Boston Flora

Tag: This Old House

  • Boston’s Victory Gardens

    Ellen Abdow has been a featured speaker at The Garden Club of the Back Bay, and she has let us know about a very special project.

    Perennial Gardens LLC has partnered with Jenn Nawada from This Old House to bring you a garden of your very own — Boston’s Victory Gardens.  They are delivering fully planted vegetable gardens to your doorstep, safely created with lots of love. 

    • The Green Monstah has everything you need for a summer salad. 
    • Taco Tuesday brings the heat, bursting with a variety peppers. 
    • The Pollinator is full of flowers that attract bees and butterflies — plus many more varieties of “victory gardens” for your own backyard! Gift a loved one with their very own victory garden. 
    • The Herbalist, a hand-carved stone trough filled with an assortment of herbs, is the perfect Mother’s Day gift. 
    • Homeschooling the kiddos? Kids Can Grow is full of strawberries, beans, carrots — and full of learning opportunities about science, plants, and horticulture. 
    • And The Mixologist, a planter full of cocktail herbs, is a gift we could all use right now!

    These planter boxes are set up for success, created with superior growing soil and top-notch cultivars of veggies and herbs. They have a variety of planter vessels — including red cedar, vintage cranberry boxes, and hand carved stone troughs — that are managed by one person at a time throughout the entire process — from planting to delivery. These victory gardens will be available for purchase through Ellen’s website (www.bostonsvictorygardens.com).  They are not inexpensive, but will bring hours of stress reduction and enjoyment.

  • Sunday, October 28, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm – Water Features in the Residential Garden

    Water has been an ever present element throughout garden history. Water features were influenced by agricultural, horticultural and architectural trends, leading to many fine examples around the world. In this Tower Hill Botanic Garden presentation on Sunday, October 28 from 1 – 2, landscape architect Paul Maue highlights ten of his New England projects, discussing how they respond to the site architecture and needs of the client, from concept to construction to completion. Gain inspiration for how to use water features in your own garden. $15 for Tower Hill members, $20 for nonmembers. Register online at www.towerhillbg.org.

    Award winning landscape architect Paul Maue is principal of Paul Maue Associates whose residential design projects have been featured in Boston Magazine, This Old House Magazine, and Tennis Magazine.

    Image result for Paul Maue water features

  • Sunday, February 19, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm – Stems and Stones: A Love Story

    Do you love the look of natural stones but you’re not sure how to use them in your landscape?  Do your planted beds seem to be lacking something but you just can’t put your finger on it? Then maybe you need a dose of good, old-fashioned inspiration! Join the husband and wife design/build team of Samantha and Neil Best from Magma Design Group for a lively discussion about the mysteries of working with stone and how plants are the finishing detail to every hardscape. On Sunday, February 19 at 1 pm at Tower Hill Botanic Garden, Neil and Samantha will share humorous stories of working together as husband and wife while showing samples of their award winning work. Neil’s discussion about the history of stone, understanding quality craftsmanship, and ways to think outside the box will leave you ready to stack any stone you can get your hands on. Samantha’s enthusiastic knowledge of plants and her determination to put them next to all of Neil’s stone creations will illustrate the beautiful combinations that can be created when these materials come together to tell their own love story!

    Samantha and Neil Best are the co-founders of Magma Design Group Inc., an award-winning landscape architecture and construction company based in Massachusetts. With over 33 years of combined experience in the landscape industry, Samantha and Neil bring an intense passion and knowledge to the world of landscape design and construction. Their work is known for its site-sensitive design, incredibly crafted stonework, unique use of plants, and creative design elements. Together they are committed to creating designs that transform properties into beautiful outdoor retreats. Their work has been published in magazines such as Design New England, This Old House, and South County Living Magazine. Samantha is a Certified Horticulturalist, a Certified Invasive Plants Manager, and a public speaker. Neil is a Registered Landscape Architect, stonemason, and public speaker. The program is free with admission, but pre-registration is requested at www.towerhillbg.org.

  • Thursday, October 15, 6:30 pm – Massachusetts Horticultural Society Honorary Medals Dinner

    Each year, the Massachusetts Horticultural Society presents the Honorary Medals Dinner where the leading lights of horticulture are honored. The event gives us the opportunity to recognize the outstanding contributions of horticulturalists, plant innovators, and those who have made significant contributions to the enjoyment and appreciation of plants and the environment. This year’s dinner will take place Thursday, October 15 beginning at 6:30 pm in the Hunnewell Building at Elm Bank.

    THE GEORGE ROBERT WHITE MEDAL OF HONOR: Kris Jarantoski, Executive Vice President and Director, Chicago Botanic Garden- Keynote Speaker

    Kris Jarantoski (pictured below)  develops and directs the horticulture, plant collections, and facilities and planning of the Chicago Botanic Garden. Since joining the Garden in 1977, Jarantoski has played a major part in the creation of each of the 26 distinct gardens and four natural areas on the Garden‘s 385-acre campus.

    During his time at the Garden, Jarantoski has received a number of notable awards. In 2007, the American Horticultural Society presented Jarantoski with its Professional Award for his significant contributions to the field of horticulture. In 2011, the Garden Club of America presented Jarantoski with its Distinguished Service Medal for outstanding service in the field of horticulture.

    In July 2014, Jarantoski received the American Public Gardens Association (APGA) Honorary Life Member Award—its most prestigious—recognizing “an enduring commitment and contribution to the organization and leadership in the field of public gardens.” Announcing the award, Casey Sclar, executive director of the APGA, wrote, “Kris’s service to the Association for almost four decades is a beacon of leadership for others to emulate. He not only has taken the Chicago Botanic Garden from fledgling garden to one of the great gardens of the world, but has lifted the entire profession along the way with his charismatic, positive grace.”

    Most recently, in November 2014 Jarantoski was awarded the 2015 Arthur Hoyt Scott Medal and Award. The Scott Medal and Award, established in 1929 by Swarthmore College, recognizes an individual who has made an outstanding national contribution to the science and art of gardening; it has long been regarded as one of the most prestigious honors in horticulture.

    In addition, the Thomas Roland Medal will be presented to Joann Vieira, Director of Horticulture at Tower Hill Botanic Garden, The Jackson Dawson Memorial Medal will go to The American Chestnut Foundation, and Gold Medals will be awarded to Roger Cook, for his expertise on This Old House and his promotion of the public’s understanding and appreciation of horticulture and gardening, Mrs. Dorrance H. Hamilton for her support of excellence in horticulture through the Preservation Society of Newport County Flower Show, and Mrs. Maureen Ruettgers for her support of excellence in horticulture at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum.

    For information on attending, visit www.masshort.org.

    Kris-J-with-books

     

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  • Saturday, June 13, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm – Garden Tour of Historic Charlestown

    Explore twelve private hidden gardens of historic Charlestown on Saturday, June 13, 2015 from 10:00-3:00. The tour boasts a wide variety of horticulture and landscape features from fruit trees to cobble walkways and the garden at the PBS This Old House project of last year. Described as a “work in progress” by the owner, she is soliciting ideas from tour attendees about plant materials and design as her garden evolves.
    The tour begins at the Gardens for Charlestown Community Garden where you will receive your ticket/booklet/map. The Community Garden is a park-like setting which is open to the public and includes 64 garden plots and extensive communal boarder gardens. A free “Container Gardens” program will be conducted in the garden from 11:00-11:30. Topics including: plant selection and layout, growing edibles in containers, special considerations for specific sites (e.g. roof decks, window boxes) and general container garden maintenance will be covered. Box lunches will also be on sale in the community garden or you can enjoy lunch at one of Charlestown’s restaurants. Following the tour from 3:00-5:00 pm there will be a reception for tour goers, garden owners, supporters and volunteers in the Community Garden. This event is rain or shine.
    Tickets purchased before June 12th are $20.00. Day of Tour price $25.00 at the community garden. To purchase advance tickets go to www.gardensforcharlestown.com and click onto the Eventbrite link. Please bring your printed receipts with you. Proceeds from the tour support this 501c3 educational organization’s programs and maintenance. You may also mail your check to Gardens for Charlestown, P.O. Box 290044, Charlestown, MA 02129, and enclose a stamped, self addressed envelope.

    The Community Garden is located at the intersection of Main and Bunker Hill Streets two blocks from Sullivan Square. There is free street parking available, the Sullivan Square  Orange Line MBTA Station is a 5 minute walk or there is MBTA bus service from Haymarket Station on either the Route #92 or #93 bus, which drops you off at the garden.