Thousands of plants are available in creams, golds, blues, and mixes at the Hosta Sale at Lyman Estate Greenhouses, June 15 – 17. Choose from large-specimen and small plants, along with many new and hard-to-find varieties. Our knowledgeable staff is on hand to help you choose the right hostas for your garden. The greenhouses are located at 185 Lyman Street in Waltham. For more information, visit www.historicnewengland.org, or call 781-891-1985. Free admission.
Hundreds of varieties of perennials, both new to the market and old-time favorites, will be for sale through Historic New England at the Lyman Estates Greenhouses, 185 Lyman Street in Waltham, from Friday, June 1 through Sunday, June 3. Let the experts help you choose the right plants for your garden. Free admission, but call 781-891-1985, or log on to www.historicnewengland.org, for hours of operation.
Join Historic New England at the Lyman Estate in Waltham on Saturday, April 28 from 9 – 1 for a morning of removing invasive species – garlic mustard, celandine, dame’s rocket, and bishop’s gout weed – that are crowding out the native plants and are not supportive of wildlife. Enjoy guided tours of the landscape and greenhouses in appreciation of your generous service. Obviously free (you can’t charge people to pull weeds, after all!) but registration is requested by calling 617-227-3956, or at www.historicnewengland.org.
Although not strictly a horticultural event, we wish to highlight this upcoming study opportunity. Historic New England will sponsor a day long seminar on The Colors of Historic Houses: Understanding Historic Paint Colors, at the Collections and Conservation Center, 151 Essex Street in Haverhill, on Friday, April 27, from 11:30 – 5. Many with historic homes will find this useful, since the home is often the backdrop to the garden. Learn about the art, history, and science of using historic paint colors in settings from older homes to museums at this in-depth workshop. Architectural conservator Brian Powell, architectural historian Susan Maycock, and experts from Historic New England and California Paints share the latest on historic paint color palettes and current trends in paint technology. Explore archival materials related to historic paint colors on a tour of the Edward K. Perry paint archive. Box lunch and snacks provided. $30 for HNE members, $75 for nonmembers (includes an individual membership), and $35 for students. Registration is required. Please call 617-994-6644 or register online at www.historicnewengland.org.
Hundreds of orchid plants will be for sale at the Lyman Estates Greenhouses in Waltham on Friday, April 13 through Sunday, April 15, from 9:30 am – 4:00 pm. Proceeds benefit Historic New England. For more information, log on to www.historicnewengland.org.
You are cordially invited to an elegant dinner to benefit Historic New England, with guest of honor Arie L. Kopelman, Vice Chairman of Chanel, Inc, and Event Chair Nina Longtine, on Friday, February 24, beginning at 7 pm (cocktails) and8:30 (dinner.) The black tie event will be held at Roughwood, 400 Heath Street in Chestnut Hill, a grand chateau-styled shingle and stone house which now serves as the administration building of Pine Manor College. Ticket prices begin at $1,000, $775 of which is tax deductible. To respond, call the Development Office at 617-994-5951, or email ProgramInfo@HistoricNewEngland.org.
You don’t need a greenhouse to grow orchids. Success can be achieved on your windowsill. Learn the essentials of growing orchids: media, light, water, temperature, fertilization, selection and repotting are taught by Lyman Estate Greenhouse Manager and horticulturist, Lynn Ackerman. This workshop will take place Saturday, November 19, from 10 – 12 at the Greenhouses, located at 185 Lyman Street in Waltham. $30 for Historic New England members, $35 for non-members. To register, call 781-891-1985.
Landscape historian Arleyn A. Levee examines Frederick Law Olmsted Jr.’s impact on Washington, D.C. and its environs, in this Historic New England event co-sponsored with Friends of Fairsted, to be held at Wheelock College, 43 Hawes Street in Brookline beginning with a reception at 6 pm and lecture at 7 pm on Thursday, November 17. For more than fifty years, Olmsted and his firm designed and advised to help create a capital city of monuments and green space worthy of the modern American nation. Free, but registration requested. Email friendsoffairsted@gmail.com to sign up. Image courtesy of Olmsted National Historic Site.
Celebrate orchid blooming season on Friday, November 4 – Sunday, November 6, from 10 – 4 at the Lyman Estate Greenhouses, 185 Lyman Street in Waltham, sponsored by Historic New England. Hundreds of orchid plants are for sale, including many hard-to-find varieties. Visit the greenhouses and enjoy gorgeous floral colors, shapes, and scents. Among the many varieties on display and for sale are cattleyas, laelias, oncidiums, Paphiopedilum, and Phalaenopsis. Their long-lasting and showy blooms make orchids a dramatic addition to any indoor environment and this adaptable species can be grown in a variety of home conditions. Free admission. For more information, call 781-891-1985, or visit www.historicnewengland.org.
Tour six barns this Saturday dating from 1790 to 2009 in Weathersfield, Vermont, with local experts Steven Melanson and Willis Wood. Learn about barn history, timber framing, and other construction techniques. Melanson is an architectural historian, preservation consultant, and preservation carpenter. Wood is a longtime member and past president of the Weathersfield Historical Society. During lunch, join Historic New England’s Preservation Stewardship Manager and Vermont native Caitlin Corkins for a discussion about the state Barn Census and the unique grant program that works with private owners to preserve area barns. Co-sponsored by the Weathersfield Historical Society.
Tour begins at 12:15 p.m. The fee to attend is $10 for Historic New England and Weathersfield Historical Society members, $15 for non-members. For an additional $10 per person, an optional box lunch is available at 11:15 a.m. Lunch will be held across from parking lot on Center Church Road. Bring chair or blanket for seating. Transportation between barns is by bus. Light refreshments follow the tour.
Despite the damage caused in parts of Vermont by Hurricane Irene, our local partner has confirmed that this program can still take place. Registration is required. Please call 978-744-0440 for more information. Purchase tickets now on line at https://shop.historicnewengland.org/p-7321-anatomy-of-a-vermont-barn.aspx. Photo by Nanci Nutile-McMenemy.
