Boston Flora

Tag: John Forti

  • Tuesday, September 19, 1:00 pm – Heirloom Gardening

    Heirloom Gardening is John Forti’s newest presentation.  This PowerPoint program shares inspiration from our long history of heirloom preservation, garden craft and homestead lifeways. Artisanal lifestyles that are helping us to rebuild vibrant local agricultural economies and celebrate sustainable cottage industries that are contributing to our new, homegrown American arts & crafts movement and backyard environmentalism.  This Martha’s Vineyard Garden Club program on September 19 at 1 pm at The Old Mill in West Tisbury allows for a look at how you can make a difference in your own backyard and community.  The presentation draws from his book of traditional plants and skills for the modern world. Illustrated with period images and contemporary woodcuts.

    BIO: John Forti is an award-winning heirloom specialist, garden historian, ethnobotanist, garden writer, and local foods advocate.  He is executive director of Bedrock Gardens, an artist-inspired public sculpture garden and landscape in Lee, New Hampshire, and the recipient of a national 2020 Award of Excellence from National Garden Clubs.  John was formerly the Director of Horticulture for Plimoth Plantation and the Massachusetts Horticultural Society and is involved with Slow Food USA, the national chapter of Slow Food, a global organization and international grassroots movement connecting food producers and consumers to champion local agriculture, farmers markets, and traditional, regional cuisine.
    http://www.jforti.com/
    The Heirloom Gardener – John Forti on Facebook
    John Forti- The Heirloom Gard​e​ner Book- Amazon
    FREE to GC Members / Open to non-members – cost TBD at a later date
    West Tisbury members and VP to provide snacks & refreshments

  • Friday, June 24, 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm, and Saturday, June 25, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm – The 33rd Annual Pocket Gardens of Portsmouth

    The self-guided tour lets you wander through the Goodwin Park neighborhood of Portsmouth where tucked behind the 19th-century homes are a diverse representation of gardens. Once homes for laborers of local shoe manufacturing, the buildings date back to 1758. Plantings provide owners beauty from the sidewalk to backyard retreats. Ranging from classic to eclectic, gardens showcase the work of professionals and amateurs alike and include container gardening, native pollinator plantings, and hidden relaxing retreats. An easy one-mile walk with lots to see in eleven privately owned gardens along with the outdoor space of historic house museums. Musicians, artists, and garden educators are included along this self-guided tour.  

    In addition, there will be several educational opportunities. So plan to visit Portsmouth, the jewel of New England, to see for yourself.

    Tickets are on sale at https://portsmouthnhtickets.com/events/33rd-pocket-gardens-of-portsmouth-tour-6-24-2022 and are $20 in advance, $25 day-of. Ticket is good for either Friday or Saturday, Follow on Facebook @PortsmouthPocketGardenTour for updates and ticket sale locations. Presented by South Church Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Portsmouth.

    Scheduled speakers include:

    • John Forti, nationally recognized lecturer, garden historian, ethnobotanist, author of The Heirloom Gardener, and the executive director of Bedrock Gardens in Lee, NH, who will sign books and discuss native plants and our role in preservation.
    • Tori Hiney, co-proprietor and Pollinator Habitat Design Specialist at Bee the Buzz, and the Ecology and Horticulture Supervisor at the Rose Kennedy Greenway , who will share information on pollinator gardening.

  • Tuesday, February 28, 1:30 pm – 3:00 pm – Historic Landscapes: Creating a Sense of Time and Place

    The Massachusetts Horticultural Society Director of Horticulture and Education, John Forti, will give an illustrated talk at Elm Bank, 900 Washington Street in Wellesley on Tuesday, February 28 from 1:30 – 3 that brings to life the unique and living history of plants that have a defining presence in our region. For those interested in gardens that inspire a sense of time and place, this talk will foster a better understanding of the most tried and true plants and our role in preservation.
    $12 members/$20 non-members. Register online at www.masshort.org.

  • Wednesday, January 25, 9:30 am – School Gardens

    The Wellesley Garden Study Group in collaboration with Massachusetts Horticultural Society and Wellesley Green Schools will host a program on School Gardens at the Parkman Educational Center, Mass Hort at Elm Bank, 900 Washington Street, Wellesley on January 25th . Those interested to attend may join us 9:30A.M. for refreshments and announcements, and the program will begin at 10:30A.M. Free and open to the public.

    The program School Gardens will be an illustrated history of of the school garden movement of the 19th century America and its further development. John Forti will discuss the heirloom and native plants of our region and how they can be integrated into the school curriculum from seed to table. The discussion will also be on how a school yard can enrich both habitat and community.

    John Forti is the Director of Horticulture for the Massachusetts Horticultural Society. He also serves as the Governor of Slow Food Massachusetts. He was formerly the Director of Horticulture at Strawbery Banke Museum and Plimoth Plantation Museum. Over 20,000 follow his blog as “The Heirloom Gardener – John Forti” on Facebook.

    The talk should inspire the interest of the home gardener as well as school gardener.  Photo from www.cityfarmer.info.

  • Thursday, November 10, 1:30 pm – 3:00 pm – Herbs for the Holidays: The Science of Stuffing and Beyond

    Join the Massachusetts Horticultural Society at Elm Bank on Thursday, November 10 at 1:30 and learn about the historical uses of herbs in food preservation and the modern day understanding of their benefits for healthy living. Dr. Mohsen Meydani of Tufts University and John Forti, Mass Hort Director of Horticulture and Education, will use herbs from our gardens to present the beneficial uses of herbs and a hands-on component allows you to pot up a fresh herb plant to take home for the holidays!

    This lecture is the latest offering from the collaboration between Massachusetts Horticultural Society and the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging to bring news of the most current scientific research and how-to horticultural skills in regards to nutritional benefits of plants. Mass Hort Members: $12 Non-Members: $20. Register online at www.masshort.org.

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  • Tuesday, November 17, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm – Heirloom and Native Plants: A Living History

    On Tuesday, November 17 from 7 – 8:30 at the Dover Town Library on Dedham Street in Dover, the Massachusetts Horticultural Society welcomes its Director John Forti for a lecture entitled Heirloom and Native Plants: A Living History. For those interested in gardens that inspire a sense of time and place…this talk will foster a better understanding of the most tried and true plants and our role in preservation. This illustrated talk brings to life the unique and living history of plants that have a defining presence in our region. It explores the significance of heirloom/open-pollinated plants and gives voice to the history they keep alive.

    John Forti is a nationally recognized lecturer, garden historian, ethnobotanist and garden writer. He is the Director of Horticulture for the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, the oldest horticultural society in the nation. Before taking on this new position, he was the Curator/Director of Historic Landscapes at Strawbery Banke Museum in Portsmouth, NH. He previously served as the Director of Horticulture at Plimoth Plantation Museum where the gardens and seed program he created brought international attention to the preservation of Pilgrim and Wampanoag heirloom crops. Thousands on Facebook follow his posts where he blogs as The Heirloom Gardener – John Forti.

    Lecture Fee: Mass Hort Members $10, Non-Members $15.  Register online at http://www.masshort.org/eventdetail/211/422|427|433/heirloom-and-native-plants-a-living-history?filter_reset=1

  • Friday, October 23, 8:00 am – 3:30 pm – Let’s Drink to That! A Symposium on the History of Herbal Libations

    Learn about shrubs, bitters, herbal cordials, infused wines, and more on Friday, October 23 from 8 – 3:30 at the Hunnewell Carriage House, 900 Washington Street in Wellesley. The use of herbs in intoxicants and distilled beverages is part of an ancient and traditional rite of celebration. Enjoy a day of exploration of these amazing beverages featuring five lectures or demonstrations, an herbal lunch, taste samplings of herbal beverages, and a silent auction.

    Speakers include Dr. Judith Sumner, John Forti and Susan Belsinger. Lunch catered by Stockbridge Herbs. The program is sponsored by The New England Unit of The Herb Society of America. Cost is $90 if you register before October 5, $105 thereafter. Register at www.neuhsa.org or call 508-869-0545.

  • Wednesday, March 11 – Sunday, March 15 – The 2015 Boston Flower & Garden Show

    Wednesday, March 11 – Sunday, March 15 – The 2015 Boston Flower & Garden Show

    Garden writers, specialty plant experts, landscape professionals, master gardeners, local chefs and the Show’s talented exhibitors shared their expertise at the 2015 Boston Flower & Garden Show in a full program of daily lectures, how-to demos, floral arranging workshops, and cooking demonstrations. The show takes place at the Seaport World Trade Center Wednesday, March 11 – Sunday, March 15.  Please visit the website, www.bostonflowershow.com, for the full schedule, hours, parking directions, and online ticket purchasing.

    Special thanks to the Massachusetts Horticultural Society and the Cass School of Floral Design. A sampling of lectures and demonstrations: Deborah Trickett on Celebrity Pots, John Forti on Edible Landscapes for Health, Habitat, Families & the Future, Betty Sanders on The Magic of Spring Bulbs, Andi Ross on Hip, Hip Hydrangeas – and that’s just on Wednesday!

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  • 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.

  • Thursday, January 16, 8:30 am – 4:30 pm (Snow Date January 17) – Managing Large-Scale Landscapes Sustainably

    Join the Ecological Landscaping Association (ELA ) and Wellesley College on Thursday, January 16, from 8:30 – 4:30 at the Wellesley College Science Center for a symposium on the development and maintenance of large-scale landscapes that utilize fewer inputs, are designed and maintained with the environment in mind, and become more sustainable over time. Experts who work daily in successful, sustainable large-scale landscapes will lead four panel discussions. If you are interested in sustainable landscapes for colleges, parks departments, public agencies, cemeteries, golf courses, forests, land trusts, public gardens, or other large landscapes, this event is for you.

    Maintaining Large-Scale Landscapes
    Landscapes Over Time, Soil Compaction, Invasive Plants, Recycling Organic Matter, and Sourcing Quality Compost

    Panelists: Dennis Collins, Mount Auburn Cemetery, John Forti, Strawbery Banke Museum, and Stuart Shillaber, Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy.  Please note that both Dennis Collins and John Forti are past Garden Club of the Back Bay presenters.

    Large Lawns: Ecological Approaches
    Mowing Frequency, Inputs, Pests, Disease, and Alternative Energy Mowers

    Panelists: Richard Luff, Sagamore Golf, Fred Newcombe, PJC Ecological, and Anthony Ruggiero, Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy

    Runoff as Resource: Large Scale Stormwater Solutions
    Erosion to Irrigation, Collection Options, Dealing with Large Rain Events, Water Quality, Minimizing Demands of Potable Water

    Panelists: Tom Benjamin, LA/Sustainable Designer, Brad Buscher, Groundwork Lawrence, Eden Dutcher, GroundView, and Kate Venturini, University of Rhode Island

    Managing Semi-Wild Landscapes

    Designating “Semi-Wild” areas, Identifying Invasive Plant Threats, Setting Management Priorities, Tackling What is Feasible (and Leaving the Rest)

    Panelists: Tobias Wolf, Wolf Lighthall, Heidi Kost-Gross, G/S Associates, and Sandy Vorce, Mass Audubon

    Registrations are limited – Use This Link to Register Online Now

    For more information: ela.info@comcast.net

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