Boston Flora

Tag: Wildflowers

  • Tuesday, March 24, 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm Eastern – Introduction to Native Northeast Wildflowers, Online

    New to the world of New England’s native plants? Become familiar with the wildflowers that grow in our area, their pollinators, and their habitats. Make the most of your time outdoors, and learn to look more closely at the native wonders of our region, including our woods, wetlands, and meadows. You will be guided by botanist Neela de Zoysa, who has been teaching for Native Plant Trust for over fifteen years, and whose in-depth Wildflowers of New England course is a favorite among our students. This Zoom presentation sponsored by the Native Plant Trust is $10, and you may register at https://www.nativeplanttrust.org/events/introduction-to-native-northeast-wildflowers/

  • Wednesday, February 5, 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm Eastern – The Botany of Design, Online

    Using his book Understanding Perennials as a starting point, Bill Cullina tackles the thorny subject of garden design in an innovative way. In this fun and informative Mt. Cuba Center talk, he explores such things as the reasons for big leaves, variegation, red foliage and flowers and ways to create more satisfying designs without breaking the budget. He looks at life beyond the color wheel, and the importance of healthy soil and reveals some of his best horticultural secrets while weaving together aesthetics, psychology, botany, and ecology. Both beginning gardeners and seasoned pros will be able to learn from and enjoy this talk. Bill Cullina is the F. Otto Haas Executive Director of the Morris Arboretum. He is a well-known author, lecturer, and authority on North American native plants. His books include Wildflowers; Native Trees, Shrubs, and Vines; Native Ferns, Mosses, and Grasses; and Understanding Perennials.

    This program takes place online on Wednesday, February 5, 2025. $25. Register at https://mtcubacenter.org/event/botany-of-design-online/

    Looking into the rear garden at 3 Bush Road, Kew. Plants included Fatsia japonica, Dicksonia antarctica, Phyllostachys nigra, Musa bajoo and Eriobotrya japonica.

  • Saturday, September 7, 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm – Native Wildflower Identification

    How can you tell different goldenrods apart? How can you use shape and scent to identify a plant? And what exactly is that aster in your backyard? Join Arnold Arboretum Horticulturist Brendan Keegan for a Native Wildflower Identification class to answer these questions and more, and find out which ones to plant in your garden along the way. This program takes place at the pollinator meadow at Weld Hill, a haven for native wildflowers at the Arboretum. The program is on Saturday, September 7 at 2 pm. Register at https://arboretum.harvard.edu/events/

  • Mondays, May 1 – May 22, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm Eastern – Wildflowers of New England, Live and Online

    This Native Plant Trust Live virtual course provides a comprehensive introduction to native plants, including their identification, ecology, and conservation. We explore New England’s native plants by studying key identification features of flowers, leaves, and stems; family characteristics; growth patterns; pollinators; seed dispersers; and habitats. You will learn basic botanical skills and tools for identifying wildflowers and study pollination and coevolution of flower structure and design, habitats and ecology, and conservation concerns. (This course is also offered in-person). Neela de Zoysa leads the four Monday sessions, May 1 – 22. $216 for NPT members, $264 for nonmembers. Register at www.nativeplanttrust.org Once registered, students will receive an automatic email containing details about the course and their receipt. These details may include pre-class readings, handouts, an access link, or directions to field sites. A reminder email will be sent out 1 week in advance.

    Common Groundnut courtesy Go Botany

  • Saturday, May 14, 9:30 am – 12:00 noon – Spring Wildflowers of Arlington’s Great Meadows

    It’s mid May and the wildflowers are out in abundance. Join Boot Boutwell at Arlington’s Great Meadows on May 14 from 9:30 – noon for a stroll in search of mid to late-spring wildflowers. The walk will focus on wildflower ID as well as some fun and interesting natural history about the plants we see. We’ll also take a look at some cool plants that aren’t in flower. Children ages 10+ can sign up with a registered adult. $35. Register HERE for this program sponsored by Wright-Locke Farm.

  • Tuesday, February 15, 7:00 pm – 8:15 pm – Native Meadows: Let’s Get Real, Online

    Wildflower meadows were introduced to the American gardening public in the 1960’s along with tie dye tee shirts and kaleidoscopic acid trips. But just like those 60’s acid trips, the colors never lasted. Alternatively, by planting site-adapted native perennials, managed according to the ecological processes that govern open field vegetation in the wild, long-lived vibrant meadows can be consistently achieved. In this August 12 online presentation by Larry Weaner, plant selection criteria, planting procedures, and management techniques will be illustrated through a series of residential case studies, including some over two decades old. $25. Register at www.ndal.org

    NDAL (New Directions in the American Landscape) was founded in 1990 by Larry Weaner, and has presented programs throughout the US focusing on innovative theory, practical application, and an expansive vision of “Natural Design.” Programs also draw from a variety of disciplines, including agriculture, anthropology, history, and fine art. In 2016, NDAL received the first Regional Impact Award from the Native Plant Trust. This talk is cosponsored by the American Horticultural Association, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, and Wild Ones – Native Plants, Natural Landscapes.

  • Saturday, May 8, 10:30 am – 12:30 pm – Wildflowers in the Woods: Techniques with Colored Pencils

    Take a short walk in the Tower Hill Botanic Garden woods and snap a few photos of the beauty and color of forest wildflowers at the time of year when the woods are bursting with blooms. Then at the comfort of a table, use your colored pencils to draw and color your favorite flowers. You will be taught some techniques for using colored pencils to make your drawing come alive. All levels are welcome.

    Materials (Supply your own–not included with registration)
    1. Mixed media paper pad, 9″ x 12″, such as Canson XL or Strathmore or Canson Mi-Tentes Drawing Paper Pad, assorted colors
    2. Colored pencils, assorted colors, brands such as Prismacolor, Caran d’Ache, Derwent, Faber-Castell Polychromos
    3. No. 2 pencil and an eraser

    Carol Schwartz graduated from the Kansas City Art Institute, attending her senior year at Rhode Island School of Design. She earned her MFA in Illustration from the University of Hartford, Connecticut in 2014. Her education equipped her to be diverse and adaptable, with work appearing in 60 picture books and countless magazines, newspapers and advertisements. This program will be held indoors in one of our well-ventilated classrooms. Group size will not exceed current state restrictions. $30 for Tower Hill members, $40 for nonmembers. Register at www.towerhillbg.org

    Photo by Kevin Harkens

  • Wednesday, May 5, 12:00 noon – 1:00 pm – Beauty and Biodiversity at Cornell’s Mundy Wildflower Garden, Online

    Please join Krissy Boys and the Ecological Landscape Alliance on May 5 at noon for a comprehensive virtual field trip of four discreet sustainable landscapes within the Mundy Wildflower Garden at the Cornell Botanic Gardens. This virtual field trip includes:

    • The specialist bee pollinator garden
    • The flood plain forest
    • The deer exclosure
    • The native lawn
    • The stream bank restoration

    The presentation will cover the principles of plant conservation and plant propagation, habitat gardening in full sun and in deep shade over limestone, as well as gravel gardening at the stream bank restoration site.

    We can easily and quickly create native plant displays that mature into prospering plant communities, filled with color, texture, and movement for us, while also providing habitat for wildlife. There are species in our midst that depend exclusively on common plants for their survival. The ingredients for success in gardening with them are attainable, and available to all, when we learn to read the landscape, apply what we learn, while keeping a few essential steps in mind as we go.
    Think positively and enjoy the process. Also make sure to use a systematic approach with these essential steps: source local gravel, reference a local plant community, obtain permission to collect seeds, and create a small-scale propagation area in your home or business.

    Read more about the Cornell restoration project in the ELA Newsletter article: Native Plants Shine in Streambank Restoration.

    Krissy Boys has been a professional gardener for nearly 31 years. Her gardening career began with native plants at the Brandywine Conservancy and Brandywine River Museum in Chadds Ford, PA.  F.M. Mooberry, the founder of the Brandywine Garden and of the Millersville Plant Conference, was Krissy’s supervisor and mentor in native plant gardening. Krissy has been managing the Mundy Wildflower Garden at Cornell Botanic Gardens for 21 years. From 1992 -1999 Krissy looked after the Comstock Knoll Rhododendron Collection, the Pounder Heritage Vegetable Crops and the Poisonous Plants Garden. She volunteered as a land steward for the Finger Lakes Land Trust from 1992-2011 and has been a steering committee member of the Finger Lakes Native Plant Society since 1998.

    Free for ELA members, $10 nonmembers. Register at www.ecolandscaping.org

  • Tuesday, July 2, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm – Native Wildflowers Through the Seasons Webinar

    Whether you are new to the study of native plants or have been in the field for years, changing seasons always provide something new to notice about the region’s wildflowers. Join The Native Plant Trust on July 2 from 1 – 2 to learn about flowers for different times of year, the pollinators that support them, and the habitats to which they contribute. This webinar gives you an overview of how to make the most of your time outdoors and help conserve the native wonders of New England. $10 for NPT members, $13 for nonmembers. Register at http://www.nativeplanttrust.org/events/native-wildflowers-through-seasons/

  • Thursday, May 23, 5:30 pm – 7:45 pm – Spring Greetings from Woodland Wildflowers

    This Grow Native Massachusetts workshop on May 23 from 5:30 – 7:45 pm will be conducted entirely in the field.

    Every spring in New England, we are greeted by a beautiful bouquet of flowers blooming throughout our woodlands. Many of these plants emerge early to soak up the sun before the forest canopy has fully leafed out, and quite a few species have co-evolved with early-emerging insect pollinators, resulting in unique, interdependent life cycles. Spring wildflowers are often delicate in appearance, belying their amazing toughness and adaptability. Join Meredith in a diverse and beautiful area of the Fells to get to know some of these flowers, and learn the best ways to incorporate them into a designed landscape.

    Meredith Gallogly is the Manager of Programs at Grow Native Massachusetts. She is a skilled botanist, and much of her plant identification knowledge comes from her explorations of metro-Boston area parks and reservations. She holds a B.A. in Biology from Smith College.

    https://connect.clickandpledge.com/w/Form/8ba7cfca-b5a9-4919-ae68-1ad2db248d21