Boston Flora

Tag: Tower Hill Botanic Gardens

  • Friday, November 29, Saturday, November 30, or Sunday, December 1, 11:30 am – 2:30 pm – Gardener’s Wreath Workshop

    Design a beautiful botanical wreath from a colorful assortment of choice evergreens, including some collected on the grounds at Tower Hill.  Accent your wreath with a variety of dried materials; bow making instructions will be included. This unique outdoor wreath is made on a foam ring which can be moistened to last all winter. Bring pruning shears, wire cutters, and a towel. All materials included.  Choose between three sessions, November 29, 30, or December 1, from 11:30 – 2:30, and register at www.towerhillbg.org. Tower Hill members $70, nonmembers $80.

    Karen Perkins, former Director of Education at Tower Hill Botanic Garden, has been teaching folks how to fashion singularly beautiful holiday decorations for over 30 years. The wreath below, needless to say, is an example from our 2018 Holiday Wreath collection, and to order one of ours, visit https://bostonflora.com/shop/

  • Thursday, October 10, 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm – Growing and Using Herbs Year Round

    Herbs have been employed by all cultures, throughout human history, in variety of ways including culinary, medicinal, and spiritual usage. On Thursday, October 10 at 6:30 at Tower Hill Botanic Garden, we will look at how herbs have been utilized in the past, and apply their use into today’s world. Together we will smell, taste and plant a variety of herbs. Come learn why it is best to grow your own herbs – then learn how to best grow, preserve, and use these incredibly useful plants. Go home with a small pot planted with seeds of easy-to-grow herbs to get off to a good start. $26 for Tower Hill members, $29 for nonmembers. Register at www.towerhillbg.org.

    Melissa Pace is an award-winning horticulturalist who competes in numerous garden and flower shows, from Philadelphia Flower Show to the Bolton Fair. She has been a University of Rhode Island Master Gardener since 2003. Melissa has been a presenter for numerous garden clubs and civic organizations throughout New England since 1995. Melissa holds a master’s degree in teaching from Bridgewater University, is an artist and art teacher and is currently employed as a Youth Educator for the Massachusetts Horticultural Society.

  • Saturday, August 4, 10:00 am – 12:00 noon – Pollinator-Friendly Gardens and Landscapes

    Bees and other pollinators are all the buzz these days. Pollinator populations are crashing locally and worldwide, but these tiny forms of wildlife are vital to food production, pest management, and environmental stability. Even in a small backyard, you can help support pollinators through careful plant choices and a basic knowledge of the varied habitat needs of native bees and other beneficial insects. In this Tower Hill Botanic Garden class with Ellen Sousa on August 4 from 10 – noon, you’ll learn to identify some of the good – and bad – bugs flying around your gardens, and at the same time welcome a whole new dimension to your enjoyment of gardening and the natural world. We’ll also spend some time exploring the gardens looking for pollinators in their garden habitats.

    Ellen Sousa is a garden coach, designer and author from Turkey Hill Brook Farm in Spencer MA, a small native plant nursery and habitat farm. Since 2007, Ellen has worked with homeowners, landowners and non-profit organizations to design and manage landscapes that support local biodiversity. She is the author of the book The Green Garden: A New England Guide to Planning, Planting & Maintaining the Eco-friendly Habitat Garden. Tower Hill member price $20, non-members $30. Register at www.towerhillbg.org.

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  • Saturday, August 12, 9:00 am – 2:00 pm – Garden Photography Workshop

    On Saturday, August 12 from 9 – 2, take your garden photography from good to great by capturing Tower Hill Botanic Garden at its most beautiful. This course is ideal for Photographers with some knowledge of manual camera settings who want to take their abilities to the next level. Join Steve McGrath as he reveals his tips and techniques for taking quality close up as well as Landscape Photography in the gardens. We will discuss how to use wide-angle, normal and telephoto lenses most effectively in the garden to strengthen your composition for maximum impact. Learn to sharpen your awareness of light on the landscape and use creative white balance and ISO for expanding your images. We will view our images after an extensive day in the gardens. Bring a camera with macro capabilities, a sturdy tripod if you have one,and a large memory card.

    Steve McGrath is a professional freelance photographer and photography teacher who has been creating images for 20 years. Steve first began by shooting sports photography for local high schools, then weddings, and stock agencies. Then his love of the outdoors led him to focusing more on his true passion, “nature photography”. Steve was an active member of the Gateway Camera Club for many years, and has won many ribbons and awards at fairs and competitions through the group and on his own. Several of his images have been published in school text books. His favorite places to shoot are Acadia National Park in Maine, the Green Mountains of Vermont, and the Cape Cod National Seashore.

    $60 for Tower Hill members, $75 for nonmembers. Register online at https://towerhillbg.thankyou4caring.org/pages/event-registration-form—garden-photography-workshop

  • Thursday, December 1, 8:00 am – 5:30 pm – Christmas at the Newport Mansions

    The glitter of gold and the sparkle of silver will dazzle you as you tour two magnificent mansions decked out in Yuletide finery. The Breakers and Marble House–two National Historic Landmarks and icons of the Gilded Age in America–are filled with thousands of poinsettias, fresh flowers, evergreens and wreaths. Decorated Christmas trees reflecting individual room decor anchor many of the magnificent spaces. Dining tables set with period silver and china complete the elegant setting. And windows of each mansion are lit with individual white candles, in keeping with the colonial tradition. A working garden scale model of the Vanderbilt family’s New York Central Railroad will be on display in the second floor loggia of The Breakers, traveling through a village made up of gingerbread replicas of some of the Newport Mansions, created by local pastry chefs.

    Thursday, December 1, leave Tower Hill at 8am and return by 5:30pm. If you wish to meet the group in Newport please call 508-869-6111. Tower Hill Member $125, Non-member $150, includes transportation, lunch, and admissions to the Breakers and Marble House. Register online at www.towerhillbg.org.

  • Sunday, April 12, 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm – The Best New Gardens Will Come From Old Gardens

    Tower Hill Botanic Garden in Boylston will present Rodney Eason on Sunday, April 12, from 2 – 3, for a talk entitled The Best New Gardens Will Come From Old Gardens. Along the line of thinking that the best new ideas are stolen from old ideas, Rodney, director of horticulture and plant curator at Coastal Maine Botanical Garden, will show some of the most powerful gardens he has ever visited and how these experiences have influenced his designs. Join him on a visual journey through the US, Cuba, Japan, South America, and Europe. Some of these iconic garden images will then be reimagined in new ways, in a different setting, using totally new plants. THBG members $15, non-members $25. Register online at www.towerhillbg.org, or call 508-869-6111.

  • Sunday, June 8, 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm – Clematis: Queen of the Climbers

    Clematis reigns supreme as one of the most versatile and beautiful plants we can grow in our New England gardens. Come to Tower Hill Botanic Garden, 11 French Drive in Boylston, on Sunday, June 8 from 1 – 2:30, and learn how to successfully grow this wonderful vine in the garden, in container plantings and even as a houseplant! Weather permitting there will be many clematis flowers on hand to inspire and delight. Cheryl Monroe leads the class, $15 for THBG members, $25 for nonmembers. Register at www.towerhillbg.org.

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  • Sunday, April 28, 1:30 pm – 3:30 pm – Spring Wildflowers of the Northeast: A Natural History

    The Ecological Landscaping Association, New England Wildflower Society, Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University, Massachusetts Audubon Drumlin Farm, and Tower Hill Botanic Gardens will co-sponsor Spring Wildflowers of the Northeast: A Natural History, with author Carol Gracie, on Sunday, April 28, from 1:30 – 3:30 at Garden in the Woods in Framingham.  The wildflowers that brighten our woodlands in spring are more than just a delight for the eye and a lift for the winter-weary spirit.  Each has a role in the environment, with often interesting interactions with pollinators and seed dispersers.  Topics will include adaptations for early blooming, medicinal and other uses, the origin of wildflower names, pollination and seed dispersal, and the latest scientific research on the ecology of these beautiful plants.  Following the lecture and book signing, enjoy an optional docent-led walk through Garden in the Woods in its early spring glory.  $15 for members of a sponsoring organization, $18 for nonmembers.  Register by calling 617-436-5838, or visit www.ecolandscaping.org.

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  • Sunday, October 23, 12:30 pm – 2:30 pm – Wicked Plants

    Linda Russell of Scentsibilities will speak at Tower Hill Botanic Garden, 11 French Drive in Boylston, on Sunday October 23, from 12:30 – 2:30, on Wicked Plants: The Scandalous, the Deadly, the Ill-Mannered, and the Intoxicating.  This combination of lore, stories and facts will increase your knowledge of the silent dangers in the plants around us, many in our own gardens and back yards.  The program is fun and informative, and best of all, no cauldron required! THBG members $10, non-members $12.  Register at www.towerhillbg.org, or call 508-869-6111.

  • Sunday, October 23, 1:00 pm – 3:30 pm – Squash Floral Arrangement

    Julie Lapham of Julie Lapham Designs will conduct a Tower Hill Botanic Garden workshop on Sunday, October 23, from 1 – 3:30.  Fill a large squash with the vibrant colors of fall, using fresh and dried plant material.  All materials and mechanics will be provided, but please bring scissors and an apron.  THBG members $60, non-members $65.  Register at www.towerhillbg.org, or call 508-869-6111.