Just two days left to place your order for a fully decorated holiday wreath, custom made by members of The Garden Club of the Back Bay, and delivered to your door during the first full week of December, depending on your location, or available for pick up at The First Lutheran Church of Boston, 299 Berkeley Street. Don’t miss your opportunity to support an active not for profit organization dedicated to the beautification of the Back Bay, tree care throughout the City of Boston, and environmental causes throughout the region. Order at https://bostonflora.com/store/
No, The Garden Club of the Back Bay isn’t holding a Black Friday sale. There is no place to line up or “score” a magnificent discount on wreaths. However, now that Thanksgiving is behind you, turn your attention to your holiday decor and order your wreath or wreaths today from https://bostonflora.com/shop/ Remember, all proceeds funnel directly to neighborhood beautification, and the November 30 order deadline for fully decorated wreaths is approaching.
We never miss a chance to publicize The Garden Club of the Back Bay’s ongoing fund raising project, the sale of Holiday Wreaths to friends and neighbors in the Greater Boston area. One excellent attribute of the Club is the effort put into recycling. The wreath below, which hung in a commercial space in 2017, is a bit different than the Club’s trademark all natural look, but was constructed with decorations recycled from decorations from past years. Some fruits had been discarded, some were scavenged from past projects, some were deconstructed from bargain bin decorations at shops which couldn’t find a buyer for them, but put together in a new and exciting way, with a vibrant bow to tie it all together. Members bring in clippings, old boxes of decorations, dropped cones from the forest floor – nothing is wasted. Buyers are encouraged to save the non perishable items at the end of the season and either use them in their own projects, or even return them to a Garden Club member for re-use the following year. Our planet is a fragile thing. Let’s not contribute to the landfill. Greenery can be composted, plastics cannot (which is why, for the most part, plastic accessories are eschewed.) Order your wreaths now at https://bostonflora.com/shop/
In 2023, long time Garden Club of the Back Bay member Laurie Carter Noble passed away. Laurie will be remembered for many things, but she was especially noted for her beautifully designed and heavily decorated holiday wreaths created for the Club during its annual wreath week sale. The example below is an unexpectedly restrained design from 2014. A remembrance of Laurie may be found at https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/chatham-ma/hannelore-noble-11367075 Laurie always said the Season didn’t begin until she spent four days immersed in greens, cones, and ribbon in the basement of The First Lutheran Church of Boston. To order a 2023 wreath, visit https://bostonflora.com/store
Now is the time to place your order for a 2023 custom holiday wreath from The Garden Club of the Back Bay. One good reason among many – you are assured of a beautiful wreath at 2022 prices. As anyone in Massachusetts can attest, the summer of 2023 brought massive smoke and haze from the blazing fires in Canada, which burned among other things – trees. Trees used for wreaths, for garlands, for Christmas trees. Prices of raw materials will of necessity rise due to limited availability – a classic “supply chain” issue we’ve learned to deal with over the past three years. The Garden Club discussed the potential cost rises, as yet undetermined by suppliers, and made the decision to hold the line on prices charged. Past customers exhibited such patience waiting for a return to full capacity that they deserve a break. New customers will benefit from the decision as well. So visit https://bostonflora.com/store and place your order.
The Beacon Hill Garden Club has invited the Garden Club of the Back Bay to join them for a special program on November 8 at the Harvard Musical Association, 57A Chestnut Street in Boston. Kerry Ann Mendez will speak on Small Landscapes with BIG Attitude. This is a members only event. If you are not a member, consider joining the Garden Club of the Back Bay at https://bostonflora.com/
Kerry Ann Mendez is dedicated to teaching the art of low-maintenance perennial gardening and landscaping. As a garden designer, author, and lecturer, she focuses on time-saving gardening techniques, workhorse plants and sustainable practices. She has been featured on HGTV and in numerous magazines including Horticulture, Fine Gardening, Garden Gate and Better Homes & Gardens. Kerry Ann was awarded the 2014 Gold Medal from the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, an honorary medal presented to those who have made significant contributions to the enjoyment and appreciation of plants and the environment. She has published four popular gardening books and also teaches national gardening Webinars that are enjoyed by thousands. In May 2018 she was hired as garden designer and consultant for Estabrook’s Nursery in Yarmouth and Kennebunk, ME. For more about Kerry Ann, and her business Perennially Yours, visit pyours.com. RSVP HERE no later than Wednesday, November 1.
The Boston Committee of The Garden Club of America invites members to the Fall Lecture and Luncheon on Thursday, November 9, 2023 at The Country Club in Brookline. The reception begins at 10 am, with business meeting and lecture at 10:30 and luncheon at noon, $30 for the lecture and an additional $35 for luncheon. Invitation will be sent electronically via Eventbrite.
The guest speaker will be the Reverend Miriama White-Hammond, Chief of Environment, Energy, and Open Spaces for the City of Boston. She was appointed in April, 2021. In this role, she oversees policy and programs on energy, climate change, food justice, historic preservation, and open space. Over the course of her time with the City, she has supported the amendment of the Building Emissions Reduction and Disclosure Ordinance (BERDO) to set carbon targets for existing large buildings, and convened a City-led green jobs program.
Another guest speaker is Todd Mistor, Director of Urban Forestry of the City of Boston. Todd is originally from Michigan, where he has many years of urban forestry experience working for the City of Detroit and other smaller municipalities. He has studied forestry as well and philosophy and theology which help bring a well-rounded perspective to his work. He is also a Certified Arborist with a Municipal Specialization through the International Society of Arboriculture.
The Garden Club of the Back Bay is a member of The Boston Committee of The Garden Club of America, and if you wish to attend and are not a member of another participating Garden Club, explore the benefits of GCBB membership HERE.
The Garden Club of the Back Bay is pleased to announce the full resumption of its annual Holiday Wreath Sale, after a couple of years of suspension due to COVID and a year of limited sales and outreach for the same reason. As past customers remember, each wreath is lovingly created, by hand, by talented Club members, to the custom specifications of the purchaser, and all fully decorated wreaths must be ordered in advance. The November 30 deadline allows the committee to acquire all the necessary ribbons, greens, and decorations to enhance the wreath. To see examples and to order online, visit https://bostonflora.com/store Wreaths can be delivered free of charge to addresses in Back Bay, Beacon Hill, and the South End, or can be picked up at The First Lutheran Church of Boston, 299 Berkeley Street, on December 5, 6, and 7. Sadly, the wreaths cannot be mailed due to their fragility. We will post additional wreath pictures on Boston Flora now through Wreath Week as a reminder and incentive to support this important not for profit organization fundraiser. Proceeds benefit the street trees of Boston.
The Garden Club of the Back Bay will hold its November meeting on the first of November (time to be announced) at The Chilton Club, 152 Commonwealth Avenue in Boston. Speakers Amy Whitesides and Todd Mistor will present on the new City of Boston Urban Forest Plan. Amy, a Design Critic in Landscape Architecture at Harvard Graduate School of Design, works with Stoss Landscape Urbanism, the design firm that played a central role in developing the plan, and is currently the Resilience Advisor. Todd, a former priest turned urban forester, is the new Director of Boston Urban Forestry for the City of Boston. This is a members-only event, but to attend, all you need to do is join, at https://bostonflora.com/ You will receive sign up details and be set for the rest of the 2023/2024 program year, while supporting the not for profit organization, now entering its 56th year.
The October meeting of The Garden Club of the Back Bay will be held at The Chilton Club, 152 Commonwealth Avenue, on October 18 at 2 pm. This is a members only meeting, but if you’d like to join the Club, visit their website at https://bostonflora.com/store to take advantage of the full year of activities planned for 2023 – 2024.
The MFA Boston was the first museum in the country to host Art in Bloom — a magnificent pairing of flowers and art. The Art in Bloom Roadshow brings the Art in Bloom experience to you with an informative PowerPoint presentation of the art and flower arrangements that wows visitors.
The PowerPoint will be presented by an engaging MFA art guide who has been trained by the museum. It is followed by a live floral demonstration by an MFA trained Associate. The floral arrangement is inspired by an art object from the MFA’s collection.
The Art in Bloom Roadshow offers a compelling “guided tour” and an up-close look at the stunning flowers and art that make Art in Bloom the busiest weekend of the year at the MFA Boston. If you have any questions about GCBB programs, feel free to contact Program Committee co-chairs, Jackie Blombach or Christine Hirshland.
