Boston Flora

Tag: herbs

  • Thursday, October 10, 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm – Growing and Using Herbs Year Round

    Herbs have been employed by all cultures, throughout human history, in variety of ways including culinary, medicinal, and spiritual usage. On Thursday, October 10 at 6:30 at Tower Hill Botanic Garden, we will look at how herbs have been utilized in the past, and apply their use into today’s world. Together we will smell, taste and plant a variety of herbs. Come learn why it is best to grow your own herbs – then learn how to best grow, preserve, and use these incredibly useful plants. Go home with a small pot planted with seeds of easy-to-grow herbs to get off to a good start. $26 for Tower Hill members, $29 for nonmembers. Register at www.towerhillbg.org.

    Melissa Pace is an award-winning horticulturalist who competes in numerous garden and flower shows, from Philadelphia Flower Show to the Bolton Fair. She has been a University of Rhode Island Master Gardener since 2003. Melissa has been a presenter for numerous garden clubs and civic organizations throughout New England since 1995. Melissa holds a master’s degree in teaching from Bridgewater University, is an artist and art teacher and is currently employed as a Youth Educator for the Massachusetts Horticultural Society.

  • Tuesday, May 7, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm – The Portable, Potted Herb Garden

    Grow your own culinary herbs, available for snipping from May to November. Nothing enhances meals like the taste of fresh herbs. Create an herb garden that can be moved from place to place to take full advantage of available sunlight. Plant 6 classic culinary herbs in a 14″ container to grow on a sunny porch, patio or doorstep. Please bring an apron and flower scissors to this Massachusetts Horticultural Society class at The Gardens at Elm Bank on May 7 from 1 – 3 if you have them.  

    Instructor Betsy Williams teaches, lectures and writes about living with herbs and flowers. A life long gardener, herb grower and cook, Betsy trained as a florist in Boston and in England. She combines her floral, gardening and cooking skills with an extensive knowledge of history, plant lore and seasonal celebrations. An entertaining lecturer, she weaves stories and legends throughout her informative talks and demonstrations.

    Her gardens, floral work and retail shop have been featured in many books, national magazines and newspapers, including The New York Times, The American Gardener, Victoria, Better Homes and Gardens, Country Living Gardner, Colonial Homes, the Herb Companion, and Traditional Homes.

    $65 for Mass Hort members, $80 general admission. Registration required at www.masshort.org

  • Saturday, August 4, 10:00 am – 12:30 pm – Herbal Remedies: Make Your Own

    Join herbalist Kristin Minto at Watson Farm, 455 North Main Road in Jamestown, Rhode Island on Saturday, August 4 at 10 am in a hands-on exploration of how to harvest and prepare common herbs and plants for making home remedies. Learn proper drying methods to preserve the highest quality possible for teas. Find out how to make your own tinctures, as well as the history and proper use of oils for preserving plants and making your own remedies. Under expert guidance, make your own sample to take home. $20 Historic New England members, $25 nonmembers

    Advance tickets recommended. Please call 401-423-0005 ext. 3 for more information or buy online at http://shop.historicnewengland.org/WAT-MEDICINAL-3-9182/.

    Image result for herbal oil remedies

  • Saturday, July 7, 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm – Growing Herb Medicine

    Growing your own herbal medicine is easy and satisfying. Many of our common ailments can be taken care of with herbs grown in our gardens or even in containers. On Saturday, July 7 at 1 pm, at the Cambridge Center for Adult Education, 42 Brattle Street in Cambridge, learn about 20 easy-to-grow herbs with suggestions on using them. Handouts include information on the herbs, their uses, and growing suggestions. Instructor: Iris Weaver. $50. Register online at http://learn.ccae.org/modules/shop/index.html?action=courseBrowse&TagID=254

    Image result for medicinal herbs

  • Saturday, July 7, 11:00 am – Growing Fresh Culinary Herbs

    It’s easy to grow your own culinary herbs! Fresh and nutritious herbs are a healthy and fun way to liven up any meal. This Cambridge Center for Adult Education class on Saturday, July 7 at 11 am will focus on the most common herbs used in cooking. Whether you have a garden or a windowsill for containers, you’ll be able to plant, grow, and harvest your very own herbs. Handouts will include information on herbs and growing instructions. Instructor: Iris Weaver. The class will take place at 42 Brattle Street in Cambridge, and is $50. Register online at http://learn.ccae.org/modules/shop/index.html?action=courseBrowse&TagID=254

    Image result for culinary herbs

  • Sunday, April 22, 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm – Herbs for the Home Garden

    The flavor and fragrance of fresh herbs dress up even the simplest meals. Herb plants are beautiful and useful additions to the home landscape. This Tower Hill Botanic Garden workshop on Sunday, April 22 from 1 – 4 will focus on ten common culinary herbs: basil, dill, parsley, oregano, chives, sage, savory, mint, garlic and rosemary. Skills taught will include growing herbs from seeds, transplants, division and cuttings; overwintering rosemary indoors, and tips for preserving herbs. Participants will take home a seed flat of assorted basil varieties.

    Instructor Christie Higginbottom has worked as a costumed interpreter at Old Sturbridge Village since 1981. From 1984 to 2004 she coordinated the historic horticulture program researching, planning and planting the re-created kitchen and flower gardens at the museum’s historic households. She also supervised the Village’s Herb Garden collection, a garden exhibiting over 300 varieties of historic herbs. From 2004 to 2006 she researched and developed a series of self-guided walking trails interpreting people and the environment in the early 1800s. She researched and designed the 2007-2009 exhibit “Taking Root: Gardening in Pots in the early 1800s.” Now retired from full-time work at OSV, she continues to work in costume part-time and to present garden programs for the Village.

    $35 for THBG members, $45 for nonmembers. Register at https://towerhillbg.thankyou4caring.org/pages/event-registration-form—herbs-for-the-home-garden

    Image result for culinary herbs

  • Saturday, March 3, 8:30 am – 4:00 pm – Creating a Resilient Garden

    The URI Master Gardener Program is pleased to bring you Creating a Resilient Garden, an engaging one-day gardening symposium designed for those who want to learn more about creating beautiful and environmentally-sound gardens. The sessions will help you DESIGN resilient gardens, DISCOVER herb gardening, and DECODE the truth about garden remedies. Educating and entertaining their audiences, these three keynote speakers are accomplished specialists in their fields and possess a wealth of knowledge and expertise.

    Please join us on Saturday, March 3 at the Center for Biotechnology and Life Sciences on URI’s Kingston Campus. The facility is accessible to all, and the symposium is open to gardeners of all skill levels — novice to expert! Topics and Speakers include:

    Beauty, Integrity, Resilience: Can a Garden Have Everything? by C. Colston Burrell (pictured below)

    Do our gardening practices have a negative impact on the environment? Can we make a difference by changing the way we approach design, plant choice, planting techniques and maintenance regimes? How do we meet our aesthetic goals while providing the structure and resources necessary to maintain the insects and birds we love? Can we create healthy habitat with a mixture of native and exotic plants? We’ll explore these topics in relation to sustainability, aesthetics and ecosystem function.

    Bloom Where You Are Planted: A Medley of Herbal Ideas by Linda A.Fleming

    Learn everything you have ever wanted to know about growing and using herbs. Seed starting, seed saving, growing, propagation, and harvesting, as well as Linda’s favorite herb garden design, will be presented. Linda will share wonderful herbal ideas and recipes for entertaining. There will be a “hands on” lesson for herbal vinegars. Topics such as her love affair with scented geraniums as pass-along plants, herb topiary instructions and handmade seed packets will be included.

    The Truth About Garden Remedies by Jeff Gillman

    From beer used as fertilizer to baking soda for powdery mildew, there is no shortage of amazing cabinet cures for whatever ails your garden, but which of these cures actually work and which don’t? In this talk we will take a look at many of the most common cabinet cures from all over and discuss which ones work, which ones don’t and why.

    Tickets are $75 and registration deadline is February 20. Register at https://web.uri.edu/mastergardener/symposium/

  • Saturday, January 27, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm – Family Art with Herbs: Foilography

    On Saturday, January 27 from 10 – noon, bring the whole family to Tower Hill Botanic Garden, 11 French Drive in Boylston, to try this fun, no-fail printmaking technique. Using a tabletop printing press, fresh herbs, inks and aluminum foil you will create multiple prints to use as artwork or handmade gifts. Maximum attendance 6 parent/child pairs. $10 for THBG members (parent/child pair) and $20 for nonmembers (parent/child pair.) Register online at https://towerhillbg.thankyou4caring.org/pages/event-registration-form—family-art-with-herbs-foilography

  • 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.

  • Saturday, April 22, 10:30 am – 12:30 pm – Portable Herb Garden

    Grow ready-to-use culinary herbs right outside your door. Available for snipping May to November, nothing enhances a meal like the taste of your own fresh herbs. Create an herb garden that can be moved from place to place to take full advantage of available sunlight. Plant 6 classic culinary herbs in a 14 inch container to grow on a sunny balcony, porch, patio or doorstep. With proper care, your herb pot will supply you with fresh herbs for the entire growing year. Tower Hill Botanic Garden, 11 French Drive in Boylston, hosts instructor Betsy Williams on Saturday, April 22 from 10:30 – 12:30 – $80 for THBG members, $95 for nonmembers.

    Please bring an apron and floral scissors to class. All materials included. Register online at https://towerhillbg.thankyou4caring.org/pages/event-registration-form—portable-herb-garden

    Betsy Williams teaches, lectures and writes about living with herbs and flowers. A gardener and herb grower since 1972, Betsy trained as a florist in Boston and England. She combines her floral and gardening skills with an extensive knowledge of history, plant lore and seasonal celebrations. Betsy is the author of several books on the uses and stories of herbs and flowers. She has appeared on the Discovery Channel and greater Boston cable stations as well as local and national radio talk shows. Betsy lectures and teaches locally and nationally.  Image from http://www.owtdoor.com.