Boston Flora

Tag: Kerry Ann Mendez

  • Saturday, April 21 – The 14th Annual Great Gardens & Landscaping Symposium

    Saturday, April 21 – The 14th Annual Great Gardens & Landscaping Symposium

    The 14th Annual Great Gardens & Landscaping Symposium will take place Saturday, April 21 at The Woodstock Inn & Resort in Woodstock, Vermont. The symposium features:

    Five info-packed lectures led by nationally and regionally renowned professionals in their fields. Dr. Leonard Perry, Horticulture Professor Emeritus from the University of Vermont will speak on Top Flowers and Vegetables for Northern Gardens, and Gardening in a Changing Climate. Katherine Tracey of Avant Gardens will present Succulent Love. Valerie Rollins of Four Star Greenhouse will Discover the Magic Behind Growing Great Herbs, and Kerry Ann Mendez of Perennially Yours will speak on New and Unusual Perennials, Flowering Shrubs, and Annuals.

    A Gardeners Marketplace runs all day with plant vendors, artisans, gardening gifts and products. Terrific handouts, door prizes and garden gifts for everyone!

    Special overnight room rates for symposium attendees at The Woodstock Inn and Resort. This is an opportunity to connect with hundreds of gardeners from around the Northeast and beyond. Register online ($98) at https://pyours.com/symposium/

    Image result for Dr. Leonard Perry book

  • Tuesday, July 25, 12:00 noon – 5:00 pm – Bressingham Garden Symposium 2017

    Join the Massachusetts Horticultural Society on July 25 to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of this beautiful garden at Elm Bank! They have arranged a day led by the experts, presenting on how you can create a unique four-season landscape that is truly inspirational. Garden designer and creator, Adrian Bloom, plantsman of the Bressingham and Foggy Bottom Gardens in England, will talk about the garden’s design intent and year-long appeal. The symposium will also feature Michael Dirr, America’s top expert on woody plants; Kerry Ann Mendez, garden design, speaker and author; and Mal Condon, hydrangea expert.

    And, you’ll want to stay for the 10th Anniversary celebration of the Bressingham Garden at Elm Bank- wine and hors d’ oeuvres in the garden.

    Plant Sale: 11:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Suzanne Thatcher, Russell’s Garden Center, offers you an opportunity to take home the plants that inspire you. A portion of the day’s proceeds will go to support Mass Hort and future projects in the Bressingham Garden.

    Day Symposium: 12 – 5 p.m. $99 per person (includes box lunch)

    Add Reception: 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. $20 per person ($25 per person if not attending symposium)

    Full Symposium and Reception: $119

    Additional information, please call: 617-933-4973

    Proceeds raised from this event will support the Bressingham Garden and future projects. To register online visit www.masshort.org.

  • Garden How-To University Free Online Workshops

    Horticulture Magazine has a series of free download’s on its website which give you access to great garden speakers from the comfort of your own home.  No new live workshops are currently scheduled as of this date, but you may access recordings of past workshops at http://www.hortmag.com/smart-gardening-workshops

    Here are highlights of two presentations of interest.  We will feature more in the coming weeks:

    Gorgeous, Superhero Flowering Shrubs and Groundcovers for Right-Size Flower Gardens
    This high-energy presentation by gardening guru Kerry Ann Mendez features eye-catching, low-maintenance flowering shrubs and groundcovers that provide interest for three or more seasons. Emphasis will be on varieties that are drought tolerant and pollinator friendly. These are some of Kerry’s favorite plants showcased in her latest book, The Right-Size Flower Garden.

    Spring Ahead with Cool-Season Flowers
    Flower farmer Lisa Ziegler shares her experiences growing hardy annual flowers such as snapdragons, sweet peas, bells of Ireland and other spring beauties that are favorites of gardeners as well as pollinators and other helpful insects in search of habitat and food at winter’s end. She will introduce the cool-season concept, when to plant, where to locate for the earliest blooming, setting the garden up for low maintenance and how to keep the blooms coming into summer. Lisa’s book Cool Flowers (St. Lynn’s Press, September 2014) was based on this program.

  • Sunday, January 29, 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm – Gardening Simplified: Exceptional Plants and Design Solutions for Time-Pressed & Maturing Gardeners

    Change happens. Job demands, kids, hectic schedules, aging bodies, and changing interests have led to gardens that are not in balance with our lifestyle. Time for some ‘editing’. This inspiring Kerry Ann Mendez free lecture at Tower Hill Botanic Garden, 11 French Drive in Boylston on Sunday, January 29 at 2 pm provides easy-to-follow right-sizing strategies, recommended no-fuss plant material, and design tips for stunning year-round gardens that will be as close to ‘autopilot’ as you can get… Co-sponsored with the New England Hosta Society. Please register at www.towerhillbg.org.

    As an award-winning garden designer, author, and lecturer, Kerry Ann Mendez focuses on time-saving gardening techniques, workhorse plants and sustainable practices. She has been on HGTV and in numerous magazines including Horticulture, Fine Gardening, Garden Gate and Better Homes & Gardens. Kerry Ann was awarded the 2014 Gold Medal from the Massachusetts Horticultural Society for her horticultural accomplishments. She has published three popular gardening books – her most recent, The Right-Size Flower Garden (St. Lynn’s Press, 2015), focuses on exceptional plants and design solutions for busy and aging gardeners. For more about Kerry Ann visit www.pyours.com.

  • Saturday, August 13, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm – Garden Conservatory Open Day: Greater Boston

    The Garden Conservatory will highlight the Greater Boston area on Saturday, August 13 from 10 – 4 with two gardens and a Digging Deeper Event. Admission to each garden is $7 per person.

    Ellen Lathi’s Garden, 119 Locust Lane in Needham, is inspired by the woodland surrounding the house. The garden now winds through the forest, around a bog, and through a sunny mixed border toward the house.

    The Hunnewell Garden in Wellesley and its pinetum are well known.  Four generations of the Hunnewell family have had a hand in this estate garden, which includes a formal azalea garden.

    At 2 pm at the Lathi garden, Kerry Ann Mendez and Ellen Lathi will hold a special ticketed event, Garden Tips from a Tropical Paradise Near Boston. Ellen Lathi’s breathtaking gardens—featuring ten-foot banana trees and lush compositions of perennials, flowering shrubs, conifers and ornamental trees—have been showcased in numerous gardening magazines. Join Kerry Ann Mendez, award-winning speaker, author and designer, as she and Ellen lead an informal master class in this inspirational garden, sharing practical insights on how to create or enhance your own piece of paradise. The Digging Deeper registration fee of $15 for Garden Conservancy members, $20 for nonmembers, includes Open Days admission to this garden destination.  Registration is required and space is limited. For more information, call the Garden Conservancy’s Open Days at 845-424-6502 or visit https://www.gardenconservancy.org/events/all-events/digging-deeper-garden-design-tips-from-a-tropical-paradise-near-boston

  • Wednesday, February 18, 5:30 pm – 8:00 pm – The Right-Size Flower Garden

    Join the Massachusetts Horticultural Society on Wednesday, February 18 beginning at 5:30 pm in the Hunnewell Carriage House, 900 Washington Street, Wellesley, for a presentation and book signing celebrating The Right-Size Flower Garden, the newest book from top selling author Kerry Ann Mendez.

    Change Happens. Many still dream of ‘Better Homes and Gardens’ landscapes but reality has muddied the picture. Job demands, kids, money, hectic schedules, aging bodies, and changing interests have led to nightmare gardens. Time for some editing. This inspiring lecture provides easy-to-follow right-sizing strategies, recommended no-fuss plant material, and design tips for stunning year round gardens that will be as close to ‘autopilot’ as you can get.

    Kerry Ann Mendez is dedicated to teaching the art of low-maintenance perennial gardening and landscaping. As a garden consultant, designer, writer and lecturer, she focuses on time-saving gardening techniques and work horse plant material as well as organic practices. She has been in numerous magazines, a featured guest on HGTV and local garden segments, and was the recipient of Mass Hort’s 2014 Gold Medal of Honor for outstanding service to the field of horticulture. For more about Kerry and her business, Perennially Yours, visit www.pyours.com.

    5:30 Wine and Cheese Reception
    6:30 Presentation to be followed by book signing

    Books will be for sale at this event

    Event Fee: Mass Hort Members $15, Non-Members $20.  Register on line at http://www.masshort.org/Events.

  • Friday, April 4, 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm, and Saturday, April 5, 9:00 am – 4:00 pm – Great Gardens and Landscaping Symposium

    The 11th Annual Great Gardens and Landscaping Symposium, April 4 & 5, 2014 at The Equinox Resort in Manchester, Vermont , will be sponsored by: The American Horticultural Society, Corona Tools, Equinox Valley Nursery, Espoma, Gardener’s Supply Company, Liquid Fence, Neptune’s Harvest and Proven Winners.

    This premier symposium takes place April 4 & 5, 2014 and will be held at the world-class Equinox Resort (www.equinoxresort.com) in Manchester, VT. The symposium features six dynamic lectures, a Gardener’s Marketplace, great food, door prizes, and gifts. Over 200 gardeners from around the Northeast annually attend this popular event. NEW for 2014 is a special Garden Design Workshop on Friday from 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. This workshop is in addition to the symposium. Featured speakers, horticultural experts and notable authors are: David L. Culp: owner of award-winning gardens that have been featured on HGTV and in Martha Stewart Living, VP of Sunny Border Nurseries, instructor at Longwood Gardens (PA), former contributing editor to Horticulture magazine, and author of the top selling book The Layered Garden; Thomas Christopher: a highly respected expert on sustainable gardening practices with articles in The New York Times and Martha Stewart Living; owner of a sustainable lawn consulting business, Greener Grasses/Sustainable Lawns, graduate of the New York Botanical Garden’s school of professional horticulture and editor of a best seller – The New American Landscape: Leading Voices on the Future of Sustainable Gardening, which contains his own chapter on water-wise gardening; Deborah Trickett: a highly applauded container designer who works with clients throughout New England, owner of The Captured Garden, instructor at the Arnold Arboretum in Boston, and her work has been featured in The Boston Globe, Garden Gate and New England Home magazines as well as on the TV show New England Dream Home; Adam R. Wheeler: a plant fanatic who is the propagation and new plant development manager for Broken Arrow Nursery – a destination garden center in CT, and adjunct instructor on plant propagation and woody plant identification at Naugatuck Valley Community College; and Kerry Ann Mendez: owner of Perennially Yours, garden designer and consultant, guest on HGTV, former TV garden series host, her gardens have been featured in Garden Gate, Fine Gardening, Horticulture, and Better Homes and Gardens SIP, and author of The Ultimate Flower Gardener’s Top Ten Lists and Top Ten Lists for Beautiful Shade Gardens.

    How-to, informative lectures include: 50 Perennials I Could Not Live Without; The Layered Garden: Design Lessons for Year Round Beauty; A Back Yard Revolution – alternative grasses and compatible perennials that provide all the benefits of a conventional lawn; Celebrity Pots, an entertaining presentation on creating flashy containers that portray celebrities like Brad Pitt, Lady Gaga and Grace Kelly; Fun with Color: Variegated Foliage in the Garden; and Flashy New or Underused Perennials for 2014. Overnight packages and day only rates are available. Symposium Day Only rates: $98 per person by March 1, $108 after March 1; special rates for groups and Master Gardeners. Overnight packages including symposium programming, accommodations, meals and all taxes & gratuities start at $300.29 for a single or $430.09 for a double ($215.05 per person). For more information and registration details, visit www.pyours.com/symposium.

    http://gardenrant.com//srv/htdocs/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/AAADEC20122-550x395.jpg

  • Friday, April 12 – Sunday, April 14 – The 10th Annual Great Gardens and Landscaping Symposium

    The 10th Annual Great Gardens and Landscaping Symposium will take place April 12 – 14 at the world-class Equinox Resort in Manchester, Vermont.  Day only rates are available, as well as overnight symposium packages.  On Friday, April 12, at 7 pm, Presenter Kerry Ann Mendez, garden designer, author and consultant, will welcome guests and speak on The Art of Shade Gardening: Seeing Your Way Out of the Dark.  On Saturday, from 9 – 4, the Gardener’s Marketplace will be open, and past Garden Club of the Back Bay speaker Rich Pomerantz will speak on Design Strategies for Great Gardens.  Jessica Walliser, horticulturist, author, teacher and radio show host, will speak on The Benefits of Beneficials  and Heather Poire of Bailey Nurseries will give a session on Sensational Flowering Shrubs for the Landscape.  After lunch, Ruth Rogers Clausen, former editor of Country Living Gardener, will speak on Successful Gardening in Deer Country.  Saturday winds up with another talk by Kerry Ann Mendez on The Dazzling New Perennial Line-Up for 2013. 

    Sunday will start with an Ask the Experts Panel at 9 am, followed by Jessica Walliser on Forgotten Garden Combinations and the Fabulous Beekman Boys, owners of the Beekman 1802 organic product line, speaking on The Heirloom Life.  Brent Ridge and Josh Kilmer-Purcell have a passion for organic gardening and ‘the simpler life’. They will talk about how the notion of history and permanence influences every aspect of Beekman 1802 from what they do in the garden to the products they produce. Dr. Brent is an Assistant Clinical Professor at Mount Sinai School of Medicine and was Vice President of Healthy Living at Martha Stewart Living Omni Media. He writes for The Huffington Post, and is now CEO of Beekman 1802. Josh is the New York Times bestselling author of “The Bucolic Plague”, “I Am Not Myself These Days”, and “Candy Everybody Wants”. Kilmer-Purcell is a monthly columnist for OUT magazine and a contributor to NPR.

    For complete registration information visit www.pyours.com/symposium.  To book online, go to www.equinoxresort.com.

    http://www.sheistoofondofbooks.com//srv/htdocs/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/the-bucolic-plague.jpg

  • Friday, April 1 – Saturday, April 2 – Eighth Annual Great Gardens and Landscaping Symposium

    The inspirational and exhilarating Eighth Annual Great Gardens and Landscaping Symposium (that has sold out for several years) will energize your approach to gardening.  The symposium will be held Friday, April 1 and Saturday, April 2 at The Equinox Resort, a world class, four diamond resort in Manchester, Vermont.  The symposium features six info-packed lectures led by nationally and regionally renowned professionals in their fields, as well as a vendors area.  Exchange ideas and swap “the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat” gardening stories with other passionate gardeners at workshops, meals and free time.  Drawings for great gardening gifts throughout the Symposium will sweeten the deal.  One and two night packages are available, as well as day-only rates.  Speakers include Ellen Ecker Ogden on The Complete Kitchen Garden: The Art of Designing a Classic Potager, Bill Cullina on The Botany of Design, as well as Beyond Black-eyed Susans and Border Phlox: Exceptional Native Perennials for Creative Gardening, Charlotte Albers on Mad About Blue, Heather Poire speaking on Proven Winners Annual: The Perfect Accessory for Perennial Gardens, and Kerry Ann Mendez presenting Exciting New or Underused Perennials for 2011. Symposium sponsors include The American Horticultural Society, Equinox Valley Nursery (see their lilac image below,)  The Espoma Company, Fine Gardening Magazine, Gardener’s Supply Company, Liquid Fence, Luster Leaf Products, Neptune’s Harvest, Proven Winners, SmileMonster.com, and White Flower Farm.  You may register on line at www.pyours.com/Symposium2011.html.  Registration deadline is March 28.

  • Thursday, March 25, 11:30 am – 6:00 pm – Gardening Essentials at the Boston Flower & Garden Show

    The Massachusetts Horticultural Society has put together a full day of programs as part of the Paragon Group’s Boston Flower & Garden Show, opening March 24 and running through March 28 at the Seaport World Trade Center.  On Thursday, March 25, beginning at 11:30, Art Scarpa opens the morning with ‘The Care and Feeding of Houseplants’. Whether we live in a grand house or a one-bedroom apartment, houseplants are an essential part of New England because six months out of the year there’s nothing growing and green outside. This program will deal with houseplant basics: selection, care and maintenance. You will come away with your thumb considerably greener.

    At 12:30, MassHort has assembled on stage a virtual encyclopedia of gardening knowledge. Roger Swain, Paul Miskovsky and Kerry Ann Mendez invite everyone to bring their best questions on any topic related to gardening. Swain (pictured below) is the well-know host of PBS’ ‘The Victory Garden’ (he will also speak on the subject of tools on Saturday), who brings a dollop of humor to his broad knowledge of all things botanical. Miskovsky is considered one of the region’s best landscapers. He has installed two gardens on the exhibit floor; one, a 1,080 square foot garden (Falmouth-based Miskovsky Landscaping) and a second one for Heritage Museum and Gardens. Paul creates inspiring gardens for his public and private clients, but he can also tell you how to properly plant a rhododendron. Mendez is a ‘passionate perennialist’, an exceptional gardening speaker and the proprietor of ‘Perennially Yours’ in upstate New York.

    At 1:30, Rita Wollmering offers ‘Ready, Set, Grow – Preparing for a Successful Vegetable Garden’. She’ll take you through the practical steps that lead to a more successful vegetable garden. With planning, preparation and smart planting, gardeners can see an increase in both the health and yield of their plots.

    At 2:30, Betty Sanders talks on ‘The Green, Organic and Affordable Lawn’. The level of hype and dubious information about ‘organics’ has gotten to a state where someone with a wide body of knowledge, no axe to grind and nothing to sell is needed to sort it all out and answer all questions in a way that listeners understand their options.

    At 3:30 p.m., Cathy Felton will talk on ‘Editing the Mature Garden’. What do you do with a yard full of overgrown shrubs and perennials with dead centers? It may be the house you’ve lived in for 40 years or it may be the one you just purchased. Either way, bringing a landscape back to a manageable shape doesn’t always need to be a job for a contractor – or pointlessly expensive. The program will show how incremental steps can undo decades of neglect.

    At 5 p.m., Sally Muspratt offers ‘Small is Beautiful: Do-it-Yourself City Landscaping’. Not everyone has five acres, not everyone can hire a designer. The house in the city with 50 feet of street frontage can have just as much appeal as an estate. But where do you begin when you’re starting with some old boxwood and scraggly grass? This talk will take homeowners on a step-by-step process toward achieving a great landscape in a small space, and is especially appropriate for those of us located in the City of Boston.

    http://www.harvardpress.com/Portals/0/issues/2009_10_02/Swain_0418_350w.jpg