Expect a day full of wings, wonder, and smiles at the 19th Annual Barbara J Walker Butterfly Festival, noon – 4 at Broad Meadow Brook Conservation Center and Wildlife Sanctuary, Worcester. Watch butterflies fly free in their natural meadow and garden habitats, take naturalist-led walks to learn how they live and migrate, and get up close with live caterpillars exhibited by The Caterpillar Lab to see the full life cycle in action.
Kids can explore butterfly crafts, and the whole family can join guided garden tours to discover which plants support butterflies and other pollinators. Show off your wings by coming in costume for the chance to win a prize!
Round out the day browsing local vendors, exhibitors, and a native plant sale. Members receive an additional 10% off gift shop purchases on the day of the festival.
Adult members $5, nonmembers $6. Children under 2 may attend for free. Registration with Mass Audubon required at massaudubon.org
Join in a free conversation on March 28 at 6:30 at Clark University’s Jefferson Hall (Room 218) on Designing Biodiversity through Pollinator-Plant Interactions, applied science at the landscape sale, a collaboration between Worcester Native Plant Initiative, Clark University and City of Worcester Department of Sustainability and Resilience. We welcome Evan Abramson of Landscape Interactions @landscapeinteractions. Register through Eventbrite HERE
Five fabulous gardens will be featured by the Garden Conservancy on May 11 in Massachusetts. For complete information visit www.gardenconservancy.org.
In Worcester, visit the garden of Matt Mattus and Joe Philip. Matt’s garden is a mature, third- generation family property in a suburban neighborhood. It contains many tall trees (now more than 90 feet tall) planted in the 1920s by his grandfather and father. “The garden is an ongoing restoration project” says Matt. “I’ve never opened it up for tours as I’ve always believed that it was more of a small collector’s garden than one that is ‘tour-worthy’, yet I know that most visitors enjoy the casual atmosphere, and the ‘down the rabbit hole-ness’ of a true collector’s garden!” Expect to see collections of interesting plants and greenhouse projects, sweet peas, stone and gravel paths, boxwood and hornbeam hedges, garden rooms, and even a small 100-year-old goldfish pond. Charming and picturesque as a small English garden and as horticulturally interesting as a botanic garden, this 1.5 acres is essentially a home garden, yet one that has recently been featured in Martha Stewart Living, Better Homes and Gardens, and other magazines. Matt Mattus, whose blog is Growingwithplants.com, is the author of Mastering the Art of Vegetable Gardening (2019) and Mastering the Art of Growing Flowers (2020).
Petersham is the location of an organic, toxin-free, dry/xeriscape garden called Swift River Farm. When Bruce and Gus acquired this 87-acre property in north central Massachusetts in 1998, there wasn’t even the hint of a garden to be seen. Over the next few years, an orchard of heirloom apple varieties was planted, stone walls built, and the first of several perennial gardens was installed. A woodland garden filled with spring ephemerals, epimediums, hellebores, mukdenia, hostas, and small flowering trees and shrubs now stretches from the front of the house down along the north side of the property to a bed of tree peonies. There is also a large rock garden, a spring garden with primulas, and spring bulbs. In 2010, Gordon Hayward created a master plan designed to unite the gardens, adding a water garden, a large pollinator meadow garden, an oak walk, and gravel paths allowing easy access between different areas. Since 2012 Helen O’Donnell, garden designer and plantswoman extraordinaire, has been consulting on planting design and new garden projects.
The Berry Garden in Boylston began as an open hayfield in 2001, and everything in the garden was planted by the owners. What was once a hayfield has become a wonderful garden with a great diversity of well-cultivated plants. So much time and energy has been lavished on it that it has the feel of an established garden. Many layers lead the visitor past a marvelous array of trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants. The owners’ great passion for plants is infectious. Parts of the garden are still evolving. This garden’s estimated size is 2 acres.
A larger site is the garden of Pepe and John Maynard in Groton. In their words: Our place, currently about 25 acres, was originally part of a much larger property, most of which was placed under conservation in 2006. We were attracted to it by the sweeping views to the west, dramatic sunsets, and the protection offered by hundreds of acres of surrounding fields and woodland, all protected from development. Starting in the nineteenth century, successive large country houses had been built on the site, surrounded by the formal, high-maintenance gardens of the day. The last of these rather grand houses was demolished in the 1960s. The succeeding generation of the previous owning family was more interested in breeding Black Angus than in horticulture. As a result the formal gardens had succumbed to neglect, bittersweet, and browsing deer by the time we purchased the property in 2007. At that time we had no interest in restoring formal gardens. Our first steps were to plant an allée of small sugar maples along the lane leading to our barn, and to fence a small nursery area where we could stockpile plants and grow them safe from deer. We dithered about building a deer fence around more of the property, fearing it would interfere with the view, but finally fenced about 15 acres. The fence enabled us to begin planting to create informal, naturalistic grounds using native plant material as much as possible. While the nursery is now empty and the maples in the allée have reached 12 inches in diameter, all the plantings are still young and have only begun to mature. Nonetheless we believe the grounds have grown in enough to reward unhurried exploration with a wide variety of trees and shrubs, and, in the spring, extensive plantings of daffodils and other bulbs. The surrounding areas under conservation are open for walks, and a few remaining Black Angus add interest to the landscape. In the summer of 2020 an energetic couple working for us decided to clear out a small formal garden neglected for 25 years and overgrown to the point of invisibility. An exceptional stonemason rebuilt the dry stone walls over the winter and we began replanting in the early summer of 2021. An exceptionally wet summer helped to get new perennials established.This garden’s estimated size is 10 acres. Please note this garden will be open until 6 pm.
The Kinsey-Pope Garden is open three times a year, in Amherst, Massachusetts. It is a landscape of many uncommon trees with strikingly beautiful bark and a wide variety of textures, flowers, berries, and great autumn color; many shrubs with more than one season of beauty; perennials flowering in three seasons; ground covers of unusual dramatic effect covering all beds during all seasons; and in winter offering a wide palette of interesting shapes, lovely bark, and many evergreen trees and shrubs. In addition, there are three bridges over a stone-lined swale, a hand-built screened gazebo and curved top arbor, a charming little pond, many benches and Japanese stone lanterns, large-stone walkways and stone walls, and a Japanese inspired fence surrounding all of the ½-acre garden. Admission will be in two sessions, 10 – 1 and 1 – 5.
Susan McDaniel Ceccacci, author of the newly released book Living At the City’s Green Edge: Bancroft Heights, A Planned Neighborhood in Worcester, Massachusetts, discusses landscape planning and garden features found in Stephen Salisbury III’s comfortable residential subdivision. Al Southwick’s review of the book noted: “This is a remarkable book. I know of nothing like it. It stems from a local group’s decision to commemorate its neighborhood’s history and significance. The result is an outstanding chronical of an important slice of Worcester history. It will be referenced and quoted for years to come.” To be followed by a reception and book signing. This Tower Hill Botanic Garden event on Sunday, November 1 at 1 pm is free with admission.
Why moths? With more than 10,000 species in North America alone, moths offer endless options for study, education, photography, and fun. Moths can be found everywhere from inner cities and suburban backyards, to the most wild and remote places. The diversity of moths is simply astounding. Their colors and patterns range from bright and dazzling, to so cryptic that they define camouflage. Moth shapes and sizes span the gamut, with some as small as a pinhead and others as large as a hand. Most moths are nocturnal and need to be sought at night to be seen, but others fly like butterflies during the day. Finding moths can be as simple as leaving a porch light on and checking it after dark. Serious moth aficionados use special lights and baits to attract them. Popular interest in moths is rapidly growing, as noted by recent publications and web-based resources. The new Peterson Field Guide to the Moths by David Beadle and Seabrooke Leckie, moth caterpillar guides by David Wagner, and a vast number of moth-oriented Internet resources such as the “Moth Photographers Group†and “BugGuide†are just some examples of moth’s growing popularity. Moths are also featured widely in literature and art providing a different angle for enjoyment and study. “Moth Nights†are often held by nature groups, and provide an opportunity for either an introduction to the creatures, or a venue for more serious pursuits.
National Moth Week brings together everyone interested in moths to celebrate these amazing insects. This summer, groups and individuals from all the across the country will spend some time during National Moth Week looking for moths and sharing what they’ve found. Getting involved during National Moth Week is easy: attend a National Moth Night event, start an event, join friends and neighbors to check porch lights from time to time, set up a light and see what is in your own backyard, or read literature about moths, etc. But no matter what, participate; the richness of moths is sure to fascinate. Check out www.nationalmothweek.org for more.
Locally, four programs with the Athol Bird & Nature Club will be of interest to our readers. The first, on Tuesday, July 24 from 8:00 pm – midnight, is The Moths of the Broad Meadow Brook Sanctuary. Join naturalists Dave Small and Lula Field as they travel to the Massachusetts Audubon Society’s Broad Meadow Brook Sanctuary in Worcester for an “Introduction to Moths†– a PowerPoint program at 8 introducing the families of moths likely to be encountered, followed by an evening of looking at moth-attracting lights and baited trees. Location: Broad Meadow Brook Conservation Center and Wildlife Sanctuary, 414 Massasoit Rd., Worcester, MA. Bring your point and shoot digital (or other) camera and flashlight. Free for ABNC and MAS members, a small fee for others. Questions: Dave@dhsmall.net.
Next, on Wednesday, July 25, from 9:00 pm – midnight, join Sue and Ron Cloutier at their home on South Main Street, New Salem, for The Moths of New Salem, the ABNC local kickoff to National Moth Week. This will be a casual evening demonstrating the placement of various types of lights to attract moths Bring your point and shoot digital (or other) camera and flashlight. Free and open to all. Questions & RSVP: cloutier@tiac.net.
Then, on Thursday, July 26, from 8:00 pm – midnight, join biologist Jenn Forman Orth and Athol Bird & Nature Club naturalists Dave Small and Lula Field in an exploration of the nighttime world of moths at New England Wild Flower Society’s Garden in the Woods in Framingham, MA. They’ll start with a brief introduction on how to attract moths with lights and bait, and include a few tips for good nighttime photography. If conditions are good, you should see up to 100 different moth species, plus a plethora of beetles, caddisflies and maybe even a cicada or two! Bring your own camera, flashlight, water and insect repellent.
Wrapping up the week, on Saturday, July 28 – Sunday, July 29, the finale of the National Moth Week celebration will be an overnight experience on the island of Martha’s Vineyard. ABNC naturalists will be joined by scientists from The Nature Conservancy, the University of Massachusetts and other organizations at the headquarters of the Manuel F. Correllus State Forest, a 5,100-acre property in the heart of Martha’s Vineyard. Bring your tent, sleeping bag, point and shoot digital (or other) camera and flashlight. Details are still being coordinated. RSVP Dave@dhsmall.net for updates.
Join park, garden and greenway enthusiasts, volunteers and professionals from across the state on Tuesday, October 4 to hear about the latest and greatest developments in urban parks! Explore Worcester’s gardens, parks, and trails with local advocates; debate the benefits of urban parks to a city’s sustainability, cultural vibrancy, and economic vitality; hear from city leaders, park professionals and young people about why parks matter to urban residents. Invited guests include: Department of Conservation and Recreation Commissioner Ed Lambert (former Mayor of Fall River), Worcester City Manager Michael O’Brien, and City of Fitchburg Mayor Lisa Wong (pictured below.) For complete information on times and registration, visit www.bostonparks.org.
Matt Mattus, of Worcester, Massachusetts, maintains a very good website, www.growingwithplants.com, and this week formally announced the publishing of the first prototype issue of Plant Society Magazine, available now at Magcloud.com. Here is what Matt says about his new venture:
“Magcloud is HP’s new Beta self publishing site for magazines, and I am using it to launch the first few issues. Magcloud tells me that that they can currently ship directly to USA, Canada and the UK. Let me know how it works if you are outside of the US. As a designer, horticulturist, trend hunter, artist, photographer, blogger and plant collector, it only seemed natural to use this new platform to launch this venture. After all, I design magazines for a living, I evaluate publication design for many of the major graphic design journals and annual award issues, I speak at both leading visual design conferences, and plant societies, and I have a vault of images taken over the past ten years from my greenhouses, alpine house and gardens.
The publishing business is changing so fast, that what once was seen as vanity publishing, is now much more accepted in our new digital world of blogs, Twitter, Facebook, etc. You can think of this as a magazine, or a blogazine. Either way, it will morph and change as I develop future issues to include both plant related features focusing on subjects not examined by the mass market magazines, and garden lifestyle – with inspirational crafts, holiday design, food, travel, and more all planned for future issues.
The first issue of this quarterly magazine is for people who are serious about plants. You know who you are, you don’t just like plants, you are crazy about them. You don’t just collect them, you curate your collections and you will do most anything to get that plant that you do not have. This stunningly designed plant quarterly is a plant connoisseur’s dream come true. It’s part botanical journal, part lifestyle magazine and part blogazine.
This issue focuses on high summer, both in the greenhouse and in the garden of the plant collector. Learn about Nerine sarniensis, the Guernsey Lilies, Japanese trained chrysanthemums, rare South African Geraniums (Pelargonium in the section Horarea), and Crocosmia.
Currently the magazine sells for $14.99. at 75 pages, but it is on sale as a feature of Magcloud for around $12.00 US give or take some change for shipping and handling directly through the website MAGCLOUD. Anyone in the US, Canada or UK can order direct from the Magcloud website portal, and can even pay directly from their credit card or Paypal on the site. Magcloud prints to order, and the process is very easy. In five days or less, the magazine will be printed, bound, and mailed directly to you.”
