Whether you’re gardening on a back porch, patio, or in a larger green space, learn essential container gardening techniques in this make-and-take, hands-on workshop. Explore how to use containers to create an ecological garden, grow food, and add pops of beauty and biodiversity to an outdoor area. Learn how to choose the right plants, and take home a beautifully designed container filled with native plants from Native Plant Trust’s own plant shop. The illustration below is the antithesis of what will be discussed – April Fool. The program will be held at Garden in the Woods in Framingham on April 7 at 6 pm, and is taught by Shoma Haque. $50. Register at https://www.nativeplanttrust.org/events/container-gardening-first-offering/
Outdoor containers add so many possibilities and exciting solutions to enhance and extend our garden display. While many of us choose hanging baskets to brighten up gathering spaces, these are just the tip of the iceberg when choosing where and how to use containers. This American Horticultural Society online program on May 1 at 1 pm will cover opportunities to showcase color, texture and personal aesthetics in both sun and shade conditions, the many types of containers available, styling lush plant combinations, proper “soil” mixes, moisture and nutrient requirements, impact plants, and end of season care. Get ready for some container inspiration!
Cheryl Salatino is a New England based landscape designer, educator, and native plant enthusiast. She started Dancing Shadows Garden Design twenty years ago to offer clients a more thoughtful and purposeful design aesthetic. What continues to inspire this designer is how the beauty and value of nature endlessly challenge, surprise, and teach us. Salatino received her certificate in landscape design from the Radcliffe Seminars Landscape Design Program of Harvard University. She has earned the status of Massachusetts Certified Horticulturist by the MA Nursery & Landscape Association and completed the UMASS Green School program in Landscape Management. She has also earned an Advanced Certificate in Horticulture and Design as part of the Native Plant Trust educational certificate program.
Karl Gercens, Longwood Gardens’ conservatory manager, explores the exciting possibilities of container garden design and display in this Smithsonian Associates Zoom lecture on March 10. He surveys the wide range of available container materials, including metal, wood, ceramics, and terracotta, and discusses the importance of carefully selecting the plantings that go into them.
He provides advice on plants that thrive in conditions of sun, shade, and wind (and even in the presence of animals), as well as tips on watering, fertilization, and pest and disease control. Photos of displays at Longwood Gardens offer inspiration for creating your own container garden. $25 for Smithsonian Associates members, $30 for nonmembers. Register at https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/programs/container-gardening
Deborah Trickett, owner of The Captured Garden, will show members of The Garden Club of the Back Bay how to create lush container gardens that will be the envy of the neighborhood. Join Deborah for a Powerpoint demonstration as she shows how to take our container gardens from “blah” to “aaah”. She’ll start with the basics, including appropriate containers, soil mixes, and plant choices for different site conditions, then proceed to new and unusual plant material and uncommon, container choices for exceptionally beautiful results. The program will take place March 21 at The Chilton Club in Boston. Members have received notification and instructions on registering on Eventbrite. Email info@bostonflora.com with questions.
Deborah is an award-winning container garden designer whose work has been featured in The Boston Globe, Garden Gate Magazine, New England Home Magazine and on the TV show New England Dream Home. She is a Massachusetts Certified Horticulturist and a frequent lecturer on container gardening at the Boston Flower and Garden Show, as well as the Philadelphia International Flower Show. She also teaches classes and workshops at the Arnold Arboretum in Boston.
If you are interested in joining The Garden Club of the Back Bay to participate in programs such as this, visit https://bostonflora.com
The Massachusetts Audubon Society will be visiting the Lower Mills Branch Library of the Boston Public Library for a Container Gardening Class & Lecture. The address is 27 Richmond Street in Dorchester.
Participants are encouraged to bring their own containers, as supplies are limited. For more information call Elise at 617-298-7841.
Container gardening know-how is in high demand. Learn how to create a container garden for your patio, terrace, or entryway that is at once functional and gorgeous—and discover techniques for ensuring that your plants thrive in all four seasons. This four-session virtual New York Botanical Garden class begins Thursday, April 14, and continues each Thursday through May 5 from 10 – noon. Renee Marsh is the instructor. $229 NYBG members, $249 nonmembers. Register HERE.
Winter approaches but this doesn’t mean your window boxes or containers need to spend the next four months filled with the skeletons of long-dead plants. Instead, you can compost those spent annuals and fill the void with a variety of options from classic to contemporary. Deborah Trickett, whose business The Captured Garden is all about keeping container gardens appealing in all seasons, will share creative ideas to carry you through the holidays to spring. The Berkshire Botanical Garden program will take place November 20 from 1 – 3 and is $25 for BBG members, $35 for nonmembers.
Award-winning container garden designer Deborah Trickett has worked in the gardening industry for over 30 years, starting with her first job in a greenhouse at age 13 until the present as the owner of The Captured Garden. Deborah works with clients throughout New England who want their homes to be beautiful, not typical. By combining unusual plant material and creative design ideas she creates gardens and containers that are truly one of a kind. Deborah Trickett is a Massachusetts Certified Horticulturist and Landscape Professional. She is a frequent lecturer on creative container gardening, speaking at regional Flower Shows. She has also shared her passion for perennials at the Perennial Plant Association Annual Symposium; was a featured speaker at the Grand Garden Show on Mackinac Island; and teaches at the Arnold Arboretum in Boston. Her work has been featured in The Boston Globe, The American Gardener, Garden Gate and New England Home magazines as well as on the TV show New England Dream Home. Deborah’s work can also be viewed at www.thecapturedgarden.com.
No land? No problem! Containers can bring added color, form, and texture to any space-deck, rooftop, terrace, front porch, or window sill. With the right combination of plants, containers provide visual impact, create a small garden, and add pleasure to your living area. Sun or shade, ornamental or edible, find out what kind of container garden is right for you. On July 11, Daryl Beyers will lead Container Gardening 101. Container gardening requires some specialized knowledge to achieve quality results. Learn the basics for planting and maintaining a healthy outdoor container garden: materials and styles of containers, customized potting mixes, fertilization, and watering requirements. Learn which plants thrive in containers and you’ll be ready to go! On July 18, Nick Gershberg covers Veggie and Herbs for Containers. Discover which varieties of veggies and herbs do best in containers and how best to care for them. Special attention is paid to those varieties that not only taste great but also look beautiful, including those with interesting or unusual blooms and foliage. Finally, on July 25, Renee Marsh will discuss Designing with Containers. Learn a comprehensive approach to designing with containers, including how, when, where, and why you should use a particular pot in one spot over another. Gain tips and tricks for great plant combinations in containers of all kinds. All three New York Botanical Garden sessions will be held online from 9:30 – 11:30, and you can register for the entire series or for each individual session by clicking HERE.
In this online class on June 15 from 4 – 6 taught by Berkshire Botanical Garden Director of Education Bridgette Stone, learn how to create beautiful container gardens for attracting hummingbirds and butterflies. Even a small amount of space can create a BIG impact. Understand the fundamentals of container garden design and care. Learn how using the right color and form can attract winged friends. Students will receive two seedlings to bring home and use to start their own container gardens.
Bridgette Stone is the Director of Education at Berkshire Botanical Garden. She has been a gardener, farmer and educator for over 12 years and brings a passion for experiential learning, home-scale food production and sustainable gardening practice to her work with BBG.
Each summer, Berkshire Botanical Garden brings together some of the region’s most talented designers and invites them to create individual container gardens displayed in an exhibit called Contained Exuberance. Tucked away in different spots throughout the Garden, the installations remain on exhibit through September. Signage listing plant names and describing the designers’ inspiration, accompanies each display.
A walkabout tour of the installations with the designers is scheduled for Saturday, August 15 at 10 a.m. and departs from the Center House. Timed, admission ticketing is required, as are masks. Click here to register.
This year, BBG is proud to feature the following designers in this year’s Contained Exuberance exhibition:
