Boston Flora

Tag: NEWFS

  • Thursday, March 3, 8:00 am – 8:30 pm – 17th Annual ELA Conference and Eco-Marketplace

    ELA brings together all of the essential information on rain gardens that really work, healthy soils for healthy trees, plant choices for food productive landscapes, and more at the 17th Annual ELA Conference and Eco-Marketplace on Thursday, March 3 from 8 am – 8:30 pm. Co-hosted by the Association of Professional Landscape Designers, New England Wild Flower Society, NOFA Organic Land Care Program, Society for Ecological Restoration, New England Chapter, and the Ecological Landscaping Association. Panelists include William Cullina, Dr. Peter Del Tredici, and Jono Neiger, three leading experts in the field of plant selection, who will share their unique perspectives on Native, Introduced, Invasive, and Endangered Plants in the Landscape: Untangling the Roots of the Problem. Visit www.ecolandscaping.org for online registration, or call Penny Lewis at 617-436-5838. The conference will take place at the MassMutual Center in Springfield. Rooms at the Sheraton Springfield Monarch Place Hotel are available to participants for $109/night. Complete package (not including hotel) for members of one of the sponsors is $170 before 2/15, $225 after 2/15; non members $190/$245.

  • Monday, February 28 & Wednesday, March 2, 6:30 pm – 9:00 pm, and Saturday, March 5, 9:30 am – 1:30 pm – Bones of the Garden: Strengthening the Design

    Every memorable landscape has one thing in common – strong “bones”. The placement of trees and shrubs creates form, directs movement and organizes the garden space. With instructor Cheryl Salatino, learn to select, situate, and integrate these stately elements into the cultivated landscape. Explore the concepts of creating space, the impact of plant growth over time in locating structural elements, and review a selection of native plant varieties that are well-suited for New England sites. Using your new knowledge, develop your own site-specific design. Receive feedback on designs and plant combinations, and during the final session, inspect the “bones” of Garden in the Woods with a late winter walk. Three sessions, Feb. 28 and March 2, 6:30 pm – 9 pm, and March 5, 9:30 am – 1:30 pm. For more information, log on to www.newfs.org. $98 for NEWFS and Arnold Arboretum (co-sponsor) members, $117 for non-members.  Image from www.agardeninthecity.com.

  • Thursday, February 10, 10:00 am – 12:00 noon – Pushing the Design Envelope with Native Plants

    Native plants support a variety of design styles from naturalistic to traditional to contemporary. Using Garden in the Woods as a case study, discover the variety of design principles that create this dynamic garden. The naturalistic style unifies the gardens along the main Curtis Path, bringing visitors to habitat-based garden areas and exposing them to contemporary design principals in newer areas such as the Idea Garden. Learn how permaculture theory influences the Edible Garden as it continues to evolve. Then take a look beyond Garden in the Woods to explore how other public gardens are pushing the envelope with native plants. Kristin DeSouza leads this February 10 class, from 10 – 12, and the fee is $22 for NEWFS members, $26 for non-members. For more information log on to www.newfs.org. Photo courtesy of www.gardenvisit.com.

  • Saturday, February 5, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm – Darwinian Botany

    As a young man, Charles Darwin traveled on the HMS Beagle to the Galapagos archipelago, and later in his life offered to the scientific world the theory of evolution by natural selection. Darwin was also an expert botanist, and in his writings described pollination mechanisms, heterostyly, and insectivory. Join Darwinian student and botanist Dr. Judith Sumner at Garden in the Woods in Framingham, Massachusetts on Saturday, February 5, from 10 – 3, for this exploration of the life and botanical work of Charles Darwin. Discuss Darwin’s life, his voyage (1831-36) on the HMS Beagle, and his various botanical works. The course includes hands-on demonstrations and observations of plants that fascinated Darwin, as well as a traditional English tea to celebrate the anniversary of his birth on February 12. Co-sponsored by The New England Wild Flower Society and the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University. $70 for members of either sponsoring organization, $84 for non-members. www.newfs.org.

  • Tuesday, February 1, 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm – Native Groundcovers

    Groundcovers act as living mulches, preventing erosion and soil compaction, while conserving moisture and moderating soil temperatures. Beyond strictly practical considerations are the aesthetic delights of groundcovers—they bring refreshing seasonal changes and a pleasing rhythmic interplay of form, texture, and color to the ground plane. This New England Wild Flower Society workshop, led by Laura Eisener on Tuesday, February 1 from 7 – 9 at Garden in the Woods in Framingham, is appropriate for garden designers, landscapers and homeowners, and focuses on the attributes and availability of native plants for groundcover use.$22 for NEWFS members, $26 for non-members. Log on to www.newfs.org to register.  Bunchberry image below from The Down East Dilettante.

  • Saturday, January 29, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm – Naked Shrubs

    No leaves? No problem! Use a combination of branching patterns, bud and bark characteristics, habitat, persistent fruits, galls and marcescent leaves to identify shrubs in winter. The New England Wild Flower Society program on January 29 will begin at 10 am with a short session indoors. Then head out into MA Audubon Habitat’s 86 acres in Belmont for a close look at 15-20 native shrubs plus a couple of non-native invasives. You will end up back indoors for a twig or slide quiz and a cup of something hot. Review for those who have taken “Native New England Shrubs” and a good introduction to shrub ID in winter. Bring lunch and a hand lens if you have one. Roland “Boot” Boutwell leads, and the fee is $32 for NEWFS and Massachusetts Audubon Society members, $36 for non-members. Click on www.newfs.org to register.  Image of willow below from the Royal Horticultural Society.

  • Saturdays, January 29 and February 12, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm – Conservation Biology: Saving Biodiversity in Today’s Climate

    The core mission of conservation organizations is to preserve plants, animals, and their habitats. How do we best go about this essential work at the level of your interest: state, local, or your own backyard? Over two class sessions at Garden in the Woods in Framingham, The New England Wild Flower Society will discuss the definition of biodiversity, why we care about it as a society, the pervasive threats, and on-the-ground solutions. Using power-point presentations to illustrate concepts and case studies to apply our ideas, we cover protection strategies and stewardship tools. We talk about how climate change alters our thinking about traditional conservation approaches. The intention is to provide a background in the principles of conservation biology for you to become a more effective conservation advocate and/or steward of your own land. A series of articles and web links are provided to aide in the discussion. First session will take place Saturday, January 29.  Second session will be held February 12 from 10 – 3. $120 NEWFS members, $140 non-members. To register, log on to www.newfs.org.

  • Saturday, January 22, 9:00 am – 3:30 pm – Winter Botony

    This New England Wild Flower Society course entitled Winter Botony, to be held Saturday, January 22 at Garden in the Woods in Framingham, Massachusetts from 9 am – 3:30 pm, includes a classroom lecture on the taxonomic characteristics of trees, shrubs, and herbaceous and evergreen plants in winter, including hands-on identification of twig and plant specimens, followed by a walk around the Garden to put your classroom knowledge to work. Learn the significance of macro and micro characteristics including growth habit, bud morphology, phyllotaxy, leaf and bundle scars, floral patterns and fruits. Acquire experience with an extensive array of classroom specimens and field identification of woody plants. Gain confidence using a key to identify unknown specimens, whether you are a beginning or experienced botanist. The program provides lecture notes and twig samples to take home. Bring a hand lens and bag lunch and dress for the weather. Required text: Fruit Key & Twig Key to Trees & Shrubs, by William M. Harlow, Ph.D., Dover Publications, Inc. Copies will be available for purchase at first class. William Kuriger, Ph.D, leads, and the fee is $75 for NEWFS members, $90 for non-members. Log on to www.newfs.org for more information, or to register.

  • Saturday, January 15, 9:00 am – 3:00 pm – Wetlands Species ID in Winter

    This New England Wild Flower Society program, Wetlands Species ID in Winter, to be held at Garden in the Woods in Framingham on Saturday, January 15 from 9 – 3, builds knowledge and skills for recognizing wetland trees and shrubs in winter (skunk cabbage, below.)  The morning session is spent indoors learning key identification features. After lunch, go out in the field to see the plants in their habitats and determine wetland boundaries. Some familiarity with common wetland plants and taxonomy is helpful. Dress warmly and prepare for cold, wet field conditions. Bring a hand lens and a bag lunch. $70 for NEWFS members, $80 for non-members. For more information, log on to www.newfs.org.

  • Saturday, December 11, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm – Introduction to Forest Measurement Tools

    Participants in Introduction to Forest Measurement Tools at Garden in the Woods, 180 Hemenway Road, Framingham, to be held Saturday, December 11, from 10 – 2, will be introduced to various tools such as diameter tapes, calipers, Biltmore sticks, laser measuring devices, clinometers, angle gauges, and other tools used to measure trees and other features in the forest environment. Following classroom discussion, participants will practice using various measurement tools.

    Bring a lunch and water, and dress in layers for both classroom and outdoor learning. Bring any of the following to class if you have them: a hand lens, winter tree identification field guide, compass, and/or any forest measurement tools.

    Sponsored by Arnold Arboretum and N.E. Wildflower Society, this program takes place at the New England Wild Flower Society’s Garden in the Woods. $44 member, $52 nonmember. Phone 617-384-5277 to register.