Boston Flora

Tag: University of Rhode Island

  • Saturday, October 16, 10:00 am – 12:00 noon, and Thursday, October 21, 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm – Learn to Create Dried Flower Arrangements

    Saturday, October 16, 10:00 am – 12:00 noon, and Thursday, October 21, 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm – Learn to Create Dried Flower Arrangements

    Dried flowers are dubbed the “Low-Maintenance Plant Trend” by Apartment Therapy and declared “Dried Flowers In Your Interior, The Interior Trend Of 2021.” by Residence Style. This Massachusetts Horticultural Society class is here to teach you all the how-to’s of drying flowers and plant materials to make arrangements for your home. We will explore hanging techniques, silica drying, along with other methods of creating beautiful, dried plant material for you to work with. After reviewing the basics of flower arranging, each participant will make their own table-top arrangement to bring home. A handout reviewing drying techniques and flower arranging guidelines will also be available to attendees.

    Workshop will be led by Melissa Pace at the Gardens of Elm Bank on either October 16 from 10 – 12 or October 21 from 7 – 9. 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 Garden Educator for the Massachusetts Horticultural Society. $55 for Mass Hort members, $73 for general public. Register for either session at www.masshort.org.

  • Thursday, June 7, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm – Bio-control of Lily Leaf Beetles

    The Lily Leaf Beetle is largely under control in our area thanks to the efforts of researchers at URI, including Massachusetts Horticultural Society presenter, Dr. Richard Casagrande. On Thursday, June 7 from 7 – 8:30 at The Gardens at Elm Bank’s Parkman Room, Dr. Casagrande will discuss the lily leaf beetle project and its connection to early research at The Gardens at Elm Bank and abroad. He will also review biological control programs underway in this region to find biological controls of invasive insects and plants that are important in Southern New England.

    Richard Casagrande, Emeritus Professor of Entomology, joined the University of Rhode Island faculty in 1976. He taught courses in biological control, integrated pest management, insects and society and gave innumerable lectures to Master Gardeners and landscape practitioners throughout the region. In retirement, he continues to work with colleagues at URI and throughout the world on biological control of invasive insects and plants that are important in Southern New England. Past and current projects include the lily leaf beetle, hemlock woolly adelgid, birch leafminer, Cypress spurge, purple loosestrife, black swallow-wort and common reed.

    $12 Mass Hort members; $20 general admission. Register at http://www.masshort.org/eventdetail/663/bio-control-of-lily-leaf-beetles?filter_reset=1

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  • Saturday, March 3, 8:30 am – 4:00 pm – Creating a Resilient Garden

    The URI Master Gardener Program is pleased to bring you Creating a Resilient Garden, an engaging one-day gardening symposium designed for those who want to learn more about creating beautiful and environmentally-sound gardens. The sessions will help you DESIGN resilient gardens, DISCOVER herb gardening, and DECODE the truth about garden remedies. Educating and entertaining their audiences, these three keynote speakers are accomplished specialists in their fields and possess a wealth of knowledge and expertise.

    Please join us on Saturday, March 3 at the Center for Biotechnology and Life Sciences on URI’s Kingston Campus. The facility is accessible to all, and the symposium is open to gardeners of all skill levels — novice to expert! Topics and Speakers include:

    Beauty, Integrity, Resilience: Can a Garden Have Everything? by C. Colston Burrell (pictured below)

    Do our gardening practices have a negative impact on the environment? Can we make a difference by changing the way we approach design, plant choice, planting techniques and maintenance regimes? How do we meet our aesthetic goals while providing the structure and resources necessary to maintain the insects and birds we love? Can we create healthy habitat with a mixture of native and exotic plants? We’ll explore these topics in relation to sustainability, aesthetics and ecosystem function.

    Bloom Where You Are Planted: A Medley of Herbal Ideas by Linda A.Fleming

    Learn everything you have ever wanted to know about growing and using herbs. Seed starting, seed saving, growing, propagation, and harvesting, as well as Linda’s favorite herb garden design, will be presented. Linda will share wonderful herbal ideas and recipes for entertaining. There will be a “hands on” lesson for herbal vinegars. Topics such as her love affair with scented geraniums as pass-along plants, herb topiary instructions and handmade seed packets will be included.

    The Truth About Garden Remedies by Jeff Gillman

    From beer used as fertilizer to baking soda for powdery mildew, there is no shortage of amazing cabinet cures for whatever ails your garden, but which of these cures actually work and which don’t? In this talk we will take a look at many of the most common cabinet cures from all over and discuss which ones work, which ones don’t and why.

    Tickets are $75 and registration deadline is February 20. Register at https://web.uri.edu/mastergardener/symposium/

  • Saturday and Sunday, June 24 & 25, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm – Gardening with the Masters Tour

    You are invited to attend the University of Rhode Island Master Gardener Program’s (URIMGP) eighth biennial Gardening with the Masters Tour, to be held Saturday and Sunday, June 24 and 25 from 10 – 4. Once you register ($20 per person, before June 15, please, at http://web.uri.edu/mastergardener/tour/, you will receive a tour guide booklet which serves as your two-day admission ticket to 26 beautiful gardens, 17 of which have not been seen on any previous URIMGP garden tour.

    Each garden is unique. Some gardens are designed to attract pollinators and beneficial insects, while others are kitchen gardens with the perfect soil recipe to produce a bounty of vegetables. Every garden has evolved over the years, reflecting the changing interests and lifelong learning of its gardener. After visiting these gardens, we hope you’ll be inspired to go home and try something new. So ask questions, bring your camera, take notes, but most importantly enjoy the beauty created in these gardens!

    The inspiring gardens on the tour are created and maintained by certified URI Master Gardener volunteers. The host gardener has successfully completed a 14-week training program offered by URI Cooperative Extension as well as a volunteer internship. These certified URI Master Gardeners volunteer on educational projects and continually upgrade their horticultural knowledge by attending research- based classes each year. They have opened their gardens to you as a teaching tool, because our mission is to help local residents choose environmentally-sound gardening practices! The proceeds from this event will benefit the URI Master Gardener Program’s public education activities throughout the state.

  • Tuesday, June 20, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm – Eco Tour: Heritage Museums & Gardens

    Heritage Museums & Gardens is a premiere public garden featuring a 100-acre property located in historic Sandwich Village, Massachusetts. Heritage boasts beautifully landscaped gardens, an extensive network of nature trails, and special exhibits in the museum galleries.

    The entrance to this historic property has recently been redesigned to create a green parking area, offering a more beautiful entrance for visitors and much-needed stormwater infrastructure.

    There is a growing interest in green parking lots that reduce environmental impact, improve safety, while being designed with appealing aesthetics in the process. The Heritage Museum & Gardens project is an excellent example of this multi-functional approach.

    To the Heritage visitor, it looks like a more colorful entrance with better pick-up and drop-off access. But beyond the lovely view, there is a highly functioning stormwater management system where rainwater is directed to the landscaped bioretention system. The series of bioretention basins collect and treat the runoff but are viewed simply as lovely gardens to visitors. The parking lot project boasts over 8,000 perennials, 350 flowering shrubs, and 50 specimen trees. The project also incorporated permeable hardscape features including decorative pavers, native boulder walls, and a wave-model sidewalk grate.

    From the beginning, the project has maintained a strong focus on landscape design, enhancing the visitor’s experience with a beautiful first impression of the gardens. Final touches will complete the project this spring, in time to celebrate the 2017 garden season.

    Join Ecological Landscape Alliance and Horsley-Witten, project lead, on Tuesday, June 20 at 1 pm to learn more about the entrance gardens and parking lot project and be treated to a guided walking tour through the Heritage Gardens to experience the beauty and learn about the many sustainable initiatives underway at the gardens.

    Brian Laverriere is a landscape designer at the Horsley Witten Group. He is a recent graduate of the University of Rhode Island where he earned his bachelor’s degree in landscape architecture with a minor in community planning; during Brian’s last year at URI, he was nominated as the 2015 University Select Olmsted Scholar. Brian offered technical and creative support generating construction level site and landscape plans for the most recent parking gardens development project at Heritage. Brian has experience with LID stormwater management, site planning and design. His professional interests include climate adaptation, green infrastructure and community resiliency.

    Leslie Lutz is the Director of Horticulture and Facilities Management for Heritage Museums and Gardens, Sandwich, MA. Les manages all aspects of the 100 acre Garden including design, care, and maintenance of display gardens, trails and natural woodlands. He also responsible for operational maintenance, security, and capital projects. Les has extensive experience in botanical gardens having spent much of his career at Longwood Gardens as the Curator of Bonsai; New York Botanical Garden as the Conservatory Manager; Salisbury University as the Director of Horticulture; and Omaha Botanical Garden as the Chief Operating Officer.
    $23 for ELA members, $33 for nonmembers – See more at: http://www.ecolandscaping.org/event/eco-tour-heritage-museums-garden/#sthash.fQdynYDY.dpuf

  • Monday, June 5 – Friday, June 9 – The Metcalf Institute 2017 Public Lecture Series

    The Metcalf Institute for Marine & Environmental Reporting will hold its 2017 Annual Public Lecture Series at the Corless Auditorium, University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography, 218 South Ferry Road in Narragansett, June 5 – 9.  All lectures are free and open to the public.  The Institute is celebrating 20 years of excellence in bringing science to the conversation.  The stellar lineup includes:

    Monday, June 5, 3:30 p.m.
    Johanna Polsenberg, The Ocean Health Index
    Assessing the Health of Our Oceans
    How can we protect the health of our oceans? Large-scale ocean datasets provide critical information for sustaining marine resources. Dr. Polsenberg of Conservation International will discuss the global Ocean Health Index and how it uses data to drive science-based policy and identify the research relevant for marine and coastal conservation.

    Tuesday, June 6, 3:30 p.m.
    Dan Kahan, Yale University
    Science Communication in the Age of Fake News and Public Distrust of the Press
    How do we effectively weigh the credibility of scientific information? Some would argue that greater public science literacy is the key, but this is not necessarily borne out by research. Dr. Kahan will describe how cultural barriers affect views of scientific evidence, and how we can use this knowledge to improve science communication.

    Wednesday, June 7, 3:30 p.m.
    Shreeram Inamdar, University of Delaware
    Extreme Weather at the Watershed Scale: How to Protect Water Quality
    Climate forecasts show that many regions will experience increased frequency or intensity of large storms, which could have serious consequences for water quality and aquatic ecosystems. Dr. Inamdar will discuss how these storms affect watershed health, management and policy, and how new research can identify ways to adapt.

    Thursday, June 8, 3:30 p.m.
    Cynthia Giles, Former U.S. EPA Assistant Administrator
    Environmental Enforcement: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
    Delivering on the promise of environmental laws requires tough enforcement and innovative thinking about protecting the environment, including using cutting-edge monitoring and information technologies. Giles will talk about the past and future of these essential protections for communities across the country.

    Friday, June 9, 11 a.m.
    David Baron, Author and former Health and Science Editor for PRI’s The World.
    The Great Eclipse of 1878 and the Dawn of American Science
    On August 21, 2017, a total solar eclipse will cross the U.S. for the first time in 99 years, offering a rare national opportunity to rally around a scientific event. Baron’s new story of the 1878 eclipse describes the event’s role in spurring America’s rise as a global scientific power. Author book signing to follow for American Eclipse: A Nation’s Epic Race to Catch the Shadow of the Moon and Win the Glory of the World.

    For more information visit http://metcalfinstitute.org/lectures/als-2017/

  • Saturday, June 11, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm – The 23rd Annual Northampton Garden Tour

    Come visit eight delightful gardens on display Saturday, June 11 from 10 – 3, rain or shine, for the 2016 Northampton Garden Tour, a fundraiser for the Friends of Forbes Library, Inc. The Garden Tour is intended to inspire and educate everyday gardeners with plantings in a variety of appealing and unique landscaping styles and creative use of hardscape. At each garden, there are descriptions of the plantings and garden guides are on hand to answer questions. Tickets come with directions to this self-guided tour of gardens within easy driving distance of the library. The terrain of this year’s tour broadly circles Northampton, making gardens accessible by car and a pleasant bicycle ride for the recreational peddler comfortable with 20+ miles.

    Tickets for the Tour are $15 in advance at Forbes Library, Bay State Perennial Farm, Cooper’s Corner, Hadley Garden Center, North Country Landscapes and State Street Fruit Store. And $20 on the day of the tour at the library only.

    The Friends of Forbes Library, Inc. Northampton Garden Tour also includes a raffle – Win organic compost, gift certificates, garden supplies, a landscape consultation and more. Raffle tickets are 2/$5 or 5/$10 and are available at Forbes Library through the day before the tour as well as at one of the gardens on the day of the tour.

    All proceeds benefit the Friends of Forbes Library, Inc. to support programs, events, and projects for the library that could not otherwise be funded. For details: www.forbeslibrary.org. For more information, contact: Lyn Heady 413-584-7041.

  • Tuesday, April 12, 1:00 pm – Twenty Five Fabulous Roses

    Tuesday, April 12, 1:00 pm – Twenty Five Fabulous Roses

    Mike and Angie Chute have been growing roses for over twenty years in their East Providence, Rhode Island garden.  For many years they have presented programs at such venues as the Rhode Island Spring Flower and Garden Show, the Boston Flower & Garden Show, Newport Flower Show, University of Rhode Island, garden clubs, and NBC10’s Plant Pro.  As a way to reach more home gardeners and landscape professionals, they started RoseSolutions as a landscape consulting company that offers educational programs, workshops, seminars, and consulting services on rose horticulture.  To further their goal of reaching every gardener who wants to know more about growing roses in New England, they established their website http://www.rosesolutions.net.  They are the authors of Roses for New England: A Guide to Sustainable Rose Gardening, and Rose Gardening Season by Season: A Journal for Passionate Gardeners, both of which will be available for purchase at The Garden Club of the Back Bay’s April meeting, to be held this Tuesday, April 12, at 1 pm.  The afternoon meeting will be followed by an optional tea ($15).  If you are interested in attending, email info@bostonflora.com.  We apologize for the late website notification.  Members received a written notice, and this post was one of the many which disappeared into the ether during our February server problem.

  • Thursday, January 16, 8:30 am – 4:30 pm (Snow Date January 17) – Managing Large-Scale Landscapes Sustainably

    Join the Ecological Landscaping Association (ELA ) and Wellesley College on Thursday, January 16, from 8:30 – 4:30 at the Wellesley College Science Center for a symposium on the development and maintenance of large-scale landscapes that utilize fewer inputs, are designed and maintained with the environment in mind, and become more sustainable over time. Experts who work daily in successful, sustainable large-scale landscapes will lead four panel discussions. If you are interested in sustainable landscapes for colleges, parks departments, public agencies, cemeteries, golf courses, forests, land trusts, public gardens, or other large landscapes, this event is for you.

    Maintaining Large-Scale Landscapes
    Landscapes Over Time, Soil Compaction, Invasive Plants, Recycling Organic Matter, and Sourcing Quality Compost

    Panelists: Dennis Collins, Mount Auburn Cemetery, John Forti, Strawbery Banke Museum, and Stuart Shillaber, Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy.  Please note that both Dennis Collins and John Forti are past Garden Club of the Back Bay presenters.

    Large Lawns: Ecological Approaches
    Mowing Frequency, Inputs, Pests, Disease, and Alternative Energy Mowers

    Panelists: Richard Luff, Sagamore Golf, Fred Newcombe, PJC Ecological, and Anthony Ruggiero, Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy

    Runoff as Resource: Large Scale Stormwater Solutions
    Erosion to Irrigation, Collection Options, Dealing with Large Rain Events, Water Quality, Minimizing Demands of Potable Water

    Panelists: Tom Benjamin, LA/Sustainable Designer, Brad Buscher, Groundwork Lawrence, Eden Dutcher, GroundView, and Kate Venturini, University of Rhode Island

    Managing Semi-Wild Landscapes

    Designating “Semi-Wild” areas, Identifying Invasive Plant Threats, Setting Management Priorities, Tackling What is Feasible (and Leaving the Rest)

    Panelists: Tobias Wolf, Wolf Lighthall, Heidi Kost-Gross, G/S Associates, and Sandy Vorce, Mass Audubon

    Registrations are limited – Use This Link to Register Online Now

    For more information: ela.info@comcast.net

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  • Mark Richardson Becomes the New England Wild Flower Society’s Director of Horticulture

    The New England Wild Flower Society welcomes Mark Richardson as its new Director of Horticulture. Mark has an intriguing combination of strategic vision, skills, and experience that impressed everyone who interviewed him. A native of Rhode Island, Mark worked for four years as the assistant manager of a 45-acre nursery while earning his degree in Urban Horticulture at the University of Rhode Island. He then received his Master of Science in Public Horticulture from the Longwood Graduate Program as part of the University of Delaware. New degree in hand, he was asked by Longwood Gardens to run the undergraduate programs, and he spent his five years on staff in roles that encompassed strategic program development, design and development of a new garden area, and even leading the entire Education Department (with its $2.6 million budget) for seven months during the search for a new director. He left Longwood for Brookside Gardens, a botanic garden that is part of the Parks Department of Montgomery County, Maryland, where he served as the manager of adult education programs and frequent horticulture instructor/lecturer/author (and he developed a strategic plan for technology in the garden!). While he has enjoyed his work in education, his passion is plants, and he is excited to be shifting back to horticulture and his roots in New England.