Consider yourself a plant geek or just want to delve deeper into begonias? Meet representatives from plant societies including the Massachusetts Orchid Society, New England Carnivorous Plant Society, African Violet Society, and many more, at Tower Hill Botanic Garden’s Plant Society Open House on Sunday, June 5, from 11 – 4, free with admission. Tricyrtis Hirta below from www.wanderingabout.ca
The New England Carnivorous Plant Society will meet on Saturday, January 9 at 12:30 pm at the Roger Williams Park Botanical Center for its popular Annual Nepenthes Cutting and Propagation Workshop, where members and guest are almost certain to take home a Nepenthes cutting or two. For directions and more information visit www.necps.org. Image from www.carnivorousplants.org.
On Sunday, April 26, from 1 – 2 at Tower Hill Botanic Garden, learn how to grow carnivorous plants in an indoor terrarium or an outdoor bog. Dave Sackett, President of the New England Carnivorous Plant Society, will identify which plants are suited for each environment and the benefits and challenges of both.
Dave has spent 16 years growing carnivorous plants! Dave is the current President of the New England Carnivorous Plant Society and enjoys helping people learn to grow these amazing plants. Dave has two giant terrariums in his office that he tends to on a daily basis. He maintains hundreds of exotic plants, mostly carnivorous, but also orchids, ant plants, fruit trees, etc. between his home and work without a greenhouse! Free with admission to the Garden. Register online at https://dnbweb1.blackbaud.com/OPXREPHIL/EventDetail.asp?cguid=C7E2C131-AD0F-49AA-B073-5B92F8300A37&eid=51373&sid=4CCC2B7E-358F-4DB1-8117-BB2EE691A199. Image from www.boingboing.net.
The November meeting of the New England Carnivorous Plant Society will be held Saturday, November 8 at 12:30 pm at the Roger Williams Park Botanical Center in Providence, Rhode Island. John Lombardi will speak on Preparing Plants for Dormancy, and there will, in addition, be a talk on Propogating Cephalotus Follicularis (pictured, courtesy of www.collectorscorner.com.au) by Jeff Matteson. The meeting is free and open to the public. For more information visit www.necps.org.
The award winning New England Carnivorous Plant Society (NECPS) will again be hosting the Fall Carnivorous Plant Show at the Roger Williams Park Botanical Center, 1 Floral Avenue, Providence RI, on Saturday and Sunday, October 4 and 5. Plant lovers and all those who enjoy something different will be able to get up close to hundreds of carnivorous plants exhibited by the members of the NECPS. Featured plants will include pitcher plants from Malaysia with traps the size of softballs that are capable of eating lizards and mice. There will also be sundews from Australia ranging from the size of a dime to 12+ inches high and the ever-popular Venus Fly trap. For you native plant lovers, NECPS will also display carnivorous plants that grow locally in Rhode Island and throughout New England.
This is the largest collection of carnivorous plants displayed yearly on the east coast and the most popular show at the Botanical Center. Visit the Venus Fly Trap feeding area where you can observe up close how these plants devour insects. Plants and growing accessories will be available for purchase for both novice and experienced growers from carnivorous plant vendors and the NECPS. The permanent carnivorous plant bog exhibit will also be available for viewing. Society members will be present both days to explain how the plants feed, what they eat, where they live, and how they can be grown and enjoyed at home. Admission to the show is FREE with the purchase of regular admission to the Roger Williams Park Botanical Center. Admission to the RWP Botanical Center is $3 for adults $1 Children 6 to 12, under 6 FREE. For more information visit www.necps.org. Image pf Venus Fly Trap courtesy of www.funguerilla.com.
The First Pre Fall Carnivorous Plant Show, sponsored by the New England Carnivorous Plant Society, will take place August 9 and 10 at the Lake Street Garden Center, 37 Lake Street, Salem, New Hampshire. This will be the largest collection of carnivorous plants to be displayed at the Center, and the event is located inside the NEW glass greenhouses. Plant lovers and all those who enjoy something different will be able to get up close to hundreds of carnivorous plants exhibited by the members of the NECPS. Featured plants will include pitcher plants from Malaysia with traps the size of softballs that are capable of eating lizards and mice. There will also be sundews from Australia ranging from the size of a dime to 12+ inches high and the ever-popular Venus Fly trap. For you native plant lovers, NECPS will also display carnivorous plants that grow locally in Rhode Island and throughout New England.
Over 100 plants are scheduled to be on display! Lots of opportunities for photographers. Free seminars on growing and feeding carnivorous plants will be offered. Visit the Venus Fly Trap feeding area where you can observe up close how these plants devour insects. Plants and growing accessories will be available for purchase for both novice and experienced growers from the Lake Street Garden Center and NECPS members. Society members will be present both days to explain how the plants feed, what they eat, where they live, and how they can be grown and enjoyed at home – handouts for care will also be available. Admission to the event is free.
The April meeting of the New England Carnivorous Plant Society will take place Saturday, April 12 beginning at 12:30 pm at Roger Williams Park Botanical Center in Providence, Rhode Island. Frank Meglio will give a presentation entitled Orchids That Grow With Carnivorous Plants, sure to inform both carnivorous plant and orchid enthusiasts. For directions and information visit www.necps.org.
Photo of yellow fringed orchid with hooded pitcher plant from www.fs.fed.us.
The next meeting of the New England Carnivorous Plant Society will be held on January 11, 2014 at 12:30 pm at the Roger Williams Park Botanical Center, 1000 Elmwood Avenue, Providence, Rhode Island.
This meeting will be their Annual Nepenthes Cutting Class. Members and friends are encouraged to bring any overgrown Nepenthes that could use a little cutting back. Following instruction on taking Nepenthes vine cuttings and tips for sucessful Nepenthes cutting propagation, members will have the opportunity to take cuttings from the plants brought in to bring home and grow. This is only possible when members bring in and allow others to take cuttings of their overgrown plants. So if you have a plant that is vining and needs a little cutting please consider bringing it in!
The New England Carnivorous Plant Society’s November meeting on Saturday, November 9, beginning at 12:30 pm at Roger Williams Park Botanical Center, 1000 Elmwood Avenue in Providence, will feature Steve Sardina speaking on Tissue Culture Techniques, an explanation of the process and equipment used in the tissue culture of plants. Those interested in this process are urged to visit the following sites for reference information before the presentation date: http://www.hometissueculture.org/, http://www.planttccases.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Main_Page, and http://www.phytotechlab.com/Technical-Info.aspx#Tissue%20Culture%20Techniques. The meeting is free and open to the public, who are warmly welcomed.
The New England Carnivorous Plant Society Annual Show will take place this year on Saturday and Sunday, September 28 and 29, at the Roger Williams Park Botanical Center. For complete hours and information, visit www.necps.org. There will be dealers attending with a varied stock of plants for purchase, as well as a juried show and lectures during the day.
