Boston Flora

Tag: public garden

  • Garden Club of the Back Bay Holiday Wreaths – Supporting the Community

    There is still time to order a magnificent holiday wreath from The Garden Club of the Back Bay – you may print an order form and mail it in with your check, or you may order online and pay through PayPal.  All the information and directions are available by clicking here.  Why should you buy from us?  Yes, we know you could order from local florists (at a significantly higher price, we might point out), or from the nurseries or groceries stores (at perhaps a slightly lower cost).  Purchasing our wreaths comes with the satisfaction of knowing you are supporting many wonderful local organizations, in addition to our own.  Each year we make grants to not for profit groups which are making a difference in our lives.  Besides the Friends of the Public Garden and the Commonwealth Avenue Mall Committee, we donate to the Emerald Necklace Conservancy, the Charles River Clean Up Boat, the Boston Nature Center of the Massachusetts Audubon Society, the Esplanade Association, and to City Roots/The Urban Ecology Institute.   This is by no means the complete list of beneficiaries (click on to our Projects page on the menu above for details) but we give between $15,000 and $18,000 annually to area groups accomplishing great works which we do not have the expertise or manpower to do ourselves.  The dollar amount of these grants is dependent upon our earnings, so we urge you to be generous and allow us the opportunity to enhance your holiday environment with our fresh balsam wreaths. Thank You!

  • Garden Club of the Back Bay Holiday Wreaths – Saving the Elms

    One mission of The Garden Club of the Back Bay is to beautify the neighborhood, and one historic aspect of the neighborhood is its majestic elms.  As we know, the elm tree population has been decimated by Dutch elm disease, a fungal disease spread by the elm bark beetle.  For many years, the Garden Club has helped fund the inoculation of elm trees, through grants to The Friends of the Public Garden.  This is not inexpensive.  A single application cost between $200 – $300 in the 1980’s.  Thirty years of inflation, naturally, has taken the price, depending on the size of the tree, to the $1,000 range.  In 2009, we gave $4,000 to inoculate trees between Massachusetts Avenue and Charlesgate East.

    Without our fund raising efforts, including the Holiday Wreath project, this financial assistance would not be available.  Please remember the elms as you decide to purchase one of our exquisite wreaths or our full, extra large poinsettia plants.  To order, click here.

  • Commonwealth Avenue Mall Lights

    Join your neighbors and friends in lighting the Mall again this year.  Funded entirely by donations, it is the neighborhood’s gift to the City.  Donations are currently being solicited, large or small.  Make checks payable to Committee to Light Commonwealth Avenue Mall, and mail them to the Back Bay Association, 234 Clarendon Street, Boston, MA 02116.  Donations may also be made online at www.BackBayLights.com.  The Committee to Light Commonwealth Avenue Mall works with the Commonwealth Avenue Mall Committee of The Friends of the Public Garden and with the Boston Parks and Recreation Department.

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  • Tuesday, October 20, 6:00 pm – News of Brewer Fountain Plaza Renovation

    The Friends of the Public Garden presents News of Brewer Fountain Plaza Renovation, Boston Common, on Tuesday, October 20, beginning at 6:00 pm at The Hampshire House, 84 Beacon Street in Boston.  Come hear the plans to revitalize the landscape in this heavily used area of the park, making it a greener, more inviting gateway into the Common and a destination within the park, with a restored Brewer Fountain as its centerpiece.  Also, hear about the plans to celebrate the Friends of the Public Garden’s 40th Anniversary in 2010.  Reception follows.  The event is free but please RSVP and make a reservation, as space is limited.  Email by Thursday, October 15 at fopg@gis.net, or call 617-723-8144.

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  • Tuesday, September 15, 7:00 – 9:00 pm – Brewer Plaza Presentation

    The Friends of the Public Garden, in conjunction with the Boston Parks and Recreation Department, invite you to a presentation on a proposal for the renovation of the Brewer Plaza on Boston Common.  The meeting will take place Tuesday, September 15, from 7 – 9 pm, at Suffolk University, 120 Tremont St., 4th Floor.  See and hear about plans to renovate the Plaza, making a greener, more inviting gateway into the Common and a destination within the park with a restored Brewer Fountain as its centerpiece.  For questions, call the Friends of the Public Garden office at 617-723-8144.

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  • Wednesday, October 7, 6 – 8 pm – Lynden Miller in Boston

    Lynden Miller, well known NYC public garden designer, will speak about designing, maintaining, and funding beautiful, four-season plantings for public places on Wednesday, October 7, from 6 – 8 pm. Her garden projects in NYC have become urban oases with economic benefits and the power to transform the way people behave and feel about their city.

    Lynden Miller’s life-long work is creating beautiful gardens in challenging locations. She has been featured on the Martha Stewart Show and in Fine Gardening, Horticulture, and House Beautiful magazines. Her message about the fundamental necessity of healthy green spaces is critical for today; her new book documents the ‘how to’ of her success. Learn more about Lynden Miller on her web site www.publicgardendesign.org .

    Lynden will sign her new book, Parks, Plants, and People: Beautifying the Urban Landscape, after her presentation.  The lecture will take place at One Financial Center, overlooking the Boston Greenway, and there will be reduced on-site parking.  The catered event is sponsored by COG Design, advance tickets are $25 (seating limited to 250), and may be ordered on line at www.cogdesign.org.  You will receive a $5 credit towards the advance purchase of Parks, Plants, and People for signing.

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  • Sunday, May 10, noon – 29th Annual Duckling Day Parade

    The Friends of the Public Garden, in partnership with The Boston Athenaeum, presents the 29th Annual Duckling Day Parade on Sunday, May 10, beginning at noon on Boston Common.  Parade participation requires a $25 donation per family.  This donation includes snacks, entertainment, and a toy for each child. Registration is available in advance on line at www.friendsofthepublicgarden.org.  Based on the book Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey, children and their families will retrace the steps of Mr. and Mrs. Mallard and their family of eight ducklings. Led by the Harvard University Marching Band, children relive the adventures of Mr. and Mrs. Mallard dressed as one of their favorite characters from the book.Pre-registration is encouraged, and on site registration begins at 10:30 a.m. on the Boston Common, at the base of the Shaw Memorial, opposite the State House.  The Friends of the Public Garden is a non-profit organization dedicated to the care and protection of the Boston Common, the Public Garden and the Commonwealth Avenue Mall. For additional information call 617-723-8144 or email fopg@gis.net.  Duckling Day happens rain or shine because ducks love water.