Boston Flora

Tag: Mass Hort

  • Saturday, November 14, 10:00 am – 11:30 am – Hands-On Floral Workshop Design: Your Thanksgiving Table

    Discover the joy of floral arranging in this creative workshop series led by Lorraine Walsh and Mary Lou Ashur of Artistry Floral. With backgrounds rooted in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Lorraine and Mary Lou bring a wealth of experience and artistry to each session.

    Each hands-on class explores floral design fundamentals—from developing structure and balance to working confidently with color, texture, and movement. Whether you’re looking to refine your skills, create a meaningful handmade gift, or simply try something new, you’ll leave inspired—and with a beautiful seasonal arrangement to enjoy at home. Various dates are scheduled now through March 27 – learn and register at https://www.cognitoforms.com/MassachusettsHorticulturalSociety/_2026FWHandsOnWorkshopsFloralDesign. The one we are highlighting today is Your Thanksgiving Table on November 14.

    Lorraine and Mary Lou met in 2016 while working as floral associates at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, where they designed art-inspired installations for galleries, restaurants, special events, and holiday displays. Today, through Artistry Floral, they create distinctive bouquets, tablescapes, and large-scale installations rooted in seasonality and high-quality blooms sourced from both local growers and global producers. Their work reflects a commitment to environmentally responsible practices and thoughtful, client-centered design.

    All levels are welcome—beginners encouraged.
    Class size is limited; registration closes one week prior to allow time for materials preparation.

  • Sunday, November 8, 9:30 am – 12:30 pm – Starting & Maintaining Your Perpetual Journal

    Join renowned botanical artist and newly published author, Lara Call Gastinger as you learn basic skills for drawing outside and keeping a field sketching journal, such as a perpetual journal. We will explore and draw in the gardens after learning how to break down the complexity of a plant, use a pen, add watercolor, and make important observations. Lara will introduce basic skills for starting and maintaining your own perpetual journal. She will explain how pages are set up and discuss techniques that she uses to create her nature observations. All of these are practices she shares in her new book, A Perpetual Journal Practice.

    This Massachusetts Horticultural Society class will take place at the Garden at Elm Bank on Sunday, November 8 from 9:30 – 12:30, and is $95 for MHS members, $115 for nonmembers, Register HERE.

  • Thursday, October 29 – Massachusetts Horticultural Society Honorary Medals Dinner

    Massachusetts Horticultural Society (MHS) will celebrate their 2026 Honorary Medal winners at the 122nd Honorary Medals Dinner in the Hunnewell Building at the Garden at Elm Bank in Wellesley, MA on October 29, 2026.

    This ceremony celebrates a 195-year tradition of awarding medals to individuals and organizations for their contributions to horticulture for the public good, while marking the introduction of the R. Wayne Mezitt Medal – the first new medal established since 1927.

    Tickets for the awards ceremony including dinner and drinks are now on sale. Proceeds benefit excellence in horticulture at MHS. For a list of award winners and to register, visit https://www.masshort.org/honorary-medals

  • Update: Now Through August 23, 2026 – Sunflower Spectacular

    Experience a stunning field of thousands of blooming sunflowers available for display and pick-your-own. Join the Massachusetts Horticultural Society at the Garden at Elm Bank in Wellesley to be a part of one of the newest and closest sunflower fields to Boston. Admission includes pick-your-own sunflower stems, access to the 1.3 acre display area, and access to the 36-acre Garden at Elm Bank. Entries are from 10 – 5 Sundays through Thursdays, and 10 – 4 Fridays and Saturdays. $5 for MHS members, $20 for nonmembers, $10 for kids 3- 17, children two and under free.

    Tickets are on sale now. Sign up for updates to visit Sunflower Spectacular this August! https://www.masshort.org/sunflower-spectacular#signup

  • Tuesday, Thursday & Friday, June 9, 11 & 12, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm – Building Color & Form: Spring Flowers in Colored Pencil

    In this three-day Massachusetts Horticultural Society workshop on June 9, 11, & 12 from 10 – 2 with award-winning botanical artist, Alice Rosa, students will learn how to approach botanical subjects using colored pencils. We will begin with observation and drawing, focusing on how to study a plant and translate its structure onto paper. From there, we will work through the process of adding color, studying color layering and building it gradually while paying attention to subtle shifts in tone and hue. The course is designed to be an accessible introduction, allowing students to experiment, slow down, and become familiar with the medium. Some experience with drawing and the basics of botanical art will be helpful, though no prior experience with colored pencil is required.

    Alice Rosa is a Fellow of the Society of Botanical Artists in London and a Professional Member of the Copley Society of Art in Boston, MA. She graduated with distinction from the Distance Learning Diploma Course of the Society of Botanical Artists. She is a studio artist at the Umbrella Arts Center in Concord, MA.

    Alice was born and raised in Italy. She has a degree in foreign languages and literature from the University of Verona. She also holds a degree in art conservation from IVBC in Venice, where she specialized in the restoration of polychrome wood sculptures and paintings on panel. She currently lives in Concord, Massachusetts.

    $250 for MHS members, $290 for nonmembers. For complete supply list, and to register, visit https://www.cognitoforms.com/MassachusettsHorticulturalSociety/_26060926BAC143BuildingColorAndFormSpringFlowersInColoredPencil

  • Saturday, June 20 – Once Upon a Bloom, 2026 New England Rose Show

    The Massachusetts Horticultural Society will host the 2026 New England Rose Show at The Gardens at Elm Bank on Saturday, June 20. Enjoy speakers, a rose sale, a flower crown station, and themed displays. The show is included with Garden Admission – free for MHS members, $14 for adults, $5 for kids 3 – 17, 2 and under free. For more information visit https://www.masshort.org/rose-show

  • Monday, January 12, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm Eastern – Native Perennials from Seed, Online

    Learn when and how to collect seeds from native perennials, identify reputable seed sources, and understand the best methods for sowing seeds at the right time. This virtual Massachusetts Horticultural Society online class on January 12 from 6 – 8 will also cover nurturing seedlings to ensure healthy growth and techniques for properly storing seeds for future planting. Just in time to start your plans for the coming spring! Register with https://www.masshort.org/upcoming-classes

  • Monday, January 5, Wednesday, January 7, Friday, January 9, & Monday, January 12, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm Eastern – A Graphite Adventure: How to Solve Botanical Drawing Problems, Online

    Drawing plants isn’t always easy, especially when you’re faced with foreshortened petals, tricky tonal values, or overlapping shapes. In this four-session Massachusetts Horticultural Society online class in January, 2026, Carol Ann Morley will explore numerous ways to approach these visual problems and how to solve them with confidence. Learn how to build spatial depth and show space using techniques like atmospheric perspective. With step-by-step guidance, you’ll gain skills to simplify what you see and conquer the curves of a curled leaf, the surface pattern of a gourd, or the layered shapes of a flower.. Register at https://www.masshort.org/upcoming-classes

  • Friday, December 5, 10:00 am – 11:30 am – Hands-On Natural Holiday Arrangements Workshop

    Celebrate the season with Massachusetts Horticultural Society Garden Educator Melissa Pace in this hands-on workshop that shows how to use the materials around you to create festive arrangements for indoors or out. Melissa is the creative force behind the natural displays featured each year at our holiday event, Festival of Trees, where her work is always a highlight. She’ll share the same techniques she uses to design arrangements that are both beautiful and long-lasting.

    Working with fresh evergreens, grasses, and other natural textures, participants will first learn the basics of building a strong base arrangement, then explore different ways to embellish it for the holidays. Guided step-by-step, you’ll create your own seasonal piece to take home—brimming with greenery, texture, and accents that capture the magic of the season.

    What to Bring: Participants are encouraged to bring a pair of garden shears if they have them; extras will be available to share. Work gloves are optional for handling greenery, and a box to carry your finished arrangement home is recommended.

    Melissa Pace is an award-winning horticulturist, competing in numerous flower shows nationwide – from the Philadelphia Flower Show to specialized cacti and succulent showcases. A University of Rhode Island Master Gardener since 2003, she also maintains an active membership in the Cactus and Succulent Society of Massachusetts.

    For over 30 years, Melissa has always been eager to share her knowledge of plants. From working with local garden clubs and civic organizations to giving hands-on tours for nationwide conferences and symposia, her engaging talks blend practical insights with her passion for plants, captivating audiences from all walks of life.

    Holding a Master’s degree in teaching from Bridgewater State University, she seamlessly integrates her roles as a teacher and horticulture enthusiast at Massachusetts Horticultural Society (MHS), where she engages with learners of all ages using her dynamic approach to plant education. She embodies the mission of MHS by encouraging everyone to become active growers.

    $53 for Mass Hort members, $65 for nonmembers. Workshop size is limited – Preregistration required HERE

  • Friday, November 28 – Sunday, December 28 – 17th Annual Festival of Trees

    Massachusetts Horticultural Society’s 17th Festival of Trees showcases dozens of decorated trees as well as Snow Village, including a model railroad display.  This annual event takes place at The Gardens at Elm Bank, 900 Washington Street, Wellesley, MA 02482.  The venues are handicapped accessible. 

    Mostly displayed in the Hunnewell Building, the Festival offers beautifully decorated holiday trees that are donated and decorated by local businesses, garden clubs and other organizations, and individuals. Holiday lights and decorations fill the Garden. See the Garden at Elm Bank in a new light with holiday lightscapes, magical displays, and the perfect photo opportunities. You’ll get a hot cocoa at the gate and finish your visit with s’mores by the firepits. 

    Visitors ‘vote’ with their raffle tickets, selecting the tree(s) they would like to win at the end of the event.  Tree sizes vary from one foot to nine feet in height and some have gifts in addition to the decorations.  This year there will also be a virtual Festival in addition to the physical display.    

    Another and totally different experience is provided by Snow Village, an indoor exhibit occupying a whole room.  This large display features model trains wending their way through villages and vignettes, including Christmas in the City (Boston of course!), Fenway Park, a Dickensian village, the North Pole and hundreds of decorated houses and lights.  There are too many Santas to count as well as skaters galore.  This is a visual treat for young and old alike and each year it is a little different. 

    For tickets and more information visit https://www.masshort.org/festival-of-trees#signup