Boston Flora

Tag: organic gardening

  • Tuesday, March 29, 7:30 pm – 9:00 pm – “New Beginnings” Organic Gardening Talk

    SEMAP, in collaboration with The Rotch-Jones-Duff House and local organic landscaper and gardener, Jessica Duphily Cook, to offer a ‘New Beginnings’ talk on how to design and prepare your garden for springtime planting. Learn more about the positive benefits of growing and enjoying your own vegetables, fruit and herbs. Program content will provide an overview of organic gardening techniques and tried-and-true methods to guide you in creating a healthy landscape and beautiful garden environment. Don’t miss this opportunity to begin your garden planning and kick-start the growing season! Cost: RJD members, $8.00; non-members, $10.00, at door. Please visit www.rjdmuseum.org for more information.The lecture will take place Tuesday, March 29, beginning at 7:30 pm at the Rotch-Jones-Duff House, 396 County Street in New Bedford.

  • 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.

    http://guerrillahealthwatch.files.wordpress.com/2007/08/organic_produce.jpg

  • Monday, February 22, 10:00 am – At Home With Orchids

    The Garden Club Federation of Massachusetts presents a Horticulture Morning on Monday, February 22, beginning at 10 a.m. at The Espousal Center, 554 Lexington Street, North Waltham, Massachusetts (off Route I-95/128, Exit 27A Totten Pond Road).  Rita DeLollis, orchid enthusiast and organic gardener, will present At Home with Orchids: Tips for Successful Growing and Use in Designs.  A donation of $5, payable at the door, is suggested.  To call for information on cancellations due to snow or storm, call 781-391-0261.  You may also contact Betsy Williams (betsy@betsywilliams.com) or Rita DeLollis (rdelollis@aol.com) for more information on Horticulture Mornings.

  • Thursday, February 18 – Sunday, February 21 – Timeless Gardens

    The 17th Annual Rhode Island Spring Flower and Garden Show will take place Thursday, February 18 through Sunday, February 21 at the Rhode Island Convention Center in Providence, Rhode Island.  For more information, or to buy tickets on line,  log on to www.flowershow.com.  This year’s theme is “Timeless Gardens”, which will take you all through decades that will remind you of forgotten sights, times, friends and family.  In full bloom, enjoy a garden atmosphere typical of the Roaring Twenties era.  Do the stroll or the twist through a 1950’s garden.

    For almost two decades the Flower Show has been the beacon for early Spring fun in Rhode Island.  The Show attracts more than 30,000 attendees annually, showcasing more than 30 garden displays and 250 garden marketplace vendors.  There will be demonstrations and lectures, with an emphasis on organic gardening.  Children under five receive free admission.

    http://profile.ak.fbcdn.net/object3/1720/26/n146263467462_8933.jpg

  • Horticulture Distance Learning Courses Through Cornell University

    The world renowned Cornell University Department of Horticulture offers hands-on, online courses for gardeners and professionals.  All courses feature practical activities because the faculty believes learning by doing is key to any successful online horticulture course.

    Web based instruction is a great way to learn about horticulture, but it is no substitute for acquiring skills by doing.  Dr. Ken Mudge began developing online courses more than 10 years ago for the Department of Horticulture.  You won’t just read about grafting, cutting and related propagation strategies.  Online lectures, virtual field trips, discussions and quizzes are among the activities that will engage you in the history, botanical principles, and horticultural applications.  Class size is limited.  To facilitate online discussion, a different topic is each week’s focus, but you can log on at your convenience anytime during the week.  The only prerequisites are a computer with an Internet connection and a willingness to learn.  Many online students have never taken an online course before.  Cornell provides a tutorial to familiarize you with the instructional web site, and is happy to help you through any technology problems you may encounter.  These courses do not carry academic credit, but upon completion, students receive a Certificate of Completion and qualify for Continuing Education Credit.

    A new session begins January 25 and runs through March 15.  Two of the announced courses, Botanical Illustration I: Basic Drawing Techniques, and Botanical Illustration II: Working with Watercolor, each cost $500, and questions on the course may be sent to me14@cornell.edu.  Other proposed courses are Plant Propagation and Organic Gardening, tentatively scheduled for late winter.  To be notified about these two courses, email mw38@cornell.edu.  For complete information on Cornell’s online program, log on to www.cals.cornell.edu/cals/hort/teaching/distance-learning/.

  • Sunday, September 20 – Director’s Open House at Tower Hill

    Sunday, September 20 – Director’s Open House at Tower Hill

    Celebrate John W. Trexler’s 25th Anniversary as Tower Hill’s founding Executive Director, showcasing the best of Tower Hill.  Fun activities for all ages, multiple garden tours, demonstrations on organic gardening and Italian slow food cooking demonstrations, wildlife exhibits from the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, live birds of prey, hawk watching, wildlife photography, lectures on the interaction of plants and animals, videos, and at 2 pm, a special tree dedication in John’s honor.  For more information log on to www.towerhillbg.org.  Free admission all day.

  • Wednesday, September 9, 5 – 6 pm – Managing the Garden Organically

    Boston’s newest park, the Rose F. Kennedy Greenway, is blooming thanks to careful organic maintenance by the park’s stewards, the Rose F. Kennedy Greenway Conservancy. Learn how you can take these practices and methods home to your garden.  This one hour outdoor presentation and walk will take place Wednesday, September 9, beginning at 5 pm, and the starting location will be determined soon.  To learn more, contact www.hellogreenway.org, or www.rosekennedygreenway.org.

  • Friday, July 24, 9 – 3 – Organic Gardening Magazine Program

    This is going to be one great day of gardening insights, delicious food, and gardening fellowship. Please make plans to join exceptional professionals in their fields Steve Silk, Ellen Ogden, Tim Kane, and Kerry Mendez at the elegant Glen Sanders Mansion (www.glensandersmansion.com) on Friday, July 24 from 9:00 – 3:00 p.m. Continental breakfast and registration will begin at 8:30 a.m. The first garden presentation starts at 9:00 a.m. Featured topics: European Kitchen Garden Designs; The Crazy, Mixed-up Border: An Eclectic Approach to Using Trees, Shrubs, Annuals, Tropicals, Edibles and Perennials; Hellstrip Gardening (some of the toughest, top performing plants for tough to garden areas including dry shade, slopes, poorly drained areas, poor soils, and hot, baking sites),and the best fruiting shrubs and trees, including their care and pruning requirements. For more about the speakers and topics, please visit www.pyours.com/gardenclasses.html.

    As a bonus, every attendee will receive a one-year complimentary subscription to Organic Gardening magazine. This premier magazine is a must for everyone interested in tips and how-to’s for organic gardening and living a healthier lifestyle. Check out this fantastic publication at www.organicgardening.com.

    The registration fee is only $65 per person for four dynamic garden talks, continental breakfast, lunch, door prizes, a one-year subscription to Organic Gardening magazine, and terrific handouts. To register, please visit Kerry’s garden classes page at www.pyours.com/gardenclasses.html. You can pay by PayPal or by check.

  • Saturday, April 18, 9-12 – Organic Gardening Skills Workshop

    On April 18 from 9am-12pm at City Natives in Mattapan on 30 Edgewater Drive, the Northeast Organic Farming Association/ Massachusetts Chapter (NOFA/Mass) is holding a workshop on how to start and maintain successful organic gardens The event is part of the Massachusetts Organic Gardening Workshop Day, which is designed to meet the recent resurgence of energy and action for backyard and community gardening. Similar events will be held in 12 other towns and cities throughout the state. Topics that will be covered at the workshop include: starting garden beds, seed starting, organic soil fertility, organic soil amendments, mulches and cover crops, weeds, disease and pests, what to plant when, crop spacing, and succession cropping. Workshop participants are also strongly encouraged to bring their own questions to the workshops. For information on registration, contact Ben Grosscup at 413-658-5374 or email him at ben.grosscup@nofamass.org.

  • Saturday, April 18 – Massachusetts Organic Gardening Workshop Day

    NOFA/Mass presents our second annual Statewide Spring Organic Gardening Day. On April 18, there will be organic gardening workshops in every region of the state. Growing our own food is an excellent way to save money, lessen our carbon footprint, improve our health, and connect with neighbors and nature. Isn’t now a good time to learn skills that will help you plant a garden and make it productive throughout the year? Topics will include starting garden beds, seed starting, organic soil fertility, organic soil amendments, mulches and cover crops, weeds, disease and pests, what to plant when, crop spacing, and succession cropping.  These workshops are all being led by experienced gardening educators, and they are intended to meet the tremendous resurgence of energy and action for backyard and community gardening. Workshops will be held in Mattapan, South Natick, Newbury, Middleborough, Cohasset, Worcester, Barre, Winchendon Springs, West Springfield, Wendell, Chesterfield, Sheffield, and Pittsfield.  Register online at www.nofamass.org/programs/practicalskills/workshopday.php.  For more information contact Ben Grosscup at ben.grosscup@nofamass.org.