Boston Flora

Tag: David Smith

  • Thursday, June 22, 8:15 am – 3:30 pm – Kykuit: House, Garden and Sculpture Park Tour

    Join Berkshire Botanical Garden on Thursday, June 22 for a field trip to Kykuit, a preeminent Hudson Valley house and garden. This hilltop paradise was home to four generations of the Rockefeller family, beginning with the philanthropist John D. Rockefeller, founder of Standard Oil and, in his day, the richest man in America. This extraordinary house and gardens have been continuously and meticulously maintained for more than 100 years. Our tour will focus on architecture, gardens, art, history, and spectacular scenery. The 2 1⁄2 hour tour will explore the morning and brook gardens, the Italian garden, and the Adam and Eve fountain area, with a special focus on the exceptional terraced gardens containing Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller’s extensive collection of 20th-century sculpture. Artists represented include Pablo Picasso, Henry Moore, Alexander Calder, Louise Nevelson, and David Smith, among many others. There is extensive topography and sturdy shoes are highly recommended. Following the tour, we will picnic at the Visitors Center on the grounds. Participants can choose to bring a bagged lunch or purchase lunch at the Visitors Center cafe.

    Dress for the weather: comfortable, sturdy footwear and warm, waterproof outerwear, umbrella. Travel by passenger van. Departing BBG parking lot at 8:15 am, returning 3:30pm. BBG members $65, nonmembers $75. Register at www.berkshirebotanical.org.  Image from www.hudsonvalley.org.

  • One Seed at a Time

    This is story of the Polly Hill Arboretum internship program. In 1958 at age 50, Polly Hill began her arboretum by sowing a seed on her family’s summer property, then known as Barnard’s Inn Farm. She was always looking for plants that would grow out of latitude and thrive on Martha’s Vineyard and traveled extensively collected seeds from all over the world. In the 1990’s her beautiful private gardens became a public arboretum and shortly afterwards with her help and the efforts of David Smith and Sam Feldman the Internship Program was formed. Many young people have gone through either the summer or 9 month program and continued on with great success in the horticulture world. This is their story and the story of their remarkable mentor.  Watch a short, ten minute video by Marnie Stanton on the internship program, entitled One Seed at a Time, by clicking this link: http://vimeo.com/39297752.  Video funded by the Edey Foundation.