Boston Flora

Tag: Perennials

  • Thursday, January 23, 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm Eastern – Longest Blooming Perennials, Online

    For a garden that stays colorful all season, long-blooming perennials are a great choice. These plants offer consistent flowers from early summer to the first frost, providing lasting beauty with minimal effort. They attract pollinators, add variety, and reduce the need for frequent replanting, making them a practical option for maintaining a vibrant garden throughout the growing season. This Chicago Botanic Garden class on January 23 will be taught online via Zoom. All registrations must be submitted online two days before your class starts. Registered students will receive login instructions one day in advance.

    Jacob Burns, curator, plant collections, Chicago Botanic Garden, is the instructor. $32 for CBG members, $40 for nonmembers. Register at www.chicagobotanic.org

  • Saturday, February 29, 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm – The Perennial Plant Palette

    With so many plants to choose from, how can one be sure of creating successful perennial garden designs? Analyze the site, pick the right plants for that habitat and create winning combinations based on growth habit, foliage, and flowers. Need some help? Join perennial plant expert Robert Herman on Saturday, February 29 at Berkshire Botanical Garden in Stockbridge at 2 pm as he provides inspiration through examples of wonderful combinations for every type of gardening situation. BBG members $25, nonmembers $35. Register at https://www.berkshirebotanical.org/events/perennial-plant-palette-combinations-every-garden

    Robert Herman has over 25 years of experience as a professional horticulturist, almost 7 of which were spent in Europe as “Meister” for the Countess von Zeppelin Nursery in Germany. He served in the horticulture and education departments at the Missouri Botanical Garden; at White Flower Farm he was Director of Horticulture. From 1999-2007, he lead his own international consulting business, Uncommon Plants, specializing in perennials for gardens and green roofs.

  • Saturdays, June 1 & 8, and Sundays, June 2 & 9, 9:30 am – 4:00 pm – Hosta and Perennial Sale

    Historic New England will hold its annual Hosta and Perennial Sale on the first two weekends in June at the Lyman Estate Greenouses, 185 Lyman Street, Waltham. Plants of all shapes, sizes, and colors are available, including many new and hard-to-find varieties. Our knowledgeable staff can help you choose the right hostas for your garden. Historic New England members save 10% on purchases. For more information visit www.historicnewengland.org.

  • Thursdays, March 22 – May 24, 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm – Spring 2018 Home Horticulture Series

    Registration is now open for ten information-packed evenings classes designed to help home gardeners be more effective at their favorite pastime. The Massachusetts Master Gardener Association is sponsoring Thursday evening classes, March 22 – May 24 from 6:30 – 8:30. The Home Hort Series covers all of the topics studied by certified Master Gardeners, but in a streamlined format suited to busy lifestyles: the program does not require outside reading, homework, volunteering, or testing. Topics include:

    • Perennials • Landscape Design Basics • Woody Plants & Pruning • Lawn Care & Alternatives • Vegetable Culture • Soil • Weed Ecology • Botany • Diseases & Pests • Nomenclature

    Classes are conveniently held at the historic Eleanor Cabot Bradley Estate, a Trustees of Reservations property, 2468 Washington Street, Canton, just minutes off Rt. 128, south of Boston. The cost of the 10-lecture series is $250.00 per person, payable in advance by credit card, Pay Pal or personal check. Click here to register online. If you plan to pay by check, you may also register by email/postal mail: for instructions, email us at HomeHort@massmastergardeners.org. Refunds are not available after 3/22/18 or for any missed classes.

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  • Wednesday, August 16, 5:30 pm – Landscaping in Tune with Nature

    Many of us wish to create a garden that works with nature—not one that fights against it! In this Polly Hill Arboretum presentation on Wednesday, August 16 at 5:30 pm, Dr. Art Cameron, director of the Michigan State University Horticulture Gardens, will share strategies for creating a natural aesthetic in your landscape. Learn which native and exotic plants are tough, but not weedy; beautiful, but not fussy. Art will discuss some of his favorite plants, including a wide assortment of native and non-native herbaceous perennials and ornamental grasses suitable for diverse locations. He will also give ideas on how to blend these plants together to design landscapes that are in tune with nature. Learn to create a new look in your garden using some of these great plants. $10 / $5 for PHA members. Sponsored by SBS: The Grain Store. For more information visit www.pollyhillarboretum.org.

  • Saturday, September 23, 8:30 am – 3:30 pm – Inspiration for Next Year’s Garden

    The Massachusetts Master Gardener Association announces Inspiration for Next Year’s Garden, the 2017 Massachusetts Gardening Symposium to be held Saturday, September 23 from 8:30 – 3:30 at Westford Academy in Westford, Massachusetts.  This year’s Symposium speakers come from diverse backgrounds and have different fields of gardening concentration, but all share one passion: teaching others.

    Thomas Rainer, author of Planting in a Post-Wild World, will speak on The Garden of the Future: Reimagining the American Yard. Learn how plants fit together in nature and how to use this knowledge to create gardens that are more satisfying, more resilient, and less work.

    David L. Culp, Vice President of Sunny Border Nurseries, will present Perennials: The Best Plants of Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow.  How do tried and true favorites compare with new introductions? What are the current trends? And what horticultural advances might the future hold?

    Kathleen Gagan, owner of Peony’s Envy, discusses Designing Gardens with Peonies.  Learn how to create your own “peony plan” including cultivar and site selection, mixing types of peonies, structuring mixed gardens, and companion planting.

    Janet Macunovich, garden designer, author and educator, will follow with The Art of Fall Garden Clean Up.  Every hour you spend in the fall can save you 2+ hours in the spring, yield months of winter pleasure, and give your plants a valuable head start for the new season.

    Early bird pricing through August 6 – $75 per person.  August 7 – September 16 (registration deadline) $90 per person.  Price includes lectures, Garden Marketplace, and lunch.  No walk-ins.  To register online, visit http://massmastergardeners.org/2017-gardening-symposium/

  • Garden How-To Free On Line Workshops

    Horticulture Magazine’s free online Smart Gardening Workshops give you access to great garden speakers from the comfort of your own home. They have no new workshops scheduled at this time, but you can access recordings of past workshops at http://www.hortmag.com/smart-gardening-workshops. Here is a sampling:

    Dr. A’s Greatest Perennials & Annuals

    Dr. Allan Armitage talks about new and great performers for your garden. Annuals aren’t just petunias anymore—they are extraordinary, diverse and colorful. Perennials continue to excite all gardeners, and Dr. A. highlights some of the most exciting, from hellebores to heucheras, American natives and more.

    Grow Organic: Making The Transition

    Growing a beautiful and productive garden without chemicals isn’t difficult, but it does require a shift in attitude and a dose of patience. In this workshop, Jessica Walliser (pictured below) shares a new understanding of the ease and convenience of organic practices. From soil management and cultural practices to pest control and dealing with “the junkie issue” (plants that have developed a fertilizer dependency), this talk is meant to present attendees with a deeper understanding of organic practices and offer plenty of tips for ensuring a successful garden.

  • Wednesday, November 9 – Thursday, November 10 – Northeast Greenhouse Conference and Expo

    The biennial Northeast Greenhouse Conference & Expo is co-sponsored by New England Floriculture, Inc. – a group of grower representatives from the Northeast, augmented by University and Cooperative Extension staff in each state, who specialize in greenhouse crops and management. Don’t miss this great opportunity to learn, share and connect with other industry professionals. The conference takes place at the Holiday Inn in Boxborough on November 9 and 10. There will be educational sessions, and don’t miss DAZED AND INFUSED. Join Sue Adams, Adams Farm and Greenhouses, for an educational cocktail hour on Tuesday evening featuring specialty cocktails using herbs and other plants. Advance registration is required. No charge to attend, and cash bar will be available.

    Sign up to have breakfast Thursday morning with a presenter who is an expert in your area of interest. Presenters and their topics will include: Sinclair Adam, Penn State University (Perennials); Mandy Bayer, University of Massachusetts (Irrigation, plant height control); Raymond Cloyd, Kansas State University (Insect pests and controls); Stephanie Cohen, Perennial Diva (Perennials); Chris Currey, Iowa State University (Greenhouse herbs, greenhouse environment); Kathy Kelly, Penn State University (Social Media); Tom Manning, Rutgers University (Greenhouse design, energy efficiency); Jeffrey Marstaller, Cozy Acres Greenhouses (Zero emissions, Advanced biocontols); Anna Meyerhoff, Bassett Healthcare Network (Worker protection); Kelly Norris, Des Moines Botanical Gardens (Iris, perennials, marketing); Suzanne Wainwright-Evans, Buglady Consulting (Biocontrols of pests); Brian Whipker, North Carolina State University (Plant Diagnostics, PGRs). Advance registration is required. Tickets are $25. For complete information and registration visit http://www.negreenhouse.org/html/show_info.shtml

  • Saturday, October 1, 10:00 am – 12:00 noon – Combining Perennials

    The whole can be more than the sum of the parts when you garden skillfully. A flowering perennial that is pretty by itself may be spectacular when contrasted with the right neighbor. And one plant can make up for the deficiencies of another when properly paired; a compact partner can hide the stems of a leggy beauty, another pairing can share their glory simultaneously or hold their own in two different seasons when artfully chosen. Garden writer and horticulturist Thomas Christopher, who recently authored Essential Perennials with Ruth Rogers Clausen, will share some of his favorite combinations and pass along tips that will set you on the road to creating many more of your own. The lecture will take place Saturday, October 1 beginning at 10 am at Berkshire Botanical Gardens in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. BBG members $20, nonmembers $25. Register online at https://berkshirebotanical.org/education/lectures-and-workshops/

    A graduate of the New York Botanical Garden School of Professional Horticulture, Thomas Christopher has written for numerous publications, including the New York Times and Better Homes and Gardens, and has served as a contributing editor to Martha Stewart Living. He is the co-author with Ruth Rogers Clausen of Essential Perennials, a complete reference to 2,700 perennials for the home garden.

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  • Thursday, September 10, 8:00 am – 5:00 pm – Northeast Region Perennial Plant Symposium

    Join the Massachusetts Horticultural Society and the Perennial Plant Association at their annual symposium, this year’s topic will be “Perennial Inspirations and Concepts.” The symposium is open to all levels of gardeners and professionals. This year’s symposium includes six presentations led by some of the perennial industry’s best focusing on plant selection, native perennials and container plantings.

    Featured Presentations:

    Native Perennials and Nativars for the Pocket Prairie Garden
    Jennifer Brennan of Chalet Nursery and Garden Shop, Wilmette, IL

    Jennifer Brennan will highlight the native plants and also native plant cultivars that can be used in various sites including shade, full sun, and half & half shade/sun. Many of these selections are quite useful for nectar and pollen for hummingbirds, butterflies and bees.

    The New American Garden: Modeling the Regional Landscape: An Anarchist Primer
    Donald Pell of Donald Pell Gardens, Phoenixville, PA

    Donald Pell calls his gardens impressionistic models of regional landscapes. Understanding specific plants and how they may integrate into any given landscape is the key to programming these gardens. He will look at how cool and warm season plants are accessed for performance to stabilize soils and create desirable compositions. Donald will discuss the role of ephemeral plants to build desirable seed banks while a garden is evolving and look at the role of aggressive and invasive plants. He will discuss the successes and failures of projects as well as what inspires these gardens. This is a presentation to inspire you to tear out that front lawn and boring boxwood hedges and to create a dynamic and experiential landscape.

    Tropical Flair
    Jason Reeves of the University of Tennessee Gardens, Jackson, TN

    Tropicals work beautifully with perennials, and make a big impact in any garden. The bold foliage stands out whether in large landscape displays or everyday back yard gardens and containers. Get a refresher on tried and true varieties as well as some hot new selections that will make any perennial purist think twice.

    Successful Gardening in Deer Country
    Ruth Rogers Clausen of Easton, MD

    Keeping your beautiful garden safe from deer is as simple as choosing the right plants. Ruth will discuss plants that do not require us to fence the deer out or the gardener in.

    Perennials in Pots: Creative Combinations for Jaw-Dropping Containers
    Deborah Trickett, MCH MCLP of Westwood, MA

    The container gardening craze, which began over ten years ago, shows no sign of slowing down. More than ever these perfectly sized “gardens” are the answer for time-pressed gardeners, down-sizing gardeners, city-dwelling gardeners, aging gardeners and more. The good news is the container gardens of yesterday (think geranium and vinca) have evolved. Today’s containers showcase many types of plants, including perennials. Join Deborah Trickett, principal and owner of The Captured Garden, and learn how to use perennials to transform your containers from “blah” to “aah”. She will share fundamentals of container gardening, “out of the box” design tips, as well as some of her favorite tried and true perennial performers.

    Are They Better or Just New??
    Paul Westervelt of Saunders Brothers, Inc. Piney River, VA

    With so many new perennials released every year, it can be difficult to distinguish legitimately better cultivars from those that are simply marketable. Through production trials, garden visits, vendor visits, and conversations with other growers, Paul works to select the true winners for our region.

    Register at http://goo.gl/EDWmtn

    $99 Early Bird, $109 after September 2