Boston Flora

Tag: Ecological Landscaping Association

  • Wednesday, February 6, 10:00 am – 12:00 noon – Design-less Gardening: A Naturalistic Approach

    Disregard traditional design rules and adopt a new approach to garden design.  Look to nature for your inspiration.  What clues can you take from your landscape to help you provide the right plant for the right place?  Learn to evaluate sunlight, moisture, soil and other factors to encourage a successful garden that does not require many inputs in the way of watering, fertilizing, or extra coddling on you part.  Create a low maintenance garden that actively supports the environment and provides beauty for all – people and pollinators alike.  Registrations for this Wednesday, February 6 class, 10 – noon, at Garden in the Woods is limited.  Co-sponsored by the Ecological Landscaping Association and the New England Wild Flower Society, and led by Dan Jaffee, the cost is $26 for sponsor members and $32 for nonmembers.  Register by calling 617-436-5838, or email ela.info@comcast.net.  Photo courtesy of www.hbgbs.org.uk.

    http://www.hbgbs.org.uk/assets/images/placement%20garden%20photos/Cambo%201.JPG

  • Tuesday, January 15, 1:00 pm – 3:30 pm – The Value of Fire as a Land Management Tool

    Prescribed burning can be used to maintain scenic and cultural landscapes, improve forest timber production, benefit wildlife habitat, maintain rare and threatened natural communities, and reduce the threat of wildfire by removing fuels. Joel Carlson will explain what prescribed fire is, why it is used, how it is implemented safely, and considerations that property managers and owners should take into account when exploring prescribed fire as a possible management tool, on Tuesday, January 15 from 1 – 3:30 at Wellesley College in Wellesley, Massachusetts.

    Though wildlife fire is commonly viewed as a threat to life and property, prescribed burning is a fire ignited, having a written prescribed fire plan, and meeting regulatory requirements. When properly managed, fire can rejuvenate open areas to create lush and healthy grasslands and provide beneficial habitat value to many open-land wildlife species. Burning also retards the growth of brush and trees, which can overtake open areas and crowd out some animal and plant species. $20 for members of the Ecological Landscaping Association and Wellesley College Friends of Horticulture. To register, call 617-436-5838, or email ela.info@comcast.net.

  • Thursday and Friday, October 18 – 19, 9:00 am – 4:00 pm – Sustainable Landscape Design

    What makes a landscape design sustainable?  The New England Wild Flower Society will hold a two-part seminar for people interested in learning how to design landscapes that follow an ecological paradigm, and that enhance a site’s beauty and utility.  Landscape Architect and LEED accredited professional Tom Benjamin will define and discuss principles of sustainable landscape design, techniques to improve the ecological and human functions of existing landscapes, and how to approach sites with a variety of challenges.  Discussion will include sustainable measures to improve your own projects, as well as a short trip to a nearby site that was designed for sustainability.  Bring a bag lunch.  The classes will take place Thursday and Friday, October 18 and 19, from 9 – 4 at Garden in the Woods in Framingham.  $216 for NEWFS and ELA members, $254 for non-members. Co-sponsored by the Ecological Landscaping Association. Register on line at www.newfs.org.

  • Saturday, September 29, 8:30 am – 3:30 pm – At the Root: Understanding and Managing Healthy Soils

    Healthy soil is the basis of healthy plant communities – join the Ecological Landscaping Association and Garden in the Woods for this in-depth, full-day workshop on Saturday, September 29, from 8:30 – 3:30 (lunch included) with instructors Dawn Pettinelli, Manager of the Soil Nutrient Analysis Laboratory at the University of Connecticut and Peter Schmidt, Certified Arborist and Certified Soil Foodweb Advisor. This workshop will include microscope work and additional soil demonstrations in the gardens. Register at www.ecolandscaping.com, or at Eventville at https://www.eventville.com/catalog/eventregistration1.asp?eventid=1009610.

  • Thursday, September 27, 8:30 am – 3:30 pm – At the Root: Air Tools Workshop

    Join Rolf Briggs and Matt Foti at Garden in the Woods for this all-day Ecological Landscaping Association workshop on Thursday, September 27 from 8:30 – 3:30 (rain date Friday, September 28) in Framingham to explore how quickly and effectively you can use air tools to access the roots to identify and successfully address problems. The air tools demonstrations will feature:
    * Addressing soil compaction
    * Trenching for utility work, fencing, and more
    * Proper planting of ball & burlap and container nursery stock
    * Bare root tree transplanting
    * Locating roots to establish tree protection zones prior to construction

    For more information, visit www.ecolandcaping.org.  To register on line, go to https://www.eventville.com/catalog/eventregistration1.asp?eventid=1009609.

  • Thursday, September 13, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm – Landscape Restoration: Hall’s Pond Sanctuary

    Hall’s Pond is one of two natural ponds remaining in Brookline. The sanctuary contains diverse ecosystems including a pond, wetlands, an upland area, a formal garden area, and a short trail around the pond with wetland overlooks. The sanctuary has undergone major landscape renovation featuring restoration in the uplands to remove invasive plant species and replant with native species. Register today for this Thursday, September 13 free program sponsored by the Ecological Landscaping Association by visiting https://www.eventville.com/catalog/eventregistration1.asp?eventid=1009649.  Great blue heron photo from www.essentialbread.com.

  • Tuesday, August 14, 10:00 am – 12:30 pm – Native Plant Gardens = Natural Beauty

    The Ecological Landscaping Association will conduct a tour on Tuesday, August 14 from 10 – 12:30 in Amesbury, Massachusetts, featuring native plants and natural garden design bringing a taste of the wilderness to urban, suburban, and commercial settings by attracting a variety of birds, butterflies, and other wildlife.  Join Nanette Masi for this behing-the-scenes tour demonstrating the natural beauty of three of her designed gardens. Register today at https://www.eventville.com/catalog/eventregistration1.asp?eventid=1009647, or visit www.ecolandscaping.org.

  • Thursday, August 2, 10:00 am – 12:00 noon – Boston Nature Center: Urban Landscape Restoration

    Located in Mattapan and surrounded by residential neighborhoods in the city of Boston, Massachusetts Audubon’s Boston Nature Center (BNC) is a 67-acre oasis and landscape restoration success story. Formerly the site of the Boston State Hospital, this restoration has transformed BNC into open space and natural habitats including more than two miles of trails and boardwalks through meadows, fresh-water marsh, woodlands, and gardens. The Garden Club of the Back Bay has held a meeting in its green building and members were impressed.  Visit with the Ecological Landscaping Association on Thursday, August 2, from 10 – 12.  Register online at www.ecolandscaping.org.  $20 for ELA or Mass Audubon members, $25 for nonmembers.

  • Tuesday, July 10, 11:15 am – 2:00 pm – Schoolyard Restoration: Landscapes for Learning

    Join landscape architect, Ruth Parnall, and the Ecological Landscaping Association for a unique tour of two transformed schoolyards to learn how to create rich landscapes that solve site problems, produce beautiful gardens, develop habitat, and inspire children to explore and learn. Ruth Parnall, co-founder of Learning by the Yard, is a registered landscape architect and a credentialed botanist. She is a specialist in native landscape restoration and is a founding member of the MA Native Plants Committee. She has served her town since 1987 on conservation, open space, zoning, and master plan committees.

    A studio teacher and mentor to students at the Conway School of Landscape Design, Ruth also writes, lectures, and leads workshops on native plants and ecological design. She is currently the consulting landscape curator at Manitoga/The Russel Wright Design Center, a National Historic Landmark in Garrison, NY. The tour will take place Tuesday, July 10, from 11:15 am – 2 pm (rain date July 17) in Milton and Jamaica Plain. $20 for ELA members, $25 for non-members. Register on line at www.ecolandscaping.org, or call 617-436-5838. Photo of Ruth from www.nativeplantwildlifegarden.com.

  • Saturday, April 28, 9:30 am – 12:30 pm – Designing on Your Feet

    The ability to make observations is fundamental to success as a landscape designer.  Like the statue hidden within a block of marble, a landscape design will emerge through your observations of client and site.  Every observation should lead you to a conclusion.  If done well, there should be no need for “selling.”  Everything should fit.  This on-site seminar introduces you to the skill of observation through a walking analysis of two properties in progress in the vicinity of Garden in the Woods.  The instructor is Tom Strangfeld, a landscape designer and builder.  Fee is $36 for members of either the Ecological Landscaping Association or the New England Wild Flower Society, and $43 for non-members.  Register at www.ecolandscaping.org.  Image from www.bostondesignblog.com.