Boston Flora

Tag: Uli Lorimer

  • Saturday, March 28, 8:30 am – 2:30 pm – The Art of Biodiversity Gardening

    Sakonnet Garden invites you to The Art of Biodiversity Gardening: A Gardening Symposium, on Saturday, March 28, featuring speakers Hanna Packer, Uli Lorimer, and Fergus Garrett. The Symposium will take place at Wilber & McMahon Schools, 28 Commons Street in Little Compton, Rhode Island.

    This year’s symposium brings you three speakers who will open a conversation about the art of biodiversity gardening. Our goal in selecting these diverse and complimentary individuals is to foster thought about your own gardens and your own gardening aspirations. Perhaps you will learn that the nurturing of biodiversity is more complex than merely selecting natives over non natives, and that design and beauty in a garden can encourage biodiversity as a direct result or a by-product. In a world where we seem to have little control, Sakonnet Garden hopes that you take away something from this day which will encourage you to be more deliberate in how as gardeners you can make a difference in however small a way intention leads you in the garden.

    Tickets $75. Register at https://www.sakonnetgarden.net/events

  • Uli Lorimer to be Awarded the Garden Club of America’s Distinguished Service Medal

    The Garden Club of America (GCA) has announced the recipients of its 2026 national medals, the highest honor bestowed upon individuals and organizations by the GCA for distinguished achievements in areas related to its purpose. ⁠
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    Native Plant Trust’s Director of Horticulture Uli Lorimer is among the honorees, being awarded the Distinguished Service Medal for his dedication to the conservation of native plant species and the restoration of native plant communities. With a long-standing tradition of celebrating extraordinary efforts to protect and beautify the planet, The Garden Club of America will present the medals at its 113th annual meeting in April 2026 in New York City. Congratulations Uli!⁠
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    Photo: Uli Lorimer at Garden in the Woods @patrickrphotos

  • Saturday, May 3, 9:00 am – 1:00 pm Eastern – Join the Movement: 125th Anniversary Symposium, Online

    Build community with other new and experienced gardeners, and join the movement to increase the beauty and resiliency of New England and the planet, one native plant at a time.

    Do you want to learn more about why native plants matter, and gain practical tips for incorporating them into your life? Join the Movement is for first- and long-time gardeners, lovers of the natural world, environmental advocates, and curious learners who want to explore both why and how to work with native plants. Whatever the size of your space or your experience with gardening, our panelists will offer their expert perspectives on how to select plants, work with the space you have, and maintain your plantings across all four seasons.

    This Native Plant Trust symposium on May 3 will be held on Zoom. Speakers include Uli Lorimer, Edwina von Gal, Dan Jaffe Wilder, and Trevor Smith. $125. Register at www.nativeplanttrust.org

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  • Sunday, March 9, 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm Eastern – Creating a Woodland Fantasy in the Real World, Online

    The Untermyer Garden Conservancy hosts a virtual symposium on March 9 at 2 pm Eastern. Creating a Woodland Fantasy in the Real World: Making the Most of Our Woodland Shade Gardens. Panelists include Thom Almendinger, Director of Stewardship. Teatown Lake Reservation, Basil Camu, Co-founder of Leaf & Limb Tree Service, Uli Lorimer, Director of Horticulture with Native Plant Trust, and Timothy Tilghman, Head Gardener at Untermyer Gardens. Tickets are $25. Visit https://untermyergardens.org/

  • Thursday, November 7, 11:00 am – 12:00 noon, Eastern – Digging Deeper Into Ecological Horticulture, Online

    There is no better time to become a Conservation Circle, Sustainer, or Supporter Member of the Native Plant Trust. These lucky people are invited to a Zoom talk, Digging Deeper Into Ecological Horticulture by Uli Lorimer, Director of Horticulture of the Native Plant Trust, and The Boston Globe’s Ask the Gardener columnist. For gardeners seeking a more harmonious approach to their efforts, ecological horticulture is the answer. It is an evolving framework for building and maintaining beautiful, functional gardens—based on the assumptions that genetic diversity, local provenance, and adaptability are achieved using regional native species. Yet the research fails to fully support those assumptions, effective messaging is challenging, and gardens are often created based on what is available in the nursery trade. Uli will navigate these thought-provoking issues while reflecting on how this framework is applied at Garden in the Woods. If you wish to join, visit http://www.nativeplanttrust.org/. If you are already a supporter, rsvp 774-519-5553 or to specialevents@NativePlantTrust.org

  • Thursday, August 24, 8:15 am – 3:30 pm – Northeast Regional Perennial Plant Symposium

    The Northeast Regional Perennial Plant Symposium will take place at The Gardens at Elm Bank, 900 Washington Street in Wellesley, on August 24. The Symposium is co-sponsored by the Massachusetts Horticultural Society and the Perennial Plant Association. An all-star cast of speakers will be featured. Andrew Brand will talk about Spectacular Native Plants: Beauty and Biodiversity of the Northeast. Marie Chieppo’s topic is Let Your Landscape Work for You: Designing for Resilience and Sustainability. Uli Lorimer takes on Spoiled for Choice: Becoming an Informed Consumer of Native Plants. John Magee’s talk is, appropriately, Let’s Talk About This. Complete biographies of all speakers and registration information may be found at www.masshort.org.

  • Friday, March 31, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm Eastern – An Evening with Uli Lorimer and Rebecca McMackin, Live and Online

    Join Uli Lorimer, director of Horticulture at Native Plant Trust and author of The Northeast Native Plant Primer- 235 Plants for an Earth-Friendly Garden (Timber Press) and Rebecca McMackin, Loeb Fellow, Harvard Graduate School of Design, and former director of Horticulture, Brooklyn Bridge Park, for an evening of no-holds-barred discussion about native plants in horticulture from two of the leading experts in the field today. The event will be moderated by Barbara Moran, a correspondent on WBUR’s environmental team. For 25 years, she has worked as a science journalist covering public health, environmental justice, and the intersection of science and society. She has written for many publications, including the New York Times and the Boston Globe Magazine, and produced television documentaries for PBS and others. She was twice awarded the National Association of Science Writers’ highest honor, the Science in Society Award.

    This is a hybrid event: Live virtual and in person at Garden in the Woods, Framingham, MA. The talk is scheduled for March 31 from 6 – 8 Eastern.

    Attend in person: Tickets $30 (members)/$36 (non-members) 

    Click here to register to attend this event in person

    Attend live virtual: Tickets $15 (members)/$18 (non-members)

    Click here to register to attend this event virtually

    Please note: We at the Native Plant Trust do not make video or audio recordings of classes or programs available after the fact, because we believe education is interactive, with instructors and students building a community and culture of learning. Some programs may be recorded strictly for instructor-training purposes.

  • Thursdays, March 23 & March 30, 12:30 pm – 2:30 pm – Horticultural Techniques

    Good horticultural practices form the backbone of any successful garden, and understanding how to apply these practices is the first step toward becoming a horticulturist. We will discuss how to select the right plant for the right place and how to plant and care for native plants. You will learn proper techniques for transplanting, preparing soil, mulching, watering, and pruning as well as maintaining, winterizing, and preparing the garden for the next growing season. This two part class with Uli Lorimer will be held at Garden in the Woods in Framingham. $72 for NPT members, $88 for nonmembers. Register at http://www.nativeplanttrust.org/events/horticultural-techniques2/

    Courtesy A Way To Garden, Margaret Roach

  • Friday, June 3, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm – Native Species, Cultivars, and Selections: What’s the Difference? Online

    “What is a native plant? How do I decide what is best for my garden and for the environment?” This Native Plant Trust online session on June 3 from 1 – 3 with non other than Uli Lorimer will help you answer these frequently asked questions. You will learn about the nuances that distinguish cultivars from native plant selections and the implications for the garden and beyond. $30 for NPT members, $36 for nonmembers. Register at http://www.nativeplanttrust.org/events/native-species-cultivars-and-selectionsom/

  • Tuesday, May 10 – Publication Date: The Northeast Native Plant Primer – 235 Plants for an Earth-Friendly Garden

    Native Plant Trust, the nation’s first plant conservation organization and the only one solely focused on New England’s native plants, announces a new book by Uli Lorimer and Native Plant Trust: The Northeast Native Plant Primer- 235 Plants for an Earth-Friendly Garden.

    Taking steps toward sustainability has never been more important. By choosing plants native to where they live, gardeners in the Northeast bring beauty and benefits to both themselves and the earth—from reducing maintenance tasks to attracting earth-friendly pollinators such as native birds, butterflies, and bees and supporting wildlife. The Northeast Native Plant Primer makes adding native plants to the home landscape easier than ever before. This sourcebook includes 235 extraordinary native ferns, grasses, wildflowers, perennials, vines, shrubs, and trees, along with proven advice every home gardener can follow. Pre order books at https://nativeplanttrust.org

    Author Uli Lorimer is Director of Horticulture at Native Plant Trust and formerly Curator of Native Flora at The Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Lorimer is a leader in the gardening world and a tireless advocate for native plants. His current work with Native Plant Trust focuses on bringing rare and unusual indigenous species to the garden. Through education, he wants to empower gardeners in New England, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and eastern Ohio—which have many of the same plant species—to pick up a trowel and feature more native plants in their yards.