Boston Flora

Tag: Mark Richardson

  • Thursday, November 5, 8:00 am – 4:30 pm – Season’s End Summit: Digging Into the Layered Landscape

    Thursday, November 5, 8:00 am – 4:30 pm – Season’s End Summit: Digging Into the Layered Landscape

    Landscapes are a delightful blending of form and function. An ecological landscape is that and more. Join us for the 6th annual ELA Season’s End Summit to explore the many layers of the landscape with our distinguished lineup of presenters. On November 5th,from 8 – 4:30 at the Community Harvest Project Barn, 37 Wheeler Road in North Grafton, we will reconnect with colleagues, reflect on the past growing season, and get inspired for the next.

    Reviving the Naturalistic Garden presented by: Mark Richardson
    Exploring the Rich Layers in the Meadow presented by: Rebecca Lindenmeyr
    Optimizing Ecological Value in the Layered Landscape presented by: Lauren Chase Rowell
    Creating Beauty in Every Layer presented by: Julie Moir Messervy (pictured below)

    $85 – $110 per person registration – See more at: http://www.ecolandscaping.org/event/seasons-end-summit-digging-into-the-layered-landscape/#sthash.6nCgK2X8.dpuf

    Julie-Moir-Meservy-Ken-Burris-until-Dec-2016

  • Sunday, August 2, 9:00 am – 3:00 pm – Kill Your Lawn

    According to NASA scientists, in the United States more surface area is covered by lawn than by any other single irrigated crop. Lawns are resource-heavy, requiring irrigation, fertilizer, and pesticides to thrive in our climate. Learn why you should “kill your lawn” and how to replace it with environmentally friendly native plantings. The class will be held on Sunday, August 2 from 9 – 3 at Garden in the Woods in Framingham, taught by Mark Richardson. The fee is $82 for New England Wild Flower Society members, $98 for nonmembers, and is co-sponsored by the Ecological Landscape Alliance. Register online at http://www.newfs.org/learn/our-programs/kill-your-lawn.  Image from www.sustainable-gardening.com.

  • Tuesdays, July 14 – August 4, 9:00 am – 12:00 noon – Landscape for Life

    This intensive four session (July 14, 21, 28, and August 4) introductory course co-sponsored by the Ecological Landscape Alliance and the New England Wild Flower Society will provide you with the knowledge, skills, and understanding to create a great-looking garden that is healthier for you, your family, and the environment. This class, taking place at Garden in the Woods in Framingham, is based on the principles of the Sustainable Sites Initiative, the nation’s first rating system for sustainable landscapes.

    Instructor Mark Richardson oversees the New England Wildflower Society’s botanic garden, Garden in the Woods, and its native plant nursery operation, Nasami Farm in Whately, Massachusetts. He studied ornamental horticulture at University of Rhode Island and helped run a mid-sized ornamental plant nursery before finding his true passion in public horticulture. He led undergraduate programs at Longwood Gardens, overhauled the curriculum of the Professional Gardener Program, and oversaw adult education at Brookside Gardens. In 2013, Mr. Richardson assisted with the development of the first comprehensive master plan for Garden in the Woods. He holds a MS from the University of Delaware’s Longwood Graduate Program. Bring a bag lunch each day. $185 for members of the sponsoring organizations, $218 for nonmembers. See more at: http://www.ecolandscaping.org/event/landscape-for-life/2015-07-14/#sthash.D6dVSvgx.dpuf

  • Wednesday, March 25, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm – Organic Pest Management

    Too often, a gardener’s response to insect pests or diseases is eradication, when all that’s really necessary is a little patience. Native plant gardens contribute to local ecosystems in myriad ways, but we limit their value when we apply pesticides. Learn how the horticulturists at Garden in the Woods use organic practices to manage plant health care in the Garden and how you can do the same at home, in this class led by Mark Richardson on Wednesday, March 25 from 6 – 9. Fee is $40 for members of the New England Wild Flower Society, $48 for nonmembers. Register online at http://www.newenglandwild.org/learn/our-programs/organic-pest-management.

  • Friday, October 3, 5:30 pm – 8:00 pm – Native Plants, Native Brews, Native Talent

    Garden in the Woods, 180 Hemenway Road in Framingham, is the 45-acre botanical garden of New England Wild Flower Society, America’s oldest plant conservation organization, and boasts over 1,000 native plant species on display including 150 rare and endangered species.

    Native plants are a riot of color in autumn and there is no better place to see them in a mature garden setting than at Garden in the Woods.

    Join the Ecological Landscaping Alliance on Friday, October 3, from 5:30 – 8 for this unique opportunity to enjoy the fall foliage of native plants while reconnecting with native talent (colleagues) and sharing your favorite native brew. Bring a couple of your favorite native brews to this BYO & S (Bring Your Own and Swap) gathering for a twilight tour that is sure to sell out.  $25 for NEWFS and ELA members, $30 for nonmembers.

    Native brew soft-drinks will be provided.  Image from www.nourishedkitchen.com.

    Mark Richardson is the Horticulture Director at New England Wild Flower Society and oversees the Society’s botanic garden, Garden in the Woods, and its native plant nursery operation, Nasami Farm. Mark studied ornamental horticulture at University of Rhode Island while helping to run a mid-sized ornamental plant nursery before finding his true passion in public horticulture. He led undergraduate programs at Longwood Gardens, where he overhauled the curriculum of the Professional Gardener Program, and oversaw adult education at Brookside Gardens. He holds a master’s degree from the University of Delaware’s Longwood Graduate Program.
    – See more at: http://www.ecolandscaping.org/event/native-plants-native-brews-native-talent/#sthash.hmZp64LC.dpuf.

  • Tuesday, August 12, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm – The Trouble with Earthworms

    The Ecological Landscaping Association and the New England Wildflower Society will sponsor The Trouble with Earthworms, a tour led by Mark Richardson, on Tuesday, August 12 from 6 – 8 at Garden in the Woods in Framingham.  $25 for ELA/NEWFS members, $35 for non-members.

    Leaf collection, hauling, and disposal are a large annual cost to property owners and a waste of resources ecologically.  Across the industry, many have adopted the practice of mulch-in-place, which eliminates the expense of hauling leaves off site and purchasing mulch.  Using leaf litter as mulch builds soil organic matter, and fosters a healthy soil food web.  It is a sound horticultural practice with many benefits.  However, it also may be encouraging localized populations of invasive earthworms, which in turn destroy soil structure, speed up nutrient cycles, and favor invasive plant growth.

    Part of the confusion surrounding earthworms might be explained best by Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies ecologist Peter Groffman, who states that “Earthworms are not necessarily making the soil healthy, but they are attracted to healthy soil.”  Earthworms can improve the physical condition of certain soil such as heavy clay soil or soil compacted by heavy equipment.  But if good soil management is being practiced, earthworms do not have a positive effect on aeration or the movement of water or air through the soil.

    Join tour guide Mark Richardson, who will discuss Garden in the Woods ecological management practices as well as research aimed at slowing down the booming population of earthworms in the Garden.  Register by calling 617-436-5838, or on line at https://www.eventville.com/catalog/eventregistration1.asp?eventid=1011038.

     

  • Tuesday, July 15, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm – Garden in the Woods: Enjoying the Present, Planning for the Future

    The Ecological Landscaping Association, New England Wild Flower Society, and Boston Architectural College will present Mark Richardson, Director of Horticulture, New England Wild Flower Society, on Tuesday, July 15, from 1 – 3, at Garden in the Woods in Framingham, speaking on Garden in the Woods: Enjoying the Present, Planning for the Future.

    New England Wild Flower Society’s Garden in the Woods is a 45-acre botanical garden.  With over 1,000 native plant species on display and 150 rare and endangered species, the Garden is a valuable resource promoting conservation of native New England plants and their habitats.  The Garden serves as the Society’s laboratory for horticulture, gardening, conservation, and education, and has long been a model of naturalistic garden design.

    Today, Garden in the Woods must grapple with a future of uncertainty in the face of climate change.  Get a behind-the-scenes look at the master plan recently completed by Andropogon Associates to envision the future and advance the sustainable operations of this botanical gem.  $20 for members of sponsoring organizations, $30 for nonmembers.  Register on line at https://www.eventville.com/catalog/eventregistration1.asp?eventid=1011136.  

  • Tuesday and Wednesday, July 16 & 17, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm – Landscape for Life

    This two day New England Wildflower Society course on July 16 and 17 provides you with the knowledge, skills, and understanding to work with nature in your garden.  Conventional gardens often work against nature, damaging the environment’s ability to clean air and water, reduce flooding, combat climate change, and provide all the other natural benefits that support life on earth, including us.  The good news is that even one home garden can begin to repair the web of life.  Find out how it is possible to create a great looking garden that is healthier for you, your family, your pets, and the environment, while saving you time and money. Learn techniques for working with soil, water, energy, and native plants to help make your garden more earth-friendly and sustainable.  Bring a bag lunch each day to Garden in the Woods in Framingham, Massachusetts.  Your instructor will be Mark Richardson, Horticulture Director, and staff at New England Wild Flower Society.  $75 for NEWFS members, $90 for non members.  Visit www.newfs.org to register.

    http://www.newenglandwild.org/images/visit/Entrance%20Sign%20GITW%20(c)%20New%20England%20Wild%20Flower%20Society%20S.%20Ziglar%20websized.jpeg/image_preview

  • Mark Richardson Becomes the New England Wild Flower Society’s Director of Horticulture

    The New England Wild Flower Society welcomes Mark Richardson as its new Director of Horticulture. Mark has an intriguing combination of strategic vision, skills, and experience that impressed everyone who interviewed him. A native of Rhode Island, Mark worked for four years as the assistant manager of a 45-acre nursery while earning his degree in Urban Horticulture at the University of Rhode Island. He then received his Master of Science in Public Horticulture from the Longwood Graduate Program as part of the University of Delaware. New degree in hand, he was asked by Longwood Gardens to run the undergraduate programs, and he spent his five years on staff in roles that encompassed strategic program development, design and development of a new garden area, and even leading the entire Education Department (with its $2.6 million budget) for seven months during the search for a new director. He left Longwood for Brookside Gardens, a botanic garden that is part of the Parks Department of Montgomery County, Maryland, where he served as the manager of adult education programs and frequent horticulture instructor/lecturer/author (and he developed a strategic plan for technology in the garden!). While he has enjoyed his work in education, his passion is plants, and he is excited to be shifting back to horticulture and his roots in New England.