Boston Flora

Tag: Carolyn Summers

  • Wednesday, February 3, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm – Native Plant Gardens: Learning By Example

    Landscaping with native plants is becoming the rule rather than the exception, but good examples can be hard to find. Come to the Cambridge Public Library, 449 Broadway in Cambridge, on Wednesday, February 3 at 7 pm for a visual tour of some truly instructive native plant gardens, large and small, public and private. A diversity of styles, ranging from formal to naturalistic, will illustrate the usage of native plants in both residential and public landscapes. Our tour will travel from Sara Stein’s garden in Pound Ridge, NY, to the New World Garden designed by Larry Weaner, to the High Line in NYC, and include many others along the way. Accompanied by design and how-to tips, this talk will be valuable for everyone from novice gardeners to seasoned professionals.

    Carolyn Summers is author of Designing Gardens with Flora of the American East and an adjunct professor at Go Native U, a joint project of Westchester Community College and The Native Plant Center. She and her husband recently opened their country home, Flying Trillium Gardens and Preserve, for public tours and to showcase the importance of native plants to all landscapes. This free program is sponsored by Grow Native Massachusetts. For more information visit www.grownativemass.org.

  • Tuesday, November 5, 8:30 am – 4:30 pm – ELA Season’s End Summit: Natural Landscapes

    Natural Landscapes are not just for nature preserves. Join the Ecological Landscaping Association at Montvale Plaza, 54 Montvale Avenue in Stoneham on Tuesday, November 5, from 8:30 am – 4:30 pm,  for a full day of presentations, panel discussions, and networking with colleagues to explore the many aspects of natural landscapes. Learn techniques to expand client notions of the potential of ecological landscapes.  $75 for ELA members, $95 nonmembers, including lunch and networking.  Featured speakers are Nanette Masi, a landscape designer specializing in Wildlife Habitat, Carolyn Summers, Kim Eierman, Amanda Hardy Sloan, Carl Brodeur, Kate Pawling, Darryl Newman, and Jeremy Dick.  Image from www.greatecology.com. Register online at https://www.eventville.com/catalog/eventregistration1.asp?eventid=1010648. 

    http://greatecology.com//srv/htdocs/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/IMG_2716-4-960x475.jpg

  • Wednesday, February 1, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm – Creating Beautiful Gardens Filled with Life

    Instructive examples of gardens full of native plants are hard to find. On Wednesday, February 1, from 7 – 8:30 at The Cambridge Public Library, 449 Broadway, landscape architect and author Carolyn Summers fills that void with a plethora of images and commentary to fire our imaginations. She reviews the science behind the essential life support function of indigenous plants, takes us on a journey through a variety of formal gardens and more “naturalistic” landscapes, and illustrates the effective use of our northeastern native flora so that we can better visualize their full design potential. Ms. Summers is an adjunct professor at Westchester Community College and has been an effective advocate for native plants in the urban landscapes of New York City.  The lecture is free. For more information, call 617-354-0502.

  • Wednesday, July 13, 7:30 pm, and Thursday, July 14, 9:00 – 12:00 noon – Gardening with Native Plants

    Join author and native plant enthusiast Carolyn Summers for an evening lecture (Wednesday, July 13, 7:30 pm)  and morning workshop (Thursday, July 14, 9 – 12) on designing and gardening with native plants.  Based on her book Designing Gardens with the Flora of the American East, Ms. Summers will show how to increase biodiversity in our gardens, for beautiful, sustainable results which also benefit wildlife.  The events will be held in the Far Barn at the Polly Hill Arboretum in West Tisbury, Martha’s Vineyard, and the cost to attend the Wednesday evening talk is $5 for PHA members, $10 for nonmembers, and the Thursday seminar will be $30 for PHA members, $35 for nonmembers.  For more information, log on to www.pollyhillarboretum.org.

  • Saturday, October 9, 9:30 am – 3:30 pm – Designing Gardens with Flora of the American East

    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.