Boston Flora

Tag: garden tour

  • Thursdays, beginning June 25, 3:00 pm – 3:30 pm – Afternoon Garden Live Stream

    Looking for a relaxing afternoon but can’t get to the Stevens-Coolidge Place gardens in person? Tune into Facebook Live every Thursday at 3pm to enjoy a live stream of our gardens. Each week we’ll setup a camera in new location to spot chirping birds, nibbling bunnies and of course flowers! 

    This program is free of charge, but if you are in a position to do so, donations can be submitted using the link below to support The Stevens-Coolidge Place. Thank you from The Trustees:
    thetrustees.org/joinus

  • Friday, June 19 – Sunday, June 21 – Concord Museum’s Virtual Garden Tour

    Friday, June 19 – Sunday, June 21 – Concord Museum’s Virtual Garden Tour

    Originally scheduled to begin on June 5, the Concord Museum’s “31st Annual Garden Tour,” has been re-scheduled to June 19-21 as a virtual tour highlighting some of the finest private gardens in Concord .

    We offer the experience free of charge, but ask you to consider making a donation in support of the Museum’s education initiatives.

    By signing up for the virtual tour, you will receive emails from June 19-21, each including narrated videos of featured gardens, photos and fun facts, gardening tips, DIY projects, and more.

    Register at the website https://concordmuseum.org/ by clicking on “…more information” in the original June 5 announcement.

  • Saturday, July 20, 9:00 am – 2:00 pm – Jamaica Plain Garden Tour

    Saturday, July 20, 9:00 am – 2:00 pm – Jamaica Plain Garden Tour

    Take a peek into private gardens in lovely Jamaica Plain. After a wonderful launch last year, the Second Annual Jamaica Plain Garden Tour features a new selection of lush, expansive private gardens in the Pondside neighborhood of Jamaica Plain. Many of the gardens feature beautiful stonework, as well as unique specimen plants. Proceeds from the tour support Trustees’ community gardens citywide. Members of The Trustees price: $20, nonmembers $25. Day of tour tickets will rise to $24/$30. Start location is JP Licks, 659 Centre Street In Jamaica Plain. Register online at http://www.thetrustees.org/things-to-do/metro-boston/event-46168.html

  • Wednesday, July 18, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm – Summer Stroll Through The Gardens at Elm Bank

    You are invited to a summer stroll through the Gardens at Elm Bank with David Fiske, Massachusetts Horticultural Society’s Garden Curator, on Wednesday, July 18 from 7 – 8:30. He will point out unique specimens such as the early perennials and woody plants, and will show you how to identify plants and understand their growing conditions. The Gardens are located at 900 Washington Street in Wellesley, and the cost is $5 for Mass Hort members, $15 for nonmembers. To reserve call 617-933-4973 or visit http://masshort.org.

    Image result for david fiske mass hort

  • Friday, July 13, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm – Nauset Garden Club Garden Tour: An Edible Landscape

    Fruit trees and berry bushes are scattered among plots of veggies and wildflowers, providing food for pollinators as well as food for the gardeners. The four-season beauty of these trees and bushes are especially lovely when they flower in the spring, are fun to observe as they produce their various fruits in the summer and then turn lovely colors for autumn, and have beautiful profiles in the winter. Visitors are likely to leave with an edible souvenir, depending on what’s ready for harvest. More importantly, we hope they will be inspired to try a bit of edible landscaping on their own property. “Discretionary” is the best accessibility description. It’s neither Accessible nor Difficult, but there is a sloped, unpaved pathway down from the street. Image from Country Living Magazine. For address and more information contact http://www.nausetgardenclub.com/contact/ The proceeds from the garden tour will benefit the Nauset Garden Club. Admission:$5 per garden, Rain or Shine.

    Image result for edible garden

  • Saturday, June 16, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm – South End Garden Tour

    Procure your tickets for the 25th Annual South End Garden Tour, Saturday, June 16th, 10:00AM – 4:00PM.  Enjoy a mix of public and private spaces including private back yards, front gardens, roof deck gardens, community gardens, and neighborhood ‘pocket parks.’ This always-popular neighborhood event provides an opportunity to explore some of the South End’s most spectacular private outdoor spaces. Thread through alleys and walkways for a self-guided, behind-the-scenes look at gardens ranging from intimate, informal, and even quirky spaces designed by resident gardeners, to the work of noted landscape designers — many of which are open to the public only on the day of this tour.

    The tour rotates through the neighborhood opening new gardens every year. This year’s tour starts at the South End branch of the Boston Public Library and features gardens in an area bounded by Dartmouth St., Columbus Ave., Rutland Sq., and Tremont St. Tickets for the event can be purchased in advance for $24 for Members of the Trustees and $30 for Nonmembers or at the door for $28 for Members of the Trustees and $35 for Nonmembers.

    Tickets may be purchased online at http://thetrustees.org/SEGT  Event Contact: Peter Bowne; 617-869-6720 or pbowne@thtrustees.org

    Image result for South End Garden Boston

  • Saturday, June 24 and Saturday, August 12, 12:00 noon – 4:00 pm – Celebrate Native Plants Tour

    From paths, to ponds, to pocket gardens – from borders, to backyards, to botanical gardens, native plant gardens are a growing trend! Join the Ecological Landscape Alliance (ELA) as we Celebrate Native Plants at designer-guided, homeowner-guided, or self-guided tours of private and public gardens that celebrate the beauty and ecosystem value of native plants and ecological practices.

    These two ELA Eco-tours (June 24 and August 12, from noon – 4) will:

    Feature gardens designed entirely or primarily with native plants.
    Educate attendees about the increasing options and applications for native plants.
    Demonstrate that native plant gardens can be beautiful as well as functional.
    Share insights into native plant combinations and gardening techniques.
    Discuss strategies for transforming sections of lawn into a biodiverse landscape.
    Promote native plant gardens as a safe haven for birds, butterflies, and native pollinators.
    Answer questions about native plants and habitat restoration.

    Thanks to generous homeowners, landscape designers, and area organizations, ELA invites you to join us for inspiration and education on these special tours to native plant gardens. The tours are free, but pre-registration to each garden is required. Some gardens have limited access, so register early. Free. For details on the gardens, which are located in Dennis, Andover, Newton, Framingham, Melrose, Concord, Lincoln, Wayland, Amesbury, Needham, Boston and more, and to register, go to http://www.ecolandscaping.org/event/celebrating-native-plants/2017-06-24/#sthash.yBiKt21P.dpuf

  • Saturday, June 17, 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm – Lush, Lovely, and Lawn-Free Gardens

    There is an exciting new trend in ecological landscape design that goes by many names lawn-free, no-mow, or lawn-alternative gardens. The incentives are many: lower maintenance, water conservation, reduced fertilizer/chemical use, increased biodiversity/habitat, and the greatest incentive – the stunning diversity of gardens!

    Carol Spitzer has been designing lawn-free gardens for many years and invites you to join her on Saturday, June 17 from 5 – 7 on a unique walking tour in Brookline Village. On this tour, we will walk through three different front yards where the existing lawns were removed and replaced with shrubs, perennials, groundcovers, and walkways. In all three projects, there were existing trees and plants that were incorporated into the new landscape.

    Each lawn-free project is different and comes with its own unique set of challenges. One of Carol’s projects included side-by-side condos whose owners had differing opinions about plant materials. A second project required a more welcoming landing and front steps, as well as a new walking path to the driveway. In addition to these three gardens designed by Carol, we will walk down an adjacent street, to view several other examples of lawn-free front yards.

    Lawn-free gardens require a fraction of the maintenance time of traditional lawns; provide a rich palette of color; introduce contrasting textures and fragrance; and increase curb appeal. Join us to explore lawn-alternative gardens and consider the rich tapestry that awaits in your own yard makeover.

    If you toured these gardens with Carol a couple of seasons ago, join us again to view the changes taking place as these landscapes continue to grow and thrive. Registrations are limited, reserve your space today! Ecological Landscape Alliance members $20, nonmembers $30.

    Carol Spitzer has been designing residential gardens in Brookline, Newton and greater Boston since 2002. She is a graduate of the Landscape Institute and has a commitment to use ecological design approaches and native plants whenever possible. Carol recently shared her landscape expertise in the ELA Newsletter article: Small Urban Gardens: Big Challenges, Greater Rewards. She may be reached at Carol Spitzer Landscape Design.

    See more at: http://www.ecolandscaping.org/event/lush-lovely-lawn-free-gardens-2/#sthash.LlUTIbXP.dpuf

  • Saturday and Sunday, June 24 & 25, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm – Gardening with the Masters Tour

    You are invited to attend the University of Rhode Island Master Gardener Program’s (URIMGP) eighth biennial Gardening with the Masters Tour, to be held Saturday and Sunday, June 24 and 25 from 10 – 4. Once you register ($20 per person, before June 15, please, at http://web.uri.edu/mastergardener/tour/, you will receive a tour guide booklet which serves as your two-day admission ticket to 26 beautiful gardens, 17 of which have not been seen on any previous URIMGP garden tour.

    Each garden is unique. Some gardens are designed to attract pollinators and beneficial insects, while others are kitchen gardens with the perfect soil recipe to produce a bounty of vegetables. Every garden has evolved over the years, reflecting the changing interests and lifelong learning of its gardener. After visiting these gardens, we hope you’ll be inspired to go home and try something new. So ask questions, bring your camera, take notes, but most importantly enjoy the beauty created in these gardens!

    The inspiring gardens on the tour are created and maintained by certified URI Master Gardener volunteers. The host gardener has successfully completed a 14-week training program offered by URI Cooperative Extension as well as a volunteer internship. These certified URI Master Gardeners volunteer on educational projects and continually upgrade their horticultural knowledge by attending research- based classes each year. They have opened their gardens to you as a teaching tool, because our mission is to help local residents choose environmentally-sound gardening practices! The proceeds from this event will benefit the URI Master Gardener Program’s public education activities throughout the state.

  • Friday, June 2 – Saturday, June 10 – Southern France: Artists and Their Eden

    You’re invited to join Pacific Horticulture as we experience the remarkable beauty, gardens, and culture of Provence June 2 – 10 2017. We’ll visit scenic villages and local markets, and of course, savor the region’s cuisine. In addition to the magnificent natural beauty of this region, our tour offers a look at the work of renowned landscape artists and explores gardens, views and vistas that inspired the artwork of Renoir, Cezanne, van Gogh, Matisse, Chagall, Bonnard, Gauguin, and Picasso.

    Amy Larue, an American expat who lives in Paris and is married to a Frenchman, will be our guide for this tour. Amy has a deep understanding and enthusiasm for the French culture. She is an experienced guide, florist extraordininaire, and a judge for the prestigious Bagatelle rose garden trials. Space is limited to 24 guests and our tour will be escorted by Linda McKendry, experienced traveler, garden designer, and PHS board member. Image from www.roamingtravelers.wordpress.com.

    Registration for this tour is now open. For complete itinerary details and information about booking this trip click http://www.sterlingtoursltd.com/France2017.html