Boston Flora

Tag: Master Gardener

  • Saturday, October 26 – Saturday, December 21 – Becoming a Master Gardener

    Now in its twenty-seventh year, MUG has long been a forum where both novice and experienced gardeners come to build their skills, sharing innovative and best practices for growing anywhere from the front porch to the community garden plot. MUG is an intensive, skill-building training for community and home gardeners from Greater Boston and beyond. Whether you’re just getting started or have been gardening for decades, MUG covers everything you need know to thrive in a community garden: soil science, botany for gardeners, organic pest and disease management, edible native perennials, garden planning, starting a community garden, preserving the harvest, composting, and more. MUG is not an official Master Gardener training—it requires fewer class and volunteer hours and focuses on small-space growing of edible crops. Master Urban Gardener is open to any community and residential gardeners who demonstrate a commitment to sharing skills with others. The program content is tailored to the climate and resources of Greater Boston but is open to gardeners from farther afield. We will have Spanish translation available upon request.

    MUG consists of weekly in person and virtual sessions followed by at least 10 hours of volunteer service for the Trustees Boston Community Gardens–and/or another approved food access/open space project–over the course of the next year. The course will take place at our downtown Boston office 10-3 PM Saturdays with occasional Zoom lectures on weekday evenings. Apply at https://thetrustees.org/content/master-urban-gardener/ The course fee is on an income-based sliding scale, ranging from $0 – $350. Email arabiyah@thetrustees.org to learn more.

  • Tuesdays, February 2 – March 9, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm – Botany for the Home Gardener

    In this six-session Massachusetts Horticultural Society course beginning February 2 from 7 – 8:30, join Master Gardener Gretel Anspach online to explore the fundamentals of plant structures and their function, reproductive and floral biology, introductory concepts in physiology and metabolism, and overall systematic organization and classification of major plant groups within the plant kingdom. Participants will better understand the world of plants and gain a far deeper appreciation for their wonder.

    Gretel Anspach is a Lifetime Master Gardener with the Massachusetts Master Gardener Association, a Trustee of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, and a recently-retired systems engineer for Raytheon. Gretel helped to establish and maintain two food production gardens that have provided fresh produce to the Marlboro Food Pantry for the last eight years. 

    Tuesdays, February 2nd – March 9th 7 – 8:30 pm

    $185 members $240 general admission Register at www.masshort.org.

  • Registration Now Open for 2019 Master Gardener Training Course

    The Massachusetts Master Gardener Association (MMGA) is comprised of amateur and professional horticulturists with a mission to promote horticultural knowledge to the public through volunteering. Master Gardeners become certified based on successfully completing the Master Gardener Training course (MGT). Training consists of fourteen classroom and lab modules, including soil science, botany, entomology, plant pathology, pruning and propagation. Classes are taught by academic and industry professionals.

    The MGT course is offered at Massachusetts Horticultural Society’s The Gardens at Elm Bank in Wellesley, MA and at the Worcester County Horticultural Society’s Tower Hill Botanic Garden in Boylston, MA. Students can choose their preferred location when they register.

    The 2019 MGT course begins in April 2019 and runs through October 2019. Classroom training is held in the spring and fall. Hands-on training and working alongside certified Master Gardeners is required throughout the growing season.

    • In Wellesley, the spring session is 9am – 3pm Thursday, April 11, through May 23. The fall session is 9am – 3pm, Thursday, September 12 through October 24.

    • In Boylston, the spring session is 9am – 3pm, Tuesday, April 9 through May 21; and in the fall, 9am – 3pm, Tuesday, September 10 through October 22.

    All students are required to complete both spring and fall sessions.

    Students are required to attend classes, complete reading and homework assignments, and successfully complete take-home exams. Homework and handouts are distributed electronically. Students are expected to have access to and be familiar with email, Internet, Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Adobe Acrobat (.pdf files), and to be able to receive and send pictures in jpeg format.

    Students are also required to perform 60 hours of approved volunteering. Volunteering begins at the start of the course and must be completed by one week prior to graduation.

    Currently only students who reside in Massachusetts are eligible to attend. All students are required to have gmail accounts to facilitate access to the MMGA portal.

    As a volunteer organization providing activities and programs that may include children, the MMGA is required to conduct a CORI (Criminal Offender Record Information) check of all applicants prior to their acceptance.

    HOW TO APPLY

    Please submit an online application and a $25 non-refundable registration fee (payable by credit/debit card or Pay Pal). Starting February 1, 2019, applications MUST be accompanied by a non-refundable payment of $50 (application fee + late fee).
    We will review your application and contact you with any questions.
    Full tuition and materials fees of $700 total ($550 + $150) are due with two weeks of acceptance.

    For questions or further information, please email Cheryl Monroe at Trainingwest@MassMasterGardeners.org.

    Emails should include your name and your desired program location (Wellesley/Elm Bank or Boylston/Tower Hill).  For more information visit http://massmastergardeners.org/become-a-master-gardener/

    Image result for Massachusetts Master Gardeners Association Logo

  • Saturday, September 22, 10:00 am – 12:00 noon – Cold Frame Gardening

    Cold frames, hot beds and hoop houses are great season extenders, allowing vegetables to be planted 2-4 weeks earlier than unprotected plants as well as extending the growing season in the fall. They can also play a key role in the transition of seedlings of all kinds from the sheltered windowsill / greenhouse environment to the outdoors.

    Build your very own cold frame at this Massachusetts Horticultural Society class on Saturday, September 22 from 10 – noon at The Gardens at Elm Bank, 900 Washington Street, Wellesley. The cold frame’s footprint is 2′ x 4′, and slopes from 24″ at the back to 16″ at the front. It disassembles for easy transportation and storage. All tools will be supplied (though you can bring your own drill if you like), and no experience with woodworking is needed. $65 for Mass Hort members, $75 for nonmembers. Pre-registration is required at http://masshort.org, or by calling 617-933-4973.

    Teacher Gretel Anspach is a Trustee of Mass Hort, a Lifetime Master Gardener, past-president of the Massachusetts Master Gardener Association and a retired systems engineer for Raytheon.

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  • Thursday, April 10 – Thursday, October 25 – 2018 Master Gardener Training Course

    Love gardening? Looking to upgrade your skills? Committed to giving back to the community in the form of gardening advice and hands-on support? Then join the network of over 600 certified Massachusetts Master Gardener Association (MMGA) volunteers in Central and Eastern Massachusetts.

    The 2018 Master Gardener Training course (MGT) begins April 10th/12th in two locations: Wellesley and Boylston. The course consists of 14 weeks of classroom education as well as 60 hours of approved volunteering.

    Topics include soil science, botany, plant selection and care, pest/disease/weed management, pruning, propagation, and more  all taught by university professors, Extension Department specialists, industry-leading horticulturists, and landscape management professionals. Upon graduation and as an active MMGA member, you will enjoy a number of ongoing benefits including opportunities to…

    ~ Network with other members of the like-minded MMGA community who are always willing to share their knowledge and experience
    ~ Participate annually in dozens of MMGA-sponsored Continuing Education classes, workshops, field trips and visits to members gardens
    ~ Audit future Master Gardener Training classes, to refresh your knowledge of specific topics
    ~ Support your community by nominating public or non-profit organizations to host an official MMGA Gardening Site, where Master Gardeners volunteer to provide free hands-on support
    ~ Recommend community fairs, plant sales and other events for a free Ask-a-Master-Gardener or Soil pH Testing table staffed by MGs
    ~ Learn how to be a compelling and informative speaker by joining our Speakers Bureau and presenting lectures on favorite topics to garden clubs and other organizations

    Space is filling up fast. Register today at http://massmastergardeners.org/become-a-master-gardener/

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  • Thursday, March 29, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm – Vegetable Gardening: Planning, Preparing and Maintaining Your Victory Garden

    “There’s nothing like knowing exactly how the vegetables you eat were grown. You can take complete control by establishing your own vegetable garden. And maybe even share with your children the magic of growing their own dinner. What I have learned over the years is that careful planning and preparation can take vegetable gardening from drudgery to fun. So I emphasize the planning of everything from size, location and style of vegetable garden to the need to prepare that garden for success while acknowledging that Mother Nature will always have the final say.”

    After a career begun as a chemist, Betty Sanders found her interests taking her in a new direction—gardening. She studied at the New York Botanical Garden, New England Wild Flower Society, and others on the way to becoming a Master Gardener. Her gardens have been featured on tours by the Garden Conservancy. Betty finds herself increasingly focused on techniques to reduce the use of man-made chemicals in gardening and landscaping. Her current home garden is a grass-free two acres filled with native trees, shrubs and perennials. She is passionate the many opportunities offered by container gardening and as an avid vegetable gardener, is currently in her eighth year of managing her hometown’s community garden. Betty will speak at the Massachusetts Horticultural Society on Thursday, March 29 at 7 pm.

    $12 Mass Hort members, $20 general admission. To register, visit http://www.masshort.org/

  • Sunday, June 27, 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm – Barn & Garden Tour

    The Rochester Land Trust will sponsor its second annual Barn & Garden Tour on Sunday, June 27, from 1 – 4 pm.  Check out several of Rochester’s classic barns (Eastover Farm below), and get some tips from a master gardener and from some very knowledgeable farm animal keepers.  Last year’s tour was a smashing success, and the Trust is busy preparing new venues and attractions.  For more information, please call Bunny Magilnicki at 508-763-0088.  Rochester is south of Boston, less than an hour away, adjacent to Marion and Mattapoisett in Buzzard’s Bay.

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  • Saturday, May 22, 10:00 am -4:00 pm – Mass Hort and Society Row Plant Sale at Elm Bank

    On Saturday, May 22, from 10 – 4,  the Massachusetts Horticultural Society will hold the Mass Hort and Society Row Plant Sale, featuring thousands of perennials, two dozen local plant societies, children’s activities, garden tours, plant demo stage and the Master Gardener Help Desk.  The public really can “Ask the Experts” and add to their collections of rare and unusual plants sold by the growers themselves, and purchase items from a number of specially selected vendors.   Browse the historic beauty of the Chaney-Baltzell mansion, while enjoying the beautiful rhododendron show,  This is a free event.  For more information, log on to www.masshort.org. Parking – $5 suggested donation.  Mass Hort members may arrive for a special members only shopping hour at 9:00 am.

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  • Wednesday, February 24, 10:00 am – Should I Become An Organic Gardener?

    The February meeting of the Garden Club of the Back Bay will take place Wednesday, February 24, beginning at 10 am, at The College Club, 44 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston.  Dianne Plantamura has been an organic gardener for over 30 years, and shares her training as a Master Gardener in this presentation on the benefits, costs and challenges of gardening organically.  Dianne’s first memory in life was sitting at age 3 or 4 in the warm soil of her grandfather’s truck garden.  Raised on the now celebrated Mediterranean cuisine, she has always been interested in tasty and nutritious food, a synonym for organically raised food.  She will tell us why she considers organic methods crucial for human health and for the well being of the earth.  In addition to her work as a Master Gardener with the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, Dianne is an officer in the Groveland Garden Club and works as Executive Director of the New England College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.  The meeting is free and open to the public.  An optional vegetarian, organic lunch will follow the meeting at a cost of $20 per person, and pre-registration is essential.  You may sign up by emailing info@bostonflora.com.

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  • Mondays, January 25 and February 1, 10:00 am – 12 noon – Winter Shrubs and Plantings

    Sandy Vorce is the study group leader for this two part class in Winter Shrubs and Plantings, part of the Tufts University Osher Life Long Learning Institute conducted at Tufts’ Medford campus.  From berries to needles, branch color to fragrance, there are many shrubs that hold particular interest in the New England winter landscape.  Explore the variety, habitat and value of these plants through photographs, stories and samples.  The first session takes place Monday, January 25, and the second will be held Monday, February 1, from 10:00 am – 12 noon.  Sandy Vorce is the Property Manager at Mass Audubon Habitat Education Center and Wildlife Sanctuary.  She is a Master Gardener trained in ecological landscaping and has a passion for nature and love of wildlife. Call 617-627-5699, or log on to www.ase.tufts.edu/lli for more information.  $50 for Osher Life Long Learning Institute members, $85 (includes annual membership dues) for the general public.

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