Boston Flora

Tag: Highfield Hall

  • Thursday, July 1, 10:00 am – Eco-Gardening with Native Perennials

    James Redding and Diane Guidebeck of Mahoney’s Garden Center in Falmouth will present at Highfield Hall, 56 Highfield Drive, Falmouth, on Thursday, July 1, beginning at 10 am.  James, an expert in advising consumers on pests and pesticides and plant diseases and herbicides, will help you learn what’s eating your prize perennials, turning your grass brown in patches, and other maladies of Cape Cod summers.  He will present natural, non-invasive and ecologically friendly methods to control pests and diseases so you are rewarded for your hard work with a healthy garden instead of spending time combating problems.  Diane will talk about perennial plants native to the Northeast that require little maintenance, are Cape Cod hardy, and are adaptable to soil types, light conditions, and temperature change.  $5 suggested donation.  For directions, log on to www.highfieldhall.org.

    http://www.falmouththeatreguild.org/images/Highfielddrive_1890.jpg

  • Wednesdays, June 23 & 30, 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm – Cape’scaping

    Michael Talbot of Talbot Ecological Land Care in Mashpee will present a two part series on Cape’scaping at Highfield Hall, 56 Highfield Drive, Falmouth, on Wednesday June 23 and Wednesday, June 30, beginning at 4 pm.  The first, Creating an Eco-Friendly Garden and Property, will help make your garden more interesting and enjoyable, easier to care for and environmentally friendly.  He offers ideas and tips on an ecological garden, lawn and landscape design, plant selection and installation of a Cape Cod green space to provide beauty, wildlife habitat and personal enjoyment.  The second lecture, Caring for an Eco-Friendly Lawn and Property, Michael will share how to maintain healthy gardens, lawns and plantings that are attractive and environmentally sensitive, using less water and fertilizer and safer pesticides, minimizing damage to our natural resources.  You will learn how maintaining our properties safely can mitigate the pollution of Cape Cod bays, inlets, streams, and of our drinking water.

    Michael Talbot is an award winning landscape designer, horticulturist and conservation consultant who has appeared on The Victory Garden and New England Chronicle, and has been a Visiting Lecturer at the University of Maine.  $5 suggested donation for each lecture.  For more information, log on to www.highfieldhall.org.

    http://www.talbotecolandcare.com/images/shadegarden.jpg

  • Thursday, June 24, 10:00 am – Toad Cottages and Shooting Stars Workshop

    On Thursday, June 24, beginning at 10 am at Highfield Hall in Falmouth, join Sharon Lovejoy and Page Edmunds for a Green Parents and Grandparents Workshop entitled “Toad Cottages and Shooting Stars Workshop: Child-Friendly Activities for Green Parents.”

    Sharon Lovejoy is an author, illustrator, lecturer, teacher and children’s garden adviser to the American Horticultural Society. She has been a guest on Today at NBC, PBS’s Victory Garden, and the Discovery Channel. She has four grandchildren, and divides her time between San Luis Obispo, California, and South Bristol, Maine. Sharon and Page Edmunds of Workman Publishing will lead workshop participants through a variety of activities that will help you to turn an hour, a day, a weekend into a lifelong memory. Sharon’s book contains 130 hands-on activities that connect grandparents and grandchildren through nature – in the kitchen, the garden and the art room. Participants will receive a book and activity kit (included in the registration fee), and will preview some of the hands-on activities that can be done with children. [This is a workshop for adults only.] Please register online now at www.highfieldhall.org or call 508-495-1878, ext. 313 to reserve your place. $15 per person includes the book and activity kit.

    http://www.sharonlovejoy.com/Toad%20Cottages.jpg

  • Thursday, June 17, 10:00 am – How to Create a Hummingbird-Friendly Garden

    Highfield Hall, 56 Highfield Drive in Falmouth, presents a lecture by Shelley Baker-Vance on Thursday, June 17, at 10 am.  Shelley has been a professional gardener and nursery specialist on Martha’s Vineyard and Cape Cod for over 30 years, so she has the kind of practical experience to help you learn about hummingbirds and how to attract them.  Shelley will cover the types of hummingbirds coming to Cape Cod, the timing of when they come to feeders and flowers, and she’ll share ideas on annuals and perennials to keep them coming back to your garden during their stay on the Cape.  $5 suggested donation.  For more information, log on to www.highfieldhall.org.  Image of hummingbird in Cotuit courtesy of House Calls For You.

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  • Wednesday, June 2 – Sunday, July 18 – Bring Back The Animals: An Exhibit of Native American Artists

    Curated by Mashpee artist/musician Ej Mills Brennan, this exhibition at Highfield hall, 56 Highfield Drive in Falmouth, is presented under the auspices of the Native Arts Invitational, Northeast Woodland: Interpretations. In addition to her own multi-media works, she will feature the artwork of Native American artisans from throughout New England.

    Environmental health and traditional native celebrations of the seasonal abundance of plant and animal life will serve as unifying themes for the works on display. The dates of the exhibit, June 2 – July 18, span the time frame leading up to, during and following the annual Mashpee Pow Wow, usually held during the July 4th weekend. Free admission. For more information, call 508-495-1878, ext. 313, or log on to www.highfieldhall.org.

    http://www.plimoth.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/5e06319eda06f020e43594a9c230972d/C/D/CD-Breath_of_Prayers_II_.jpg

  • Friday, June 11, 6:00 pm – 8:30 pm – Glories of the Garden Art and Floral Show Preview Party

    A celebration of the opening night of Glories of the Garden, a summer-long series of programs and events to support the restoration of the gardens at Highfield Hall, will be held Friday, June 11, from 6 – 8:30 pm at Highfield Hall, 56 Highfield Drive in Falmouth.

    The evening’s activities  include hors d’oeuvre by Chef Roland, a complimentary wine and beer bar, and a preview of an art exhibition representing 34 regional artists. Participating artists include Kate Nelson, Ron Fowler, Jan Lhormer, Hilary Osborn, Doug Rugh, Jane Eccles, MaryAlice Eizenberg, Sarah Fielding-Gunn, Suzanne Packer, Christie Velesig, Joyce Zavorskas (whose painting is pictured below,) Susan Anne Hollis, Joan Ledwith, Jane Lincoln, Linda Young, Audrey Forge, Anne Boucher, Diana Lee, Julie Olander, Marisa Repeta, Carol Odell, Tamara Clark, Priscilla Levesque, Mona Podgurski,  Sandra Wakeen, Aleta Steward, Loraine Trenholme, M’Lou Sorrin, Ron Tinney, and Rosalie Nadeau.   There will also be a floral show, silent auction, and raffle.   Tickets, $75 per person, can be purchased online at www.highfieldhall.org/programs_fundraisers.shtml or by calling (508)495-1878, ext. 313.

    http://www.highfieldhall.org/images/Zavorskas%20web.jpg

  • Sunday, July 5, 1:00 p.m. – Highfield Hall Estate Walk

    The story of Highfield Hall coincides with the arrival of the railroad in Falmouth on July 18, 1872. The ability to reach Cape Cod from Boston or from New York by train transformed the area from a quiet farming and fishing community to an exuberant summer community. Middle class families stayed in inns, many of them homes converted to lodgings to handle the explosion of summer visitors. Wealthier families built seaside estates in areas such as Quissett, Chapoquoit and Penzance.

    Among the newcomers escaping the heat of the city were the Beebes of Boston. James Madison Beebe, wealthy from various dry goods and manufacturing businesses, and his wife, Esther E. Beebe, first converted the Thomas Swift House on Shore Street to a summer home they called Vineyard Lodge. They subsequently bought more than 700 acres of land on the hill above the railroad station, more than half of which has been preserved as Beebe Woods.

    After the death of their father in 1875, his children built two grand residences on the hill. Brothers Pierson and Franklin and sister Emily built a lavish “summer cottage” in the Queen Anne stick style modeled after the British Pavilion in the great 1876 Philadelphia Centennial Exposition. Highfield Hall was completed in 1878, and its sister mansion, Tanglewood, where the J. Arthur Beebes took up residence, was finished in 1879. Thus began over fifty years of Beebes living and entertaining in their “summer cottages” at Highfield. In its heyday, the hill must have been a bustling scene. The miles of carriage trails, riding trails, gardens, two huge homes, and numerous outbuildings required a small army of servants to maintain. The Beebes even started a farm on Shore Street to provide produce for their Falmouth and Boston residences.

    Join docents on the first Sunday of each month ( in addition to July 5, you may attend on August 2, September 6, October 4 & November 1) at 1p.m. for a special estate walk of the Beebe property. Learn about the building of Highfield Hall and its sister mansion, Tanglewood, explore the grounds and gardens, and hear about the Beebe family members who lived a lavish Victorian lifestyle during the late 19th and early 20th century. $5 donation suggested. Walks will not be held in the event of rain.  Reservations are encouraged, but not required, by calling 508-495-1878 or emailing registrations@highfieldhall.org.  For directions and more information, log on to www.highfieldhall.org.