Boston Flora

Tag: Garden in the Woods

  • Saturday, May 16, 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm – Designed with Natives

    Come with The New England Wild Flower Society on Saturday, May 16 from 1 – 4 as we explore three designed landscapes in Lexington, Massachusetts, that were created almost entirely with native plants. We’ll visit a garden at Lexington High School, winner of the Society’s Public Landscaping Award; a semiprivate slope meant to be viewed from inside a building; and instructor Karen Longeteig’s home garden. Refreshments will be served following the tour. $28 for NEWFS members, $35 for nonmembers. Register online at http://www.newfs.org/learn/our-programs/designed-with-natives. Picture from www.goingnativegardens.com.

  • Thursdays, April 30, May 14, May 28, and June 11, 1:00 pm – 3:30 pm – Native Herbaceous Plant Materials: Early Season

    Jessie Panek of the New England Wild Flower Society will teach a series of classes on Thursdays, April 30, May 14, May 28 and June 11 from 1 – 3:30 at Garden in the Woods in Framingham. Discover numerous native perennials suitable for New England gardens. We’ll look at native herbaceous plants that bloom in spring and early summer, focusing on how to use them effectively to create beautiful landscapes and gardens. Be prepared to walk in the Garden each day. This class is appropriate for landscape professionals and avid home gardeners. It is a companion to Native Herbaceous Plant Materials: Late Season, but can be taken separately. $154 for members of NEWFS, $182 for nonmembers. Register on line at http://www.newfs.org/learn/our-programs/native-herbaceous-plant-materials-early-season.

  • Friday, May 8, 8:00 am – 4:30 pm – Naturalistic Garden Symposium

    “What’s past is prologue.” After decades of landscape design that emphasized form over function, often at the expense of environmental quality, it is now commonplace for our landscapes to reflect many of the principles developed by early 20th-century naturalistic landscape designers like Warren Manning and Will Curtis, founder of Garden in the Woods. Learn about the intriguing connections between the wild gardens of old and the new naturalism of today, and about the plants that support our efforts to develop beautiful, ecologically-sensitive gardens, on Friday, May 8, at the New England Wild Flower Society’s Naturalistic Garden Symposium. The day will include:

    Wild Gardens: Past, Present, and Future
    Rick Darke, President of RICK DARKE LLC, a Pennsylvania-based consulting firm that blends art, ecology, and cultural geography in the design and management of living landscapes

    William Robinson’s 1870 classic The Wild Garden challenged tradition by suggesting that managed, self-perpetuating plant populations were essential to resource-conserving gardens. This concept resonated with progressive British, northern European, and American gardeners alike, inspiring diverse naturalistic designs. Rick Darke will look at how wild gardening has evolved and why it is more relevant than ever to today’s and tomorrow’s conservation-based gardens.

    The Natural History of Spring Wildflowers: A Closer Look
    Carol Gracie, naturalist and author of Spring Wildflowers of the Northeast: A Natural History

    The wildflowers that brighten our woodlands in spring are more than just a delight for the eye and a lift for the winter-weary spirit. Each has a role in the environment, including interesting interactions with pollinators and seed dispersers. Learn about the fascinating life histories of some favorite spring wildflowers as we examine them in depth.

    A Sense of Where You Are: Finding a New Naturalism
    Tobias Wolf, award-winning landscape architect and the owner of Wolf Landscape Architecture

    What if we asked our landscapes to do more than just look good? Gardens and landscapes can support biodiversity, cleanse and absorb stormwater, and improve soil health. Just as important, they can invite us outdoors and help us feel connected to the world around us. Landscape architect Tobias Wolf will share his experience in shaping landscapes that combine ecological performance with a distinct sense of time and place. He will show how urban and suburban landscapes can incorporate the qualities we value in wild places, and how design that is informed by the structure and function of native plant communities can bring new vitality to public spaces and private gardens.

    Registration includes continental breakfast and lunch. $92 for NEWFS members, $115 for nonmembers. Register online at http://www.newfs.org/learn/our-programs/naturalistic-garden-symposium.

  • Sunday, April 12, 1:30 pm – 4:30 pm – Pruning: How, When, Where

    Early spring is an excellent time to prune many woody plants. In this New England Wild Flower Society hands-on workshop, participants will work in small groups and receive instruction on how to prune woody plants. Discover ways to enhance a plant’s vigor, health, and appearance, and learn which tools to use, when to prune, and how plants respond. Bring hand pruners, dress in outdoor work clothes, and come prepared for the elements. Class will be held Sunday, April 12 from 1:30 – 4:30 at Garden in the Woods in Framingham, and will be led by Deborah Howe, landscape architect and President of Lighthall Company. $40 for NEWFS members, $48 for nonmembers. Register online at http://www.newenglandwild.org/learn/our-programs/pruning-how-when-where.

  • Wednesday, April 1, 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm – Green Roofs and Living Walls

    Living roofs and walls are popping up everywhere, in social media, magazines, and in our cities. What are they? How do they work? Can you have one? Landscape designer Trevor Smith will explain it all: the pros and cons of the different systems on the market, his successes and failures, and the steps you must follow to take your garden to new heights. The lecture takes place at Garden in the Woods, Hemenway Road in Framingham, on Wednesday, April 1, from 6:30 – 7:30 and is co-sponsored by the New England Wild Flower Society and the Ecological Landscape Alliance. $20 for members of sponsoring organizations, $25 for nonmembers. Register online at http://www.newenglandwild.org/learn/our-programs/green-roofs-and-living-walls.  Image from www.houzz.com.

  • Thursday, March 19, Saturday, March 21, and Monday, March 23 – New England Wild Flower Society Volunteer Training Days

    The New England Wild Flower Society is looking for volunteers for the 2015 spring/summer season. Volunteering is an opportunity to enjoy nature, develop new skills, and make new friends.

    Volunteer opportunities range from guiding to gardening to office work and plant conservation. Currently, NEWFS is seeking dedicated and enthusiastic volunteers to join the Garden Guide program, touring children and adults through Garden in the Woods. The Society is looking for friendly and outgoing volunteers who want to educate others on the beauty and importance of native plants.

    Garden Guides lead both scheduled and informal drop-in tours during the Garden’s open season, from April 12 to October 31. Adult Guides may lead just weekday tours or just weekend tours, or they may sign-up to do both. Children’s Guides lead tours only during the week. Guide Training is provided, and begins on March 19 for Children’s Garden Guides, on March 21 for Weekend Adult Garden Guides, and on March 23 for Weekday Adult Guides.

    Guides enjoy opportunities to learn, to grow as individuals, to share with others who have similar interests, to enjoy a beautiful setting, and to contribute to the cause of native plant conservation. Special programs are offered free to volunteers such as garden tours, lectures, workshops, and brown-bag lunches.

    If you are interested in becoming a Garden Guide, or have an interest in our other volunteer opportunities, please contact the Director of Public Programs, education@newenglandwild.org, 508-877-7630 ext. 3302.

  • Wednesday, March 25, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm – Organic Pest Management

    Too often, a gardener’s response to insect pests or diseases is eradication, when all that’s really necessary is a little patience. Native plant gardens contribute to local ecosystems in myriad ways, but we limit their value when we apply pesticides. Learn how the horticulturists at Garden in the Woods use organic practices to manage plant health care in the Garden and how you can do the same at home, in this class led by Mark Richardson on Wednesday, March 25 from 6 – 9. Fee is $40 for members of the New England Wild Flower Society, $48 for nonmembers. Register online at http://www.newenglandwild.org/learn/our-programs/organic-pest-management.

  • Thursday, March 12, 10:00 am – 12:00 noon – Native Edibles and Herbals

    Whether you are interested in healthy, novel, or unusual foods, or are simply interested in applying botany to your everyday life, this New England Wild Flower Society class will enhance your knowledge of native edibles and herbals. From cucumber root to Oswego tea, wild edibles and medicinal plants are everywhere. In this program, students will learn how to recognize and utilize them. Dan Jaffe and Anna Fialkoff will address safe and sustainable best practices as they explore common, rare, and threatened species for forage and cultivation. The class will be held at Garden in the Woods in Framingham on Thursday, March 12, from 10 – 12, and is $26 for NEWFS members, $32 for nonmembers. Register on line at http://www.newfs.org/learn/our-programs/native-edibles-and-herbals. Picture from www.earthworkprograms.com.

  • Monday, March 2 & Wednesday, March 4, 6:30 pm – 9:00 pm, and Saturday, March 7, 9:30 am – 1:30 pm – Bones of the Garden: Strengthening the Design

    Every memorable landscape has something in common — strong “bones.” The placement of trees and shrubs creates form, directs movement, and organizes the garden. Learn to situate and integrate these stately elements into the cultivated landscape. Explore the concepts of scale, the creation of space, and the impact of change over time. You will experience first-hand how understanding these concepts can change your approach. Using this knowledge, you will develop your own site-specific design and receive feedback on design structure and plant combinations. During the final session of this New England Wild Flower Society course, inspect the “bones” of Garden in the Woods with a late winter walk. The three session class will be held Monday, March 2 and Wednesday, March 4 from 6:30 – 9, and on Saturday, March 7, from 9:30 – 1:30, and will be taught by Cheryl Salatino. Fee is $138 for NEWFS members, $163 for nonmembers. Register online at http://www.newenglandwild.org/learn/our-programs/bones-of-the-garden-strengthening-the-design. Image from https://www.jardins-sans-secret.com.

  • Wednesday, February 25, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm – Amazing Alpine Communities of the Northeast

    The high alpine summits of New England, New York, and eastern Canada contribute significantly to the plant, bird, and invertebrate diversity of northeastern North America. Well-known summits such as Mount Washington have been the focus of ecological inquiry since the early 1800s. Beyond the Presidential Range and such other well-known mountains as Katahdin, Mont Jacques-Cartier, and Gros Morne are many little-known eastern alpine mountain ranges, unified by the treeless alpine communities on their slopes and summits but facing their own unique conservation challenges. Join New England Wild Flower Society on Wednesday, February 25 from 7 – 8:30 at Garden in the Woods for a presentation and lecture on the natural history of the lesser-known alpine ecosystems of Québec, Labrador, and Newfoundland and for a book signing by Liz Willey and Mike Jones, editors of the Eastern Alpine Guide: Natural History and Conservation of Mountain Tundra East of the Rockies and co-founders of Beyond Ktaadn (beyondktaadn.org). $13 for NEWFS members, $15 for nonmembers.  Register online at http://www.newenglandwild.org/learn/our-programs/amazing-alpine-communities-of-the-northeast.