Boston Flora

Tag: Wildlife Habitat

  • Wednesday, May 18, 10:00 am – Gardening in Wet Spaces with Native Plants

    The May meeting of The Garden Club of the Back Bay will feature Kristin DeSouza speaking on Gardening in Wet Spaces with Native Plants. The meeting will be held Wednesday, May 18, beginning at 10:00 am at The College Club, 44 Commonwealth Avenue in Boston. There is a free program, but there will be an optional lunch with the speaker following the talk, for which there will be a charge of $20 per person (members) and $25 per person (guests.) Reservations for the program and the luncheon are essential. Email info@bostonflora.com if you plan to attend. Garden Club members will receive written notice of this meeting.

    Working with native plants that enjoy ‘wet feet’ adds great interest to a pond side or wet area in your garden. While providing wildlife habitat, pond-side and moisture-loving plants also act as a filter for runoff water. In this illustrated presentation, horticulturist Kristen DeSouza will introduce a gorgeous native plant pallet based on the beautiful Lily Pond at Garden in the Woods. She will present design ideas that you can use in your own wet environment using native perennials, shrubs and trees for seasonal interest.

    Kristen DeSouza is a Horticulturist at Garden in the Woods, and a Landscape Architect. She has worked for New York’s Central Park and was awarded the Garden Club of America’s Martin McLaren Horticultural Scholarship, providing a ten month noncredit work/study opportunity in Great Britain.

    http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/01/04/be/ba/lily-pond-area-as-viewed.jpg

  • Tuesday, November 17, 10 am – 12 noon – Pollinator-Friendly Landscaping

    As New England’s landscape becomes increasingly developed, backyards are becoming a “final frontier” in providing essential habitat for at-risk pollinator species that play an integral role in the health of our environment. On Tuesday, November 17, beginning at 10 am, Garden Coach and Habitat Naturalist Ellen Sousa will explain how to help sustain and restore pollinator populations in your own back yard, regardless of its size or location. Learn to choose the best plants to help feed and shelter pollinators, and some best practices for encouraging biodiversity in your backyard.

    Ellen Sousa is a writer, educator and garden coach living in Massachusetts’ Worcester Hills on Turkey Hill Brook Farm, a small farm registered with the NWF as a Certified Wildlife Habitat. She has a certificate in Native Plant Horticulture & Design from New England Wild Flower Society, a BA in English from Clark University, and is certified as a Master Habitat Naturalist from Windstar Wildlife Institute. She writes regularly about habitat gardening for magazines such as Massachusetts Wildlife, BackHome, Mother Earth News and Birds & Blooms Extra. Visit her web site and New England habitat landscaping blog at THBFarm.com. The lecture will be held at Tower Hill Botanic Garden in Boylston, Massachusetts on Tuesday, November 17, from 10 am – noon.  Fee is $15 for Tower Hill members, $18 for non-members.  To register, log on to www.towerhillbg.org.

    http://www.greendiary.com/images/pollination.jpg

  • Saturday & Sunday, July 25 & 26, 12:30 – 1:30 pm – History Underfoot: Walking the Fruitlands Landscape

    The trails at Fruitlands Museum in Harvard, Massachusetts traverse over 210 acres of forest, swamp and meadows plus thousands of years of history. There are many stories to uncover, such as: the location of a long ago beach, why there was a brick factory here, where to spot wildlife and how we know a certain area was used by Native peoples for over 10,000 years.

    Join Fruitlands’ Curator, Mike Volmar, on this series of walks to discover these and other stories through the geology, ecology, wildlife habitat and archaeology of the Fruitlands’ landscape.

    Visitors to our trails should wear appropriate footwear and be able to negotiate surfaces typical of woodland trails. Be aware that poison ivy, mosquitoes, deer flies and ticks may be encountered by people walking the trails, so we highly recommend the use of mosquito and tick repellent.  Members Free, non-members $6 (included with regular free museum admission.  Limited to 10, purchase tickets at Museum Shop.  The tour repeats on  August 8, September 5, October 3, and November 15.  For more information log on to www.fruitlands.org.