Boston Flora

Tag: Great Dixter

  • Saturday, March 2, 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm – Berkshire Botanical Garden 27th Annual Winter Lecture: Biodiversity at Great Dixter with Fergus Garrett

    Come to Lenox Memorial Middle and High School in Lenox, Massachusetts on Saturday, March 2, from 2 to 4 p.m., for Berkshire Botanical Garden’s 27th annual Winter Lecture — Biodiversity at Great Dixter: How a Flower Garden Can Support Some of the UK’s Most Threatened Species. The lecture is in-person only, at Lenox Middle and High School. However, a recording can be sent after the event upon request.

    We welcome Fergus Garrett, the CEO and head gardener at Great Dixter House and Gardens. Great Dixter was the family home of gardener and gardening writer Christopher Lloyd. It was the focus of his energy and enthusiasm and fueled over 40 years worth of books and articles. Now under the stewardship of the Great Dixter Charitable Trust and Christopher’s friend and head gardener, Fergus Garrett, Great Dixter is an historic house, a garden, a center of education, and a place of pilgrimage for horticulturists from across the world. The garden at Great Dixter is known for the way in which it merges the natural and the cultivated world. Its long grass, scattered ponds, old walls and changing flower borders provide a rich environment for all manner of fauna and flora.

    Fergus Garrett was born in Brighton to an English father and Turkish mother. He spent his formative years in Istanbul, Turkey. Upon returning to the UK, he went to school in Brighton and then studied horticulture at Wye College, University of London. He joined Christopher Lloyd as his Head Gardener in 1993.

    BBG members $40, nonmembers $55. Register at www.berkshirebotanical.org.

  • Wednesday, January 18, 7:00 pm – 8:15 pm, Eastern – A Garden Odyssey: In Search of the World’s Most Creative Gardens, Online

    Imagine traveling the world passionately searching for the most exquisite and creatively designed gardens. Now imagine having the time and resources that would enable you to escape the daily demands of life and offer the chance to focus entirely on studying and becoming engrossed in every aspect of these gardens.

    Baltimore landscape architect Scott C. Scarfone was given just such an opportunity through a research fellowship awarded by Philadelphia’s famous Chanticleer Garden, renowned for its cutting-edge horticultural and creative planting practices. During the year-long fellowship, Scarfone focused his efforts on expanding his knowledge of society and culture as expressed through the gardens’ physical representations and intrinsic meanings.

    His travels led him to England to garden at Great Dixter with the late Christopher Lloyd, a noted gardening writer and horticulturist; to Italy to visit the gardens of the Renaissance era; to Japan’s ancient gardens of Kyoto and Nara; to Thailand to study eastern philosophy and garden design; to Costa Rica to view tropical vegetation in a native rainforest environment; to California to study Mediterranean plants in a design style that only that state can boast; and his most recent trip to Morocco to visit the amazing sculpture gardens of Anima. 

    Join Scarfone on Zoom with Smithsonian Associates on January 18 at 7 pm Eastern as he shares stories from his excursions across the globe, illustrated by views and discussion of some of the most prolific gardens ever created. $25 for Smithsonian Associates members, $30 for nonmembers. Register HERE.

    Great Dixter

  • Friday, January 21, 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm Eastern – Shaking Off the Historical Shackles: Make or Break, Online

    The wealth and patronage of the nineteenth century provided a rich horticultural canvas that was undermined by the wars and then weather catastrophes such as the 1987 great storm. However, rather than look back here The Gardens Trust rejoices in seven that display a contemporary verve that sets the scene for the future. The most colorful and yet contrasting are Great Dixter and the newly restored Leonardslee, both hugely popular inspirational sites. Often inspiration flourishes in the hands of keen private gardeners as can be admired at Fairlight End on the maritime edges of the High Weald, and, tucked in across this unique region, Falconhurst, Goddards Green, Upper Pryors and Wych Warren await discovery.

    Featured landscapes and gardens: Fairlight End, Falconhurst, Goddards Green, Great Dixter, Leonardslee, Upper Pryors, and Wych Warren. The lecture will take place online on January 21 at 2 pm Eastern, and is £5 through Eventbrite. Register at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/where-the-wildness-pleases-shaking-off-the-historical-shackles-tickets-169776430875

  • Saturday, June 16, 4:00 pm – Digging Deeper: Succession Planting for Mere Mortals

    Join Michael B. Gordon on Saturday, June 16 at 4 pm for a walking tour of his garden (14 High Street, Peterborough, NH) where he will reveal how he has incorporated a simplified version of the succession planting concepts used by the late Christopher Lloyd and Fergus Garrett at Great Dixter, England, in his small private garden. Michael will explain how he uses combinations of woody and herbaceous plants to extend the season as long as he possibly can in New Hampshire. The talk will be of interest to the plantsman as well as the designer. Refreshments will be served. Michael B. Gordon is an optometrist by profession but a gardener by obsession. He has designed public gardens in Peterborough for nearly two decades. He has a passion for visiting gardens in the United States and abroad. Each year, he leads a tour of English Gardens and brings back ideas for his own garden.

    Registration is required and space is limited. This Garden Conservancy program is $30 for Conservancy members, $35 for nonembers.  Your registration includes Open Days admission to this garden destination—a $7 value. The Garden of Michael & Betsy Gordon will be open to general Open Days visitors on this date from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

    Image result for Michael B. Gordon garden Peterborough

  • Tuesday, June 19, 9:00 am – 4:30 pm – Two Fabulous Gardens in Washington, Connecticut

    Visit two fabulous gardens in Washington, Connecticut in one day with Berkshire Botanical Garden: the beautiful, panoramic Highmeadows Garden (pictured), the private estate of fashion designer Linda Allard, and Hollister House, an American interpretation of such classic English gardens as Sissinghurst, Great Dixter and Hidcote. Linda Allard will provide a tour of her gardens at Highmeadows. A tour of Hollister House will be led by head gardener Krista Adams. The trip will take place Tuesday, June 19, from 9 – 4:30. $50 for BBG members, $65 for nonmembers. Participants should bring a lunch and dress for the weather. Transportation to and from BBG included in price and time. Register at https://www.berkshirebotanical.org/events/site-field-study-washington-connecticuts-two-fabulous-gardens

  • Saturday, September 9, 8:00 am – 6:00 pm – Garden Study Weekend VII Symposium: The Exuberant Garden

    Be inspired by a day long symposium on Saturday, September 9 at the Hollister House Garden, 300 Nettleton Hollow Road in Washington, Connecticut,
    featuring:

    Jacqueline van der Kloet – The celebrated Dutch landscape designer will talk about Magical Mixes in the garden. She is known world wide for her innovative designs and her artful combinations of perennials and bulbs in the garden, She has worked on projects ranging from private gardens and city parks to national and international flower exhibitions. She is also the author of nine books, including Colour Your Garden. In this talk Jacqueline will show us her own garden in Weesp as well as her many international projects.

    Tom Coward – Tom will speak on leading the restoration of William Robinson’s legendary gardens at Gravetye Manor, where he has been the head gardener in Sussex, England since 2010. Previously he was assistant head gardener at Great Dixter, working under Fergus Garrett. The gardens at Gravetye Manor were first developed in the 1880’s by the legendary gardener William Robinson, who wrote some of the most influential gardening books of his generation, and used the landscape at Gravetye to put his ideas into practice. Over the past seven years Coward has led a team working to restore the historical detail of the site, renovating the garden to its former glory while attempting to move it forward into the modern age.

    Andrew Bunting – Andrew Bunting, Assistant Director and Director of Collections at Chicago Botanic Garden, is an expert on woody plants and author on Plant Lover’s Guide to Magnolias. Prior to coming to Chicago, he was curator at the Scott Arboretum at Swarthmore College, and is past President of the Magnolia Society International. Andrew will describe the many and diverse magnolias that can be cultivated in the Northeast.

    Jane Garmey– Jane is a noted author and passionate gardener, author of Private Gardens of the Hudson Valley, and Private Gardens of Connecticut. She will speak on A Sense of Place: Challenges, Approaches and Solutions to Creating Gardens. She has also written about gardens for The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. Her newest book, City Green, will be published next year. In this talk she will give us an inside look at a wide variety of private gardens and will focus on the challenges facing those who set out to make their own gardens and show how inventive and individual their solutions can be.

    The symposium is moderated by Todd Forrest, Arthur Ross Vice President for Horticulture and Living Collections at New York Botanical Garden.

    Each reservation includes continental breakfast and lunch at the symposium and cocktails and preview buying at the Sale of Rare and Unusual Plants at Hollister House Garden. The Heritage Hotel has reserved a block of rooms for symposium attendees ($129 + tax) per night. To reserve please call 203-264-8200 and mention Hollister House Garden to secure this special rate.

    Patron $500 – includes invitation to the speaker dinner on Friday evening at Hollister House Garden and reserved seating at the symposium. ($200 of this ticket is tax deductible)
    Friend $185 – HHG and Garden Conservancy members
    Non-members $200
    No cancellations after August 1. To register, visit https://app.etapestry.com/onlineforms/HollisterHouseGardenInc/symposium.html

  • Berkshire Botanical Garden’s Center House Entry Garden Competition

    The Berkshire Botanical Garden (BBG) is launching a call for proposals to select a designer or design team to help create a new entry garden on its 15-acre property. This call for proposals is open to all students currently enrolled in an accredited landscape architecture program in the United States and Canada. Entrants can be individuals or teams of students.

    BBG is seeking an innovative proposal that will complement the design of its newly restored and expanded Center House building and surrounding established garden areas. The c. 4,000 sq.ft. Entry Garden area will become the new gateway for tens of thousands of annual visitors touring the Garden, attending special events on BBG grounds and inside the Center House, and participating in BBG’s varied horticultural and educational programs that take place year-round.

    The deadline to submit proposals electronically is May 19, 2017 at 5pm EDT. (A preliminary Registration Form and a $50 registration fee must first be submitted by April 17, 2017 at 5pm EDT.)

    Any applications submitted after the May 19, 2017 deadline will not be accepted.

    For further information, please contact:

    Michael Beck
    Executive Director
    Berkshire Botanical Garden
    P.O. Box 826
    Stockbridge, MA 01262
    competition@berkshirebotanical.org

    The winning design will be selected by a five-member jury made up of independent designers, horticulturalists, and landscape architects, on the basis of the creative response to the design brief as well as originality and clarity of the concept and the creative approach. The winning submission must take into consideration the specifics of the site, the challenges of the location, BBG’s estimated project implementation budget and timeline, the demands on ongoing maintenance, and the programming envisioned by BBG for the garden area and the adjoining Center House building.

    The winning design and two runners up will be announced on June 2, 2017 on the competition website and through local and regional news media. All participants will receive the results of the competition via email.

    The winning design proposal will be used as the basis for the new Center House Entry Garden that will be built beginning in the fall of 2017. BBG’s staff and design consultants will provide feedback on the concept described in the winning submission, and will work with the winning designer(s) towards a final design and construction drawings, which must be finalized by July 7, 2017.

    April 3, 2017— Registration Opens
    April 17, 2017— Online registration and fee payment deadline
    Interested designers submit contact information and nonrefundable processing fee of $50 to BBG
    April 24, 2017— Deadline for questions to BBG
    Registered designers are invited to submit questions to BBG at any point from time of registration until 5pm EDT. BBG’s answers to all questions will be posted on the competition site on a rolling basis, but no later than April 28, 2017
    May 19, 2017— Deadline for competition submission (electronic)
    Registrants submit design materials electronically
    June 2, 2017— Announcement of winner and runners-up
    June 2-July 7, 2017— Development period for winning project
    Winning designer or team to work with BBG and BBG’s design consultants on details of design. BBG has engaged Landscape Architects Okerstrom Lang Ltd. to draft all construction documents.
    July 7, 2017— Construction drawings for winning project finalized by Okerstrom Lang Ltd.
    August, 2017— Dedication of Center House Building and presentation of winning Entry Garden design to the public
    Winning designer or representative of winning design team will be invited to attend. Exact date will be dependent on building construction schedule.
    September, 2017— Construction begins for Entry Garden
    May 6, 2018— Dedication of new entry garden on first day of 2018 visiting season at BBG

    The Jury:

    Page Dickey, Writer and Garden Designer (Falls Village, CT)
    Fergus Garrett, Head Gardener at Great Dixter Garden and CEO, The Great Dixter Charitable Trust (East Sussex, United Kingdom)
    Renny Reynolds, Landscape Architect and Co-Owner of Hortulus Farm (Bucks County, PA)
    Mark E. Strieter, Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects (New York, NY and Charlottesville, VA)
    Matthew Urbanski, Principal, Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates Inc., (New York, NY)

    The winning designer will be awarded an honorarium of $1,500. Two runners-up will each receive $750. These three designs will be exhibited at BBG during the summer of 2017, and BBG will seek to publicize the designs through local, regional and national media channels.

    BBG plans to have a design development and construction budget of $100,000 available to implement the Center House Entry Garden. However, we reserve the right not to implement the design based on unforeseen future funding constraints or for any other reason.

  • Monday, July 7 – Friday, July 18 – Great English Gardens & the Hampton Court Flower Show

    England is famous for its gardens. The Pacific Horticulture itinerary includes vast stunning landscapes of Capability Brown, the extraordinary designs of Tim Smit and John Brookes, as well as exquisite, small cottage gardens where you can chat with the owners. You’ll visit Sissinghurst Castle, Wisley, Great Dixter, Denmans, Heligans, Hever Castle, Hampton Court Palace — where you’ll take in the spectacular Hampton Court Flower Show featuring creative display gardens and horticultural exhibits — Hestercombe, and more.

    Greg Graves, PHS board member will escort this tour, taking place Monday, July 7 – Friday, July 18. The tour is under development at this time; contact Sterling Tours to be notified of a full itinerary once it is completed.  See more at: http://www.pacifichorticulture.org/tours/great-english-gardens-the-hampton-court-flower-show/#sthash.KEcGyayJ.dpuf

    http://www.specialgrouptours.com//srv/htdocs/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/5902542806_5750d4f752_b-800x533.jpg

  • May, 2012 – The Gardens of England and the Chelsea Flower Show 2012

    May, 2012 – The Gardens of England and the Chelsea Flower Show 2012

    Peggy Coonley invites you to join her annual tour of  The Gardens of England and the Chelsea Flower Show 2012, a thoughtful itinerary  created for savvy women travelers who appreciate the culture of classic Britain.  You will visit notable beloved English gardens and The Royal Horticultural Society’s famous Chelsea Flower Show on RHS Member’s only day.  The itinerary is artfully arranged to include Sissinghurst in Kent and Hidcote in The Cotswolds, two of the world’s beloved gardens.  You will visit The Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art at Kew, take a docent led tour at Wisley, and relish your visit to Scotney Castle and Great Dixter.  We take Tea at The Ritz in London and attend the theatre.  Women who love to garden will be inspired by England’s pastoral beauty, history and the pure pleasure of taking time for tea.  Whether yours is a secret garden behind a wall, a wildflower meadow open to the sea or a courtyard plot in the urban landscape, you will be enchanted.  Serendipity Traveler takes time to savour classic British country living, the history and diverse landscapes of London, Kent, Bath and The Cotswolds. This trip is for women who appreciate the fine art of traveling well with a smaller group. For complete details please call Serendipity Traveler’s President, Peggy Coonley in Rockport, Mass. 978 879 7464 or reserve easily online at  www.serendipitytraveler.com.

  • Sunday, June 27, 12:00 noon – 2:00 pm – Fergus Garrett: The Spirit of Great Dixter

    Join Blithewold Mansion Gardens & Arboretum supporters on Sunday, June 27, at 12 noon, for tea and a talk by special guest Fergus Garrett, Head Gardener of Great Dixter, the house and garden of the late world renowned horticulturist Christopher Lloyd. Located near Northiam in East Sussex, England, Great Dixter’s gardens are regarded as the epitome of English plantsmanship. The property is particularly noted for its wealth of perennials and extensive topiary. Fergus will speak about all aspects of Great Dixter, from its garden color, planting combinations and meadows, to the house and its interiors. He will include an account of his apprenticeship to the great “Christo”. Fergus is also a well known author and authority on innovative garden design in his own right.

    Tea and scones from Russ Morin Caterers is included in the price of admission, which is $35 for Blithewold Members, and $45 for non-members. Blithewold is located at 101 Ferry Road in Bristol, Rhode Island.

    Learn more about the history of Great Dixter and Fergus Garrett’s work developing and preserving its gardens at www.greatdixter.co.uk. To register, log on to www.blithewold.org, or call Julie Murphy, Education Coordinator, at 401-253-2707, ext. 16. You may also email her at jmurphyedu@blithewold.org. Identify yourself as a member of the Garden Club of the Back Bay (if you are, of course), and receive a special discount.

    http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N7dFOZ91fkM/S2tVm3EILpI/AAAAAAAABkA/UoKMLd6hb7Q/s400/FergusGarrett2006.jpg