Boston Flora

Tag: Bridghe McCracken

  • Thursdays, October 2 – October 23, 5:30 pm – 8:30 pm – New England Native Plant Design

    This Berkshire Botanical Garden four-week course, held on Thursdays, October 2 – 23, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., will help students better understand the principles and practices of ecological gardening with a focus on native plant communities. Students will learn the native plant palette, resources needed to identify these communities, and habitats and methods of introducing native plants into gardens. Identifying and controlling invasive plant species, in addition to restoring areas that have been impacted by invasives, will also be highlighted. Gardeners will learn how to enhance garden spaces with native plants that create sustainable and low maintenance gardens. This course will be taught by Bridghe McCracken of Helia Land Design.

    Three years ago, HNN was founded by horticulturalist and landscape designer Bridghe McCracken, after the sale of Project Native, a non-profit where she was Chief Landscape Designer for ten years. The founding of HNN was a solution to continue her and Project Native’s mission to save unique Berkshire native plant seed and propagate plants from those seeds, to be sold to landscape design clients and the public, part of an effort to restore and expand the strained ecosystem in the Berkshires.

    BBG members $215, nonmembers $240. Register at https://www.berkshirebotanical.org/events/new-england-native-plant-design-0

  • Friday, September 9, 10:00 am – 12:00 noon – Exploring the Demonstration Meadows at Helia Native Nursery

    Explore three beautiful meadows at Helia Native Nursery, 95 East Road in beautiful Alford, Massachusetts in the Berkshires, on September 9. Learn about the importance of a meadow ecosystem, different methods for meadow building and how to maintain existing meadows to maximize wildlife benefits. Helia Native Nursery is situated on Sky Meadow Farm, a beautiful 109-acre farm. Its mission is to preserve native genotypes through creating seed banks on the farm and propagating native plants in our nursery.

    Helia’s land stewardship on the farm focuses on restoring wildflower meadows for pollinators. Planted 4 and 5 years ago, this tour will feature three mature meadows that demonstrate a variety of planting techniques, seeding and planting, and different maintenance strategies. There will be discussion of invasive species control, meadow mowing regimens, and meadow disturbance opportunities.

    All of the meadows display rich color palettes, showing what can be achieved using native plants. The meadows are all designed with four season interest – a feature that invites frequent visits to experience the changing views.

    An important feature of well-designed meadows is the opportunity for habitat restoration. Plant selections consider the various stages of pollinator life cycles and provide appropriate plants for each. Join tour guide, Bridghe McCracken to learn more. This Ecological Landscape Alliance tour is $33, and members of ELA will receive a discount. Register and learn more at https://www.ecolandscaping.org/event/eco-tour-exploring-the-meadows-at-sky-meadow-farm/

  • Thursday, March 11, 4:30 pm – 6:30 pm – Designing with Native Plants, Online

    This two-hour Berkshire Botanical Garden online class on March 11 from 4:30 – 6:30 is led by Bridghe McCracken, the founder of Helia Land Design. She will introduce students to native plants and their effective use in the residential garden. The class will focus on perennials, grasses, woody plants and ferns. Learn about our gorgeous native perennial plant palette from rare beauties to classic stand-bys, as well as what plants to add to your garden to attract pollinators, provide butterfly habitat and enhance visual interest throughout the season. Learn what shrubs to use for screening, habitat creation and four-season interest. Delve into the world of ferns, how to integrate them into your garden design and which native ferns thrive in our region. $20 for BBG members, $35 for nonmembers. Register at https://www.berkshirebotanical.org/events/designing-native-plants-0

    Bridghe McCracken, founder of Helia Land Design, has over 20 years of experience in land stewardship and designing landscapes, gardens and beautiful food systems. Bridghe has a BA in biology from Colorado College, is a Certified Organic Landcare Professional from the Northeast Organic Farmers Association, a Certified Horticulturist from MCLA, a Massachusetts Master Gardener and a graduate and advanced practitioner of the Four Winds Society.

  • Wednesdays, February 17 & 24, 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm – Design & Native Plant Palette

    This two-part in-person Berkshire Botanical Garden design class led by Bridghe McCracken, the founder of Helia Land Design, will introduce students to native plants and their effective use in the residential garden. Part I of the class will focus on perennials and grasses. Learn about our gorgeous native perennial plant palette from rare beauties to classic stand-bys, as well as what plants to add to your garden to attract pollinators, provide butterfly habitat and enhance visual interest throughout the season. Class two will focus on designing with woody plants and ferns. Learn what shrubs to use for screening, habitat creation and four-season interest. Delve into the world of ferns, how to integrate them into your garden design and which native ferns thrive in our region. Students enrolled in this class are encouraged to also participate in Stewardship in your Gardens and Land. To add your name to the wait list, visit https://www.berkshirebotanical.org/events/design-native-plant-palette

    Bridghe McCracken, founder of Helia Land Design, has over 20 years of experience in land stewardship and designing landscapes, gardens and beautiful food systems. Bridghe has a BA in biology from Colorado College, is a Certified Organic Landcare Professional from the Northeast Organic Farmers Association, a Certified Horticulturist from MCLA, a Massachusetts Master Gardener and a graduate and advanced practitioner of the Four Winds Society. Photo courtesy of Berkshire Eagle.

  • Project Native Nursery & Farm Becomes Helia Native Nursery

    Award-winning landscape designer Bridghe McCracken is the new owner of Project Native’s 52-acre farm in Great Barrington and will continue to run it as a native-plant nursery, seed bank, and wildlife habitat sanctuary.  In addition to the native plants available from the nursery, she will operate a sustainable living garden store that includes handmade tools, organic garden supplies, artisan outdoor pots and furniture, as well as local goods such as teas, medicinal plants, honey and candles. Project Native Founder Raina Weber returned to the Berkshires for two months to help McCracken sustain the nursery and expand upon the native habitat restoration work that has been underway since Project Native first acquired the former dairy farm twelve years ago.  The farm will be now known as Helia Native Nursery.  For more information visit http://helianativenursery.com/about/.

  • Saturday, November 16, 9:00 am – 1:00 pm – Bring Nature into the Garden

    Join landscape designer Bridghe McCracken on Saturday, November 16 from 9 – 1 at Berkshire Botanical Garden for a detailed program on how to create a biodiverse garden habitat for birds, bees, butterflies, bats and dragonflies—good for both the garden and the gardener. This program will give participants practical knowledge for how to plan and provide for wildlife based on ecological principles. Learn about the plants and plans needed to design a garden full of life for the property. BBG members $40 nonmembers $50.  Register at 413-298-3926 or online at www.berkshirebotanical.org.

    Bridghe McCracken has been designing biologically vibrant landscapes for over ten years. Her design and building company, Helia Land Design, specializes in ecological landscape design, land stewardship, ecosystem restoration and designing food systems. She is a certified Organic Landcare Professional from the Northeast Organic Farmers Association. In 2006 she began a partnership with Project Native as their Chief Landscape Designer, which allows her to stay abreast of the latest available native plants. She teaches permaculture as an adjunct professor at Bard College at Simon’s Rock.

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