Boston Flora

Tag: Wellesley College Friends of Horticulture

  • Monday, February 27, 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm – In Bloom: The Ferguson Greenhouse Collection

    For the past few years, Wellesley College Friends of Horticulture docent Vivi Leavy has recorded the blooming of greenhouse flowers—showstoppers as well as those easily overlooked, in her task of updating the “What’s in Bloom” board in the Visitor Center. Come for a great photo tour of the greenhouses in bloom on Monday, February 27 and to hear Vivi’s stories of her favorites from the collection. Tea will be served at 2 pm, followed by the tour and talk. WCFH members $10, non-members $15. Register at www.wellesley.edu/WCFH.

  • Thursday, January 26 – Greenhouse Ghosts

    The Margaret Ferguson Greenhouses at Wellesley College will host a special art exhibit: a series of life-sized animal silhouettes perched on branches, hiding in foliage, or foraging on the ground throughout the greenhouse habitats.  Carved in low relief and painted a flat white, these “greenhouse ghosts” symbolize an absence in the world’s ecosystems, as each represents a threatened, endangered or extinct animal.  This site-specific installation is the work of local artist Andrea Thompson, in collaboration wit h Wellesley College students who helped identify the animals to be depicted and the plant species that they depend upon.  Contact www.wellesley.edu/WCFH for details (time of reception not available as of the date of this post.)  Her work entitled “Forest Suite” at the Ice Hotel is pictured below.

     

  • Monday, January 23, 2:00 pm – Soil: Where Geoscience Meets Botany

    Soil has been called “the bridge between life and the inanimate world.” Join Janet McDonough, Senior Instructor of Biological Science Laboratory at Wellesley College, to gain a new appreciation for this backbone of our landscape. From its origins in the glacial era, explore the characteristics of soils in New England and how that character is represented by the plants in our landscape. How is soil made? What are the components of a good soil, and what easy methods can gardeners use to tell what amendments are needed? From geology to biology, Janet will give us all the dirt on soil. This Monday, January 23 presentation is offered by the Wellesley College Friends of Horticulture in collaboration with the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University, the Boston Junior League Garden Club, and the New England Wild Flower Society. Register on line at www.wellesley.edu/WCFH, or call 781-283-3094. Members $10, non-members $15.

  • Monday, November 14, 4:30 pm – Wine: A Matter of Life and Death

    On Monday, November 14, beginning at 4:30 pm at the Wellesley College Botanic Garden, John Varriano will examine two aspects of the cultural history of wine – its central role in theories of medicine from ancient Greece to the present and its changing meaning over the ages in art and meditations on the afterlife. Recently retired from the faculty of Mount Holyoke College where he taught courses in European art and architecture since 1970, John Varriano’s special interest is the art and architecture of seventeenth century Rome. He is also the author of over three dozen specialized studies in his field including several books, the most recent being Wine: A Cultural History.  This is a free program, and you may call 781-283-3094 for more details.

  • Saturday, October 22, 2:00 pm – Wicked Bugs: The Louse that Conquered Napoleon’s Army and Other Insect Monstrosities

    In a follow up to her very successful New York Times bestseller Wicked Plants, Amy Stewart tackles the insects, worms, and spiders that have tormented humankind for centuries. With wit and style, Stewart will reveal some of her discoveries. Books will be available for purchase and signing. Fee $5 sponsoring member, $15 nonmember.  Offered by the Arnold Arboretum,  Roslindale Green and Clean and Wellesley College Friends of Horticulture, and held on Saturday, October 22 beginning at 2 pm, at Weld Hill, 1300 Centre Street in Boston.  Register at www.arboretum.harvard.edu.

  • Monday, October 24, 2:00 pm – 4:30 pm – Wild Food: Foraging for Edible Plants and Mushrooms

    Join professional environmentalist and wild foods enthusiast Russ Cohen, author of Wild Plants I Have Known…and Eaten, to learn about foraging for wild plants, followed by a walk outside at Wellesley College to see what might be available at this season. Keys to the identification of each species are provided, as well as information about its edible portion(s), season(s) of availability, flavor, and nutritive value, and some tips on preparation. Learn guidelines for safe and environmentally responsible foraging. Tea will be served at 2 pm, followed by the lecture and walk from 2:30 – 4:30. This afternoon is co-sponsored with Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University, the New England Wild Flower Society, and the Wellesley College Friends of Horticulture. $10 for members of the sponsoring organizations, $15 for non-members. Sign up at www.wellesley.edu/WCFH, or call 781-283-3094.

  • Saturdays, September 17, October 1, October 22, and November 5, 9:30 am – 12:00 noon – Plant FBI (For Budding Investigators)

    Parents and children in grade 3 and up will develop their scientific sleuthing and plant propagating abilities in this hands-on course at the Wellesley College Margaret C. Ferguson Greenhouses with naturalist and environmental scientist Katie Griffith. Join us on 4 Saturday mornings for two great activities. First we will study plants using microscopes and do experiments in the botany lab. Parents and kids will dissect plants to see the neat things inside them, and we’ll figure out how the different parts help a plant to grow and make more plants. In the second half of the class, we will plant seeds and cuttings in the potting room and then place them in the greenhouses to grow and be cared for until the next class session. By the end of the course, the plants will have had 7 weeks to grow, and families will be able to take home their greenhouse-cultivated specimens. Families should bring a snack to each class. Dress appropriately for digging and planting. For families with children in grade 3 and up, accompanied by at least one adult. Class limit: 12 people. The four class series (September 17, October 1 and 22, and November 5, from 9:30 – 12) costs $125 for WCFH members, $150 for non members. Fee covers registration for one child and one adult partner. Additional family members may accompany participants for an additional fee of $60 per person. To register, visit www.wellesley.edu/WCFH.

  • Tuesdays, September 6 & 13, and Thursdays, September 8 & 15, 9:30 am – 2:30 pm – Harvest Time at the Farm

    In this four day seminar, September 6, 8, 13 and 15, taught on location at the Natick Community Organic Farm, 117 Eliot Street, Natick, and in the studio in nearby South Natick, learn to paint economic plants grown locally.  Take your observations from the farm’s fields back to the studio to portray the plants in drybrush watercolor.  Sarah Roche’s expert instruction will fine tune your drawings to be botanically accurate and expand your watercolor skills to capture textures and tones and the vibrant colors of fruits, vegetables, and foliage. Your paintings will look good enough to eat.   Watercolor and drawing experience required. Foundations or equivalent course required. Work at your own skill level in this class for advanced beginners to experienced watercolor artists, sponsored by the Wellesley College Friends of Horticulture.  WCFH members $250, non-members $300 – to register, log on to www.wellesley.edu/WCFH, or call 781-283-3094.

    sarah

  • Friday, August 26 – Sunday, August 28, 9:30 am – 3:30 pm – Leaves as They Grow

    Another fine drawing class will take place Friday, August 26 through Sunday, August 28, from 9:30 – 3:30, at the Wellesley College Botanic Garden.  With Carol Ann Morley, learn to capture the layers and angles of leaves you observe in nature onto your paper.  Start with the fundamentals of colored pencil, then work to give your drawing shape and movement by mixing color hues to create shadows, to make colors recede and advance, and to create harmony and contrast.  The pigments in colored pencils can be applied to create many different effects including multiple delicate washes – making this skill-building class useful for watercolorists as well as pencil artists.  $250.00 for WCFH members, $300 for non-members.  Register by calling 781-283-3094, or log on to www.wellesley.edu/WCFH.  Illustration by Carol Ann Morley.

  • Thursday, August 25, 9:30 am – 3:30 pm – Perspective Review

    In this one day skill-building class at the Wellesley College Botanic Garden with Carol Ann Morley, on Thursday, August 25 from 9:30 – 3:30, you will develop your foreshortening skills while heightening your artist’s eye.  Through a series of graphite exercises, work to achieve more believable drawings.  Wellesley College Friends of Horticulture members, $75, and non-members, $95.  To register, call 781-283-3094, or log on to www.wellesley.edu/WCFH.