Boston Flora

Tag: The Country Club

  • Thursday, November 9, 10:00 am – Boston Committee of the GCA Fall Lecture & Luncheon

    The Boston Committee of The Garden Club of America invites members to the Fall Lecture and Luncheon on Thursday, November 9, 2023 at The Country Club in Brookline. The reception begins at 10 am, with business meeting and lecture at 10:30 and luncheon at noon, $30 for the lecture and an additional $35 for luncheon. Invitation will be sent electronically via Eventbrite.

    The guest speaker will be the Reverend Miriama White-Hammond, Chief of Environment, Energy, and Open Spaces for the City of Boston. She was appointed in April, 2021. In this role, she oversees policy and programs on energy, climate change, food justice, historic preservation, and open space. Over the course of her time with the City, she has supported the amendment of the Building Emissions Reduction and Disclosure Ordinance (BERDO) to set carbon targets for existing large buildings, and convened a City-led green jobs program.

    Another guest speaker is Todd Mistor, Director of Urban Forestry of the City of Boston. Todd is originally from Michigan, where he has many years of urban forestry experience working for the City of Detroit and other smaller municipalities. He has studied forestry as well and philosophy and theology which help bring a well-rounded perspective to his work. He is also a Certified Arborist with a Municipal Specialization through the International Society of Arboriculture.

    The Garden Club of the Back Bay is a member of The Boston Committee of The Garden Club of America, and if you wish to attend and are not a member of another participating Garden Club, explore the benefits of GCBB membership HERE.

  • Wednesday, March 21, 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm – Invasive Plants: What Are They? And What Can Be Done? Webinar

    What are invasive plant species and what harm do they do to an ecosystem? Invasive plant species are a threat to natural areas throughout the country. No habitat or region is immune from the threat of invasive species. They displace native plants, eliminate native food and cover for wildlife, and threaten rare plant and animal species. Nearly all landscapes, both private gardens and public spaces, have become the unwelcome home to many invasives.

    Bruce Wenning, is an invasive plant specialist who will help to shed light on the invasive plant challenges that face most property owners. If you are a homeowner who wants to understand more about invasives, join Bruce on Wednesday, March 21 at 7 pm for this Ecological Landscape Alliance free webinar to learn:

    * How to identify different types of invasive plants
    * How to safely remove them your own landscape
    * How different invasive plants spread
    * What removal methods are effective on each
    * The importance of proper disposal of invasive plants once removed

    Bruce Wenning is a horticulturist at The Country Club, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, where he is responsible for garden management and design, invasive species management, natural history of the grounds; and frequently lectures on horticultural subjects. Bruce’s background includes formal garden design and installation as well as public space management. Bruce has nearly 20 years of experience working with exotic invasive plant species common to Massachusetts for both private and public clients. Bruce’s career has also included several years at Massachusetts Audubon and at Land’s Sake. In addition to his general horticulture expertise, Bruce specializes in plant pest diagnostics; insect taxonomy; invasive species management; ecological landscaping consultation and design; as well as natural history. Bruce is on the Board of Directors for the Ecological Landscape Alliance (ELA) where he has served since 2003 and is a regular contributor to the ELA Newsletter and a local publication, the Newton TAB.

    Register at https://www.ecolandscaping.org/event/webinar-invasive-plants-can-done/

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  • Wednesday, January 24, 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm – Invasive Plants: What Are They? And What Can Be Done? Webinar

    What are invasive plant species and what harm do they do to an ecosystem? Invasive plant species are a threat to natural areas throughout the country. No habitat or region is immune from the threat of invasive species. They displace native plants, eliminate native food and cover for wildlife, and threaten rare plant and animal species.

    Nearly all landscapes, both private gardens and public spaces, have become the unwelcome home to many invasives. Ecological Landscape Alliance will sponsor a webinar on Wednesday, January 24 from 7 – 8 pm. Lecturer Bruce Wenning is an invasive plant specialist who will help to shed light on the invasive plant challenges that face most property owners. If you are a homeowner who wants to understand more about invasives, join Bruce for this webinar to learn:

    * How to identify different types of invasive plants
    * How to safely remove them your own landscape
    * How different invasive plants spread
    * What removal methods are effective on each
    * The importance of proper disposal of invasive plants once removed

    Bruce Wenning is a horticulturist at The Country Club, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, where he is responsible for garden management and design, invasive species management, natural history of the grounds; and frequently lectures on horticultural subjects. Bruce’s background includes formal garden design and installation as well as public space management. Bruce has nearly 20 years of experience working with exotic invasive plant species common to Massachusetts for both private and public clients. Bruce’s career has also included several years at Massachusetts Audubon and at Land’s Sake. In addition to his general horticulture expertise, Bruce specializes in plant pest diagnostics; insect taxonomy; invasive species management; ecological landscaping consultation and design; as well as natural history. Bruce is on the Board of Directors for the Ecological Landscape Alliance (ELA) where he has served since 2003 and is a regular contributor to the ELA Newsletter and a local publication, the Newton TAB. Free. Image from http://www.notablecharacters.wordspress.com. Sign up at http://www.ecolandscaping.org/event/webinar-invasive-plants-can-done/

  • Friday, October 27, 10:00 am – 1:30 pm – Boston Committee of the Garden Club of America Annual Fall Meeting and Luncheon

    Friday, October 27, 10:00 am – 1:30 pm – Boston Committee of the Garden Club of America Annual Fall Meeting and Luncheon

    Dr. David Barnett, Mount Auburn’s President & CEO, will present a brief history of the Cemetery and explain how it is being managed today as both a cultural institution and still an active cemetery. Through pictures he will describe some of the cutting-edge practices used to continue providing a high level of service to families at their time of need, while at the same time working to preserve and enhance the character of this historically significant landscape and to also be a model of environmental stewardship. He will summarize the recently completed strategic plan and resulting vision for sustaining Mount Auburn for the next century and beyond. Dr. Burnett was awarded the Garden Club of America Distinguished Medal of Honor in 2016 for “his tireless stewardship of the horticultural and ecological enhancements at Mount Auburn Cemetery, an inspiration to all who visit and study the exceptional spaces.”

    Dr. Barnett is the featured speaker for this year’s Boston Committee of the Garden Club of America’s Annual Fall Meeting, followed by lunch, at The Country Club, 191 Clyde Street, Brookline. Coffee and registration begins at 10 am, business meeting at 10:30 am, and lecture at 11:00 am. Garden Club of the Back Bay members should email info@bostonflora.com if interested in car pools. For more information visit http://www.bostoncommitteegca.org/index.html

  • Thursday, August 10, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm – Organically Treating for Garden Pests: Integrated Pest Management

    This Massachusetts Horticultural Society August 10 outdoor workshop (from 7 – 8:30 at Elm Bank, 900 Washington Street, Wellesley) will review the common practices used for identifying insect and disease problems on common garden plants with suggested IPM and organic controls. Instructor Bruce Wenning will focus will be on insect pests. We will search for pests and pest damage in the garden.

    Bruce Wenning is the horticulturist at The Country Club, Brookline, and has been have been serving on the Board of Directors for the Ecological Landscaping Alliance since 2003. He specializes in plant pest diagnostics, insect taxonomy and iecological landscaping consultation.

    MHS Members: $12; General Admission: $20. Register at www.masshort.org.

  • From the Archives: Road Tripping

    In June of 1982, Club members traveled to Hammersmith Farm in Newport.  Lunch followed at The Inn at Castle Hill. Hammersmith Farm was built by John W. Auchincloss in 1887 as his family’s 28-room summer “cottage.” After Jacqueline Bouvier, daughter of Mrs. Hugh Auchincloss, became Mrs. John F. Kennedy, the wedding reception was held at Hammersmith Farm. President Kennedy and his wife enjoyed visiting the farm when they could find the time, and no wonder. Beautiful rolling lawns and gardens, nature paths and copses of trees—not to mention the lovely old house itself—make the farm a seaside paradise.
    Mrs. Auchincloss sold Hammersmith Farm mansion in 1977, and it was opened to the public until recently, when it was reclaimed as a private residence. Many of its original furnishings from the times when it figured prominently in the news have been sold off. Those who had the opportunity to visit were fortunate indeed.

    The Garden Club of the Back Bay offers a selection of road trips as part of each year’s program calendar.  This season we traveled to Wellesley for a program at the Botanic Garden on cycads and gymnosperms, to Smith College for a peek at greenhouses and evolutionary plant murals, and to Windermere Community Gardens for a groundbreaking ceremony, in addition to two trips to The Country Club in Brookline for Boston Committee of the GCA meetings and lectures.  Our great disappointment is the lack of widespread support these trips garner.  While in theory everyone wants the opportunity to “get out of town” in practice we find difficulties in scheduling members to attend.  We encourage all members to consider participating in future field trips, and anyone wishing to organize an outing should email info@bostonflora.com.

  • Thursday, May 12, 10:00 am – 1:30 pm – Boston Committee of the Garden Club of America Spring Membership Meeting and Luncheon

    The Boston Committee of the Garden Club of America will hold its Spring Membership Meeting and Luncheon on Thursday, May 12 from 10 – 1:30 at The Country Club, 191 Clyde Street in Brookline.  Guest Speakers will be Reverend Stephen Ayers of Old North Church and Sean Sanger of Copley Wolff Design.  The Beacon Hill Garden Club and Old North Foundation joined forces to create The Longfellow Garden at the Old North Church, the most visited site in Boston, so that future generations of Americans will continue to treasure this iconic structure and honor the values of freedom and civic responsibility embodied in Longfellow’s stirring words.  All member clubs will receive invitations, and members of The Garden Club of the Back Bay will receive a car pool notice as well.  If you are interested in attending and are not a member of one of the participating Garden Clubs which comprise The Boston Committee of the GCA, email info@bostonflora.com  and will will forward your inquiry to the corresponding secretary of The Boston Committee.

     

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  • Thursday, November 12, 10:00 am – From Landscape Gardening to Landscape Urbanism

    The Boston Committee of the Garden Club of America will hold its annual fall membership meeting, lecture and luncheon on Thursday, November 12 beginning at 10 am at The Country Club, 191 Clyde Street in Brookline.  Charles Waldheim will give a talk entitled From Landscape Gardening to Landscape Urbanism.

    Charles Waldheim is the John E. Irving Professor of Landscape Architecture at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design. His lecture will focus on the evolution and current trends in ‘Landscape Urbanism’, a term coined by Waldheim to describe the recent emergence of landscape as a medium of urban order for the contemporary city. Professor Waldheim is a Canadian-American architect, urban theorist, and educator. His research examines the relations between landscape, ecology, and contemporary urbanism. At the same time that urban sprawl has distanced the population from the landscape, environmental literacy among designers and scholars has grown, giving rise to an architectural discourse known as ‘landscape urbanism’. In his lecture Waldheim, who is at the forefront of this movement, explores the origins, the current context and the aspirations of this relatively new field that is inspiring the future of city making. Waldheim is author, editor, or co-editor of numerous books on the subject, and his writing has been published and translated internationally. He has taught at Rice University, University of Toronto, University of Pennsylvania, and the University of Michigan. Charles is also the Ruettgers Consulting Curator of Landscape at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum.

    The event is open to members of Garden Clubs affiliated with The Boston Committee and their guests.  Garden Club of the Back Bay members will receive separate invitations and a car pool notice in the mail.  For more information email info@bostoncommittee.org.

  • Thursday, July 9, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm – Insects in the Garden: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

    This Massachusetts Horticultural Society class on Thursday, July 9, from 7 – 8:30 at Elm Bank, 900 Washington Street in Wellesley will review the more common garden and lawn insect pests plaguing homeowners and insect pest life cycles. Bio-control and low toxicity control options will be presented. Examples of plant damage will be presented from various garden plants. Colorado potato beetle eggs are pictured below.

    Not all garden and lawn insects are pests. References will be given to each student about proper insect ID, control and corresponding bio-controls in class and via e-mail. Bruce Wenning has university degrees in plant pathology and entomology. He is the horticulturist at The Country Club, Brookline, Mass.  Weather permitting, this class will involve an outdoor exploration for garden insects, please dress accordingly.

    Lecture Fee: Mass Hort Members $10, Non-Members $15. Register online at www.masshort.org.

  • Wednesday, October 29, 10:00 am – Nature in the City and Stewarding Our Native Ecology

    The Annual Meeting of The Boston Committee of the Garden Club of America will take place Wednesday, October 29, at The Country Club, Clyde Street, Brookline, beginning with coffee and registration at 10:00 am, and the business meeting at 10:30 am, followed by a keynote speech by Peter Del Tredici on Nature in the City and Stewarding Our Native Ecology. Dr. Del Tredici is Senior Research Scientist, Arnold Arboretum, and Adjunct Associate Professor of Landscape Architecture, Harvard Graduate School of Design.

    “My research interests are wide ranging and mainly involve the interaction between woody plants and their environment. Over the course of thirty plus years at the Arnold Arboretum, I have worked with a number of plants, most notably Ginkgo biloba, conifers in the genera Tsuga and Sequoia, various magnolias, and several Stewartia species (family Theaceae). In all of my work, I attempt to integrate various aspects of the botany and ecology of a given species with the horticultural issues surrounding its propagation and cultivation. This fusion of science and practice has also formed the basis of my teaching at the Harvard Graduate School of Design (since 1992), especially as it relates to understanding the impacts of climate change and urbanization on plants in both native and designed landscapes. Most recently, the focus of my research has expanded to the subject of spontaneous urban vegetation which resulted in the publication of Wild Urban Plants of the Northeast: A Field Guide (Cornell University Press, 2010).”

    The program is open to members of the Garden Clubs which comprise The Boston Committee (www.bostoncommittee.org) who will receive written invitations with information on attendance fees.  If you are not a member, email info@bostoncommittee.org for more information.  Image from www.peterdeltredici.com.