Native Plant Trust

Mondays, July 25 and August 29, 12:30 pm – 3:00 pm – Native Herbaceous Plant Materials: Late Season

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Over the course of mid- to late summer, The Native Plant Trust will examine a wide variety of native plants for gardens and discuss each plant’s cultural and habitat needs as well as its importance to wildlife. We will address and provide tips for growing 80 species. You will learn to identify native plants in the New England gardening palette, become familiar with each plant’s appropriate use, and study each plant’s role in the ecosystem in terms of attracting pollinators and other wildlife. The classes, with Ellen Sousa, will be held July 25 and August 29 at Garden in the Woods from 12:30 – 3:00 pm. $90 NPT members, $110 nonmembers. Register at http://www.nativeplanttrust.org/events/native-herbaceous-plant-materials-late-season/

Wednesdays, July 13 – 27, 10:30 am – 2:30 pm – Field Identification Techniques

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Equip yourself with the skills and confidence you need to identify native plants in the field. Learn how to use field guides and professional keys, observe floral structures, recognize reliable family characteristics, and become familiar with botanical Latin. This three session course on Wednesdays, July 13 – 27 from 10:30 – 2:30, is designed for students who have taken the Native Plant Trust’s Wildflowers of New England course or have some previous experience identifying wildflowers. Bring a hand lens and a bag lunch. The class takes place at Garden in the Woods in Framingham. $216 for NPT members, $264 for nonmembers. Register at www.nativeplanttrust.org

 

 

Sunday, July 10, 10:00 am – 12:30 pm – Harvey Butler Rhododendron Sanctuary

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Explore a five-acre stand of great laurel (Rhododendron maximum), the largest and northernmost stand known in the region, owned by Native Plant Trust. We will discover a multitude of other native plant gems on the rest of the 30-acre property, from yellow blue-bead lily (Clintonia borealis) to painted trillium (Trillium undulatum), hemlock (Tsuga canadensis), and northern white cedar (Thuja occidentalis). The Native Plant Trust tour will be held July 10 from 10 – 12:30 at the Harvey Butler Rhododendron Sanctuary in Springvale, Maine, and is led by Heather McCargo. $38 for NPT members, $45 for nonmembers. Register at http://www.nativeplanttrust.org/events/harvey-butler-rhododendron-sanctuary/ The Sanctuary is about an hour and 45 minutes from Boston up Route 95.

Wednesdays, June 15 & 22, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm (Online) and Saturday, June 25, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm (Off Site Field Study) – New England Plant Communities

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Join Lori Benoit for an exploration of native New England plant communities. Two Native Plant Trust Wednesday online lectures will cover many of the forest, meadow and wetland habitats found in New England, discussing their physical and ecological features— topography, geology, soils and moisture— as well as their characteristic plant associations, including both common and rare plants. The Saturday field trip will take us to a variety of forested, open and wetland habitats, and we will take a close look at the flora and features of each of them. This class is an expanded version of a course given last year with Ted Elliman and Berkshire Botanical Garden. You will also see the impacts of invasive species and possible changes to natural communities in response to climate change. For the Saturday field study, please dress for the weather, wear comfortable shoes (we will be walking nearly the entire day) and bring a bag lunch. Masks are recommended. BBG members $216, nonmembers $264. Register at http://www.nativeplanttrust.org/events/new-england-plant-communities-2/

Thursdays, June 16, 23, & 30, 12:30 pm – 4:30 pm – Plant Families, In Person

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What are the underlying evolutionary relationships and patterns in plants? In this Native Plant Trust class, we use both microscopic and field investigation to decipher the clues to familial relationships and classifications of the region’s plants. You will learn botanical terms to describe plants and flowers, the evolutionary/phylogenetic basis for classification, and the identifying characteristics for several major plant families common to New England. The three classes will be held at Garden in the Woods in Framingham on June 16, 23, & 30 from 12:30 – 4:30, and will be taught by Neela de Zoysa. $216 for NPT members, $264 for nonmembers. Register at http://www.nativeplanttrust.org/events/plant-families-person/

Thursday, June 2, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm – Deer-tolerant Landscapes, Online

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Sharing landscapes with deer can result in costly damage to plantings. Join Native Plant Trust online on June 12 at 1 pm to learn about deer behavior and natural preventative measures to safeguard your garden. We will also review a selection of “deer tolerant” plants and point out those considered “deer candy.” Cheryl Salatino is the instructor and the fee is $30 for NPT members, $36 for nonmembers. Register at http://www.nativeplanttrust.org/events/deer-tolerant-landscapes/

Tuesday, May 10 – Publication Date: The Northeast Native Plant Primer – 235 Plants for an Earth-Friendly Garden

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Native Plant Trust, the nation’s first plant conservation organization and the only one solely focused on New England’s native plants, announces a new book by Uli Lorimer and Native Plant Trust: The Northeast Native Plant Primer- 235 Plants for an Earth-Friendly Garden.

Taking steps toward sustainability has never been more important. By choosing plants native to where they live, gardeners in the Northeast bring beauty and benefits to both themselves and the earth—from reducing maintenance tasks to attracting earth-friendly pollinators such as native birds, butterflies, and bees and supporting wildlife. The Northeast Native Plant Primer makes adding native plants to the home landscape easier than ever before. This sourcebook includes 235 extraordinary native ferns, grasses, wildflowers, perennials, vines, shrubs, and trees, along with proven advice every home gardener can follow. Pre order books at https://nativeplanttrust.org

Author Uli Lorimer is Director of Horticulture at Native Plant Trust and formerly Curator of Native Flora at The Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Lorimer is a leader in the gardening world and a tireless advocate for native plants. His current work with Native Plant Trust focuses on bringing rare and unusual indigenous species to the garden. Through education, he wants to empower gardeners in New England, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and eastern Ohio—which have many of the same plant species—to pick up a trowel and feature more native plants in their yards.

Monday, April 25 – Monday, September 12 – Designing with Native Plants, Self-Paced, Online

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This Native Plant Trust online course teaches the basics of designing with native plants and shows how to incorporate native plants into the garden and landscape. Discover the variety of native plants found throughout New England and learn how to design a visually interesting landscape that also supports biodiversity. You can complete the course at your own pace. It typically takes at least 12 hours to complete. Download the syllabus. Course access is available from April 25 – September 12. $80 for NPT members, $98 for nonmembers. Register at http://www.nativeplanttrust.org/events/designing-native-plants-self-paced-online/

Monday, April 25 – Monday, September 12 – Gardening for Pollinators, Online

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This online Native Plant Trust course teaches how to convert a yard into productive pollinator habitat. Learn about issues associated with pollinator decline and current conservation efforts, then explore a variety of pollinators and the native plants that support their life cycles. The course also covers basic pollinator garden design and provides step-by-step instructions for selecting plants and installing and maintaining these habitats. You can complete the course at your own pace. It typically takes at least 12 hours to complete. Download the syllabus. Online access begins April 25. $80 for NPT members, $98 for nonmembers. Register at http://www.nativeplanttrust.org/events/gardening-pollinators/

Monday, April 25 – Monday, September 12 – Plant Ecology, Self-Paced, Online

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This Native Plant Trust overview of plant ecology addresses the distribution and abundance of plants and their interactions with other organisms and the physical environment. We will explore factors that affect plants as individuals, populations, and communities, such as life history, resource use, competition, and animal-plant interactions (e.g., pollination, dispersal, herbivory). This Basic Certificate online core course is self-paced, with opportunities for peer discussion, expert access for questions, and field projects. A facilitator will guide you in your learning, review your assignments, and answer your questions. It typically takes at least 12 hours to complete. Download the syllabus. Instructor is Jennifer McCarthy. $150 for NPT members, $200 for nonmembers. Register at http://www.nativeplanttrust.org/events/plant-ecology/