Boston Flora

Tag: Herb Society of America

  • Saturday, September 17, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm – Gardens at Clock Barn

    On Saturday, September 17 from 10 – 4, The Garden Conservancy will host a Middlesex County Open Day event at The Gardens at Clock Barn, the home of Maureen and Mike Ruettgers, 453 Bedford Road in Carlisle.

    Passionate gardeners Maureen and Mike Ruettgers invite visitors of all ages to share a day of adventure and inspiration in their extraordinary Gardens at Clock Barn. From a stylish design full of the choicest plants to an inventive children’s garden, this is a veritable wonderland designed to ignite curiosity and delight in all gardeners, from toddlers on up. Explore the walled garden, greenhouse, woodland garden, and secret garden, as well as the pizza garden, pumpkin patch, fairy garden, and tee pee. Investigate fragrant plants used in potpourri.

    Entering the gardens through an arched gate, explore the old barn with trays full of herbs and flowers from the adjacent cutting garden. These trays were built as a 1930s WPA Project for drying digitalis leaves used medicinally. East of the barn are beds of flowers, vegetables, and herbs that are rotated throughout the season. An adjacent Belgian fence espalier encloses a garden room displaying calendulas, Verbena bonariensis, other herbs, and ornamental vegetables. Beyond the cordon of pears is the new fall border featuring Salvia madrensis, tithonia, Abyssinian banana, and many dahlias. Near the center of the property, a grape arbor leads to a walled garden with four quadrants anchored by antique roses. Mixed borders there feature sweeps of nasturtiums, ‘Amistad’ & ‘Indigo Spires’ salvia, ‘Prairie Sun’ rudbeckia, heleniums, and edible herbs. A second tier is flanked by two reflecting pools ringed by Allium lusitanicum and herbal tapestries. The greenhouse and potting area is filled with scented geraniums, succulents, gingers, bay, and rosemary varietals. Beyond, a canopy of 100-year-old oaks shades woodland gardens. Favorite woodland plantings include Paeonia japonica and P. obovata, anemones, epimediums, Kirengeshoma palmata, and hosta from the garden of Francis Williams. Look for the new tree fort, a koi pond, sculptures, and choice specimens of dogwood, magnolia, and maple. Pass through a hornbeam arch to the Clock Barn. Up on the patio at the house, investigate a collection of Italian pots and troughs filled with favorite specimens, then go around the corner to discover the secret garden.

    Garden Extras: Dig for Victory: Victory Gardens Now and Then. Gardens have provided not only a balm for the soul but also a joyful point of light during times of uncertainty. This reflective exhibit explores the connections between the Victory Gardens of WW2 and the COVID-19 pandemic, two events that brought about a resurgence of interest not only in gardening but also in other important gardening traditions such as food preservation and canning. Enjoy a display of historic artifacts that connects gardeners of the present to the gardens and gardeners of the past. This Garden Extra made possible with the assistance of the Carlisle Garden Club and Historical Society. Garden is partially accessible.

    Admission to this garden is $10 per person and children 12 and under are free. Registration required. For directions and complete information visit www.gardenconservancy.org

  • Thursday, November 4, 12:00 noon – 1:00 pm – The Heirloom Gardener with John Forti, Online

    This Tower Hill Botanic Garden November 4 online talk beginning at noon is offered in partnership with the Herb Society of America, New England Unit. You can find additional information at the NEUHSA website. These days, we all need some good news and a way to participate in meaningful change.

    The Heirloom Gardener is a book for gardeners who want to deepen their knowledge and improve life for families, pollinators and wildlife in their own backyards. It’s a love poem to the earth; a map to the art of living intentionally and a guidepost for environmental gardeners and artisans. It unearths old-ways, storied plants and artisanal life-skills; like seed-saving, herbalism, foraging, distillation, ethnobotany and organics which contribute to a new 21st century arts and crafts movement. With woodcuts from Caldecott Medal artist Mary Azarian, The Heirloom Garden offers a dose of wild hope for a weary nation.

    Signed copies of the book are available through Tower Hill’s Garden Shop. You can shop online or stop into the garden and grab it in person.

    John Forti (www.jforti.com) is a garden historian and ethnobotanist who has directed gardens for Plimoth Plantation Museum, Strawbery Banke Museum, Massachusetts Horticultural Society, and Bedrock Gardens. As a Slow Food USA Governor and biodiversity specialist, his preservation work has helped to restore countless native and heirloom plants and has brought traditional artisanal practices to modern thinking. He has won numerous awards for historic garden preservation, children’s garden design, herbal and historical education and the 2021 Award of Excellence from National Garden Clubs, the largest volunteer gardening organization in the world. This book was inspired by his posts as ‘The Heirloom Gardener – John Forti‘ which go out regularly to millions on Facebook that value his uniquely curated blend of history, horticulture, environmentalism, poetry, art, kitchen and garden craft. He gardens and lives along the banks of the Piscataqua River in Maine.

    $10 THBG Member Adult; $15 Adult 

  • Tuesday, December 4, 1:00 pm 0 3:00 pm – Infusing Your Life with Herbs for the Holidays

    There exists a quantity of pleasures to be encountered by using herbs in your everyday life. The aroma, taste, and visual delight of herbs can elevate your cuisine; help in cleaning your home; and bottle up a little bit of summer to help brighten a winter day. Using fresh herbs ensures that you not only enjoy the product of your labors, but a sensory experience as you create them.

    In this December 4 Massachusetts Horticulture class, from 1 – 3 in the Education Building at 900 Washington Street in Wellesley, Karen O’Brien will demonstrate how to make three items that will keep you in the holiday spirit. Make an honey-herb butter for holiday meals, craft a scented cinnamon stick tree, and put together a lavender/lemon salt scrub. Perfect for you or for gift-giving! Learn how to take simple household staples, such as butters, sugars, vinegars, and more and transform them into something special with the addition of fresh herbs, infusing your world with the scents and colors of summer. These products will enliven your household throughout the year, and will start your own herbal adventure.

    Karen O’Brien’s herbal business The Green Woman’s Garden is located in the southwestern town of Richmond, NH. She has unusual herb plants, including medicinals and native herbs for sale, runs workshops on various herbal adventures, and occasionally participates at farmers markets and fairs. Karen lectures and presents workshops on all aspects of herbs and gardening. She is the Botany and Horticulture Chair of The Herb Society of America, is past Chair of The New England Unit of H.S.A., is Secretary of the International Herb Association, and is Past President of the Greenleaf Garden Club of Milford. She is the editor and contributing author to several Herb of the Year™ books, including Capsicum, Savory, Artemisia, and Elderberry, produced by the IHA. Her gardens are a little like her – eclectic, a little bit wild, but well-intentioned.

    $35/Mass Hort member; $50/general admission. Register at www.masshort.org or call 617-933-4973.

    Image result for lemon lavender salt scrub

  • Saturday, April 7, 8:30 am – 3:00 pm – Celebrating Herbs!

    The Herb Society of America, New England Unit, will sponsor Celebrating Herbs!, a symposium to be held Saturday, April 7, from 8:30 – 3 at the Hunnewell Carriage House, The Gardens at Elm Bank, in Wellesley. Speakers will include Kelly Orzel, Judith Sumner, and Betsy Williams.

    Betsy Williams will present Herbal Weddings: Old Traditions, Modern Uses. An herbal wedding is the essence of romance! The perfumed air, the delightful colors and the ancient symbolism of the plants blend to create a truly magical day. The program includes the stories and traditions of wedding herbs and the language of flowers, cultural directions for growing the herbs, garden design suggestions and how to use herbs and herbal flowers creatively in wedding flowers, food and drink. Image below from www.weddingwindow.com.

    Judith Sumner is a botanist and popular lecturer at the Arnold Arboretum, Garden in the Woods, and Assumption College. She is the author of American Household Botany, a History of Useful Plants, 1620 – 1900, and The Natural History of Medicinal Plants.

    Kelly Orzel, of Bowery Beach Farm at Cape Elizabeth, Maine, specializes in culinary and scented plants including 50 varieties of scented pelargoniums. The Backyard Gardener is her recent book.

    The early bird fee for Herb Society members is $85, $90 for non-HSA members, postmarked on or before March 10. All registrations after March 24 are $105, and registration closes March 28. No walk-ins. Registration includes coffee/tea and morning refreshments, plus a catered herbal lunch. The New England Unit of The Herb Society of America, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) educational organization. Proceeds from this fund-raising event will be used to help support educational projects. For more information visit http://www.neuhsa.org/2018Symposium.html

  • Wednesday, October 18, 11:00 am – 12:00 noon – Herbs, Greens and Edible Flowers

    Ellen Ecker Ogden, author of The Complete Kitchen Garden, will speak on Wednesday, October 18 at 11 am at Tower Hill Botanic Garden in Boylston on the topic of Herbs, Greens and Edible Flowers. Discover the wide world of flavor packed and nutrient rich herbs, greens and edible flowers, while learning the six steps to successful kitchen garden design. Create a tapestry of color and flavor with favorite European heirlooms such as mache, wild arugula, chicories and endives, plus the best culinary herbs for gardeners who love to cook. You’ll learn what to sow for a continuous harvest of healthy herbs all summer long and into the fall, that should be in every cook’s garden. Co-sponsored with the New England Unit of the Herb Society of America. Free with admission to the garden, but registration recommended at https://towerhillbg.thankyou4caring.org/pages/event-registration-form—herbs-greens-and-edible-flowers

    Garden Speaker Ellen Ecker Ogden is an award-winning food and garden writer and kitchen garden designer who is known for her informative and fun loving garden talks. Her kitchen garden designs combine artistic elements with classic garden design techniques that elevate a backyard vegetable garden into a European inspired kitchen garden.

  • Thursday and Friday, July 21 and 22 – Our Native Roots – Then and Now

    The Hudson Valley is said by many to be the birthplace of American landscape design. Join Herb Society of America  members on July 21 and 22 as we enjoy a sampling of the area’s attractions while we learn the importance of our native plants both today and in an era gone by. Tour three private gardens that offer a diverse sample of styles representative of the area, meet the Beatrix Farrand Garden Association, relax with friends before heading to dinner, receive news from headquarters, participate in the district meeting, be tempted by our sensational raffle baskets and learn more about our useful natives from experts in their field.

    Registration: $85 per person.
    Visit http://herbsociety.org/events/documents/2016northeastgatheringmailer.pdf to view the 2016 Northeast District Gathering mailer with registration form and lodging information.  Completed registration forms with payment must be postmarked by June 19, 2016.

    For additional information contact:
    Northeast District Membership Delegate Jen Munson at jenmunson@yahoo.com

  • John Forti Named Director of Horticulture and Education at Massachusetts Horticultural Society

    The Garden Club of the Back Bay was fortunate to have welcomed John Forti as a program speaker in 2013. The Massachusetts Horticultural Society is excited to announce that John Forti has been named the Director of Horticulture and Education, a major step in the implementation of its 10-year strategic plan.

    A nationally recognized lecturer, garden historian, ethnobotanist and garden writer, Forti comes from the Strawbery Banke Museum in Portsmouth, NH, where he created numerous award-winning gardens and educational programs in the role of the Curator of Historic Landscapes. He previously served as the Director of Horticulture at Plimoth Plantation Museum, where he created a gardens and seed program that brought international attention to the preservation of Pilgrim and Wampanoag heirloom crops.

    John founded and serves as the board chair for Slow Food Seacoast. He serves on the bio-diversity committee for Slow Food USA and recently represented the group as an international delegate among the 150 nations at the Terra Madre or “Farmers United Nations” in Italy. He is chair of the board for the Herb Society of America’s New England Unit, and won the 2014 Award for Excellence in Horticulture from the national office.

  • Wednesday, September 10, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm – Infusing Your Life with Herbs

    Learn how to take simple culinary staples, such as butters, sugars, vinegars, liqueurs and more and transform them into something special with the addition of fresh herbs. Infuse your pantry as well as the rest of your home with the scents and colors of summer, adding a year-round herbal experience. Sample an array of herb-kissed food products, which will enliven your meals throughout the year, and begin your own herbal adventure. This Massachusetts Horticultural Society class will take place on Wednesday, September 10 from 1 – 3 at Elm Bank, 900 Washington Street, Wellesley. $20 for Mass Hort members, $25 for non-members. Register on line at www.masshort.org, or call 617-933-4943.

    Karen O’Brien runs her herbal business, The Green Woman’s Garden, www.greenwomansgarden.com, in the central MA town of Mendon. She has unusual herb plants, including medicinal, for sale, runs workshops on various herbal adventures, and occasionally participates at farmers markets and fairs.

    She is the Development Chair of The Herb Society of America, currently serves as Chairman of the New England Unit of H.S.A., is Secretary of the International Herb Association, and is President of the Greenleaf Garden Club of Milford.

    A member of Garden Writers Association, she is the editor and contributing author to the latest Herb of the Year book on Artemisia, produced by the IHA.

    http://www.iherb.org/images/hoy2014_front.jpg

  • Thursday, July 31 – Friday, August 1 – The Herb Society of America Northeast District Gathering

    The Herb Society of America’s New England Unit will present its Northeast District Gathering on Thursday, July 31 (9 – 5) and Friday, August 1 (9 – 4) at Tower Hill Botanic Garden, 11 French Drive in Boylston, Massachusetts.  This year’s 5th Annual Herb Show is entitled Herbs of Magic and Mystery.  Free with admission to Tower Hill.

  • Thursday, September 19, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm – Preserving the Tastes of Summer Workshop

    Enjoy the fragrance and taste of fresh herbs while you create some delightful products that will capture the essence of herbs for your own use. in this Massachusetts Horticultural Society class featuring Karen O’Brien of The Green Woman’s Garden, you will make herb butter, herb vinegar and an herbal liqueur. Handouts with recipes will be provided.

    Karen O’Brien runs her herbal business “The Green Woman’s Garden” in the central MA town of Mendon. She has herbs and ornamental flowers for sale, runs workshops on various herbal adventures, and occasionally participates at farmers markets and fairs. She is the Development Chair of The Herb Society of America, currently serves as Chairman of the New England Unit of H.S.A., is Secretary of the International Herb Association, and is President of the Greenleaf Garden Club of Milford. She is the editor and contributing author to the latest Herb of the Year book on elderberry entitled Elder, produced by the IHA.  The class will take place at Elm Bank on Thursday, September 19, beginning at 7 pm.

    Cost – $10.00 for members, $15.00 for non-members. To register, or for more information, visit www.masshort.org.

    http://www.iherb.org/images/hoy2013_front.jpg