Boston Flora

Tag: Massachusetts Master Gardeners

  • Fridays, January 19 – March 22, 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm Eastern – 2024 Home Gardener Boot Camp, Online

    In recent years, seasonal patterns have become unstable.  Climate change requires smart gardening practices. In response, horticultural science and gardening best practices are constantly evolving. As gardeners, we can have a positive impact by creating a resilient, ecologically-friendly landscape.

    Interested in digging deeper?  Massachusetts Master Gardeners’ ten-week boot camp will provide you with information to help combat climate change and support a healthier environment.  Our series begins with an in-depth discussion of what an ecosystem is and how you can use that knowledge to enrich your own landscape. We then explore how you can build ecologically-friendly gardens from shade to groundcovers.  

    WHY WE CALL IT BOOT CAMP: In recent years “Boot Camps” have become popular for everything from parkour to yoga to chess and even knitting! The MMGA is not about the latest fads or fashions, but it occurred to us that our program and all these other boot camps share something in common: they are short, focused, and led by subject matter experts. And they help you take a favorite pursuit to the next level by imparting knowledge and skills that you can put to use both immediately and long-term.

    WHO SHOULD ATTEND: Boot Camp is designed for home gardeners at all levels of experience who are looking to build an ecologically-friendly landscape. Information is presented in a way that is easily understandable to less experienced gardeners while including enough science-based background to be useful to everyone. While much of Boot Camp’s content is geared to Massachusetts, gardeners in other lower New England states may also benefit.

    WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN BOOT CAMP/Program Topics:

    • Landscapes / Ecosystems 
    • Native New England Plants
    • Creating a Pollinator Habitat Anywhere 
    • Creating an Eco-friendly Garden 
    • Shade Gardening
    • Groundcovers 
    • Lawn and Lawn Alternatives 
    • Water Wisdom: Save water, the environment and money 
    • Composting 
    • Inviting Wildlife into your Yard

    Click HERE for Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), including a complete list of program topics.

    WHO ARE THE PRESENTERS: Sessions are taught by our most experienced Certified Master Gardeners who are passionate subject matter experts and trained presenters. They started out as home gardeners just like you, so they know what information will help you the most.

    YOUR INVESTMENT AND WHY IT’S WORTH IT: The fee for all ten sessions of Boot Camp is $250, payable online by credit card or PayPal. This averages out to just $25 per session – $12.50 for each of the 20 hours you’ll spend in class.

    Here are just some of what makes Home Gardener Boot Camp unique:

    • It’s the only program of its kind taught exclusively by Certified Massachusetts Master Gardeners.
    • Classes are geared toward learning about the biodiversity of landscapes and ecosystems which are intimately connected.  You’ll learn the right habitat for flora and fauna to thrive in your landscape. 
    • Because sessions are live, you will have the opportunity to interact with presenters via a 30-minute Q&A. No relevant questions will go unanswered: If we run out of time, we’ll get back to you with written responses.
    • Missed class?  No problem.  Classes will be recorded and available for viewing up to 1 week after the missed lecture to paid registrants.
    • To provide an ongoing reference, most lectures include handouts, which will be emailed.

    Register now at https://www.massmastergardeners.org/educational-resources/boot-camp

  • Wednesdays, September 12 – November 28 (no class 9/19 or 11/21), 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm – Home Horticulture Class

    The Massachusetts Master Gardener Association presents ten evening classes packed with practical information to make you a more successful home-gardener

    Classes will take place on Wednesday evenings, 6:30-8:00 PM, Sept. 12 to Nov. 28, 2018 (No class 9/19 or 11/21) at Brigham Hill Community Farm (pictured), 37 Wheeler Road in North Grafton (15 mins. From Mass Pike Exit 11) – Classes will be held in the beautiful barn classroom, featuring new state-of-the-art audio-visual capabilities. Ample free parking in well-lighted, paved lot, just a few steps from the building.

    WHAT YOU’LL LEARN: The Home Hort Series covers the same topics as Master Gardener Training but in a streamlined format. No outside reading, homework, testing or volunteering required. Just 1-1/2 hrs. one night per week. Here’s a sample of what we’ll be covering:

    Important fundamentals such as building great soil and how plants work
    Practical how-to’s like basic landscape design, perennial selection and care, and combating weeds, diseases and pests

    The cost of the 10-lecture series is $250, payable by credit/debit card or Pay Pal. That averages out to just $25 each for the ten sessions. For a complete syllabus, and to register, visit http://massmastergardeners.org/fall-2018-home-horticulture-class/

    Image result for brigham hill community farm grafton ma

  • Tuesday, March 20, 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm – Easy Care Roses

    Eric Eisenhaurer of the Massachusetts Master Gardeners Association will show you how to grow beautiful healthy roses in your garden, without sprays and pesticides, by learning which roses are disease resistant, winter-hardy and the most reliable bloomers. The lecture will take place Tuesday, March 20 at 6:30 pm at the Eleanor Cabot Bradley Estate in Canton. Registration and payment is through the Massachusetts Master Gardeners Association. Fee: $25 per class. Contact: bradley@thetrustees.org for more information and the location to register and provide payment. Image from www.youreasygarden.com.

  • Tuesday, January 23, 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm – Pets and Plants

    Whether your pet is a cat, dog, chicken or “other” they have the potential to be exposed to your plants either indoors, outdoors, or both. There are many sources of information about plant toxicity but they can often conflict with each other. This Massachusetts Master Gardeners presentation with April Daley will help you to understand what “toxic” and “poisonous” mean to your pets as well as a method to evaluate the pet, the plant as well as horticultural practices and how much risk is involved in each situation. The event will be held at the Eleanor Cabot Bradley Estate in Canton on Tuesday, January 23 from 6:30 – 8, and the cost is $25. Registration and payment is through the Massachusetts Master Gardeners Association. Contact: bradley@thetrustees.org for more information and the location to register and provide payment. Image from www.costafarms.com.

  • Thursday, June 5, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm – Shade Gardening

    We love trees in New England, so we have a lot of shade.  But that doesn’t have to mean a garden without color and drama.  Explore the world of shade tolerant plants and ideas for a great garden under the trees.  This Massachusetts Horticultural Society program is led by the Massachusetts Master Gardeners on Thursday, June 5 from 7 – 8:30 in the Parkman Room in the Education Building at Elm Bank, 900 Washington Street in Wellesley.  $10 Mass Hort members, $15 non-members.  Find out more at www.masshort.org. Image from www.enchantedgardensdesign.com.

  • Wednesday, February 13, 6:30 pm – Native Trees and Shrubs

    Guest Speaker Betty Sanders from the Massachusetts Master Gardeners Association will present Native Trees and Shrubs on Wednesday, February 13 beginning at 6:30 pm at the Millis Veterans Memorial Building, 900 Main Street, Room 130, Millis, Massachusetts. This free program is sponsored by the Millis Garden Club.

    “Native Trees and Shrubs will be more than a listing of those plants and the qualities that make them a desirable part of any garden,” said Ms. Sanders. “I will begin the Program with a thoughtful discussion of what qualifies as a native plant and why natives are a vital part of any landscape. I’ll wrap up by highlighting some of my favorites, what makes them special and why they belong in your garden.” For more information visit www.millisgardenclub.org.