Boston Flora

Tag: White Flower Farm

  • Thursday, June 28, 10:00 am – 12:00 noon – Behind the Scene Tour of White Flower Farm

    Join nursery manager of White Flower Farm, Barb Pierson for a “Behind the Scenes” tour, of this renowned nursery located in Litchfield, Connecticut. One of Bershire Botanical Garden’s most popular instructors, Barb will lead participants through the production greenhouses where she grows hundreds of varieties of plants. Learn how she propagates, cultivates, evaluates and produces some of the best plants available. Following the greenhouse tour Tom Bodnar, the Retail Store Manager will tour participants through the display gardens highlighting some of the best varieties in bloom. (From BBG to White Flower Farm approximately driving time 1.5 hour, from Boston, approximately 3 hours).   Meet in parking lot of White Flower Farm, Litchfield, CT. Directions available upon registration at www.berkshirebotanical.org.  $30 BBG members, $35 non-members.  Photo below of the Lloyd Border at White Flower Farm copyright Irene Jeruss for White Flower Farm.

  • Sunday, May 20, 9:00 am – 3:30 pm – Great Tomato Celebration and Society Row Plant Sale at Elm Bank

    Quick: what’s the difference between ‘Sungold’ and ‘Black Cherry’ cherry tomatoes? ‘San Marzano’ and ‘Martino’s Roma’ paste tomatoes? ‘Red Brandywine’ and ‘Mortgage Lifter’ beefsteak varieties? And just exact what kind of tomato is a ‘Missouri Pink Love Apple’, ‘Orange Flesh Purple Smudge’, and ‘Pink Ping Pong’? You’ll have the opportunity to find out the answers to those questions – and to purchase those varieties of tomatoes – on Sunday, May 20 from 9:00 – 3:30 when one of the major horticultural events of the year will be held in MetroWest Boston’s back yard.

    The Massachusetts Horticultural Society hosts the Society Row Plant Sale at Elm Bank. Again this year, the Society Row sale is joined by The Great Tomato Celebration , which is hosted jointly by Mass Hort and White Flower Farm of Litchfield, Connecticut. ‘Society Row’ isn’t about high society. Rather, the name refers to the thirteen plant societies that come together for the annual event. These societies, together with a group of specialty nurseries, offer an extraordinary array of high-quality plants for your garden. Among the groups that will be represented are the Hosta Society, Lilac Society, Begonia Society, Rhododendron Society, Miniature Plant Society, Daylily Society, and the Herb Society. Collectively, they’ll offer thousands of plants grown by members; many of them unusual cultivars. The Massachusetts Horticultural Society will also sell perennials and annuals grown in its own greenhouses.

    Many of the local chapters of plant specialist societies will continue to offer their own plant varieties including unusual and popular cultivars that Society Row has provided for more than 75 years.

    Vendors from around New England will also be selling anything you can think of to help you plant your garden at home including:

    – A variety of pots, containers and raised bedding
    – Seeds, seedlings and young plants
    – Fruits, vegetables, and flowers for planting
    – Garden sculpture
    – Garden and patio furniture
    – Tools and Clothing
    – Horticultural vendors: landscape designers, arborists, landscapers

    Mass Hort has planned a full day of lectures, children’s’ activities, food vendors, and fun for the whole family.  For more information, visit www.masshort.org.

    Special members’ hours: 8:00 -9:00 am
    Open to the public: 9:00 am – 3:30pm

     

     

     

  • Tuesday, March 13, 10:00 am – 12:00 noon – Impressive Entryways

    As part of the True North Garden & Landscape Series,  The Massachusetts Horticultural Society is hosting Barbara Pierson at Elm Bank on Tuesday, March 13, from 10 – noon.  She  will lecture on creating Impressive Entryways.  In this class, you’ll delight in discovering dramatic, colorful combinations for steps, porches and patios. Also included are the latest in container trends and new breeding for flower power. Barbara Pierson is the Director of Greenhouse Operations at White Flower Farm.

    To RSVP, please call 781-433-6400.

  • Saturday, February 25, 10:00 am – 12:00 noon – Big, Bold and HOT!

    Summer bulbs make great standouts in the late summer garden. Join expert horticulturist Barb Pierson, Garden Manager for White Flower Farm, located in Litchfield, CT for an informative lecture/demonstration on this hot topic at Berkshire Botanical Garden on Saturday, February 25, from 10 – noon. Learn about the best of the bunch including Cannas, Dahlias, Eucomis and more. See why summer bulbs are among the most exotic and exciting plants in our gardens. This lecture will cover top tips for growing and storing, and Barb will be bringing some great varieties for sale following the lecture.

    Barb Pierson  holds a degree in horticulture from Cornell University and has worked at WFF since 1998. She is a popular speaker at horticultural conferences and has appeared as a guest on TV and radio. She is quoted widely in the print media and was the lead horticultural resource for a 2010 New York Times garden series.  BBG member price $25, non-members $30. To register, visit www.berkshirebotanical.org, or email info@berkshirebotanical.org.

  • Saturday, January 21, 10:00 am – 12:00 noon – New-Wave Gardening: Designing Perennials with a European Flair

    While most of us are familiar with the English borders and cottage gardens, designing and planting by habitat is a continental European ecological approach to combining perennials. Consider the gardens of European designer Piet Oudolf and learn about this cutting-edge design concept that has widely influenced European gardens for many years, in this Berkshire Botanical Garden class to be held Saturday, January 21, from 10 – noon. Robust, low-maintenance plants are selected and grouped according to their ideal growing situation. Robert Herman, an American who managed one of the top European perennial plant nurseries, will explain the habitat concept and design strategy and feature gardens from some of the foremost European designers.

    Robert Herman has over 30 years of experience as a professional horticulturist, almost 7 of which were spent in Europe as “Meister” for the Countess von Zeppelin Nursery in Germany. At the Missouri Botanical Garden he served in the horticulture and education departments and lead White Flower Farm in Litchfield, Connecticut as Director of Horticulture. He frequently lectures at plant conferences and botanical gardens in North America and Europe. His articles have appeared in American Nurseryman, Fine Gardening, the German magazine Garden and Landscape, and the Hardy Plant Society Journal in England. BBG member price $22, non-members $27, and you may register on-line at www.berkshirebotanical.org.  Below is an image of the “Lady’s Mantle path” into the German nursery that Robert Herman managed for seven years.

  • Saturday, August 20, 10:00 am – 12:00 noon – Hot Hydrangeas!

    Join White Flower Farm’s nursery manager, Barb Pierson, at Berkshire Botanical Garden, 5 West Stockbridge Road in Stockbridge, on Saturday, August 20 from 10 – noon, for an in-depth look at hydrangeas, one of the most beloved genus of flowering shrubs. With so many new varieties of hydrangeas available, how can you choose? Learn the differences between them, tips on growing and fertilizing, explore the new exciting ranges in flower color and panicle type and finally, learn the all-important information on how to prune. See White Flower Farm’s favorites, discover the latest information about hydrangea breeding programs and get a glimpse of what’s to come in the wonderful world of hydrangeas.  Below is hydrangea ‘Invincibelle.’

    Barb Pierson is the nursery manager for the prestigious White Flower Farm Nursery located in Litchfield, Ct. She holds a degree in horticulture from Cornell University and has worked at WFF since 1998. She is a popular speaker at horticultural conferences and has appeared as a guest on TV and radio. She is quoted widely in the print media and was the lead horticultural resource for a 2010 New York Times garden series.  To register, visit www.berkshirebotanical.org.  BBG members $22, nonmembers $27.

  • Thursday, May 19 – Friday, May 20 – Garden Photography Workshop

    Do you want to spend a day photographing gardens?  Spend a day with garden photographer and past Garden Club of the Back Bay presenter Rich Pomerantz photographing the classic English gardens at Hollister House and the inspiring gardens of White Flower Farm in Litchfield County, Connecticut.  This workshop, May 19 – 20, includes an evening of instruction as well as a full day of photography, and is designed for all levels of photography experience.  The fee of $165 includes transportation between gardens and lunch.  Lodging is available at local inns and is offered to workshop participants at discounted rates. For complete information, or to register, log on to www.richpomerantz.com, or email celia@richpomerantz.com.  Photo below of Hollister House garden by Rich Pomerantz.

  • Friday, April 1 – Saturday, April 2 – Eighth Annual Great Gardens and Landscaping Symposium

    The inspirational and exhilarating Eighth Annual Great Gardens and Landscaping Symposium (that has sold out for several years) will energize your approach to gardening.  The symposium will be held Friday, April 1 and Saturday, April 2 at The Equinox Resort, a world class, four diamond resort in Manchester, Vermont.  The symposium features six info-packed lectures led by nationally and regionally renowned professionals in their fields, as well as a vendors area.  Exchange ideas and swap “the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat” gardening stories with other passionate gardeners at workshops, meals and free time.  Drawings for great gardening gifts throughout the Symposium will sweeten the deal.  One and two night packages are available, as well as day-only rates.  Speakers include Ellen Ecker Ogden on The Complete Kitchen Garden: The Art of Designing a Classic Potager, Bill Cullina on The Botany of Design, as well as Beyond Black-eyed Susans and Border Phlox: Exceptional Native Perennials for Creative Gardening, Charlotte Albers on Mad About Blue, Heather Poire speaking on Proven Winners Annual: The Perfect Accessory for Perennial Gardens, and Kerry Ann Mendez presenting Exciting New or Underused Perennials for 2011. Symposium sponsors include The American Horticultural Society, Equinox Valley Nursery (see their lilac image below,)  The Espoma Company, Fine Gardening Magazine, Gardener’s Supply Company, Liquid Fence, Luster Leaf Products, Neptune’s Harvest, Proven Winners, SmileMonster.com, and White Flower Farm.  You may register on line at www.pyours.com/Symposium2011.html.  Registration deadline is March 28.

  • Saturday, August 14, 10:00 am – 12:00 noon – What Do You Mean Your Don’t Grow Herbs?

    This lecture demonstration at the Berkshire Botanical Garden, 5 West Stockbridge Road, West Stockbridge on Saturday, August 14 from 10 – noon, is an examination of plants you shouldn’t be without in your garden. Herbs are easy and wonderful to grow in both the vegetable and flower garden setting. Learn about the familiar and not so familiar herbs and how to cultivate them. This is a hands-on demonstration with live plant material. Following the talk enjoy a tour through the botanical garden’s historic herb garden. The instructors will share their enthusiasm for these humble but essential garden plants.

    Jack and Kathy Donohue have been gardening together for over 40 years. They have been members of the Herb Society of America for twenty five years and they were inducted into the Rosemary Circle of the Society in 2008. They have both been Chairperson of the CT Unit of the Herb Society of America. Both worked at White Flower Farm for 10 years, feeding their addiction for plants: any plants, anywhere at any time!  $18 for BBG members, $24 for nonmembers.  Register on line at www.berkshirebotanical.org, or call 413-298-3926.

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  • Friday, May 21 – Sunday, May 23, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm – Tomatomania

    White Flower Farm, at 167 Litchfield Road in Litchfield, Connecticut will have over 100 varieties of tomato seedlings available, along with fertilizers, stakes, ties, containers, and a selection of herbs and vegetables to make this year’s garden the best ever, on Tomatomania weekend, May 21 – May 23, from 9 – 5 each day.  Scott Daigre, noted tomato expert and author, will give straightforward advice about growing his favorite subject.  For more information, log on to www.whiteflowerfarm.com.

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