Boston Flora

Tag: Flower Society

  • Saturday, April 17, 10 am – 2 pm – Invasive Plants: Identification, Ecology and Control

    Ted Elliman, Vegetation Manager of the New England Wild Flower Society, in collaboration with the Arnold Arboretum, will present this one day class on Saturday, April 17, from 10 am – 2 pm at Garden in the Woods in Framingham.  This course will provide an introduction to about 40 of the most common invasive non-native plants in our local landscapes (see Japanese knotweed below). Through lecture, discussion, power point presentation, herbarium specimens, and a walk outside, you will become familiar with identification clues as well as the habits of a number of these plants which are so disruptive of natural ecosytems. Ted will discuss management techniques for many of these species, on both a home and a larger landscape scale. Homeowners and property managers who wish to get a head start on invasive control this year will appreciate the timing of this course, which will allow them to learn to identify young invasive plants before they become camouflaged by other vegetation. The New England Wild Flower Society’s Invader’s Magazine, as well as the Massachusetts Field Guide to Invasives, will be available for purchase at a discount. Fee $44 for members of the Arboretum or NEWFS, $52 nonmembers.  To register, log on to www.arboretum.harvard.edu.

    http://www.thewildflowersociety.com/wfs_images/fallopia_japonica_japanese_knotweed.jpg

  • Monday, January 25, 10:00 am – Eat Your View: Native Edible Plants for Your Gardens

    Expand your palate as well as your concept of food’s place in the garden with native edibles planted in blended garden displays.  In this illustrated lecture New England Wild Flower Society’s Botanic Garden Director Scott LaFleur takes us behind the design and installation of the Garden in the Wood’s new edible plant garden – designed to help change the way we look at the food production system here in the U.S., where most of our daily foods are non-native and produced in mass quantity using fertilizers and pesticides.  Using all native plants, Scott weaves together design approaches, horticultural techniques, and culinary uses that you can translate to your own home.  Scott discusses the concept of a blended landscape, using ornamental plants and edible plants in a design that blurs the lines between a beautiful and a functional garden.  Blended landscapes truly allow you to Eat Your View.  The program will take place at the Wellesley College Botanic Garden on Monday, January 25, beginning at 10:00 a.m., and is co-sponsored with the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University and the Junior League of Boston Garden Club.  WCFH, Arnold Arboretum, and NEWFS  members $15, non-members $18.  The course number is HOR 10 060, and you may register at www.wellesley.edu/WCFH, or by emailing horticulture@wellesley.edu.

    Persimmons by Henna Lion.

  • Saturday, December 5, 10:00 – 1:00 – Identifying and Enjoying Herbaceous Plants in the Late Fall

    When herbaceous plants have died back and look “disenchanted,” it is still possible to identify some of them by closely examining their dried leaves, stems, and persistent fruits and seeds.

    Join Frances Clark on Saturday, December 5, beginning at 10 am, for a classroom exploration to investigate 25-30 weeds and native herbaceous species growing in disturbed habitats, fields, and woodland edges. Examine specimens close at hand to learn identification features and intriguing seed- dispersal mechanisms. (Naturalist photographer Nathan Cook took the image of arrow leaf plantain below)

    Pre-registration is necessary, contact the registrar at 508-877-7630, ext. 3303.  The program will take place at Garden in the Woods, 180 Hemenway Road in Framingham, and is co-sponsored by the New England Wild Flower Society and by Massachusetts Audubon, Drumlin Farm.  The cost is $36 for members of NEWFS or Mass Audubon, and $42 for non members.  You may also email registrar@newenglandwild.org, or log on to www.newenglandwild.org/learn.http://www.isledegrande.com/giimages9/arrowleafwaterplantainseedpod.jpg

  • Tuesday, November 17, 10 am – 12 noon – Pollinator-Friendly Landscaping

    As New England’s landscape becomes increasingly developed, backyards are becoming a “final frontier” in providing essential habitat for at-risk pollinator species that play an integral role in the health of our environment. On Tuesday, November 17, beginning at 10 am, Garden Coach and Habitat Naturalist Ellen Sousa will explain how to help sustain and restore pollinator populations in your own back yard, regardless of its size or location. Learn to choose the best plants to help feed and shelter pollinators, and some best practices for encouraging biodiversity in your backyard.

    Ellen Sousa is a writer, educator and garden coach living in Massachusetts’ Worcester Hills on Turkey Hill Brook Farm, a small farm registered with the NWF as a Certified Wildlife Habitat. She has a certificate in Native Plant Horticulture & Design from New England Wild Flower Society, a BA in English from Clark University, and is certified as a Master Habitat Naturalist from Windstar Wildlife Institute. She writes regularly about habitat gardening for magazines such as Massachusetts Wildlife, BackHome, Mother Earth News and Birds & Blooms Extra. Visit her web site and New England habitat landscaping blog at THBFarm.com. The lecture will be held at Tower Hill Botanic Garden in Boylston, Massachusetts on Tuesday, November 17, from 10 am – noon.  Fee is $15 for Tower Hill members, $18 for non-members.  To register, log on to www.towerhillbg.org.

    http://www.greendiary.com/images/pollination.jpg

  • Wednesday, October 21, 5:00 – 7:00 pm – Night Lights

    Say goodbye to the season at Garden in the Woods in Framingham with a candlelit stroll through parts of the garden on Wednesday, October 21, from 5 – 7 pm.  This is a New England Wild Flower Society members only event, but annual membership levels begin at $50, and entitle you to a host of benefits, which can be found on the web site, www.newfs.org.  Make your reservation for this lovely evening by calling 508-877-7630, ext. 3001, or email information@newenglandwild.org.  The Cabot Creamery Cooperative has donated cheese for this event.  If you are interested in gardens at nightfall, we recommend Linda Rutenberg’s beautifully photographed book The Garden at Night.

    http://www.thegardenatnight.com/site_images/tgn_book.jpg

  • Sunday, November 8, 9 am – 4 pm – Natural History and Ethnobotony of Medicinal Plants

    Judith Sumner, Botanist and author of The Natural History of Medicinal Plants, will present a fascinating lecture on Sunday, November 8 beginning at 9 in the morning. Before the time of written records, early people used plants to relieve symptoms and cure disease, forming the basis of the modern study of ethnobotany and the starting point for the history of medicinal plants. During this one session intensive course on the history and current directions of medicinal botany, to be held at Garden in the Woods, we will track the knowledge of medicinal plants from prehistory through the spectacular work of the Renaissance herbalists, the Doctrine of Signatures, and the development of the European medical tradition. New World settlers carried the seeds of medicinal plants with them to North America, where European medical knowledge commingled with Native American lore. The class will consider herbal medicine in nineteenth century America, the field of zoopharmacognosy, and the current ethnobotanical approach to drug discovery. You will gain an understanding of human-plant interactions and botanical cures for human disease and the importance of preserving the diversity of medicinal plants.
    Fee $77 member of either the Arnold Arboretum of NEWFS, $91 nonmember
    Offered in collaboration with the New England Wild Flower Society. To register, log on to www.arboretum.harvard.edu.

    Medicinal plant by Khor Hui Min.

  • Sunday, October 25, 1 – 2 pm – The Native Plant Center: It’s Easy Being Green

    Learn about the energy saving and other ‘green’ technologies used in the design and construction of the New England Wild Flower Society’s new Native Plant Center at Garden in the Woods in Framingham on Sunday, October 25, beginning at 1 pm.  This walking tour of the new facility with Ron Wik addresses all ‘green’ attributes of the building, such as roof and wall insulation, use of local materials, radiant heating and other energy saving technologies. Find out how the Society is working towards LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification at the gold level for our newest, greenest structure. LEED Certification involves meeting a demanding suite of standards for environmentally sustainable construction, and Garden Club of the Back Bay members will hear more about this at our March meeting with Marie Stella.  The program is free, but registration is required.  Call 508-877-7630, or log on to www.newfs.org.

    Native Plant Center 7.09
    Click to view full-size image…

  • Thursday, October 22, 3:30 pm – 5:30 pm – Living Off the Land: Native American Lessons

    Not too many years ago, our woods were home to Native Americans who lived their lives without visiting grocery stores, shopping malls, doctors’ offices, or video arcades. What did they eat? How did they stay healthy? What did they do for fun?

    Bonnie Drexler shows how to follow in their footsteps as we walk the Garden looking for food, shelter, medicines, and amusements.

    Back in the classroom, dye a headband with native plant dyes and make a birch-bark craft.

    Location:
    Garden in the Woods
    Framingham , MA

    Sponsor: New England Wild Flower Society
    Time(s): 3:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
    Cost: $12 Member / $14 Non-Member; pre-registration is necessary
    Phone: 508-877-7630, ext. 3303
    Email: registrar@newenglandWILD.org
    http://www.newfs.org/learn/adult/by-month/oct/

    http://lesliet.typepad.com/gardenblog/images/2007/05/20/introduction.jpg

  • Mondays, November 2, 9, 16, 30, and December 7, 6:30 – 8:30 pm – A Garden in Your Mind’s Eye: Developing Your Vision with Tony Bernstein

    Incorporating philosophy, aesthetics, economics, and theories as well as practicalities, it’s no wonder that planning a garden design can overwhelm. In this class, designer Tony Bernstein, Principal at SLDA Landscape Design Associates, will teach about core design principles, but will also coach you to clarify what you desire of a garden. Through exercises and discussions, he’ll encourage you to be introspective to develop design concepts that are reflective of your personality and lifestyle. Melding your inner visions with external factors, you will begin to develop a satisfying and cohesive garden design. In this class you will explore design foundations, philosophies, aesthetics, sensibilities, and practicalities. You will finish the class with rough sketches and plenty of ideas to develop during the winter. Fee: $140 Arnold Arboretum of NEWFS member, $168 nonmember.  Offered in collaboration with the New England Wild Flower Society. Please note there will be no class Monday, November 23.  All classes will be held in the Hunnewell Building at the Arnold Arboretum.  For more information, or to register, log on to www.arboretum.harvard.edu, or telephone 617-384-5277.

    http://www.foreclosuresmass.com/images/newsletter/photo_tonybernstein.jpg

  • Sunday, October 18, 10 am – 2 pm – Invasive Plants: Identification, Ecology and Control

    Ted Elliman, Vegetation Manager of the New England Wild Flower Society, in collaboration with the Arnold Arboretum, will present this one day class on Sunday, October 18, from 10 am – 2 pm at Garden in the Woods in Framingham.  This course will provide an introduction to about 40 of the most common invasive non-native plants in our local landscapes (see Japanese knotweed below). Through lecture, discussion, power point presentation, herbarium specimens, and a walk outside, you will become familiar with identification clues as well as the habits of a number of these plants which are so disruptive of natural ecosytems. Ted will discuss management techniques for many of these species, on both a home and a larger landscape scale. Homeowners and property managers who wish to get a head start on invasive control this year will appreciate the timing of this course, which will allow them to learn to identify young invasive plants before they become camouflaged by other vegetation. The New England Wild Flower Society’s Invader’s Magazine, as well as the Massachusetts Field Guide to Invasives, will be available for purchase at a discount. Fee $44 for members of the Arboretum or NEWFS, $52 nonmembers.  To register, log on to www.arboretum.harvard.edu.

    http://www.thewildflowersociety.com/wfs_images/fallopia_japonica_japanese_knotweed.jpg