As part of Tower Hill Botanic Garden’s month-long exploration of the Apothecary Garden, learn how to blend essential oils to create therapeutic bath bombs. Go home with a set of six and the mold to make more. The class takes place Sunday, February 3 from 1 – 2:30, and is $50 for THBG members, $64 for nonmembers, materials included in the cost. To register visit www.towerhillbg.org.
Escape to Tower Hill Botanic Garden, 11 French Drive in Boylston, where sub-tropical conservatories adorned with thousands of blooming bulbs and fantastic medicinal plant displays await you during the month of February. The month’s theme is Healers and Killers: Plants from the Apothecary Garden. For centuries, people from all over the world have used plants to heal the mind, body, and spirit––but what heals can also be hazardous. Come and discover the mystical and practical powers of plants. From medieval remedies to accidental poisonings, stunning floral and apothecary displays will delve into current uses and the history and mythology of medicinal plants. The first weekend event on February 2 & 3 is the Apothecary Marketplace. Find herbal remedies and botanical beauty products crafted by local makers. Offering everything from salves and tinctures to teas and tonics, this is a one-stop shop for plant-based formulations. Free with admission to the garden.
So many propagation classes focus on the details of seed sowing, cuttings, divisions, and while this is indeed essential information the missing element is what you should be propagating. Sow hobblebush into a seed flat and you’d be lucky to see any seedlings come spring, sow bluets into that same seed flat and you will have bluets within the month. Join Dan Jaffe at Tower Hill Botanic Garden on February 2 from 9:30 – 11:30 to learn not only how to propagate, but what to propagate to maximize plantings.Go home with seed flats that you’ve sown in class for planting in your garden this spring. All materials included.
Dan Jaffe is the Propagator and Stock Bed Grower as well as the staff photographer at New England Wild Flower Society’s Garden in the Woods. He received a degree in botany from the University of Maine, an advanced certificate in Native Plant Horticulture and Design from New England Wild Flower Society, and has nursery management experience. Dan Jaffe’s photography has been used in numerous publications and his book Native Plants for New England Gardens was released last spring. $50 for THBG members, $64 for nonmembers. Register at http://www.towerhillbg.org.
Design a Williamsburg-inspired centerpiece for your holiday table. This Tower Hill Botanic Garden class on December 15 from 11:30 – 2 with Betsy Williams will sell out fast. Choose from a selection of fragrant fresh greens, fruits, seasonal berries and pinecones to create a beautiful holiday centerpiece in an attractive container. With proper care, your table arrangement will stay fresh and lovely for the entire holiday season. Please bring floral scissors and an apron to class.
Betsy Williams teaches, lectures and writes about living with herbs and flowers. A gardener and herb grower since 1972, Betsy trained as a florist in Boston and England. She combines her floral and gardening skills with an extensive knowledge of history, plant lore and seasonal celebrations. Betsy is the author of several books on the uses and stories of herbs and flowers. She has appeared on the Discovery Channel and greater Boston cable stations as well as local and national radio talk shows. Betsy lectures and teaches locally and nationally. $80 for THBG members, $90 for nonmembers. Register at www.towerhillbg.org.
Tower Hill Botanic Garden is pleased to announce Mark Richardson has been hired as the director of horticulture for the nonprofit organization located in Boylston.
Richardson arrives from the New England Wild Flower Society where he worked as horticulture director since 2012. He led all aspects of the Society’s Horticulture and Horticulture Research and Development Departments, including the 45-acre native plant botanical garden, Garden in the Woods in Framingham, and Nasami Farm Native Plant Nursery in Whately.
Richardson succeeds Joann Vieira, who led Tower Hill’s horticulture staff for nearly 30 years until she stepped away in March.
At Tower Hill, Richardson will oversee the organization’s living collection, which includes 17 gardens, indoor conservatories, growing areas, and surrounding woodlands. Richardson joins a team of directors led by CEO Grace Elton and will collaborate with each of Tower Hill’s departments in an effort to inspire visitors to strengthen their commitment to the natural world by using horticulture to improve lives and enrich communities.
“We’re very excited to have Mark on board,” Elton said. “His extensive experience in the field of horticulture is going to be an enormous benefit to Tower Hill’s staff, volunteers, and members. In this period of unprecedented growth at the garden, Mark’s expertise will help guide the organization’s horticulture operations into its next chapter of building gardens, focusing on plant collections, and increasing seasonal displays.”
Richardson has previously worked in the education department at Brookside Gardens in Wheaton, Md., and in the education department at Longwood Gardens, in Kennett Square, Penn. He received his bachelor’s degree in Urban Horticulture and Turfgrass Management from the University of Rhode Island and his master’s degree in Public Horticulture through the University of Delaware’s Longwood Graduate Program.
“I’m thrilled to be part of the Tower Hill community, which I’ve long admired,” said Richardson. “We have an excellent horticulture staff and exceptional plant collection. I couldn’t be more excited to help the organization reach its ambitious goals.”
Tower Hill Botanic Garden is overseen by the Worcester County Horticultural Society. The garden opened in 1986 and overlooks the Wachusett Reservoir with views of Wachusett Mountain. Tower Hill, which encompasses 171 acres, is open to the public in all four seasons, is 10 minutes from downtown Worcester and is less than an hour drive from Boston.
Join Tower Hill Botanic Garden’s talented horticultural team on the last Wednesday of the month as they share their expertise through garden tours, demos, Q&A and more. On Wednesday, November 28 from 2 – 3, explore the variety of evergreens you can grow to make a unique holiday wreath or centerpiece and learn the best methods for harvesting. Free. Register at www.towerhillbg.org.
Worcester Tree Initiative’s Community Forester Derek Lirange will cover the fundamentals of pruning woody plants, including what should be cut out of trees and shrubs and how to make cuts for both health and appearance. He will also address common pruning mistakes or misconceptions and simple tool maintenance so you can make sure you’re making the best cut every time. This beginner’s class will take place at Tower Hill Botanic Garden on November 15 from 10 – noon. Tower Hill member price $15, nonmembers $25. Register at http://www.towerhillbg.org.
Derek Lirange began working at Worcester Tree Initiative (WTI) days after completing his Bachelor’s Degree, from UMASS Amherst, in Urban and Community Forestry in 2013. As WTI’s Community Forester, Derek’s primary role is to work with WTI’s partners coordinating tree plantings, education programs, and workdays.
Author Barbara Paul Robinson will speak at Tower Hill Botanic Garden on November 11 from 1 – 2 on her new book Heroes of Horticulture: Americans Who Transformed the Landscape. Here are the vibrant stories of eighteen contemporary heroes of horticulture – institution builders, plant explorers and garden creators who have all had a major impact on the American landscape. Three of them established The Garden Conservancy. Others worked to revitalize and establish botanical and other exceptional public gardens. Some intrepid plant explorers (one with a Tower Hill connection) have even traveled to remote parts of the globe to bring back and disseminate plants unknown in the West. Over the course of their careers, these heroes have worked to preserve and enhance our public spaces, setting new standards for aesthetics and encouraging wider public participation. Whether you work the soil or not, you’ll read their stories with a sense of wonder and admiration, and there’s a good chance you’ll derive some practical horticultural benefits from their passion, their lives and their work.
During a sabbatical from the leading international law firm, Debevoise & Plimpton where she was the first woman partner, Barbara Paul Robinson worked as a gardener for Rosemary Verey at Barnsley House. A hands-in-the-dirt gardener herself, she and her husband have created their own gardens at Brush Hill in northwestern Connecticut, featured in articles, books and television. Her first book was Rosemary Verey: The Life and Lessons of a Legendary Gardener (Godine 2012). A frequent speaker, Barbara has published articles in the New York Times, Horticulture, Fine Gardening and Hortus; she has also written a chapter in Rosemary Verey’s The Secret Garden.
$10 for Tower Hill members, $20 for nonmembers. Register at www.towerhillbg.org.
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.
Do you have a ton of images you need to manage? Then this Tower Hill Botanic Garden class on Sunday, October 28 from 10:30 – 2:30 is for you. Join Steve as he uncovers some of the mysteries of Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, a fantastic tool for any digital photographer who needs to edit and manage images quickly. In this class you will discover techniques for cropping, adding effects, showcasing your work in slideshows, and creating beautiful prints. Bring your laptop for this intermediate level class and discover a new way to manage you photography. $45 for Tower Hill members, $55 for nonmembers. Register at www.towerhillbg.org.
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.
