Boston Flora

Tag: Elisabeth Lay

  • From the Archives – Garden Club of the Back Bay Decorates the International Institute

    Back in 1968, the Garden Club of the Back Bay was asked by Mrs. J. Philip Lane of the International Institute, then located at 287 Commonwealth Avenue, to decorate the handsome house for Christmas.  According to information found in the excellent website www.backbayhouses.org, “287 Commonwealth was designed by Rotch and Tilden, architects, and built in 1892-1893 by Connery & Wentworth and Ira Hersey, builders. It was built as the home of Herbert Mason Sears and his wife, Caroline B. (Bartlett) Sears.”  The International Institute acquired the property in 1964 and turned it into offices and meeting rooms. The committee trimming the home included Mrs. Edward Bowman, Mrs. Samuel Newman, Elisabeth Lay, Kathleen Nunn, and Laura Dwight.  The contemporary image below of one of the building’s condominium units is from www.lilibanani.com.

    The International Institute has, for nearly a century, assisted immigrants, refugees, and other vulnerable populations living in New England. The organization continues to provide safety to the victims of war and injustice. It fosters self-sufficiency in New American families struggling to make ends meet, and invests in the entrepreneurship of tomorrow’s business leaders. It now has three offices, including 1 Milk Street in Boston, and spaces in Lowell and in Manchester, New Hampshire.

    Our holiday decoration project now focuses on wreath making, but our commitment to the not for profit organizations located in our neighborhood continues.

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  • Wreath of the Day 2011 – A Thank You to All Our Volunteers

    Wreath of the Day 2011 – A Thank You to All Our Volunteers

    The Garden Club of the Back Bay’s annual Wreath Week has wrapped up, and Co-Presidents Jackie Blombach and Jolinda Taylor, along with Wreath Project Co-Chairs Margaret Pokorny, Francine Crawford, Catherine Bordon, and Elisabeth Lay thank all the volunteers who made this project such a success.  From now through January 1, we will post a picture of the Wreath of the Day, along with a brief description of the wreath and the process, from initial ordering to the last sweeping of the floor.  Since Hanukkah is beginning, we’ll start off with a wreath specially designed to celebrate the season, designed by a first time decorator and new club member.  The sophistication of the wreath proves that a multi-year design apprenticeship is not necessarily a prerequisite.

     

     

     

     

  • Wreath of the Day

    Our 2010 Holiday Wreath Sale is now over.  Club members spent four and a half days setting up, decorating, delivering, and cleaning up, creating over 400 wreaths (246 of them fully decorated) and raising money for our beloved street trees. Know that every last dime of proceeds will go to betterment projects in our neighborhood, in our City, and even a bit beyond.  Wreath Chairs Francine Crawford, Margaret Pokorny, and Elisabeth Lay, and Co-Presidents Jackie Blombach and Jolinda Taylor wish to thank all the Garden Club of the Back Bay volunteers, neighborhood guest volunteers, and most of all our loyal customers, for everything they have done this week.

    Last year we featured a “Wreath of the Day” each day in December following the end of Wreath Week through New Year’s Day, and the postings were a big success.  Every wreath has a story, and we think these stories should be shared.  Hanukkah is now over, but our first showcased wreath pays tribute to the eight day holiday commemorating the re-dedication of the Temple of Jerusalem in 165 BC.