-sponsored by the New England Wild Flower Society, and will be held Tuesdays, September 21 – November 9, from 6:30 – 8:30 pm. To register, log on to www.arboretum.harvard.edu, or www.newfs.org.
Fee $225 Arboretum or NEWFS member, $270 nonmember
In conjunction with the American Horticultural Society’s 17th Annual Gala, taking place this year on Saturday, September 25 from 6 – 10 pm at River Farm in Alexandria, Virginia, the AHS is proud to announce its second annual online auction, “One on One with Great American Gardeners.” This is your chance to bid on an opportunity for you and three friends to spend time as exclusive guests of a prominent American horticulturist, botanic garden director, or landscape designer. One such local experience will be hosted by Michael Dosmann at the Arnold Arboretum here in Boston. Visit www.ahs.org/auction for a sample of available experience options and more information about the auction. The deadline to bid is October 25, 2010.
If you are interested in attending the gala, which includes an elegant formal dinner under the stars and silent auction, call Courtney Capstack at 703-768-5700, ex. 127, or email ccapstack@ahs.org. The gala’s honorary chair is Laura Dowling, celebrated White House florist and owner of Interieurs et Fleurs in Old Town, Alexandria. Laura and her floral arrangements have been featured on broadcasts on Home and Garden Television and the Fox network morning news show, and in international publications such as the Journal di Dimanche (Paris). The event is black tie, advance reservations only. All proceeds from the gala and online auction benefit the stewardship of River Farm and the American Horticultural Society’s outreach and educational programs.
The Arnold Arboretum, in collaboration with the Wellesley College Friends of Horticulture, offers a two day workshop on Saturday, August 21 and Sunday, August 22, from 9:30 to 3:30 each day at the Wellesley College Botanic Garden in Wellesley, Massachusetts. Focus in on a flower blossom and record your observations as an attention grabbing enlargement. Under the guidance of Jeanne Kunze, draw the blossom magnified to show shape and form. See flowers in a new way and record detail not possible not possible at a smaller scale. Increase your ability to infuse subtle nuances and detail into your drawing. For beginners as well as more advanced artists. Develop confidence in your observation and illustration skills through Jeanne’s class demonstrations, individual teaching moments and directed practice. For beginners as well as more advanced artists. Bring your own lunch or walk to local shops.
Fee $150 member, $190 nonmember of either the Arboretum or WCBG. To register online, log on to www.arboretum.harvard.edu.
Imagine traveling back in time 100, 200, even 2,000 years! What did this landscape look like? Would the same kinds of trees growing in the Arboretum now have grown here then? Take a walk back in time at the Arnold Arboretum on Sunday, August 15 with docent David Tarbet to explore trees and their uses. This tour, from 1 – 2:30 pm, expands on the Walk with Natives self-guided tour, available in Silva and in the Visitor Center. Free, no registration required. For more information log on to www.arboretum.harvard.edu.
Insects provide a wealth of information about the environment in which they are found. In this class, to be held Wednesday, August 11 from 5:50 – 7 in the Hunnewell Building of the Arnold Arboretum in Jamaica Plain with Sue Pfeiffer, you will tune in to insects in the landscape, learn about their life stages, and see how paying attention to their actions and population numbers can guide horticultural maintenance. Sue, who has helped collect insects to assist integrated pest management efforts as well as visiting entomologists at the Arnold Arboretum, will give a brief overview of insect anatomy, their life cycles, and describe the major insect families and their identifying characteristics. She will demonstrate how to assess a population as well as various methods of attracting, capturing, and collecting insects. She’ll also show how to preserve and display some of these complex and delicate beauties. In the process you will gain an appreciation for these creatures, whether beneficial, damaging, or simply irritating. Note: this is not a class on integrated pest management. Fee $20 Arnold Arboretum member, $25 nonmember. To register, log on to www.arboretum.harvard.edu.
There is a lot of concern today about invasive plants, but many were intentionally introduced because of their horticultural value. How do we define invasive and how did these plants get into our landscape? See examples in the Arnold Arboretum landscape and gain a better understanding of this issue. Led by Docent Marty Amdur on Saturday, August 7, from 1 – 2:30 pm, this program is free. No registration required. For more information, log on to www.arboretum.harvard.edu.
