Boston Flora

Tag: botanic garden

  • Monday, August 13, 2:30 pm – 4:00 pm – Wellesley College Botanic Gardens Greenhouse Tour

    There will be a special tour of the Wellesley College Botanic Gardens Margaret C. Ferguson Greenhouses on Monday, August 13, from 2:30 – 4 pm.  The tour is part of the Massachusetts Botanic Gardens Reciprocal Membership Week, with the participating organizations: the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University, Botanic Garden at Smith College, Garden in the Woods, Tower Hill Botanic Garden, and Wellesley College Botanic Gardens.  For directions, visit www.wellesley.edu/WCFH.

  • Saturday, November 6 – Fall Chrysanthemum Show Opening

    Come to the Botanic Garden of Smith College on Saturday, November 6, and see the most glorious display of autumn blooming chrysanthemums.  The show will on view through November 21, and you will see many varieties you’ll want to plant in your own garden next season.  Or, just come and enjoy the fabulous color – this is a terrific fall outing for those gray November New England days.  For hours and more information, log on to www.smith.edu/gardens, or email garden@smith.edu.

  • February 18 – March 2 – Explore Cuba: Environment, Botanical Gardens & National Parks

    Katherine Greenberg, Past President, Pacific Horticultural Foundation, will escort a tour to Cuba February 18 – March 2, 2010, under the auspices of Pacific Horticulture Magazine.

    Join like minded plant lovers for a long-awaited study tour of Cuba, where you  will visit the highly successful urban gardens of historic Havana, as well as the country’s national parks, important repositories of the island’s native flora. Cuba is the largest, most diverse, and species-rich island in the Caribbean. You’ll also enjoy the country’s cuisine, music, and culture. Meetings with Cubans will highlight the tour. All tour members must qualify to participate.

    Pacific Horticulture staff are working with a humanitarian organization, Global Exchange, to provide opportunities for those of you who work in the areas of horticulture, botanic gardens, or the environment to travel to Cuba as members of this information-gathering delegation. You must be a full-time or part-time professional or volunteer professional to qualify. Please contact them to receive an application to be a part of this exciting opportunity.  Global Exchange is a registered Travel Service Provider for Cuba with the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the US Treasury Department. This trip operates under their General License.

    Tour highlights will include visits to the Havana Botanic Garden, the La Terrazas reforestation project and the Sierra del Rosario Biosphere Reserve for orchids at the Orquidarium Soroa (pictured below), a trip to Zapata, recognized as the finest wetland in the Caribbean with extraordinary plantlife and wildlife, Cinfuegos, a city on the south coast, the Sierra del Cambray Mountains, the colonial city of Trinidad, and more.  For a detailed itinerary, contact 510-849-1627, or email office@pacifichorticulture.org.

  • Thursday, October 1, 6 pm – Massachusetts Horticultural Society 2009 Honorary Medals Dinner

    On October 1, MassHort will continue its almost century-long tradition of honoring superior achievements in horticulture when Elm Bank hosts the 2009 Honorary Medals Dinner, with the University of Georgia’s Allan Armitage receiving the George Robert White Medal of Honor.

    Widely regarded as one of the world’s foremost horticulturists, Armitage is a professor at the University of Georgia, Athens, where he teaches, conducts research on new garden plants, and runs the University of Georgia Horticulture Gardens. He is generally credited with creating the concept of the independent trial garden, the first one of which opened in Athens in 1982. He is the author of ten books, including Armitage’s Native Plants for North American Gardens and Armitage’s Garden Annuals. He has been cited as one of the ten most influential people or organizations in the floriculture industry.

    Armitage is not the only distinguished honoree. The Jackson Dawson Award will go to Pierre Bennerup, president of Sunny Border Nurseries, one of the leading producers of perennial plants for the northeast. Sunny Border, headquartered in Kensington, Connecticut, is known around the world for being on the cutting edge of new plant development. Pierre, the second generation Bennerup in the industry, is an integral part of the global horticulture community and has been instrumental in searching out new plants suitable for North American gardens.

    Also to be honored is Holly Shimizu, Executive Director of the U.S. Botanic Garden in Washington, D.C. Ms. Shimizu, who will receive the Thomas Roland Medal, has been responsible for the overall operation of the USBG for the past nine years and, under her leadership, the widely acclaimed new National Garden opened 2006. Ms. Shimizu is well known through her work as one of the hosts of The Victory Garden and as a frequent commentator on horticultural topics for National Public Radio.

    Receiving the MassHort Large Gold Medal will be Arabella Symington Dane. Ms. Dane, a former member of the MassHort Board of Trustees and Chairman of the New England Spring Flower Show, is past chairman of the Board of Trustees of the American Horticultural Society. She is past chairman of the Garden Club Federation of Massachusetts and a noted flower arranger. Ms. Dane is widely known for her leadership on issues of public education, native plant ecology and conservation.  Ms. Dane was also, for a number of years, a member of the Garden Club of the Back Bay.

    Seven other Gold and Silver Medals will also be presented at the event, including Gold Medals to Dr. Robert Cook, Director of the Arnold Arboretum; Maureen Horn, Librarian at the Massachusetts Horticultural Society; Dr. Brian Maynard, Professor and Chair of the Department of Horticulture of the University of Rhode Island; Peter Sadeck, President of Peter Sadeck Landscaping, and Mark Sellew, President of Prides Corner Farm. Silver Medals will be awarded to the Bemis family of Bemis Farms Nursery, and Peter and Leslie Van Berkum, co-founders and owners of Van Berkum Nursery.
    The public is invited to the dinner, which will include a keynote address by Mr. Armitage.

    2009 Honorary Medals Dinner
    Schedule of Events

    Thursday, October 1, 2009
    Hunnewell Building at Elm Bank
    900 Washington Street
    Wellesley, Massachusetts

    6:00 PM
    Wine and Cheese in the James Crockett Garden

    7:00 PM
    Dinner in the Hunnewell Building

    7:30 PM
    Awards Presentation

    8:00 PM
    Keynote Address by Allan Armitage

    Proceeds from this event will be used for the maintenance and improvement of the gardens

    Tickets are $150 per person to this event. There are also opportunties to either co-host or host a table. You may order individual tickets here. To co-host or host a table, please call Jen Courtney at 617-933-4921. All proceeds from the dinner will be used to support maintenance and improvement of MassHort gardens.

  • Through October 11, 8:30 – 4 pm – Botanical Architecture Exhibit

    Students in Smith College’�s Introduction to Architecture: Language and Craft studio, taught by Jim Middlebrook, were asked to reinterpret the spatial language of flowers. Each student chose a flower from the Botanic Garden, then photographed it and analyzed its spatial character. Students built models according to this visual �language.� These forms were used to design a theoretical pavilion for flower display next to Paradise Pond. On display are the photos, models, and pavilion designs. Come to the Smith College Lyman Plant House, Church Exhibition Gallery, 15 College Lane, Northampton, Massachusetts now through October 11 to see the fabulous work created by these very talented students. Admission is free.  For further information, contact Pamela Dods, garden@smith.edu.

  • Monday, May 11, 10:00 a.m., The College Club, 44 Commonwealth Avenue – Tower Hill Botanic Garden, Past and Present

    The Garden Club of the Back Bay is pleased to present John W. Trexler, Executive Director of the Worcester County Horticultural Society, who has taken time from his very busy schedule to speak to our Club about Tower Hill Botanic Garden.

    John, a plant and garden expert, has contributed to the world of horticulture in many ways. His primary accomplishment is the creation and development of Tower Hill Botanic Garden in Boylston, Massachusetts, the home of the Worcester County Horticulture Society. In addition, he has founded and led several Plant and Garden Societies and is an active member of many other plant related groups. He inspires donors, volunteers, and staff to help complete his vision. His drive for perfection has created a world class garden in just 25 years. The garden is not only a show piece but a rich educational environment. John is a founding member of the Garden Conservancy and is on their Steering Committee. He worked with Frank Cabot in 1989 to create this National nonprofit organization which preserves exceptional American gardens for public education and enjoyment.  He began his career in New Jersey at Skyland Manor State Park as assistant horticulturist. When he left New Jersey for Worcester less than ten years later, he had convinced the Governor of NJ to designate Skylands as the State Botanic Garden and he had served as president of the Skylands Association.

    Tower Hill Botanic Garden has been created under John Trexlers guidance from the beginning. He was instrumental in every phase of its conception and development. Environmentally sensitive planning of Tower Hill is exemplified by the Wildlife Pond which collects the run off from the buildings and naturally purifies it and at the same time feeds and shelters wildlife with native plants.

    At the Annual Meeting in Houston this May the National Garden Clubs, Inc. will bestow the Award of Excellence to John Trexler for his outstanding contributions in horticulture: the establishment of Tower Hill Botanic Garden, a world class garden, for his service to the plant societies and gardening organizations, and for his work to preserve and enhance the environment. Mr. Trexler embodies Excellence through his skill in horticulture and creation of exceptional gardens, and perhaps more important, in his leadership and enthusiasm in developing environments where everyone can share and learn these skills.

    An optional lunch will follow the meeting ($19 per person).  To reserve, contact The Garden Club of the Back Bay at info@bostonflora.com.