Boston Flora

Tag: Umass

  • Friday, January 11, 8:30 am – 4:30 pm – Organic Lawn and Turf Day

    The NOFA/Mass Organic Land Care Program is pleased to present this one-day intensive workshop on organic turf management on Friday, January 11, from 8:30 – 4:30 at Tower Hill Botanic Garden, 11 French Drive in Boylston, Massachusetts.

    The 2013 Organic Lawn and Turf Day begins with an overview of the cultural practices for establishing a successful organic turf system, and then moves into a more in-depth look at technical specifics of fertilization and product inputs. We will close out the day with a discussion of the direction of the organic lawn care market, and a Q&A with a panel of Accredited Organic Land Care Professionals currently offering lawn care services.

    Speakers include:

    Chip Osborne is an AOLCP, the President of Osborne Organics and Chairman of the Marblehead, MA Recreation and Parks Department. Chip is one of the country’s leading experts on organic turf grass management. His current projects include consulting with the National Parks Service to pilot organic turf systems in 9 different parks. He serves on the Advisory Committee for the NOFA Organic Land Care Program and on as a board member for the non-profit organization, Beyond Pesticides.

    Mary Owen is the Turf Program Coordinator for the UMASS Lawn and Turf Extension as well as a Turf Extension Specialist. She is a regular lecturer for the Green School, a founding member of the New England Sports Turf Managers Association, and an educational leader in both the Massachusetts Association of Lawn Care Professionals and the New England Regional Turfgrass Foundation.

    Fred Newcombe is an AOLCP and the President of PJC Ecological, an organic landscaping company- turned natural fertilizer supplier, where he oversees product research and development as well as providing consulting services and lectures on the topic of ecological land care. He is also a former Vice President of the NOFA/Mass Board of Directors.

    Who Should Attend?  Municipal, Campus, and Grounds staff – Parks & Recreation personnel – Public Works staff – Elected officials – Landscaping company owners and employees.  You may register online at http://www.nofamass.org/programs/organic-land-care-program#.UNR4obakAz5 or call Caro Roszell at 508-360-0874.

  • UMass Extension’s 2013 Garden Calendar

    University of Massachusetts Extension’s popular Garden Calendar for 2013 is now available.  The 2013 calendar continues UMass Extension’s tradition of providing gardeners with useful information including tips for creating colorful container gardens, and helpful “recipes” of plant combination ideas for sun and shade.

    As in previous calendars, daily gardening tips for Northeast growing conditions provide information on garden pests and management strategies to help gardeners reduce pesticide usage as well as “how-to and when” tips such as dates to plant specific crops, renovate lawns, prune and fertilize roses, conserve water in the landscape, and many more. Also included are daily sunrise and sunset times as well as the phases of the moon. There is plenty of room for notes, and low-gloss paper was used for easy writing.

    For a preview of garden images used in the calendar and complete details, including cost and how to order, go to www.umassgardencalendar.org.

  • Thursday, August 23, 9:00 am – 3:00 pm – Grassy Weed Identification Workshop

    Correct weed identification is an important first step in the development of an effective weed management program. Using a classroom presentation, potted weed herbarium and weed walk, UMass Extension Specialist Randy Prostak will help participants enhance their grassy weed identification skills. Feel free to bring a weed or two to identify. Workshop, scheduled for Thursday, August 23 from 9 – 3, will be held rain or shine. To register, go to http://www.umassgreeninfo.org. The place? French Hall, UMass Amherst. For directions, contact Ellen Weeks at 413-545-0895, or email eweeks@umext.umass.edu.

  • Tuesday, August 14, 9:00 am – 3:30 pm – The Invasive Plant Issue and Invasive Plant Identification

    The Invasive Plant Issue: why should you be concerned? Enhance your ability to readily identify invasive plants as well as their look-alikes, at this seminar to be held Tuesday, August 14, from 9 – 3:30 at the Doubletree Hotel in Milford. Discussion of the strategies and recommendations of the Massachusetts Invasive Plant Advisory Group, and the recently released Early Detection/Rapid Response Priority List document. Part 3 of the Invasive Plant Certification Program. To register, go to http://www.umassgreeninfo.org . $75. For more information, call Ellen Weeks at 413-545-0895 or email her at eweeks@umext.umass.edu.

  • Sunday, March 11, 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm – Organic Berry Growing in the Home Garden

    Want to learn how to grow the fruits your family loves? Strawberries, blueberries and raspberries are delicious and nutritious, and beloved by kids of all ages. This Tower Hill Botanic Garden course on Sunday, March 11 from 1 – 4 will cover: variety selection, planting site recommendations, soil and nutrient needs planting, spacing, mulching, pest control strategies, structural considerations (containers, netting, frames, etc.) and pruning/thinning.

    Patti Powers has been growing small fruits organically since 1978, first at her farm in Western Massachusetts, and for 26 years at Cheshire Garden in Winchester, NH. She studied Plant and Soil Science and Botany at UMass, and worked for 10 years as a researcher in the UMass Entomology Department studying insect behavior. THBG member price is $30, nonmembers $35. Register online at www.towerhillbg.org.

  • Friday, August 12 – Sunday, August 14 – NOFA 2011 Summer Conference

    Join the Northeast Organic Farming Association on Friday, August 12 through Sunday August 14 on the campus of UMass/Amherst, and attend over 200 workshops on organic gardening, farming, food politics, permaculture, homesteading, landscaping, draft-animal power, alternative energy, livestock, cooking, and more! Hundreds of vendors and exhibitors will be on hand, along with live entertainment, childrens and teen conferences, country fair and farmers market, plus silent auction. This year NOFA is proud to feature the Northeast Animal-Power Field Days. Spend the weekend or come for the day. Activities for all ages.

    Sponsored by: Whole Foods, Stonyfield Farm, Farm Family, Jeff Clements Law Office, Greenleaf Foundation, Vermont Compost, Franklin Community Cooperative, Boston Organics, Groton Wellness, Neighboring Food Coop Association, Bejo Seeds, Chelsea Green Publishing, Northeast Animal-Power Field Days, River Valley Market, RMA, UMass Amherst, North County Organics, and Harris Seeds. Keynote speakers will be Eric Toensmeier, a perennial edibles expert (pictured below, courtesy of www.gazettenet.com,) and Dr. Ignacio Chapela of University of California/Berkeley, a GMO activist. Register now at www.nofasummerconference.org, email info@nofasummerconference.org, or call 413-230-7835.

  • Friday, March 12, 12:00 noon – 3:00 pm – Managing Fruit Trees in the Edible Landscape

    Join tour guide Nick Novick on Friday, March 12, from noon – 3, to visit a small orchard and learn the ecological care of fruit trees using a holistic approach. Until fairly recently, producing a reliable fruit crop required the use of a number of synthetic chemicals with troubling health and environmental profiles. By changing the way we think about “pest control” and utilizing innovative approaches along with improved materials, good results are now possible without the use of environmentally damaging chemicals.

    You’ll visit a home orchard at 393 Estabrook Road in Concord where you’ll discuss care throughout the year, including pruning, spray materials and timing, and discuss other, practical considerations. The focus will be on apples, but some other fruits will be discussed.

    Nick Novick owns and operates Small Planet Landscaping, which, since 1997, has provided environmentally sensitive landscaping services including lawn fertility and weed management, low-impact orchard care, and installations emphasizing native plant communities. He has a B.S. in Environmental Conservation, attended UMass Extension’s Green School, and has served on the Board and edited the newsletter for the Ecological Landscaping Association. His company currently cares for almost 80 trees on six different properties.

    Fee is $20 for ELA members, $25 for non-members, and walk-ins are welcome. For more information email ela.info@comcast.net, or call 617-436-5838.

    Directions: From the center of Concord, take Lowell Road (heading northwest toward Carlisle) for just over a mile. At the four-way stop/intersection, take right onto Barnes Hill Road. Go 1/2 mile, and take left onto Estabrook Road. Number 393 is the last property on the left. Following the parking signs, proceed through the two, stone pillars, go a few hundred feet, and take a left just past the small, brick house. Someone will point out where to park. Call Nick directly if you have difficulty finding the site: 508-308-4960.

    http://www.treehugger.com/the-apple-orchard-photo.jpg

  • Wednesday, September 2, 4:30 – 7 pm – Redesigning a Garden Center & Farm Stand for Future Growth

    Volante Farms, a farmstand and garden center located at 226 Brookside Road, Needham,  recently redesigned and constructed their garden center featuring a new, state-of-the-art 16,000 square foot gutter-connected greenhouse with rainwater collection, ebb and flood benches, heated floor, shade curtains and more. Join them for pizza and an evening learning about their renovation.
    Cosponsored by University of Massachusetts Extension Greenhouse Crops and Floriculture Program and Massachusetts Flower Growers Association.
    For more information, contact: Tina Smith 413-545-5306 – tsmith@umext.umass.edu, Paul Lopes 508-295-2212 ext. 24 – lopes@umext.umass.edu or Bob Luczai 781-275-4811 – bluczai@ballseed.com .