The Arnold Arboretum is known for its towering trees, but if you look closer you will see asters and goldenrods springing up amongst the oaks and the maples. What is the role of these spontaneous plants and how do staff encourage them through horticultural practices like no-mow areas? Join Horticulturist Ryan Devlin on September 12 for a free walking tour to get answers to these questions and more. Sign up at https://arboretum.harvard.edu/events/event-signup/?id=77946
Asters (Asteraceae) and goldenrods (Solidago) are autumn showstoppers, but they can be a large and complex group to identify. Through a visual presentation, herbarium specimens, and field application, you will learn several species of asters and goldenrods, their habitats, and how to use identification keys to distinguish between visually similar species by subtle characteristics. The two day Native Plant Trust class on September 10 and September 11 (10:30 – 2:30 ) will take place at Garden in the Woods and at a field site. Taught by Ted Elliman, the fee is $120 for NPT members, $144 for nonmembers. Register at http://www.nativeplanttrust.org/events/asters-and-goldenrods/
Capture colors and textures of autumn with this container garden floral design class with Betsy Williams at Tower Hill Botanic Garden on Septembver 19 at 10:15 am. Fill a 14″ pot with brilliant mums and asters, richly colored kales, variegated ivy, heucheras and other hardy plant material. With proper care your autumn container garden will brighten your doorway or patio until Thanksgiving. Plants in containers often make it through the winter if kept in a sheltered location and can be planted outdoors in the spring.
All materials are included in this program. If you register as a pair you will receive ONE SET of supplies.
Instructor Betsy Williams teaches, lectures and writes about living with herbs and flowers. A lifelong gardener, herb grower and cook, Betsy trained as a florist in Boston and England. She combines her floral, gardening and cooking skills with an extensive knowledge of history, plant lore and seasonal celebrations. An entertaining lecturer, she weaves stories and legends throughout her informative talks and demonstrations. Her gardens, floral work and retail shop have been featured in many books, national magazines and newspapers, including The New York Times, The American Gardener, Victoria, Better Homes and Gardens, Country Living Gardener, Colonial Homes, the Herb Companion, and Traditional Homes.
$85 Member Adult; $100 Adult; $115 Adult Pair (Registration includes admission to the Garden) Register at www.towerhillbg.org.
In late summer and early fall, asters and goldenrods come into their own. In this September 13 Berkshire Botanical Garden class taught by Ted Elliman, a morning discussion at the garden will include a presentation of many of Berkshire County’s asters and goldenrods, focusing on their identification features and discussing their characteristic habitats. In the afternoon, we’ll explore nearby natural areas to observe and identify the asters and goldenrods growing in meadows, woodlands and wetlands, examining the differences that characterize these species. A hand lens is recommended. We will travel by BBG’s passenger van. Please dress for the weather, wear a mask, and bring a bagged lunch. BBG members $85, nonmembers $95. Numbers are limited to comply with social distancing requirements, and advanced registration is required at https://www.berkshirebotanical.org/events/goldenrod-and-asters-field-study
Ted Elliman has worked for the Native Plant Trust as a staff botanist, invasive species program manager and as an instructor of botany, ecology, and conservation classes. His book, The Wildflowers of New England, an identification guide to much of the region’s native flora, was published in 2016 by Timber Press.
Fall is a time of intense activity for plants. Asters and goldenrods provide a last burst of color and insect pollinators abound. Learn to identify seasonal wildflowers and spring- flowering plants in fruit. Through classroom instruction and a walk in the Garden in the Woods, you will learn the science behind what happens as plants prepare for winter. Bring a hand lens and Wildflowers of New England. The New England Wild Flower Society class, taught by Neela de Zoysa, takes place Saturday, September 29 from 10 – 2, and costs $53 for NEWFS members, $64 for nonmembers. Register at www.newenglandwild.org.
Fall is a time of intense activity for plants. Asters and goldenrods provide a last burst of color and insect pollinators abound. Learn to identify seasonal wildflowers and spring- flowering plants in fruit. Through classroom instruction and a walk in the Garden in the Woods in Framingham, you will learn the science behind what happens as plants prepare for winter. Bring a hand lens and Wildflowers of New England. The New England Wild Flower Society course takes place Saturday, September 29 from 10 – 2 and is taught by Neela de Zoysa. $53 for NEWFS members, $64 for nonmembers. Register at http://www.newenglandwild.org/learn/our-programs/fall-wildflowers-fruit-and-foliage
In late summer and early fall, asters and goldenrods come into their own. In this two-session New England Wild Flower Society class, the morning discussion will include a presentation of the many asters and goldenrods in our region, focusing on their ecology and identification features. We will also examine specimens from the Society’s herbarium. Later we’ll visit a nearby natural area to identify the asters and goldenrods growing in the fields, woodlands, and wetlands. In the field, we’ll look carefully at the differences that characterize these species. Bring a hand lens and a bag lunch. Ted Elliman leads the sessions at Garden in the Woods in Framingham on September 20 and 22. $86 for NEWFS members, $104 for nonmembers. Register online at www.newenglandwild.org. Image from www.27East.com.
In late summer and early fall, asters and goldenrods come into their own. The September 23 morning discussion with Ted Elliman at Garden in the Woods will include a presentation of the many asters and goldenrods in our region, focusing on their ecology and identification features. We will also examine specimens from the New England Wild Flower Society’s herbarium. Later we’ll visit a nearby natural area to identify the asters and goldenrods growing in the fields, woodlands, and wetlands. In the field, we’ll look carefully at the differences that characterize these species, Bring a hand lens and a bag lunch. The session, cosponsored with the Massachusetts Association of Conservation Commissions, begins at 9:30 am and is $85 for members of the sponsoring organizations, $104 for nonmembers. Register at http://www.newfs.org/learn/our-programs/asters-and-goldrenrods
Perennial Pleasures Nursery and Tea Garden in East Hardwick, Vermont, is holding its annual Phlox Festival now through August 11. This is the time when the majority of their 137 phlox are blooming, and so it’s a wonderful opportunity to see dozens of cultivars in bloom, and to see firsthand the differences in color, shape, height and fragrance, which are so difficult to describe in writing. It’s a pretty nice show of color, and they think you’ll be happy to discover how much action there can be in a late summer garden, especially when phlox are combined with other late-bloomers such as heleniums, asters, burnets and coneflowers. More than 60 varieties should be blooming in the gardens. Daily garden tours at 11 am. Door prizes. Tea room. For more information call 802-472-5104, or visit www.perennialpleasures.net.
Garden in the Woods in Framingham will present Arieh Tal on two Saturdays, August 27 and September 10, from 1 – 4, for a course entitled Asters of Field and Woodland. Although among the more difficult species of native plants to identify in the field, asters are an important family of plants to know, for they comprise a substantial proportion of the late summer and fall-blooming herbaceous flora of our region. They’re also beautiful and have an exquisite structure which makes them exciting to study. This workshop will focus on 15-20 of the most common species – the ones most likely to be found in the wild most of the time. An identification key and other handouts will be provided. Bring hand lens and camera for the field session, to be held in a site in central MA with a high diversity of aster species. Fee for New England Wild Flower Society members is $72, $84 for nonmembers. Register at www.newfs.org. Image from www.wildherb.com.
