Boston Flora

Tag: Harvard

  • Saturday, January 30, 9 am – 4 pm – Grafting Techniques for Ornamental Trees

    Join Plant Propagator Jack Alexander at the Dana Greenhouses at the Arnold Arboretum on Saturday, January 30 at 9 am for this day long workshop sponsored by the Arnold Arboretum. Grafting is the technique of joining parts of plants in such a manner that they unite and continue their growth as one plant. It is sometimes the most practical propagation method for the hobbyist, since it does not require special conditions or equipment. This workshop will teach methods of grafting and offer practice in making graft unions from actual plant material. You will graft both deciduous and evergreen trees and shrubs. The plants may include two- or five-needled pines and crabapples. (Simple aftercare will be required until planting out in late spring.) If you own pruning shears or a grafting knife, please bring them to class. You must sign an assumption-of-risk-and-release form in order to practice the techniques taught in class (yes, you can cut yourself if you’re not careful!)
    Fee $90  Arboretum member, $110 nonmember.  To register, log on to www.arboretum.harvard.edu.

    http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/images/bud-grafting.jpg

  • Saturday, January 23, 9 am – 12 noon – Pruning in Winter

    Join Jen Kettell, Horticultural Technologist at the Arnold Arboretum, on Saturday, January 23 at 9:00 a.m. in the Hunnewell Building at the Arboretum for this single session pruning workshop. With no leaves on the branches to obscure your view, this is the best time of year to study a tree’s structure and shape it for improved air circulation, silhouette, and strength. Jen Kettell, an International Society of Arboriculture-certified arborist and accredited Organic Land Care professional, will explain the reasons for pruning and what to consider when pruning dormant trees, shrubs, and vines. She will demonstrate techniques, give guidelines for determining which plants benefit from winter pruning, and explain how plants heal from pruning wounds, even when dormant. Bring your questions to this classroom discussion and demonstration. Fee $30 Arnold Arboretum member, $35 nonmember.  To register, or for more information, log on to www.arboretum.harvard.edu.

    winter branches by finna dat.

  • Sunday, October 25, 9:00 am – 1:00 pm – Identifying the 25 Most Common Trees in Boston

    Just how dumb do you feel when someone says “You’re in the Garden Club.  What’s this tree called?” Perhaps you smile and say it’s a native Eastern whortleberry.  Lie no more. In just a few hours on Sunday, October 25,  you can learn to identify 90 percent of the trees growing in Boston, both native and nonnative (like the ailanthus, below). Beginning in the classroom in the Hunnewell Building at the Arnold Arboretum, you will briefly review the characteristics of the 25 most common trees and learn the botanical terminology necessary to describe them. You will then walk the grounds of the Arboretum to look at mature specimens of these trees. Your instructor is Kyle Port, Manager of Plant Records at the Arboretum. To register, log on to www.arboretum.harvard.edu.
    Fee $45 Arnold Arboretum member, $55 nonmember.

    http://extension.entm.purdue.edu/CAPS/pestInfo/pics/big/treeHeaven1.jpg

  • Saturday, November 7, 10 am – 12:30 pm – Conifers for Urban Sites

    Mount Auburn Cemetery’s Horticultural Curator Dennis Collins is the go-to guy for teaching about conifers.  He will use the Arnold Arboretum’s vast collection of conifers to show those that would be suited for smaller spaces in city gardens. Dennis will also recommend plants that can withstand some of the stressors common to urban sites, such as extreme wind or heat.  Dress for the weather and wear comfortable walking shoes for this class, which takes place entirely outdoors.  The location is Bussey Street Gate, Arnold Arboretum, Jamaica Plain.  For directions, and to register, log on to www.wellesley.edu/WCFH, or www.arboretum.harvard.edu, or email horticulture@wellesley.edu.  Cost is $30 for members of WCFH and the Arboretum, $35 for non members. Araucaria heterophylla photo courtesy of Rundstedt B. Rovillos.

    Araucaria heterophylla by Rundstedt B. Rovillos.

  • Saturday, October 31, 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm – Barking Mad!

    Michael Dosmann, Curator of Living Collections, Arnold Arboretum, will speak on Saturday, Oct 31 , 1:00–2:30pm, at the Arnold Arboretum in Jamaica Plain.
    As the weather changes and leaves drop, focus your attention on bark, an often-overlooked ornamental feature of woody plants. The Curator of Living Collections is mad for bark! Join him on a stroll to find trees and shrubs with beautiful, colorful, textural bark. Free.  Advance registration requested.  Log on to www.arboretum.harvard.edu for directions and registration.

    http://www.1920-1200-wallpapers.com/1920x1200%20Images/Abstract/bark.jpg

  • Mondays, November 2, 9, 16, 30, and December 7, 6:30 – 8:30 pm – A Garden in Your Mind’s Eye: Developing Your Vision with Tony Bernstein

    Incorporating philosophy, aesthetics, economics, and theories as well as practicalities, it’s no wonder that planning a garden design can overwhelm. In this class, designer Tony Bernstein, Principal at SLDA Landscape Design Associates, will teach about core design principles, but will also coach you to clarify what you desire of a garden. Through exercises and discussions, he’ll encourage you to be introspective to develop design concepts that are reflective of your personality and lifestyle. Melding your inner visions with external factors, you will begin to develop a satisfying and cohesive garden design. In this class you will explore design foundations, philosophies, aesthetics, sensibilities, and practicalities. You will finish the class with rough sketches and plenty of ideas to develop during the winter. Fee: $140 Arnold Arboretum of NEWFS member, $168 nonmember.  Offered in collaboration with the New England Wild Flower Society. Please note there will be no class Monday, November 23.  All classes will be held in the Hunnewell Building at the Arnold Arboretum.  For more information, or to register, log on to www.arboretum.harvard.edu, or telephone 617-384-5277.

    http://www.foreclosuresmass.com/images/newsletter/photo_tonybernstein.jpg

  • Sunday, October 18, 10 am – 2 pm – Invasive Plants: Identification, Ecology and Control

    Ted Elliman, Vegetation Manager of the New England Wild Flower Society, in collaboration with the Arnold Arboretum, will present this one day class on Sunday, October 18, from 10 am – 2 pm at Garden in the Woods in Framingham.  This course will provide an introduction to about 40 of the most common invasive non-native plants in our local landscapes (see Japanese knotweed below). Through lecture, discussion, power point presentation, herbarium specimens, and a walk outside, you will become familiar with identification clues as well as the habits of a number of these plants which are so disruptive of natural ecosytems. Ted will discuss management techniques for many of these species, on both a home and a larger landscape scale. Homeowners and property managers who wish to get a head start on invasive control this year will appreciate the timing of this course, which will allow them to learn to identify young invasive plants before they become camouflaged by other vegetation. The New England Wild Flower Society’s Invader’s Magazine, as well as the Massachusetts Field Guide to Invasives, will be available for purchase at a discount. Fee $44 for members of the Arboretum or NEWFS, $52 nonmembers.  To register, log on to www.arboretum.harvard.edu.

    http://www.thewildflowersociety.com/wfs_images/fallopia_japonica_japanese_knotweed.jpg

  • Sunday, October 18, 2 – 5 pm – Painting Fall Foliage

    Revel in fall color under the guidance of Rebecca Arnoldi, artist and naturalist, an instructor who combines an artist’s eye with botanical knowledge. Combine careful observation with fluid watercolor painting to express the essence, energy and emotion stirred by the natural world. All levels are welcome. The class meets at the Arnold Arboretum. Fee $50, offered in collaboration with the Eliot School of Fine & Applied Arts.  To register, log on to www.arboretum.harvard.edu.

    http://i.ehow.com/images/GlobalPhoto/Articles/4517909/nconwayfoliage-main_Full.jpg

  • Saturday, October 24, 1 – 3 pm – Botanica: Scanography by Marty Klein

    The Arnold Arboretum invites you to attend a reception with Artist Marty Klein on Saturday, October 24, from 1 – 3 pm in the Hunnewell Building Lecture Hall of the Arnold Arboretum.

    Marty Klein is fueled by an insatiable and wide-ranging curiosity to see familiar natural forms in new and refreshing ways. Using a flatbed scanner as a camera, Marty Klein captures images of plants and other natural objects with incredible depth and contrast. The images are very different from traditional photographs, yet remain close in spirit, imbued with an arresting vitality. Several new works in this show use specimens gathered by special permission from the Arboretum’s living collections.  The exhibition continues through December 15, 2009.

    Marty Klein holds a BA and a Master of Regional Planning from the University of Massachusetts, and over the years has worked as an artist, photographer, blacksmith, and land protection activist.  For more information, log on to www.arboretum.harvard.edu.

    Roadside foliage

  • Saturday, October 17, 9:30 am – 2:30 pm – Chainsaws: Use, Safety, and Maintenance

    Are you the new owner of a chainsaw or a weekend woodcutter? If so, are you using your chainsaw safely? If you’re at all in doubt, please put the saw down now and register for this class on Saturday, October 17, beginning at 9:30 a.m.,  at the Arnold Arboretum. In this lecture and demonstration by ISA-certified arborist John DelRosso, Head Arborist of the Arboretum, you will learn the basics of chainsaw use. John will talk about essential safety equipment and maintenance requirements. He will demonstrate sharpening and bar tensioning and discuss limbing and felling techniques, including tension cuts. Bring your saw, along with ear protection, for the maintenance discussion. Bring a lunch, too, and dress for the outdoors.  C’mon, haven’t you all secretly longed to work with a big, loud power tool? Fee $60 Arboretum member, $75 nonmember.  To register, log on to www.arboretum.harvard.edu. The awesome photo below was taken by Jason Levesque, and can be viewed, along with other fabulous and quirky shots, on xstuntkidx’s photostream on Flickr.com.

    sarax chainsaw massacre by xstuntkidx.