Boston Flora

Tag: Water Gardens

  • Wednesday, June 2, 12:00 noon – Rain Garden Virtual Primer: A Good Option for Your Landscape?

    Are you wondering what a rain garden is and whether a rain garden can help your landscape? Join The Ecological Landscape Alliance on June 2 online at noon for a primer on these beautiful and functional gardens that create a more sustainable landscape.

    A rain garden is a garden of native shrubs and perennials planted in a small depression, which is generally located where storm water runoff occurs. It is designed to temporarily hold and soak in rain water that runs off roofs, driveways, patios, or lawns.

    Rain gardens are effective in binding many nutrients and chemicals and trapping many sediments so they do not enter aquifers and water bodies.
    Compared to a conventional lawn, rain gardens allow more water to soak into the ground. The bonus is that the native plants in the rain garden also support pollinators.

    A rain garden is not a water garden. Nor is it a pond or a wetland.  A properly designed rain garden is dry most of the time. It typically holds water only during and following a rainfall event. Because rain gardens will drain within 12-48 hours, they prevent the breeding of mosquitoes.

    Rain gardens, as part of successful rain water management, rely on plant material for soil stabilization, contaminant filtering, nutrient absorption, and to slow rainwater for infiltration. Well designed rain gardens, with the appropriate plant material, can greatly improve the results of rain handling. Selecting appropriate plants for rain gardens is a critical first step to their success. Beyond plant selection, proper site preparation and periodic maintenance are critical components of long-term success of a rain garden. In this webinar, Amanda Sloan describes what rain gardens are, explains the elements that go into a successful rain garden project, and will help you decide if a rain garden is a good option for your landscape.

    Amanda Sloan is a landscape architect with 28 years of experience on a wide variety of projects in landscape design and architecture including native plant gardens, dog parks, accessible trails, school and playground gardens, rain gardens, and environmental design throughout New England. Her experience includes project design and management from conceptual design through bid documents; peer review; presentation illustrations; and writing. Bringing her strong interest in the connections between people and nature to her work, Amanda is well versed in the use of native plants and ecological approaches to design. Before recently forming Raingarden Design Studio and becoming an independent consultant, Amanda worked long-term as a landscape architect for BETA Group, Inc. Previously Amanda was a landscape designer with Julie Moir Messervy Design Studio, and a landscape architect with GLA Landscape Architecture. She was president of the Sharon Garden Club and served for 5 years as an elected member of the Sharon Planning Board. She currently serves on the boards of the Ecological Landscape Alliance, and Rolf Sylvan Gardens in Chatham, MA.

    The webinar is free, but registration is required at www.ecolandscaping.org

  • Tuesday, April 5, 10:00 am – Rain Gardens: Beautiful Water-Saving, Wildlife-Friendly Gardens

    The April meeting of The Garden Club of the Back Bay will be held Tuesday, April 5, beginning at 10 am at The College Club, 44 Commonwealth Avenue in Boston, and will feature Dori Smith of Gardens for Life speaking on Water Gardens: Beautiful Water-Saving, Wildlife-Friendly Gardens. Would you like to help protect our precious water resources, while at the same time creating lush, beautiful gardens that attract birds and butterflies?  Rain gardens take advantage of our natural abundance of rainfall rather than wasting it as runoff – using water flowing from your roof, driveway, or lawn.  These gardens are easy care, and can often solve problems such as erosion, icy walkways, or wet basements.  Using inspirational PowerPoint slides, we will review design options, construction details, and appropriate native plants.  Attendees are welcome to bring photos or descriptions of their own landscapes to use as case studies.

    Trained in design and horticulture, with a certificate from Tower Hill Botanic Garden “New England School of Gardening” and an advanced certificate in native plants from New England Wildflower Society, Dori is a member of the NEWFS Educational Committee, and is accredited as an Organic Land Care Professional by Northeast Organic Farming Association.  She has installed over 15 rain gardens in Boston’s western suburbs, and has published in the Massachusetts Audubon Society’s Sanctuary Magazine.

    An optional lunch will follow the presentation.  The lecture is free and open to the public, but reservations are essential.  Lunch will cost an additional $20 for Garden Club  members, $25 for guests, and reservations may be made by emailing info@bostonflora.com before Tuesday, March 29.  Garden Club members will receive written notice of this meeting.

    http://www.goodnaturepublishing.com/images/Raingarden.jpg

  • Saturday, October 16, 2:30 pm – 4:00 pm – Pond Plant Workshop

    Join Anthony Archer-Wills, water gardening expert, for a workshop at the Berkshire Botanical Garden in Stockbridge on planting formal, and natural ponds and streams. The selection and suitability of plant material for each setting will be discussed. Examples of water gardens during the process and finish will be illustrated. Visit the newly planted pond at the botanical garden and make first hand observations of the plants while discussing their habits and merits. The seminar, to take place Saturday, October 16, from 2;30 – 4, is designed to be a forum for discussion in which all can participate.

    Anthony Archer-Wills has a passion for water gardening and has made it his profession for 40 years. Born in Great Britain, his formal training and early work led him to develop innovative landscaping techniques now used worldwide. His water gardens are found around the world and are featured at Quaker Hill Native Plant Garden in Pawling, NY. $20 for BBG members, $25 for non-members. To register, log on to www.berkshirebotanical.org, or call 413-298-3926.

  • Friday, August 27, 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm – The Art of Water in the Garden

    Spend the evening with Anthony Archer Wills on Friday, August 27, beginning at 7 pm, for an illustrated lecture entitled “The Art of Water in the Garden,” sponsored by Garden Design School.  The event will take place at Elm Bank, home of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society in Wellesley, and will be a terrific “prequel” to The Garden Club of the Back Bay’s “Water” themed lecture series for 2010/2011.   Mr. Wills is a world-renowned water garden designer, true artisan, and pioneer.  Anthony Archer-Wills works earth and water to create environments that indulge the imagination, and delight the senses.

    Inspired as a schoolchild watching water well up from the ground in the woods, and influenced by Roberto Burle Marx of Brazil, who used architectural materials, curving water shapes and mass plantings on a large scale to “paint the landscape,” Anthony began designing water gardens in the 1960s.

    A true pioneer and artisan, he developed new water gardening techniques while completing his first large-scale projects for Safari Parks in England, and Bear Park in Scotland. By the mid-1970s, his techniques were adopted worldwide as the industry standard for building water gardens.

    Anthony has gone on to create more than 2,000 water features in Great Britain, France, Italy, Luxembourg, Switzerland, South America, Argentina and Turkey, as well as the United States.

    He is the author of The Water Gardener, Water Power and Designing Water Gardens, which have been published in five languages. Pre-registration is required.  Admission is $75.  For more information, or to register, call 513-867-0437, email info@gardendesignschool.com, or log on to www.gardendesignschool.com.

    http://img.infibeam.com/img/8e2b589c/942/1/9781577171942.jpg

  • Saturday, May 1, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm – Medieval Gardens Workshop

    This one-day workshop on Saturday, May 1, from 10 – 4, traces the history and evolution of medieval gardens in western Europe, from the Dark Ages to the Renaissance. Topics of discussion include the varieties and influence of monastic gardens, the impact of the water gardens of Islamic Spain, and the exquisite ornamental gardens of the fifteenth century, designed solely for pleasure and sensual delight. Selected slide images of paintings and manuscript illuminations illustrate details of medieval gardeners at work, the tools they used and the surprising views of their garden designs.

    The image below is the re-created medieval garden Commanderie des Templiers de Coulommiers.  The buildings were part of a monastery belonging to the Knights Templar.  The garden design, inspired by paintings of medieval gardens, was designed by Joel Chatain, a landscape architecture graduate from Versailles, and the work was carried out by young volunteers.  Extensive use is made of wattle fencing.

    The course is taught by Priscilla Baumann, Ph.D. in Medieval Studies from Boston University, and is part of the Lesley University/Art Institute of Boston’s  Spring Seminar Series in the Arts.  The cost of this workshop is $100, and it will take place at University Hall, Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Room 4-040.  To register, or for more information, log on to www.lesley.edu/aib/EXTRA/courses.html, or email darcadip@aiboston.edu.

    http://www.gardenvisit.com/assets/madge/coulommiers_medieval_garden_2061_jpg/600x/coulommiers_medieval_garden_2061_jpg_600x.jpg

  • Saturday, August 29, 2009 – Inaugural USA Diploma Program, Garden Design School

    The Garden Design School is delighted to announce the launch of its US Diploma in Landscape and Garden Design, commencing August 2009. The School aims to bring the very best of UK and US landscape and garden design together in an intensive, exciting, part-time program, the first of its kind in North America. Here is what the School says about the Program:

    Several years in planning, our US Diploma has been carefully constructed, from scratch, to meet the specific needs of the American garden design market. We’ve worked with leading academics and many successful US landscape designers to ensure that every aspect of our program is of genuine, practical relevance. We want all of our US students to be competent, confident garden designers, offering a professional landscape and garden design service.

    Garden Design School was established in 2002 by two of the UK’s leading garden designers, Robin Templar Williams and Moira Farnham. Both run their own, successful, landscape and garden design companies and they have over 32 years international teaching experience between them.

    John DeVore has spent over 35 years in the US garden and landscape design industry and runs a thriving design and build business, DeVore’s Land and Water Gardens Inc.  Jules Bruck is one of the USA’s most respected lecturers in garden design, horticulture and landscape contracting and also a highly accomplished freelance designer. Over 80% of our US Diploma in Landscape and Garden Design is taught by our Program Directors.

    Our Diploma is a carefully structured program which teaches all of the key skills you are likely to need to become a professional landscape and garden designer. You’ll receive plenty of individual attention because the class size never exceeds 18 students and in many lecture/studio sessions the tutor:student ratio is as low as 1:6.

    Students receive plenty of one-to-one support from our Course Tutors
    Students receive plenty of one-to-one
    support from our Program Tutors

    Our students come from all walks of life and, in previous years, have ranged in age from just 22 to 64. Some have chosen garden design as their first career, others join us having worked in another industry (career-changers) or are perhaps returning to work having raised a family. Whatever your background or previous training, our program will equip you to enter the exciting, expanding world of professional landscape and garden design.

    Our US Diploma Program is divided into 8 separate teaching blocks, the first starting in late August 2009 and the last ending in mid-May 2010. Each teaching block (with the exception of the first) lasts for four days: Thursday/Friday/Saturday/Sunday. By incorporating a weekend each time, we hope this structure will help people who have existing work commitments on weekdays.

    The dates of our 2009/10 US Diploma are as follows. All classes are taught at our Massachusetts training center (Tower Hill Botanic Garden, details below). Each lecture day runs from 8.30am to 4.30pm, with breaks for lunch and refreshments.

    Block 1 (6 days): 08.29.2009 – 09.03.2009
    Block 2 (4 days): 10.15.2009 – 10.18.2009
    Block 3 (4 days): 12.10.2009 – 12.13.2009
    Block 4 (4 days): 01.07.2010 – 01.10.2010
    Block 5 (4 days): 02.04.2010 – 02.07.2010
    Block 6 (4 days): 02.25.2010 – 02.28.2010
    Block 7 (4 days): 03.25.2010 – 03.28.2010
    Block 8* (4 days): 05.06.2010 – 05.09.2010

    *May be extended to 6 days to compensate for any teaching days lost due to bad weather.

    Our US Diploma Program teaches a comprehensive range of skills, in 4 categories. Lecture days at Tower Hill are usually a mixture of lectures and studio work.

    Design Principles and Drawing
    Principles of design; graphic and drafting skills; printing processes; application of color and rendering; axonometric projection; freehand sketching; plan presentation; single point perspective drawing; fast drawing techniques.

    Hard Landscaping
    Practical surveying with levels; site analysis; elevations and sections; hard landscape materials; detailing the design of hard landscape; project layout; water in the garden; lighting, irrigation and drainage requirements.

    Soft Landscaping
    Basic botany; soil science; classification and identification; planting design; horticultural requirements; establishment; site specific planting; planting plans and schedules.

    Professional Practice
    Running the office; documentation and systems; health and safety; client/designer relationships; contractor/designer relationships; planting specifications and contract management; project costing; business start-up; advertising and promotion.

    Independent Study & Assessment
    To support and extend learning, beyond the formal lectures and studio sessions attended at Tower Hill, students can expect to spend 24-30 hours per week, between each module block, on independent (home) study. This is necessary to ensure that all subjects are covered, and skills mastered, to a high standard.

    Four design projects are undertaken during our program, the final one being a comprehensive scheme, encompassing all of the following elements to produce detailed documentation: survey and site analysis; outline proposals; setting out drawings; visual realization; planting plan and schedule; hard landscape details; planting specification and scope of works. In addition, students compile 2 portfolios throughout the program (hard landscaping and soft landscaping).

    Each student’s progress is assessed at regular intervals throughout the program by means of a series of realistic, practical assignments and projects. There are no exams or essays. Our Diploma is taught in the botanic garden’s Stoddard Education & Visitor Center, a modern, purpose-built training facility. Food and drink can be obtained in the on-site Twigs Café, and parking at the botanic garden is free.

    Enrollment in the Diploma Program of Garden Design School USA is strictly on a ‘first come, first served’ basis. Fees for the 2009/2010 US Diploma Program are $16,995. A deposit of $2000 must accompany your application form to reserve a place on the program. This is non-refundable once The School has written to you confirming acceptance of your application to join the program. Having received this letter of acceptance, your enrollment will not be finalized until you have completed, signed and returned the School’s enrollment contract by the date specified. Once you have received a letter from The School confirming receipt of your enrollment contract, you are obliged to pay the balance of fees to complete your enrollment commitment, whether or not you take up the place accepted.

    Please note that the Application Form should be signed and sent, with the deposit payment, by mail, to:

    Garden Design School USA
    1410 Hogue Road, Hamilton, Ohio 45013, USA.

    Checks should be made payable to ‘Garden Design School USA’. We regret that applications sent by fax or e-mail are not acceptable.

    For an application form, log on to www.gardendesignschool.com/us_course.htm