Boston Flora

Tag: Polly Hill

  • Friday, July 20, 10:00 am – Nature’s Partners: Pollinators, Plants, and You

    One of the oldest, most interesting, and important phenomena in the natural world is pollination by insects: the transfer of genetic material among plants by bees, flies, butterflies, and beetles. Insect pollinators are critical to both natural plant communities and human food production – yet for many, knowledge of pollinators stops with the honey bee.

    Entomologist Paul Goldstein and Nature Conservancy ecologist Matt Pelikan team up to introduce the science of pollination, discuss how people interact with the Island’s insect pollinators, and present ways to enhance native pollinator diversity in order to better harmonize landscape management and agriculture, at the Polly Hill Arboretum on Friday, July 20 at 10 am. No Fee.  For more information visit www.pollyhillarboretum.org.

  • Wednesday, July 18, 12:00 noon – Black Oaks in Peril

    Dr. Neil Hendrickson, PhD Forestry of the Bartlett Tree Research Laboratories (Northeast) will visit Martha’s Vineyard to address the subject of infestation to our native black oaks, (Quercus velutina) by the cynipid, ‘crypt’ gall wasp, (Bassettia ceropteroides). Anyone who has an interest in the landscapes, trees and natural beauty of Cape Cod and The Islands is invited to attend this free lecture at The Polly Hill Arboretum. Dr. Hendrickson will be accompanied by Mark P. DiBiase, MCA & Arborist Representative for Bartlett Tree Experts on Martha’s Vineyard and Falmouth, MA. The information session is sponsored by the local offices of the F.A. Bartlett Tree Expert Co. Inc.

    For more information, you may contact Mark at mdibiase@bartlett.com or by calling 508-693-4846 or 508-540-3903. Since Wednesday is the Gardens of Martha’s Vineyard tour day, this program may work well into your schedule.

  • Thursday, July 5, 10:00 am – 12:00 noon – Joys of Butterfly Gardening

    Butterflies are welcome visitors to our gardens. Join Susie Bowman, teacher/naturalist at Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary and avid gardener, at the Polly Hill Arboretum on Thursday, July 5, from 10 – noon, to learn how to attract more of these beautiful insects to your garden. She will introduce the basic needs of butterflies and how to plan or modify gardens to meet these needs. Susie will illustrate with images of island butterflies that frequent specific plants at the Felix Neck butterfly garden. The program will conclude with a walk to the Polly Hill homestead border. Butterfly-friendly plant list included!

    $20/$10 for PHA members.  To register, visit www.pollyhillarboretum.org.

  • Tuesday, July 17, 9:00 am – 4:00 pm – Gardens of Martha’s Vineyard

    Join the Polly Hill Arboretum on Tuesday, July 17, from 9 – 4, for a special tour of some spectacular Vineyard gardens.  Begin at the Bressler Garden on Oyster Pond.  This small garden incorporates shrubs, grasses, native plants, and perennials, including 85 lavender plants, on the shore zone at Oyster Pond. From there, proceed to the Geiger Garden in Chilmark (pictured below,) tucked away in the woods, featuring an elaborate water garden.  Lunch will be served at the Polly Hill Arboretum, and from there you will proceed to the Coyne Garden in West Tisbury, located on Looks Pond, the former garden of Nina Schneider, a contemporary of Polly’s.  Then, on to “The Folly,” the Biggs Garden in West Tisbury, hidden off Lambert’s Cove Road.  The large stucco Italianate home features a variety of formal and informal garden areas. The price of $135 ($100 for PHA members) includes transporation, lunch, and a $30 donation to PHA.  To register, visit www.pollyhillarboretum.org, or call 508-693-9426.

  • Thursday, June 14, 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm – Floral Photography

    The wonders and beauty of nature are often difficult to photograph. If you plan to be on Martha’s Vineyard on Thursday, June 14, from 4 – 6, join photographer Katherine Rose at the Polly Hill Arboretum to improve your photographic skills through a variety of techniques. Instruction will include understanding your camera’s controls and capabilities, the color of light, long shots versus close-ups, and developing a point-of-view for all your shots. Your own eye is the guide for this late afternoon photo foray at the Arboretum. Katherine was garden photographer for the Boston Globe for ten years and has taught photography at the university level and at Featherstone for the last thirteen years. Pre-register at www.pollyhillarboretum.org, since space is limited. $30/$20 for PHA members.

  • Tuesday, June 12, 10:00 am – 11:00 am – Meet the Heaths!

    The rhododendrons are just one branch of an interesting and attractive family tree. Join Polly Hill Arboretum staff for a look at the heath family (Ericaceae) at PHA on Tuesday, June 12, from 10 – 11. There’s more to this family than our 523 (not that we’re counting!) beloved rhododendrons. On this walk we will tour the living collection and meet the relatives, discovering many lesser-known ericaceous plants including native shrubs, evergreen groundcovers, and summer-blooming trees. $5/free for PHA members.  For more information, visit www.pollyhillarboretum.org.

  • One Seed at a Time

    This is story of the Polly Hill Arboretum internship program. In 1958 at age 50, Polly Hill began her arboretum by sowing a seed on her family’s summer property, then known as Barnard’s Inn Farm. She was always looking for plants that would grow out of latitude and thrive on Martha’s Vineyard and traveled extensively collected seeds from all over the world. In the 1990’s her beautiful private gardens became a public arboretum and shortly afterwards with her help and the efforts of David Smith and Sam Feldman the Internship Program was formed. Many young people have gone through either the summer or 9 month program and continued on with great success in the horticulture world. This is their story and the story of their remarkable mentor.  Watch a short, ten minute video by Marnie Stanton on the internship program, entitled One Seed at a Time, by clicking this link: http://vimeo.com/39297752.  Video funded by the Edey Foundation.

  • Thursday, July 7, 10:00 am – 11:30 am – The Art of Bonsai

    What makes bonsai, those little trees in pots, so appealing? Perhaps it is how bonsai design mimics our big world on a miniature scale. Don Sibley, co-founder of the Martha’s Vineyard Bonsai Club, will disclose many secrets in this revealing workshop, to be held at the Polly Hill Arboretum in West Tisbury on Thursday, July 7 from 10 – 11:30 am. Discover what makes big, old trees look the way they do and how these characteristics inform successful bonsai design. Students will observe trees both large and small. Sibley has taught painting at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts for 35 years and has recently retired from his position as gardener at Chappaquiddick’s Mytoi Garden. He has had a lifelong interest in Japanese gardening practices and bonsai. $20/$10 for PHA members.  For more information visit www.pollyhillarboretum.org.

  • Saturday, May 28, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm – Spring into Summer: A Celebration of Plants

    Help the Polly Hill Arboretum in West Tisbury celebrate the seasonal opening of its Visitor Center and plant sale season on Saturday, May 28, from 10 – 2.  In addition to plants for sale, there will be special tours, garden talks, a tree raffle, family discovery tours, and more.  The Artcliff Diner Food Truck will be on hand with food for sale.  Join Tom Clark for a special 9 am early bird tour.  Free.  For more information, log on to www.pollyhillarboretum.org.

     

  • Tuesday, May 24, 10:00 am – Best of Small Flowering Trees

    In modern day landscapes small flowering trees have an essential role in providing year-round interest without growing so big to dominate them. Increasingly, gardeners have sought out trees for foundation plantings or focal points that fit the scale of the garden and form the basis for a dynamic, beautiful, and diverse landscape. On Tuesday, May 24, join Polly Hill Arboretum Executive Director Tim Boland at 10 am at the Polly Hill Arboretum in West Tisbury for an illustrated review of a wide assortment of small flowering trees that provide the right fit for your landscape needs. $5/free for PHA members.  Visit www.pollyhillarboretum.org for directions.