Boston Flora

Tag: The Unexpected Houseplant

  • Wednesday, April 14, 12:00 noon – 1:00 pm – Maximizing Space in the Garden: Creating More of a Good Thing, Online

    No matter if you’re gardening in a close-knit neighborhood or a sprawling estate, you want to garden efficiently, prolifically, sustainably, and beautifully. You need to garden smartly and you’ve got to conserve your resources.

    This Ecological Landscape Alliance free online lecture on April 14 at noon focuses on all the points on your checklist. When you layer a garden, not only do you maximize space, but you can also create hardworking habitats. You can fulfill a balance between what you need and what nature needs.

    Using her own garden that speaker Tovah Martin calls Furthermore as an example, I describe how to create layers in varied habitats including the perennial, berry, and vegetable gardens. The result is visually fulfilling, low maintenance, and mulch-eliminating when plants go wall-to-wall. This lecture shares how that shakes down to serve our needs as well as the needs of pollinators and other creatures. You can expect to hear many innovative ideas beyond the usual solutions. Register at www.ecolandscaping.org.

    Tovah Martin is an avid (verging on obsessed) gardener indoors and outside. She is the author of many gardening books. Her latest title, The Garden in Every Sense and Season received GardenComm’s Gold Medal Media Award in 2019. That book follows The Indestructible Houseplant, The Unexpected Houseplant, and The New Terrarium, and  Tasha Tudor’s Garden.

    A freelance writer, Tovah’s articles have appeared in publications throughout the country including Country Home, Traditional Home, Martha Stewart Living, New England Home, Flower, Cottage Journal, and many more. Tovah has also had numerous television appearances. She is the recipient of their medal for outstanding literary achievement and received the Gustav Mehlquist Award—the highest honor bestowed by the Connecticut Horticultural Society. She is an accredited Organic Land Care Professional through NOFA   With lifelong experience with indoor gardening, she also serves as a houseplant coach.

    For more information, Tovah can be found at www.tovahmartin.com.

  • Saturday, January 21, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm – The Begonia Winter Survival Guide

    Winter is way too long for gardeners, so why not turn to begonias? Is there another group of plants with equal diversity, definition, and intrigue? On Saturday, January 21 at 1 pm, garden writer and self-described plant-obsessive Tovah Martin will share her passion for these delightful houseplants. Featuring colorful leaves in just about every shape imaginable topped by spikes of adorable little flowers and an unflappable personality, begonias turn attention inside when the weather is yucky outdoors. Begonias can easily become the best cold-season companions, but there are a few tricks for keeping them happy and healthy. That’s what this begonia intensive is all about. Come with questions and courage, and leave as a die-hard begonia fan. Tovah will also demonstrate how to make more begonias to share with friends and converts and there will be some cuttings for students to bring home. This Berkshire Botanical Garden lecture will take place in the Education Center in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, and is $25 for BBG members, $30 for nonmembers. Register online at www.berkshirebotanical.org.

    Tovah Martin is an avid (verging on obsessed) gardener indoors and outside. She is the author of many gardening books—most recently The Indestructible Houseplant, which follows the success of The Unexpected Houseplant and The New Terrarium, as well as the popular Tasha Tudor’s Garden.

  • Saturday, February 2, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm – Houseplant Smackdown

    Seduced by begonias? Join the crowd. Are you crazy about cacti, spines and all? How about orchids? You must have killed at least one. Have a thing for air plants? There is always room for one in the bathroom.  On Saturday, February 2, from 10 – 2, join three mad gardeners—Tovah Martin, Rob Genneri and David Burdick—and learn how to successfully cram more plants into your house in a hands-on session with houseplants. The event takes place at the Berkshire Botanical Garden, 5 West Stockbridge Road in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. Bring a plant to repot or be evaluated. Consider the different growing mixes and learn how to take cuttings and divisions and, finally, how to keep them all happy inside your house until spring. Join the fun with our favorite plant experts for a houseplant smackdown and learn their secrets. You’re guaranteed to go home with more than you came with.

    Tovah Martin is a horticulturist, writer and garden personality living in northwestern Connecticut. She writes for many horticultural publications and has authored several books. Her popular book on terrarium gardens, The New Terrarium, was published in 2009, and The Unexpected Houseplant was published in August of 2012. Rob Gennari is a garden designer and owner of Glendale Botanicals, a specialty tropical nursery located in Berkshire County. He uses tropical plants in his design work and has in-depth experience with propagating, growing and maintaining them. David Burdick is owner of Daffodils and More, a retail bulb and plant nursery located in Dalton, MA. He is a plants man extraordinaire and is well versed in a diverse range of plant groups. He has instructed for the Berkshire Botanical Garden for many years.  BBG member price $75, non-members $85, and you may register on line at www.berkshirebotanical.org.