Hunnewell Building

Sunday, February 23, 2:00 pm – Instant Ecosystems: The Miyawaki Method for Rapid Forest Growth

by

Trees are one of our greatest allies in combating the effects of climate change, but is reforestation achievable in time scales that will make a difference? Register to join the Arnold Arboretum at Harvard University on Sunday, February 23 at 2 pm in the Hunnewell Building Lecture Hall to explore the Miyawaki Method for ecological restoration. This innovative approach accelerates the growth of new ecosystems, transforming disturbed land into mature, stable forests in a fraction of the time. Using high density planting, the Miyawaki Method rapidly restores biodiversity and fosters the development of tall, mature forests. Biodiversity for a Livable Climate (BLC), a local organization dedicated to mitigating climate change through ecological restoration, established the first Miyawaki forest in the Northeast in Cambridge in 2021. Join Alexandra Ionescu, Associate Director of Regenerative Projects at BLC, to gain insights into this pioneering technique and her organization’s ongoing efforts to establish Miyawaki forests in the Boston area. Register at www.arboretum.harvard.edu

Summer of 2022 – The Nature of Art/The Art of Nature, In-Person and Online

by

The Arnold Arboretum art shows are offered in-person at the Hunnewell Building at 125 Arborway (open noon–4pm, Friday through Monday) and virtually at www.arboretum.harvard.edu. In The Nature of Art/The Art of Nature, fourteen artists from New England Book Artists have their work on view this summer. Each artist takes a personal look at nature, combining their own interpretation of what resonates with them with a singular book design. From a Dragonfly to Wild Roses, a celebration of Walking in the Arboretum to a memorial to the Ashes of a lost farm, these artists bring an thoughtful and intriguing vision to the world of art within nature and the nature of books.

Now Through Summer, 2022 – Meaningful Beauty: The Vibrant Vocabulary of Honeysuckles

by

The exhibition, Meaningful Beauty: The Vibrant Vocabulary of Honeysuckles, celebrates the diversity of honeysuckles, and explores how differences in form allow various species of the plant to effectively communicate with their environment. Through a blend of artistic and scientific imagery—including illustration, animation, photography, maps, and diagrams—the exhibition conveys key concepts in evolution and plant form. The exhibition further engages visitors of all ages through digital and interactive technology, including projection, kiosks, as well as extensive use of augmented reality to blend art with science and personalize the experience for each visitor. Arnold Arboretum art shows are offered in-person at the Hunnewell Building at 125 Arborway (open noon–4pm, Friday through Monday) and virtually by clicking HERE.

Thursday, March 12, 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm – Holiday Houseplant Hangover

by

Did you receive plants as gifts over the holidays? Are they looking a bit sad at this point and are you wondering whatever to do with them? Or are you simply a houseplant hoarder whose enthusiasm has waned with the winter months? If yes, let plant propagator and horticulturist Sean Halloran raise your plants—and your hopes—up a notch. In this March 12 Arnold Arboretum class, beginning at 6:30 pm in the Hunnewell Building, Sean will share tips for getting your plants back on track to becoming home enhancements instead of embarrassments. In advance, email close-up photos of your plants and plant problems so that Sean can be sure to address specific horticultural challenges you may be facing. Email (preferred): adulted@arnarb.harvard.edu; or bring images to class.
Fee $10 member; $15 nonmember

Register at my.arboretum.harvard.edu or call 617-384-5277.

Thursdays, March 12 – April 2, 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm – Design With Plants

by

As you survey your garden, do you have only one of each plant? Do you see other gardens that seem to be in bloom throughout the seasons and then come home to your unexciting garden? Does planting design seem to be an innate sense that you just don’t have? Come and learn to think about plants in terms of their form and function first, and then learn some strategies to best lay out your planting plan. The four session class, taught by designer Christie Dustman, will consist of classroom exercises and lectures, First session will be held Thursday, March 12 beginning at 6:30 in the Weld Hill Building.
Fee $115 Arnold Arboretum member, $138 nonmember. To register, log on to www.arboretum.harvard.edu.

Through April 26 – The Path Taken: Photography by Lawrence Mullings

by

On any given day, Lawrence Mullings can be found exploring the paths and hidden corners of the Arboretum. While walking in the landscape to regain his health, his joy in photography was rekindled. He saw how the Arboretum was many different things to him, and to the many different people who come here from around the neighborhood and around the world. To Mullings, the Arboretum is its trees, as well as the myriad ways visitors enjoy them and this landscape. Now revived in spirit and in creativity, Mullings brings to our exhibition the inspirational scenes he has captured along the “Paths” he has taken throughout the year. Lawrence Mullings is also an Arnold Arboretum docent who leads tours in our landscape.   His exhibition will be displayed in the Hunnewell Building of the Arnold Arboretum through April 26. Free, public invited .

Saturday, December 14, 9:30 am – 12:00 noon – Measure Twice, Cut Once: Introductory Tree and Shrub Pruning

by

Put down the hedge shears! Through both classroom instruction and hands-on field training, this Arnold Arboretum class on December 14 from 9:30 – noon will include whats, whys, and hows of proper pruning approaches and techniques.

Instructor Andrew Gapinski will focus on small ornamental trees, young shade trees, and shrubs with general approaches towards maintaining a plant’s natural form and encouraging health and vigor. Note: Pruning for fruit production will not be covered in this offering. Dress for indoor and outdoor learning. The class will begin in the Hunnewell Building, 125 Arborway, and is $38. Register at www.my.arboretum.harvard.edu

Saturday, May 4, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm – Landscape Plant Selection, Planting, and Establishment

by

Ensuring the long-term health of your landscape starts with healthy plants from the nursery, proper site selection and preparation, and sound planting and establishment. Andrew Gapinski, Head of Horticulture at the Arnold Arboretum, will discuss professional standards and techniques, along with common issues and solutions for both balled-and-burlapped and containerized specimens.

He will focus on landscape trees, shrubs, and perennials. Ornamental annuals and vegetables will not be covered in this offering. The lecture will take place in the Hunnewell Building, 125 Arborway, on May 4 from 1 – 3.

Class will start indoors and then move outdoors to the Dana Greenhouse Nursery. $30 for Friends of the Arboretum, $42 for the general public. Register at http://my.arboretum.harvard.edu, or call 617-384-5277.

Monday, March 25, 7:00 pm – 8:15 pm – Giving Voice to Nature Simulcast

by

Richard Powers, Robin Wall Kimmerer, and Arnold Arboretum Director William “Ned” Friedman will join voices On March 25 at 7 pm in this guided conversation about trees. Melding readings with discussion; drawing on mystery, lore, and science; they will convey the challenges and rewards of trying to represent non-humans—speaking both for and as the trees. Register online at https://www.arboretum.harvard.edu/education/adult-education/?ob-start=2019-03-13 or call 617-384-5277.

The live Weld Hill event is filled to capacity. Register for the simulcast viewing in a the Hunnewell Building, 125 Arborway, Jamaica Plain.

Richard Powers is the author of twelve novels, most recently The Overstory. He is the recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship and the National Book Award, and he has been a Pulitzer Prize and four-time National Book Critics Circle Award finalist. He lives in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains. The Overstory has been a New York Times Bestseller; shortlisted for the 2018 Man Booker Prize; a New York Times Notable; Washington Post, Time, Oprah Magazine, Newsweek, Chicago Tribune, and Kirkus Reviews Best Book of 2018.

Robin Wall Kimmerer is a mother, scientist, decorated professor, and enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation. She is the author of Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teaching of Plants, which has earned Kimmerer wide acclaim. Her first book, Gathering Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses, was awarded the John Burroughs Medal for outstanding nature writing. In 2015 she addressed the general assembly of the United Nations on the topic of “Healing Our Relationship with Nature.” Kimmerer is a SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor of Environmental Biology, and the founder and director of the Center for Native Peoples and the Environment.

Image result for the overstory by richard powers

Friday, November 23 – Sunday, December 9 – Festival of Trees

by

Massachusetts Horticultural Society’s Festival of Trees showcases dozens of trees and the Snow Village at Elm Bank for children and adults to enjoy. This annual festival takes place from the end of November through the first two weeks of December at Mass Hort’s The Gardens at Elm Bank, 900 Washington Street, Wellesley, MA 02482.

The Festival of Trees, displayed in the Hunnewell Building, offers beautifully decorated holiday trees that are donated and decorated by local businesses, garden clubs, and individuals. Visitors “vote” with their raffle tickets, in hopes of being the tree winner at the end of the festival. Visitors can also enjoy the decorated buildings and grounds at The Gardens at Elm Bank with a stroll. For the young at heart, there are Santa Visits and other activities.

Snow Village at Elm Bank is a wonderful addition to the holiday spirit of the Festival of Trees. Bill Meagher of Needham graciously donated the product of his thirteen year “hobby” of building Christmas villages and trains. It is a bit different each year as he continues to tweak the arrangement. Massachusetts Horticultural Society is delighted to share his enchanting displays with model trains winding through villages and vignettes, including Christmas in the City (Boston of course!), Fenway Park, and hundreds of decorated houses and lights. This amazing scenery in miniature is sure to get kids of all ages excited about the holiday season.

Admission is $10 for visitors aged 12 and over, and Member admission is $8. Join Mass Hort at the Festival and get in free! The Festival is open November 23 through December 9, weather permitting: Wednesdays and Thursdays 4 – 8 p.m.; Friday through Sunday 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.; Sunday December 9 until 6 p.m.; Monday through Thursday mornings, by appointment, for senior group visits; Monday and Tuesday evenings, by appointment, for corporate events.

The Festival of Trees is a holiday fundraiser for Mass Hort, a 501(c)(3) educational organization.

Image result for Christmas tree