Here is yet another reason to head on over to the Garden Club of the Back Bay website and join if you are not already a member. A group led by Stephanie Fletcher, responsible for all the fabulous photos and posts on the Club’s Instagram page, will lead a stroll through the Back Bay to view holiday decorations, including some of the fabulous wreaths made last week.
In the spring of 2021, seeking to give something back to the community as the pandemic stretched on, Claire Corcoran and Stephanie Fletcher created a self guided walking tour of the iconic and beautiful magnolia trees of Boston’s Back Bay. They sought to provide a safe, interesting activity that would also allow them to tell the story of The Garden Club of the Back ay and the magnolias that line the neighborhood streets. Now, in 2024, they have updated the tour with more information, additional species and varieties of interest, and stories about the history of individual trees and their surroundings. They’ve even included some fascinating stories about special magnolias beyond the Back Bay! Don’t let this week’s bad weather deter you – there are lots of beautiful trees blooming still.
The tour can be accessed anytime between now and the end of magnolia blooming season, so you can set your own time and pace. The link to the tour can be found HERE: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/magnolias-of-the-back-bay-self-guided-tour-2024-tickets-877440346697?aff=oddtdtcreator&mc_eid=4db6dda40e&mc_cid=e89833aa09
Another benefit of joining The Garden Club of the Back Bay – pop up events like this one. Mark your calendars for their annual holiday stroll. After a successful wreath week, why not bring a warm cup of cheer and join fellow members as we take a walk to view some of the spectacular lighting and holiday decor in our neighborhood. We will also keep an eye out for some of our decorated wreaths on homeowners’ doors! We’ll decide a meeting spot closer to the date once we know where the most decorations will be. Join the Club to participate in dozens of important and fun activities throughout the year.
RSVP to Stephanie Fletcher HERE.
Matched pairs – we’ve said it before, not our favorite task. So many things can go wrong. Bows could be slightly uneven, sufficient materials might be in short supply, instructions can be missing (bows on top? mirror image?), the underlying wreaths themselves not the same thickness. Two members, Stephanie Fletcher and her mother Gudi Seward, have been our “go to” pair themselves for this thankless job. I can’t be sure if the pair of wreaths below was done by them this season, but I know, even without having been there, that they took on their fair share of the work. Stephanie, in addition, took many of the beautiful photos pictured in the Wreath of the Day posts, and runs our Instagram page. What a good eye!
A member shared the following story with us after she asked us to incorporate a family decoration into her wreath:
“My college roommate, a talented and devoted gardener with a flair for design, gave me the metal angel [seen below] in 2001, suggesting I incorporate it into future wreaths. Sadly, the following May she suffered a stroke at the age of 42, and we ultimately lost her. I miss her daily. It was such a gift to find the angel in my Christmas decorations in December, 2002. That year and each year since I have put the angel on my wreath. When I joined the Garden Club of the Back Bay [in 2018] I bought a beautifully decorated wreath to support wreath week, but really missed the angel. This year I requested that the angel be used in the design of my wreath. The angel was welcomed by Gudi and Stephanie [our dynamite mother/daughter decorating team] who thoughtfully and lovingly included her in their design. The result is spectacular and heartwarming to all who knew my friend, and is a reminder of her at our front door.”
The client chose the ribbon color because the wallpaper in her hallway is busy and she didn’t want a pattern to compete. To “backlight” the angel, glittery branches were moved around the angel to draw the eye to the centerpiece. Below is a picture of the finished wreath hung on the client’s door.
Join Stephanie Fletcher, the Garden Club of the Back Bay’s extraordinary Instagram site creator, for a photography walk around the Back Bay on Tuesday, October 25, with a rain date of Wednesday, October 26. Take in the sights of the fall foliage and Halloween decorations and learn some tools for how to get “just the right shot.” No prior photography experience necessary! You can bring your phone or camera.
We’ll take some photos based on theme: Color, Halloween, Autumn foliage, etc. and share them amongst ourselves after the walk.
The walk is free, but an RSVP is required. Space is limited. RSVP HERE. Meet at the corner of Commonwealth Avenue and Arlington Street.
Co-chairs Stephanie Fletcher, Mary Carty, Carrie Pelzel, and Susan Viano are pleased to announce the date of this year’s Garden Club of the Back Bay spring benefit, the Twilight Garden Party: Caring For Our City Trees. We will return to the beautiful St. Botolph Club, 199 Commonwealth Avenue, on Wednesday, May 1 from 6 – 8:30. Planning is underway, and Garden Club members who wish to lend a hand are encouraged to let us know at info@gardenclubbackbay.org. Details will follow in the coming months, but put the party on your calendars now!
