Boston Flora

Tag: Garden Club meeting

  • Thursday, February 17, 10:00 am – Garden Club of the Back Bay February Meeting – A Growth of Trees: A Journey Through Time, Online


    No single view of a tree is a fixed snapshot in time that tells the complete story. Join Michael Wojtech and discover how trees grow, reproduce, and interact with their environment across days, weeks, seasons, and years and over varying scales—from the intricate details of buds, flowers, leaves, and bark that we use for species identification to the collaborative roles of trees in ecosystems. Learn more about the function and experience the beauty of characteristics such as peeling bark, overwintering buds, lobed or toothed leaves, flowers by the thousands, and seeds that fly on the wind. This Garden Club of the Back Bay meeting will take place February 17 at 10:00 am.

    Michael Wojtech earned his Masters degree in Conservation Biology at Antioch University New England, where his coursework brought a welcomed, intense immersion into the natural history and ecology of the plants, critters, and other organisms in the landscape. As a naturalist and educator, he strives to share the science and wonder of trees in an accessible and compelling fashion. He writes, photographs, illustrates, and presents programs about the structure, growth processes, and ecology of trees—including their bark, buds, leaves, roots, and wood—for audiences at all levels of experience.  

    Michael previously presented to the Garden Club of the Back Bay in 2013, when he spoke to us about his book, Bark: A Field Guide to Trees of the Northeast.  We are delighted to bring Michael back to speak to us  again!  To learn more about Michael Wojtech, visit his website at http://knowyourtrees.com. Please rsvp by February 11th by clicking HERE.  A ZOOM link will be sent a few days before the program.  The program will not be recorded.

  • Wednesday, May 18, 10:00 am – Gardening in Wet Spaces with Native Plants

    The May meeting of The Garden Club of the Back Bay will feature Kristin DeSouza speaking on Gardening in Wet Spaces with Native Plants. The meeting will be held Wednesday, May 18, beginning at 10:00 am at The College Club, 44 Commonwealth Avenue in Boston. There is a free program, but there will be an optional lunch with the speaker following the talk, for which there will be a charge of $20 per person (members) and $25 per person (guests.) Reservations for the program and the luncheon are essential. Email info@bostonflora.com if you plan to attend. Garden Club members will receive written notice of this meeting.

    Working with native plants that enjoy ‘wet feet’ adds great interest to a pond side or wet area in your garden. While providing wildlife habitat, pond-side and moisture-loving plants also act as a filter for runoff water. In this illustrated presentation, horticulturist Kristen DeSouza will introduce a gorgeous native plant pallet based on the beautiful Lily Pond at Garden in the Woods. She will present design ideas that you can use in your own wet environment using native perennials, shrubs and trees for seasonal interest.

    Kristen DeSouza is a Horticulturist at Garden in the Woods, and a Landscape Architect. She has worked for New York’s Central Park and was awarded the Garden Club of America’s Martin McLaren Horticultural Scholarship, providing a ten month noncredit work/study opportunity in Great Britain.

    http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/01/04/be/ba/lily-pond-area-as-viewed.jpg

  • Thursday, October 14, 10:00 am – Divine Wind: The History and Science of Hurricanes

    The October meeting of The Garden Club of the Back Bay will be held Thursday, October 14, beginning at 10 am at The College Club, 44 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston.  The Club begins its year long examination of Water with a lecture on hurricanes, quite appropriate for the season, we believe.

    Dr. Kerry Emanuel is a Professor of Atmospheric Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he has been on the faculty since 1981, after spending three years as a faculty member at UCLA. Professor Emanuel’s research interests focus on tropical meteorology and climate, with a specialty in hurricane physics. His interests also include cumulus convection, and advanced methods of sampling the atmosphere in aid of numerical weather prediction. He is the author or co-author of over 100 peer-reviewed scientific papers, and two books, including Divine Wind: The History and Science of Hurricanes, released by Oxford University Press and aimed at a general audience, and What We Know about Climate Change, published by the MIT Press.

    “Imagine standing at the center of a Roman coliseum that is 20 miles across, with walls that soar 10 miles into the sky, towering walls with cascades of ice crystals falling along its brilliantly white surface. That’s what it’s like to stand in the eye of a hurricane.”

    Kerry Emanuel, one of the world’s leading authorities on hurricanes, gives us an engaging account of these awe-inspiring meteorological events, revealing how hurricanes and typhoons have literally altered human history, thwarting military incursions and changing the course of explorations. Offering an account of the physics of the tropical atmosphere, the author explains how such benign climates give rise to the most powerful storms in the world and tells what modern science has learned about them. Interwoven with this scientific account are descriptions of some of the most important hurricanes in history and relevant works of art and literature.  The lecture is free and open to the public, but reservations are essential.  There will also be a luncheon following the meeting, for which we must charge $20 per person.  To reserve, or for more information, email info@bostonflora.com. Members of The Garden Club of the Back Bay will receive written notification of the meeting.

    http://www.capitalweather.com/images/Oct2_05/divine_wind.jpg