Boston Flora

Tag: trees

  • Saturday, October 16, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm – Right Tree, Right Place

    Trees can define a garden, but their siting and placement can confound gardeners, particularly when smaller specimens are being planted. This October 16 Berkshire Botanical Garden class, taught by Lee Buttala in person at the garden in West Stockbridge, examines the root structures, growth habits, and the mature size of a range of species and varieties, large and small, for use in the residential landscape. Attendees will walk away with a new approach to selecting woody plants that will provide their gardens with desired structure and form throughout the years, while taking into consideration underplanting and the tree’s harmonious coexistence with other garden features and elements in the ever-evolving landscape. This class hopes to prevent gardeners from needing to remove maturing trees because they were planted in the wrong place, by demonstrating how better siting or selection (or regular pruning or training) can allow these coveted plants to mature in the garden.

    In his life as a gardener, nonprofit leader and writer, Lee Buttala has explored the world of gardening from many angles. He is the former Executive Director of Seed Savers Exchange, a seed bank dedicated to the sharing and saving of seeds that define America’s food and garden heritage, and the only non-governmental organization storing seed at the Svalbard Global Seed Vault. He previously served as Director of Marketing Communications for BBG and Preservation Manager for the Garden Conservancy, and currently serves as chair of the Historic Landscapes Committee of the APGA. Lee won an Emmy award for his role as a garden television producer for Martha Stewart Living and was the creator of PBS’s Cultivating Life. He is the editor of the award-winning book, The Seed Garden: The Art and Practice of Saving Seed, writes a weekly garden column for the Berkshire Edge and serves on the board of Hollister House Garden in Washington, CT. Lee studied garden design at the Chelsea Physic Garden, the New York Botanical Garden and the Kyoto School of Art and Design. He lives in Brooklyn and Ashley Falls, MA.

    $20 for BBG members, $25 for nonmembers. Register at https://www.berkshirebotanical.org/events/right-tree-right-place

  • October 1 – October 31 – On Demand Webinar: Soil Tests – How to Interpret and Use Results for Better Tree Health

    Soil health can make or break the survivability of trees in your care. You have likely collected soil samples and sent them to a lab for testing. While you are able to interpret the results at a basic level, are you clear on what you can or should do with the detailed results? Join the Massachusetts Arborists Association during the month of October as we discuss the fundamentals of soil supplements, along with the proper way to collect a soil sample and interpret test results. We’ll examine the results of local soil tests and discuss appropriate action plans. Gain a better understanding of how to use soil testing to improve the wellbeing of trees. The speaker is Tom Akin, State Resource Conservationist with the USDA National Resources Conservation Services in Amherst, Massachusetts. You will receive a link to the webinar upon registration. To learn more, visit www.massarbor.org.

  • Through Sunday, October 24 – Growth Spurts, Knobs, and Knuckles: An Environment of Trees by Lizi Brown, Online

    In Lizi Brown’s virtual exhibition, presented by the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University, an actual interpretation of the dictionary definition of environment appears visually through her fearless application of ink and paint on contractor paper. Her trees are buffeted by conditions that insinuate themselves through the soils and torment or sooth them by climate changes or the essential winds, sun, and rains. Seasons gain momentum, affecting limb and leaf in Brown’s portraits, “influencing the life of an individual or community,” as indeed seasons move over the plants in the landscape. To access the exhibition, click HERE.

    An absence of color would seem to correlate with an obvious simplicity, yet in Brown’s paintings, it belies her rich layering of detail, gesture, structure, light, and dark. Her exquisite use of line adds to the shape and essence of each panel. Color is in the hues and tones of black or light as it appears in the naked exposure of the paper itself. An effervescent mist of gray or deep, endless, strength of black, create images of trees as personalities.

    Each painting is a portrayal, complete with serious or playful gestures, solo or companionable interactions. A fluidity and sharpness of edges reminiscent of the Korean sensibilities, which influenced Brown, animates branches, leaves, cones, and roots, while adhering to the artist’s limited palette.

    Lizi Brown is an instructor at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts (SMFA) at Tufts University . She teaches beginning and advanced painting (and often starts her students with ink painting). She has shown in many group exhibitions in the greater Boston area. All art is ink and paint on contractor paper.

    100% of proceeds from sales will go to the Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition.

    All rights of the images reside with the artist. For more information on making a copy, or reusing an image, please send your request to arbweb@arnarb.harvard.edu.

    For information on the work itself, or to inquire about purchasing art, please also send your request to arbweb@arnarb.harvard.edu. We will put you in touch with the artist.

    Willow, Detail, copyright 2021 Lizi Brown

  • Wednesday, June 16, 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm – From Nursery to Nurse Log: 30 Years of Growing and Caring for Trees in the Northeast, Online

    Chris Roddick, certified arborist and Foreman of Grounds at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, became a lifelong learner of everything arboreal after a Scott Arboretum workshop given by a “weird old plant guy,” renowned plantsman Michael Dirr. Pulling from his 30 plus years of experience in arboriculture — shopping at nurseries, planting, pruning, and caring for veteran trees — Chris will share what he has learned by looking in-depth at a dozen tree species and discussing his successes and failures, while telling a few stories along the way. This Zoom presentation will take place June 16 at 5:30, and is sponsored by The Polly Hill Arboretum, Bartlett Tree Experts and the Dukes Conservation District. $10; FREE for PHA members. Proceeds benefit Polly Hill Arboretum and help make it possible for us to hold future affordable and free educational programs for our community. Thank you for your support! Register here: bit.ly/Chris-Roddick-Webinar

  • Fridays, March 12 – March 26, 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm – Tree Care for Gardeners

    Whether you are an amateur or professional horticulturist, you are a steward of the landscape and probably spend a great deal of time among the flowers, shrubs and trees. This Berkshire Botanical Garden three-part course is designed for those who might not necessarily be the first to climb 100 feet up a northern red oak or wrangle the chainsaw to fell a 36” dead American elm. The goal of this class is to empower horticulturists to better understand the largest plants in the landscape. Learn in person from certified arborist Tom Ingersoll the basics of tree biology and identification, the tree’s role in the ecosystem, proper selection, siting, planting considerations, pruning of young trees, fertilization, pest identification and when to call in the certified arborist. The classes will be held Fridays, March 12 – 26, from 1 – 5 at Berkshire Botanical Garden in West Stockbridge.

    Tom Ingersoll is a Massachusetts Certified Arborist, and is also certified by the International Society of Arborists. He owns Ingersoll Landcare located in Sheffield, MA and has worked in the landscape industry for the past 23 years. His passion is tree care, and he serves both public and private clients in the tri-state region. Additionally, he serves on the boards of the Berkshire Botanical Garden and The Sheffield Tree Project.

    $185 for BBG members, $200 for nonmembers. Register at https://www.berkshirebotanical.org/events/tree-care-gardeners-0

  • Saturday, February 27, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm – Bark and Buds – Using a Tree Key

    Discover the many plants that lend bark, buds, fruit and structural interest to the garden in fall and winter, in this in-person Berkshire Botanical Garden class on February 27 from 10 – 2. Under the expert guidance of certified arborists Melissa LeVangie and Tom Ingersoll, students will develop the ability to identify winter trees by twig and bud anatomy, bark features and plant architecture while practicing their skills with winter tree dichotomous keys.  Masks required. There is a wait list for this program. To put your name on the list, visit https://www.berkshirebotanical.org/events/bark-and-buds-using-tree-key

    Melissa LeVangie, Certified Arborist (MCA, ISA, NH) CTSP is a passionate educator about trees, tree care and tree climbing who has been in the industry for 20 years. She holds numerous professional certifications, including an ISA Certified Arborist, an ISA Tree Climbing Specialist, a Tree Risk Assessment Qualification and TCIA Certified Tree Safety Professional credentials. She is a past president of MA Tree Wardens & Foresters Association and of the New England Chapter of ISA, a co-founder of the WTCW (Women’s Tree Climbing Workshop) and the educational director and a business development advocate for Shelter Tree/RBI, a premier arborist equipment supplier. Formerly, Melissa conducted climbing inspections for Asian Longhorned Beetle for the USDA and DCR in Worcester, MA.

    Tom Ingersoll is a Massachusetts Certified Arborist, and is also certified by the International Society of Arborists. He owns Ingersoll Landcare located in Sheffield, MA and has worked in the landscape industry for the past 23 years. His passion is tree care, and he serves both public and private clients in the tri-state region. Additionally, he serves on the boards of the Berkshire Botanical Garden and The Sheffield Tree Project. 

  • Monday, December 7 – Thursday, December 17 – Pruning Trees & Shrubs: From Malicious to Magnificent On Demand Webinar

    Rehabilitating poorly pruned plants back into pleasant landscape contributors is a science and an art. It takes both understanding clients and firm hands on the loppers and pruning saw. It also requires a little risk taking and an understanding of the principles of plant physiology and growth. Join Erik Draper, Assistant Professor, Ohio State University Extension, and the Massachusetts Arborists Association as they review limitations of corrective pruning practices, as well as basic principles of plant physiology that determine how plants grow. Learn how and where to begin correcting poorly pruned plants. $24 for MAA members, $44 for nonmembers. The online webinar will be available for viewing from December 7 – December 17, at your convenience. Register at https://massarbor.org/meetinginfo.php?id=61&ts=1601401949

  • Esplanade Association: Sponsor the Park Program

    The Esplanade Association’s Sponsor the Park program is a great way to celebrate an occasion, honor a loved one, or simply create a special place for yourself on the Esplanade. Your support will preserve and enhance the Esplanade and demonstrate a commitment to our community.

    Buy a Bulb.

    Each year across the Charles River Esplanade, thousands of flowers mark the arrival of spring. Give the gift of renewal and honor someone special by having bulbs planted at the park. With a donation of $1 per bulb (minimum of $25), the Esplanade Association will plant species such as daffodils, tulips, alliums, and lilliums on the Esplanade so that they will grace the park each spring when they bloom. For your donation, you or the person(s) you are honoring will receive a beautiful e-card from the Esplanade Association indicating the number of bulbs planted and the date of the gift, and you will receive an acknowledgment letter.

    Sponsor a Pollinator:

    Populations of native bees and other pollinators like butterflies, moths, and hummingbirds are declining around the world due to loss of habitat. Without pollinators, you’d have a third less food on your plate, and many fewer flowers blossoming along the Charles River.

    The Esplanade Association, along with friends like you, is here to help! Your donation will help the Esplanade Association create lush and diverse habitat for our imperiled pollinators while beautifying the park for you and your loved ones for years to come.

    For your donation of $50 or more, you or the person(s) you are honoring will receive a beautiful e-card from the Esplanade Association describing the native plantings and the date of the gift, and you will receive an acknowledgment letter.

    Sponsor a Tree:

    By sponsoring a tree, you help the Esplanade Association care for the Esplanade’s nearly 1,700 trees. There is a wide array of tree species on the Esplanade, including extraordinary specimens of weeping willow. Your sponsorship gift supports tree maintenance and plantings through our Lasting Esplanade Arbor Fund (L.E.A.F.) Initiative, which aims to keep the park’s trees healthy and strong for generations to come.

    When you sponsor a tree, you receive a certificate of sponsorship, a photograph of your tree, and a map showing the location of your tree. In addition, a unique metal-embossed tree plaque will be placed on your tree. Tree plaques will contain the Botanical and common name of the tree, a donor-personalized inscription, and year of donation. You can sponsor in someone else’s name, too, making this a unique gift that celebrates a friend, commemorates a momentous occasion, or honors the memory of a loved one.

    In addition to caring for its 1,700 existing trees, the Esplanade Association plans to plant over 200 new trees in coming years. Your sponsorship of an existing tree provides 10 years of care tailored to that tree’s species and its age. Your sponsorship of a new tree provides 10 years of care for saplings, helping to ensure their future as strong, healthy additions to the park’s tree canopy.

    Tree Sponsorships last for 10 years. Donors can double the terms of sponsorship by doubling the contribution. At the end of the sponsorship period, the donor has the opportunity to renew at the then current contribution level. It is the donor’s responsibility to keep the Esplanade Association updated as to their current contact information.

    A donation of $2,500 is requested to Sponsor an Existing Tree. A donation of $10,000 is requested to Sponsor a New Tree. 

    Please Note: Locations for plantings cannot be specified and no plaques will be placed in the park. Bulbs are planted each fall when temperatures drop for the season. 

    Sponsor a Bench:

    View an interactive map of all benches located on the Charles River Esplanade. Benches displayed are either sponsored or available to be sponsored. Benches displayed in light green are currently sponsored. Benches displayed in dark green are available for sponsorship.

    To contribute online and for more information, visit https://esplanade.org/donate/sponsor-the-park/

  • Monday, November 16, 8:00 am – Thursday, November 26, 12:00 noon – Growing Trees Near Pavement On Demand Webinar

    Monday, November 16, 8:00 am – Thursday, November 26, 12:00 noon – Growing Trees Near Pavement On Demand Webinar

    Trees in areas surrounded by pavement often have inhospitable rooting environments, which shorten their useful life expectancy. Join the Massachusetts Arborists Association as we compare tree growth using different soil treatment options near concrete pavement. You’ll learn methods to use in urban planting sites to ensure beneficial tree health and growth outcomes. The on demand webinar will be available to watch at your convenience from November 16 – noon on November 26, and will be taught by Tom Smiley, Ph.D., Senior Arboriculture Researcher at Bartlett Tree Research Laboratories. $24 for MAA members, $44 for nonmembers. Register at https://massarbor.org/meetinginfo.php?id=63&ts=1600355135

  • Saturday, April 4, 9:30 am – 12:30 pm – The Growth of Trees: A Journey Through Time – Postponed

    No single view of a tree is a fixed snapshot in time that tells the complete story. Join Michael Wojtech on April 4 from 9:30 – 12:30 at Tower Hill Botanic Garden, 11 French Drive, Boylston, for this combination indoor presentation and outdoor exploration and discover how trees grow, reproduce, and interact with their environment across days, weeks, seasons, and years and over varying scales-from the intricate details of buds, flowers, leaves, and bark that we use for species identification to the collaborative roles of trees in ecosystems. Learn more about the function and experience the beauty of characteristics such as peeling bark, overwintering buds, lobed or toothed leaves, flowers by the thousands, and seeds that fly on the wind.

    Michael Wojtech is the author of Bark: A Field Guide to Trees of the Northeast. As a naturalist and educator, Michael strives to share the science and wonder of trees in an accessible and compelling fashion. He writes, photographs, illustrates, and presents programs about the structure, growth processes, and ecology of trees-including their bark, buds, leaves, roots, and wood-for audiences at all levels of experience. He is especially interested in the process of discovery and engagement, and draws his greatest inspiration from sharing the sense of wonder, awe, and the recognition of beauty that result from these investigations.

    Tower Hill Botanic Garden members $42, nonmembers $56. Register at www.towerhillbg.org.