Boston Flora

Tag: Garden History

  • Friday, October 5, 1:30 pm – 3:00 pm – Tracing Landscape History: Cambridge

    What can the presence (or absence) of greenery teach about the layered history of a place? This New England Wild Flower Society walking tour of Cambridge leads participants in an analysis of the changing landscape, guided by evidence from significant trees in the neighborhood. The discussion addresses local inhabitants’ relationship to native plants over generations. Wear walking shoes and dress for the weather. The tour is led by Courtney Allen, garden historian and Director of Public Programs at NEWFS. Place to meet will be sent to registrants. $24 for NEWFS members, $28 nonmembers. Register online at http://www.newenglandwild.org.

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  • Thursday, March 1, 11:00 am – 12:30 pm – The Old House Garden

    Have you ever wondered what plants grew outside the door of your old house-and why? Spend the morning of March 1 (11 – 12:30) at Tower Hill Botanic Garden, 11 French Drive in Boylston, delving into plant and garden history, and learn the best resources to research and find those plants today. The free with admission program will be led by sleuths Betsy Williams and Tower Hill Librarian Kathy Bell. For more information visit www.towerhillbg.org.

  • Thursday, August 10, 9:00 am – 11:00 am – Two Centuries of New England Gardens: A Deep Dive into the Sunken Garden at Hamilton House

    On Thursday, August 10 from 9 – 11, explore the history, architecture, and plant species of the romantic Colonial Revival sunken garden at Hamilton House, 40 Vaughan’s Lane in South Berwick, Maine. Learn how you can re-create some of its features at home. Historic New England will sponsor this event.

    $5 Garden and Landscape members; $10 Historic New England members; $20 nonmembers

    Registration required. Garden and Landscape members must call to register. Space is limited. Please call 617-994-6678 or register online at http://shop.historicnewengland.org/HAM-LANDSCAPE-1-7463/.

  • Tuesdays, July 9 – July 30, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm – Chinese Painting and Garden History Workshop

    The Landscape Institute at Boston Architectural College will take a workshop on the road at Elm Bank, 900 Washington Street in Wellesley, on four successive Tuesdays, July 9 – 30, from 6 – 9.  Entitled Chinese Painting and Garden History Workshop, this rich seminar is collaboratively taught by Chinese landscape historian YoYi Chen and landscape painter Ma Qingxiong.  His work is shown below. This unique offering is a creative course, exposing students to historical concepts in Chinese landscape design, such as using multiple viewpoints and evocative juxtapositions, as well as teaching participants to compose artistic landscape ink drawings.  The format is a combination of lectures, demonstrations, and workshop painting in the gardens.  $300.  To register, log on to www.the-bac.edu/LI.

    http://www.maqingxiong.com/images/artwork_landing_1.jpg

  • Tuesday, July 24, 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm – Gertrude Jekyll and the Country House Garden

    Join author and landscape historian Judith Tankard on Tuesday, July 24 at 4 pm at the Polly Hill Arboretum for this talk about her latest book, Gertrude Jekyll and the Country House Garden. This is the first book in over two decades devoted to one of the most important garden designers of the twentieth century. Gertrude Jekyll laid the basis for modern garden design and is credited with popularizing an informal, naturalistic look in counterpoint to the rigid, formal landscapes of the Victorian era. Also known as a prolific and influential writer, Jekyll contributed more than one hundred articles to Country Life and designed three gardens for the publication’s founder, Edward Hudson. As a result, the Country Life archive has an unrivaled record of her work. Tankard, who has spoken twice in the past for The Garden Club of the Back Bay,  has mined this archive resulting in a treasure trove of text and images showcasing the more than 350 gardens created by Jekyll. Book signing and light refreshments to follow.  $20/$15 for PHA members. Generously sponsored by Donaroma’s Nursery.  Register at www.pollyhillarboretum.org.

  • The American Garden Museum Website

    The American Garden Museum is a working archive that celebrates American gardens and their gardeners.  View showcase gardens, explore gardens across America by state (very useful travel tool), see on line exhibits highlighting popular garden designs and trends from 1930 to 1940, focusing primarily on the New England States, such as The Garden Scrap Book of Lois Travis Thornton, and enjoy beautiful, inspirational photographs.  The Botanical Archive allows you to view almost 100 popular and historical garden species by common or Latin name.  Best of all, they want to hear your story, be it a cherished childhood memory, or something profound or amusing.  Visit the site, then send your story to YourStory@AmericanGardenMuseum.com. Image from emmabond.typepad.com.

  • Tuesday, November 17, 7:00 pm – Responsible Gardening for the 21st Century: The Sustainable Landscape

    The Maynard Community Gardeners host noted landscape historian and designer Marie Stella for a discussion on Responsible Gardening for the 21st Century: The Sustainable Landscape.

    Ms. Stella teaches in the Graduate program at The Landscape Institute, Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University, and currently is an adjunct faculty instructor in landscape design at The New York Botanical Garden, and Tower Hill Botanical Garden. She also lectures frequently and leads local and foreign Garden History Tours.  She will be speaking to The Garden Club of the Back Bay in March, in a program co-sponsored by The Wellesley College Friends of Horticulture and the New England Wildflower Society, but this lecture will be on a different topic, so attending on November 17 will not be repetitive.

    Her design firm, Kirin Farm Enterprises specializes in environmental landscapes and in initiatives to foster the preservation of open space.

    Her latest design project is a Platinum certified LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) home and sustainable landscape.

    This lecture is free and open to the public.  For more information, log on to www.maynardgardeners.org, or email info@maynardgardners.org.

    Marie Stella

  • Sunday, November 1, 2:00 pm – An Infinite Variety of Fruit

    Garden History Consultant Christie Higginbottom’s illustrated program at Fruitlands Museum in Harvard, Massachusetts on Sunday, November 1 beginning at 2 pm will explore the role played by apples at the table and on the farm landscape in the past, and will look at the revival of interest today.  The program is free with admission to the Museum.  For more information, log on to www.fruitlands.org.

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  • Wednesday, September 23, 10 am – 12 noon – Four Centuries of Garden History at Strawbery Banke

    Take a special Curator’s tour through New England garden history on Wednesday, September 23 beginning at 10:00 a.m. as the New England Wildflower Society explores the site that Garden Design magazine recognized as one of four sites in the world teaching about change over time in an original landscape. Gardens range from native landscapes and 17th century raised-bed kitchen gardens to high Victorian gardens/hothouse, immigrant gardens, a 100 year-old Colonial  Revival garden, and a Victory Garden from World War II.  The tour focuses on garden trends and historic design as well as heirloom plants and historic use.  Teaching gardens include a Victorian Children’s Garden, Herb garden and heritage orchards. Participants have access to heirloom seeds from the gardens as we progress through the historic and cultural landscapes.  Tour does not include admission to the museum, but participants are encouraged to stay for lunch and an afternoon visit to the site. John Forti will lead the group, limited to 20 participants, and the fee is $18 for NEWFS members and $22 for nonmembers.  To register, and get directions, log on to www.newfs.org or call 508-877-7630.

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