Upcoming Events  Beat the Winter Blues. Here's activities in the Blue Hills either to get you outside or teach you new skills. Chickatawbut Section Hike Sunday, February 14, 10:00 am Mile-A-Minute: Invasion of the Aliens Saturday, February 27, 9:00 am Houghton Section Hike Saturday, March 6, 10:00 am Sentinel Invasive Surveyors Program Saturday, March 27, 10:00 to 3:00 Brookwood Conference Center Hillside St, Milton Blue Hill Section Hike Saturday, Apr. 10, 10:00 am Weed Busting in the Blue Hills Saturdays 9:00 am – 1:00 pm  May 15 and 22, June 19, July 10 and 17, August 14 and 21, September 4, October 9 and 30  Trail Maintenance Events Saturday mornings, 9:00 am - 1:00 pm April 24th DCR Park Serve Day, May 8th, June 5th National Trails Day, July 10th, August 7th, September 4th, October 2nd Adopt a Trail Classroom Training April 3rd, 9:00 am Brookwood Conference Center, Hillside St, Milton   For more information contact  ken@friendsofthebluehills.org

Friends of The Blue Hills  - 781 828-1805

--Castle Hill on the Crane Estate Grand Allée, circa 1930

 

Beverly, MA – On January 25,  The Trustees of Reservations (The Trustees) announced the beginning of the first phase of the restoration of the Crane Estate’s “Grand Allée” on Castle Hill, a National Historic Landmark located in Ipswich. This important and exciting project will restore the signature landscape feature of the estate: the undulating, half-mile-long, grass lawn that sweeps to a view of the sea and is framed by classical sculptures, Norway spruce, and pine hedgerows. The Grand Allée combines a grand scale with beautiful decorative arts, making it unique in American landscape design. It is the only known landscape masterpiece of its kind still in existence in North America – and one of only a few remaining worldwide. The Allée is one of the largest landscape features created by renowned Boston landscape architect, Arthur Shurcliff, who modeled the dramatic design after the beautiful Italian and French gardens of Renaissance Europe. Since 1949, when the Crane family gifted Castle Hill to The Trustees, the Allée has become a beloved and impressive backdrop for open-air concerts, weddings, tours and events, a children’s summer camp, and other recreational activities held year-round on the Crane Estate.

 

Nearly 100 years after its original installation, the Allée’s plantings and architectural elements have begun to rapidly decline. The aging trees are prone to damage from harsh weather and storms. In addition, at their mature height, the trees have outgrown Shurcliff’s design and become overcrowded, obscuring his carefully planned views of natural features and the original sculptures bordering the hedgerows. To restore this rare and iconic landscape to Shurcliff’s original splendor, The Trustees are embarking on a dynamic, three-year, environmentally sustainable renovation project. The restoration will constitute a living laboratory – modeling cutting edge environmental stewardship with the diligent care of a National Historic Landmark.

 

The Allée restoration project has been created in memory of David Crockett, a former member of The Trustees of Reservations’ Board of Governors whose tireless efforts on behalf of Castle Hill and the Crane Estate were critical in preserving this property. Mr. Crockett was an Ipswich resident known around town, and within The Trustees, as the “Impressario of Argilla Road,” on which the Estate is located. Mr. Crockett’s commitment to the care of the Crane family’s extraordinary gift to The Trustees set the standard by which the property has been – and will continue to be ­– managed.

 

“There is no other Allée or formal landscape vista in America that can compare to the Grand Allée at Castle Hill,” says Bob Murray, superintendent of The Crane Estate. “The national significance of this property, its landscape, and its architectural features illustrates the importance of The Trustees’ careful role in its preservation.”

 

Already underway, Phase One of the project includes the removal of approximately 90 trees and the planting of 150 seven-foot Norway spruce and White Pines. It also includes the repair, cleaning, and reinstallation of statues and the addition of new landscape lighting features. Signboards at the Crane Estate will explain the process, and guided tours of the restoration work will be available. In an effort to be as sustainable as possible, trees are being carefully removed with cranes, cut into logs, and sent to a local sawmill for lumber. The remainder of the trees will be chipped on site, composted at a local facility, and returned to the property to enrich the soil before the spring planting season. A local shipbuilder has even expressed interest in several specific trees.

 

In addition, The Trustees will restore and re-engage a cavernous underground cistern and rainwater harvesting system, itself an original part of the design of the self-sustaining Crane Estate. This original infrastructure will meet all of the irrigation needs of the project, eliminating the need to use potable water and creatively supporting the Allée’s environment. Phases Two and Three of this ambitious restoration project will involve the removal and replanting of the additional sections of trees further along the Allée moving outward toward the sea, for a total of 635 trees planted.

 

By its conclusion, this effort will represent one of the broadest, most expansive restoration efforts ever undertaken at the Crane Estate.

 

More About the Crane Estate

The crown jewel in its collection of 101 properties located throughout the state, The Crane Estate – consisting of Castle Hill, which includes the Crane mansion or "Great House" and the Inn at Castle Hill; Crane Beach; and The Crane Wildlife Refuge – is one of only a few remaining estates intact from the Country Place Era. A National Historic Landmark, Castle Hill requires ongoing and extensive interior and exterior restorations so that it can continue to be enjoyed by 250,000 people from New England and beyond who visit each year.

 

Chicago industrialist Richard T. Crane, Jr., purchased approximately 1,380 acres in 1910, the beginning of what would become the Crane Estate. A contemporary of Cornelius Vanderbilt, Crane was captivated by the beauty of the landscape, and, over time, worked with eight leading architects and landscape architects to shape his summer family retreat. In 1928, he crowned the estate with a grand mansion designed by renowned Chicago architect David Adler. Today, the Crane Estate encompasses 2,100 acres, and is open to the public, offering educational and cultural programs and activities, including SummerQuest, recognized as one of Massachusetts’ best summer programs for children. The Crane Estate also offers opportunities for year-round recreation and wonderful sites for private functions.

 

More about The Trustees of Reservations in the Northeast

On the North Shore, The Trustees of Reservations (The Trustees) own and care for some 20 reservations in Essex County including: Agassiz Rock, Appleton Farms and Appleton Farms Grass Rides, the Crane Estate (Castle Hill, Crane Beach, The Inn at Castle Hill, and the Crane Wildlife Refuge), Coolidge Reservation, Crowninshield Island, Greenwood Farm, Halibut Point, Long Hill, Misery Islands, Mount Ann Park, Old Town Hill, Pine and Hemlock Knoll, Ravenswood Park, Stavros Reservation, Stevens-Coolidge Place, Ward Reservation, and Weir Hill. Encompassing 5,794 acres, these properties contain some of the most spectacular natural, historic, and cultural resources in Massachusetts. They offer woodlands and hilltops, coastlines, great estates, historic houses and gardens as well as programs such as outdoor concerts, farm days, summer camps, and plant sales. To find out more about The Trustees in the Northeast, please call 978.356.4351.

 

The Trustees of Reservations Statewide

The Trustees are 100,000 people who love the outdoors and the distinctive charms of New England, and believe in celebrating and protecting them for current and future generations. Founded by open space visionary Charles Eliot in 1891, The Trustees “hold in trust,” and care for, 101 spectacular “reservations” located on 25,000 acres in 73 communities throughout Massachusetts. All reservations are open for the public to enjoy and range from working farms and historic homesteads – several of which are National Historic Landmarks – to formal gardens, barrier beaches, open meadows, woodland trails, and mountain vistas. The Trustees also offer meeting space at their Gold LEED-certified green building in Leominster, and manage a popular campground for summer getaways.

 

The Trustees also offer hundreds of programs and activities throughout the year for all ages, most of which are free-of-charge or discounted for members. In addition, The Trustees are a leader in the conservation movement and have served as a model for other land trusts nationally and internationally. With communities and conservation partners, The Trustees work to address important conservation issues and efforts across the Commonwealth. The Trustees hold conservation restrictions on more than 16,000 acres of privately owned land and, with our partners, have assisted in the protection of an additional 16,000 acres.

 

As land is being developed and open space is being fragmented at a rapid pace across the Commonwealth, time is running out to save the best of Massachusetts’ landscapes and landmarks. To find out how you can protect or preserve a special place in your community, become a partner, request a speaker, and/or become a Trustee through your volunteer, donor or membership contributions, please call 781.784.0567, visit www.thetrustees.org, or email membership@ttor.org. 

Flower show season arrives Feb 19 with The  Rhode Island Spring Flower & Garden Show in Providence. It is followed March 24 by the new Boston Flower & Garden Show. And there are others. Here's links and information:

March 24-28, The Boston Flower & Garden Show, Seaport World Trade Center in Boston, (tickets $20, $17 for seniors), for information visit  www.thebostonflowershow.com or call 781-237-5533. To participate as an a volunteer or amateur grower; call  617-933-4900 or visit , www.MassHort.org.

Garden Guru Carol Stocker will be on line live Friday, Jan. 29, at 1 p.m. to answer your questions about gardening, floral decoration, and landscaping to attract wildlife. Though you probably won't find one of these tropical chameleons in your garden, local wildlife can add greatly to the vivacity of your backyard landscape.

Garden Guru Carol Stocker will be on line live Friday, Jan. 28, at 1 p.m. to answer your questions about gardening, floral decoration, and landscaping to attract wildlife. Though you probably won't find one of these tropical chameleons in your garden, local wildlife can add greatly to the vivacity of your backyard landscape.

  "Feast for the Senses”  will be the theme if the new Boston Flower and Garden Show at the Seaport World Trade Center March 24-28. Here's some of the speakers who will address this theme:

Bill Cullina’s lecture “Gardening for the Five Senses” on Wednesday

Barbara Melera’s lecture “Heirloom Vegetables” on Wednesday

Rita Wollmering’s lecture “Ready, Set, Plant” on Thursday

Paul Splits lecture “Edible Gardening” on Friday

Scott LaFleur’s lecture “Listening to the Landscape: Using Nature’s Clues to Design a Garden that Works” on Friday

Roger Dorion’s lecture “Doom and Boom: How Small Gardens Can Save a Big, Hot and Hungry World” on Saturday

I will be lecturing on "Feeding Your Plant Greed" on Sunday afternoon along with the blog's Patti Moreno’s lecture “Urban Sustainable Living.”

There will also be cooking demos on topics like what to do with maple syrup, fruit from the local orchard, herbs, and early spring vegetables.

For more information visit:

www.thebostonflowershow.com

 

(Carol Stocker's boston.com chatroom has been rescheduled to Jan. 29, 1 p.m.)

Mark you calendars for the region's two big flower shows. The Rhode Island Spring Flower & Garden Show will return for the 17th year go the RI Convention Center Feb. 18-21. For information visit www.flowershow.com.

There will also be a new Boston Flower & Garden Show held March 24-28 at the Seaport World Trade Center in Boston. More to come on that.

Arnold Arboretum events:

Meanwhile you can ward off the winter blahs with

 FREE Winter Wellness Walks

Great scenery and exercise: who could want more? Three brisk walks this winter will help you stay healthy and connected to the Arboretum at a time when the landscape is pared down to its beautiful bones. Led by the Arboretum’s knowledgeable docents, the emphasis will be on fitness, with a healthy dose of information on seasonal plants and points of interest. 

 Walks start at 1 pm on three Sundays:  January 17, February 21 and March 21.    Meet at the Hunnewell Visitor Center. After the tour, warm up with a cup of tea or hot chocolate in the Visitor Center. For more information or possible weather cancellations, please call 617-384-5209.

 Here are some upcoming classes at the Arboretum:

 Design Workshop for Home Gardeners  HOR 282

Jan 14th, 2010 (Thu)   6:30 PM - 8:30 PM Hunnewell Building, Arnold Arboretum
(5 Sessions:  Jan 14, 21, 28, Feb. 4, 11)  
Explore principles of garden design and develop a plan for a specific area of your yard. In this class, you will explore the importance of line, scale, circulation, unity, and repetition as the organizational components of a coherent garden. Christie Dustman will use before-and-after examples of projects she has completed to illustrate the design process. You will be required to draw a base plan for your site and identify your wish list of features. This class will not include garden design, though some key plant elements may be discussed. Email adulted@arnarb.harvard.edu for a list of materials and instructions on creating your base plan for the first class. Fee $140 member, $168 nonmember.

Spirit: Garden Inspiration HOR 481

Jan 19th, 2010 (Tue) 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM Trinity Church, 206 Clarendon St. Boston

Dan Pearson is one of the most important and influential landscape designers working today. At the heart of all his gardens lies an unshakeable theme – his reverence for the power and delicacy of nature.   Dan will explain how he believes landscapes—both wild and designed—speak to us, how human interventions in the landscape can animate and inform, and how they can serve to memorialize and to heal.  Fee: $20 member; $25 non-member.

Pruning in Winter  HOR 314A

 Jan 23 (Sat) 9:00am–Noon Hunnewell Building, Arnold Arboretum
With no leaves on the branches to obscure your view, this is the best time of year to study a tree’s structure and shape it for improved air circulation, silhouette, and strength. Jen Kettell, an International Society of Arboriculture-certified arborist and accredited Organic Land Care professional, will explain the reasons for pruning and what to consider when pruning dormant trees, shrubs, and vines.  Bring your questions to this classroom discussion and demonstration.
Fee $30 member, $35 non-member

Grafting Techniques for Ornamental Trees  HOR 305

 Jan 30 (Sat) 9:00am–4:00pm Dana Greenhouse, Arnold Arboretum
Grafting is the technique of joining parts of plants in such a manner that they unite and continue their growth as one plant. It is sometimes the most practical propagation method for the hobbyist, since it does not require special conditions or equipment.  Head propagator Jack Alexander will teach methods of grafting and offer practice in making graft unions from actual plant material. You will graft both deciduous and evergreen trees and shrubs. The plants may include two- or five-needled pines and crabapples. If you own pruning shears or a grafting knife, please bring them to class.
Fee $90 member, $110 non-member.  Credit MCLP: 1ceu.

Landscaping with Native Plants HOR 167

February 8 (Mon) 6:30–8:30pm Hunnewell Building, Arnold Arboretum
(3 Sessions: Feb 8, 22; Mar 1)

In this class with designer Michael Lance, owner and Designer at Wild Regeneration, you will learn about native plants that would be most suitable to your garden site. Michael will present some of the plants that he incorporates when designing gardens for clients, with class sessions about native trees, shrubs, and perennials. He’ll emphasize edible and medicinal plants, trees and shrubs that exhibit ornamental characteristics, and perennials that can withstand and thrive in urban and suburban New England conditions. Throughout the class Michael will incorporate organic techniques and his philosophy for developing healthy and beneficial garden habitats.
Fee $70 member, $85 non-member

No registration necessary.

Garden guru Carol Stocker will by on line live Friday, January 8, from 1-2 p.m. to answer your questions about indoor and outdoor gardening.

Arnold Arboretum Exhibit:

 Summer in Winter:

Paintings by Anthony Apesos

 

January 9-March 6, 2010

 

Reception: Saturday, Feb 20^th  1pm

Artist Talk: Thursday, Feb. 25^th  6:30pm

 

   

The Arnold Arboretum is pleased to present the work of Jamaica Plain artist Anthony Apesos. He has been painting the Arboretum since he moved to Jamaica Plain in the early 1990s. His recent series of paintings shows the Arboretum at the height of summer’s verdant glory. A perfect antidote to winter weather, Apesos depicts the wide-ranging Arboretum landscape in deep summer, from the rugged outcrops of Hemlock Hill to the meadows from which dawn redwoods spring.

Anthony Apesos is a professor of painting and art history at the Art Institute of Boston at Lesley University. His paintings are inspired by such landscape artists as George Inness, John Constable, and Samuel Palmer.

Exhibit admission and related events are free, no registration required.

 

Hunnewell Building, Arnold Arboretum

125 Arborway, Jamaica Plain, MA 

Call 617.384.5209 for viewing availability. 

www.arboretum.harvard.edu

 Horticulture Certificate Classes Offered at Berkshire Botanical Garden

STOCKBRIDGE: - The Berkshire Botanical Garden and Berkshire Community College are offering three courses designed for the serious home gardener and the horticultural professional.  February offerings are Level I “Landscape Care and Garden Maintenance” Level II “Designer Tool Kit-Space and Materials” and Level III “Residential Landscape Construction”.    The Horticulture Certificate Program is a well-established professional development program in its 15th year of operation. The Garden is located at the intersection of Routes 102 & 183, Stockbridge, MA.

“Advanced Landscape Care & Garden Maintenance” a level I course is offered Tuesday evenings, February 2 – 23, 6 – 9 p.m. and Saturdays..  Learn about maintenance needs that are an important part of the design process. Students’ horticultural knowledge will expand to connect maintenance concerns with cost effectiveness.  Students learn procedures for transplanting, staking, fertilizing, winterizing through pest control with an emphasis on deer control. New products are evaluated with the focus on gardens looking at their peak in all seasons. Instructor Brad Roeller, B.S. is Manager of Outdoor Gardens at The New York Botanical garden in NY.  He lectures extensively and has been an instructor at the Berkshire Botanical Garden and the Institute for Ecosystem Studies for many years.

 

“Designer Tool Kit –Space and Materials” is a Level II course offered on Wednesday evenings February 3 – 24 from 6 - 9 p.m. Consider the importance of spatial requirements and relationships within the residential scale garden including landings, garden rooms, entrances, focal points and views. Learn how to make well considered choices for the elements and materials commonly used too meet functional and aesthetic needs. Features such as fences, decks, terraces, garden furnishings, containers and ornaments will be covered with a focus on developing the designer's vocabulary and palette.  Essential design principles will be a focus with the goal of practicing an ecologically based a form-finding approach to garden design. This course is team taught by instructor Chuck Schnell, MA, who works in planning and design for WCLDA in Ashfield, MA and instructor Kate Kerivan, M.A. who has designed landscapes in New England for over 30 years, winning MHS’s Gold Medal and Arnold Arboretum's Best Use of Hardy Plants Design Awards in MHS's Spring Flower Show.

 

 

“Residential Landscape Construction”, a Level III course offered Monday evenings, February, 1 – March 8 from 6 – 9 p.m.  This class introduces the student to typical landscape design for residential construction.  Homeowners and gardener s gain the knowledge to hire professionals and to integrate hardscape elements into landscape design plans.  Topics to be discussed include fence design; steps, ramps and perrons; flex base paving; structural base paving; free standing and retaining walls.  Each week, students are given a design problem to solve.  Students should possess basic drafting and math skills as well as knowledge in obtaining information from the internet.

Instructor - Steven Foster, ASLA is a registered landscape architect in MA with over thirty years experience. He currently divides his time between private practice and teaching at the Landscape Design Institute affiliated with Boston Architectural College.

 

The cost of Level I is $135, Level II is $195 and Level III is $220. To register for classes call the Berkshire Community College, Office of Lifelong Learning at 413 236 2122.  For more information about these courses call the Berkshire Botanical Garden 413 -298 -3926 or visit the website @ www.berkshirebotanical.org.      

 

January is a book reading month for gardeners. Here's my top ten from 2009:

1. "Sibley Guide to Trees," by David Allen Sibley (Knopf, $39.95). Thousands of paintings featuring well chosen details will help you identify trees even in winter. In fact Sibley, known for his celebrated bird guides, says this is the best time to observe the unique architecture of each species and he has painted many trees in their winter form. With native trees the most vulnerable and important plants endangered by climate change, we need to sharpen our awareness of wild trees of the woodlands which provide oxygen, food, shelter and erosion control for our ecosystem and which are very different from the cloned exotic trees we plant in our backyard gardens as pampered pets.

2."Beatrix Farrand; Private Gardens, Public Landscapes," by Judith B. Tankard (Monacelli Press/Random House, $60). Like her famous aunt, Edith Wharton, Farrand escaped the gilded cage of the Gilded Age through professional success in a man's field. One of the first women landscape architecture, she is survived by the magnificent Dumbarton Oaks in Washington, D.C., which is now a research institute of Harvard University, but not by her own famous garden on Mount Desert. Tankard explains how that was lost.
 
3. "Great Gardens of America,"  by Tim Richardson, photographed by Andrea Jones (Frances Lincoln Ltd., $50). A Londoner selects 25 iconic American and tries to explain what's American about them. Farrand's Dumbarton Oaks is featured as is Fletcher Steele's Naumkeag in Stockbridge.

4."Hidcote; The Making of a Garden" by Ethne Carke  (Norton, $45). I'm a fan of this great garden, which combines Italianate and English elements. Now here's the story behind it. The creator, Lawrence Johnston was an American contemporary of Henry James and Edith Wharton in Britain and his masterpiece is now preserved by the National Trust and visited by 100,000 people a year.

5. There are few garden writers as pleasant to stay indoors with as Connecticut based houseplant expert Tovah Martin.  She rediscovers and updates a classic Victorian garden technique in "The New Terrarium; Creating Beautiful Displays for Plants and Nature," with photographs by Kindra Clineff (Clarkson Potter, $25). They show how to use glass containers ranging from old aquariums and apothecary jars to antique Wardian cases to create miniature enclosed environments with the high humidity craved by orchids, mosses, begonias, ferns and many other plants. Most resources listed are located in New England.

6. "Home Outside; Creating the Landscape You Love," by Julie Moir Messervy  (The Taunton Press, $30) This book takes gardeners through six steps to release their "inner designer." It helps home lovers make their outdoor spaces as comfortable and beautiful as their interiors.  I like the "before" and "after" photos (which I always find more trustworthy in garden design books than drawings.) 

7. Scent is a sense too often underused in gardens. "Fragrant Designs," edited by Beth Hanson (Brooklyn Botanic Garden, $9.95). lists of the most fragrant roses, bulbs, etc., and suggests plant combinations for scented paths and container gardens.  

8. "Deer-Resistant Landscaping; Proven Advice and Strategies for Outwitting Deer and 20 Other Pesky Mammals," by Neil Soderstrom (Rodale Inc., $23.95). It includes more than a thousand plants considered unpalatable plus seasonally adjusted defensive strategies for this turf battle.

9. "Oh Garden of Fresh Possibilities! Notes from a Gloucester Garden," written and illustrated by Kim Smith, (David R. Godine, $35) captures the rapture of a gardener's journey through her own evolving quarter acre by integrating Smith's personal essays, hand's-on advice, and paintings.

10. "The Toronto Music Garden" (Julie Moir Messervy Design Studio, Inc., $15),  Messervy celebrates the 10th anniversary of her garden design collaboration with Yo-Yo Ma. Their award winning garden interprets the six movements of Bach's Cello Suite No. 1 through plantings and pathways that invite different moods and even gaits of walking. Originally proposed for windswept City Hall Plaza, it met with Menino administration disinterest,  and  was snatched by the city of Toronto, which arranged much of the funding and permitting in a single day. It's the public garden that got away.

Amaryllis bulbs always bloom their first year with magnificent flowers. Give the pot a weekly quarter turn to keep the stem straight. You can discard after blooming or keep the plant alive to (maybe) bloom again next winter.

   Carol Stocker replies: These euphorbias aren't exactly made of plastic, but they are treated with chemicals to keep them compact, and engineered to bloom for up to six months, longer than most of us would like. What we think of as flowers are really colored leaves. When buying plants, look for the true flowers, which are tiny yellow buds in the center of the flower-head. They should not be showing pollen. Let poinsettias dry out between waterings but water them immediately if the leaves begin to wilt. Misting is also beneficial.

   Poinsettias should be discarded after flowering, but if you like a challenge cut the stems back to 4-inch stumps after the leaves have fallen and water them very little. In May, move them to larger pots with some new compost and increase watering and start fertilizing. Thin the new growth to five stems. They can spend the summer outdoors until the end of September. Then comes the hard part. You must cover them each evening with black polythene bags so they get exactly 14 hours of complete darkness until their unveiling the next morning. This will add a glum note to your decor, and if you forget to cover them for even one evening, your plants won't color up. After eight weeks of this, treat them normally and they will bloom for next Christmas. Without the greenhouse-applied growth retardants, however, they will be taller.

Here are some of the best 2009 garden books that I would recommend for holiday giving:

"Oh Garden of Fresh Possibilities! Notes from a Gloucester Garden," written and illustrated by Kim Smith, (David R. Godine, $35) is a treasure, and perhaps the best garden gift book of the season. Why? Both dream-like and practical, it captures the rapture of an amateur gardener's journey through her own evolving quarter acre by integrating Smith's personal essays, hand's-on advice, and paintings. I was charmed by her listing of specific scents of favorite peony varieties accompanied by a painted sample of their petal colors. Someone just discovering gardening would be swept away by this book.

Santa's reindeer are definitely not garden friendly. If your gardener has deer, you'll win points and a rueful laugh by giving "Deer-Resistant Landscaping; Proven Advice and Strategies for Outwitting Deer and 20 Other Pesky Mammals," by Neil Soderstrom (Rodale Inc., $23.95). It includes more than a thousand plants considered unpalatable plus seasonally adjusted defensive strategies for this turf battle.

If you want to send someone on an armchair garden tour, I recommend "Great Gardens of America,"  by Tim Richardson, photographed by Andrea Jones (Frances Lincoln Ltd., $50). A Londoner selects 25 iconic American and tries to explain what's American about them. Farrand's Dumbarton Oaks is featured as is Fletcher Steele's Naumkeag in Stockbridge.

Don't get cabin fever when the holidays are over! Here's a listing of Adult and Children's Classes in Horticulture, plus some Field Trips at NEWFS headquarters at Garden in the Woods in Framingham. For more information, visit www.newenglandwild.org/learn

Saturday, January 16, 2009, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Wetland Species ID in Winter, This program builds knowledge and skills for recognizing wetland trees and shrubs in winter. The morning session is spent indoors learning key identification features. After lunch, instructor Dennis Magee takes the class into the field to see the plants in their habitats and determine wetland boundaries. Some familiarity with common wetland plants and taxonomy is helpful. Dress warmly and prepare for cold, wet field conditions. Bring a hand lens and a bag lunch. Fee: $70 (Member) / $80 (Nonmember). Pre-registration is necessary, contact the registrar at 508-877-7630, ext. 3303.

Saturday, January 23, 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Winter Botany. Garden in the Woods, Framingham, MA. Instructor William Kuriger, Ph.D., includes classroom lectures on the taxonomic characteristics of trees, shrubs, and herbaceous and evergreen plants in winter, including hands-on identification of twig and plant specimens. Learn the significance of macro and micro characteristics including growth habit, bud morphology, phyllotaxy, leaf and bundle scars, floral patterns and fruits. Acquire experience with an extensive array of classroom specimens and field identification of woody plants. Gain confidence using a key to identify unknown specimens, whether you are a beginning or experienced botanist. Fee: $75 (Member) / $85 (Nonmember). Cosponsored by New England Wild Flower Society and MA Audubon Drumlin Farm. Pre-registration is necessary, contact the registrar at 508-877-7630, ext. 3303.

Tuesdays, January 26, February 2, 9, 16, 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Conservation Biology: Saving Biodiversity in Today's Climate. Garden in the Woods, Framingham, MA. The core mission of conservation organizations is to preserve plants, animals, and their habitats. How do we best go about this essential work? Over four class sessions, we discuss the definition of "biodiversity", why we care about it as a society, the pervasive threats, and on-the-ground solutions. Using power-point presentations to illustrate concepts and case studies, instructor Frances Clark covers protection strategies and stewardship tools.  Learn how climate change alters our thinking of traditional conservation approaches. Obtain a background in the principles of conservation biology for you to become a more effective conservation advocate. Fee: $120 (Member) / $140 (Nonmember). Pre-registration is necessary, contact the registrar at 508-877-7630, ext. 3303.

Tuesday, January 26, 7-9 p.m. Native Vines for the Home Garden. Garden in the Woods, Framingham, MA. Too often the vertical space in the garden is overlooked and underutilized. Why not expand your garden palette and use colorful vines to fill these spaces? Instructor Laura Eisener explores some of the hardy vines available in the trade, including many native species that attract wildlife and provide texture to the landscape. Information on growing techniques, types of trellises to use, and sources for vines provided. Fee: $26 (Member) / $32 (Nonmember). Pre-registration is necessary, contact the registrar at 508-877-7630, ext. 3303.

Thursday, January 21, 3:30-5:30 p.m. Experiment! Garden in the Woods, Framingham, MA. Are you always asking “What would happen if…?”  Now is your chance to try some exciting experiments and discover some answers. Using everyday items like eggs, flowers, soap, food coloring, ice, yeast, baking soda, fruit, vinegar, salt, oil, and milk and experimenting with mixtures, different temperatures and pressure, who knows what we can discover!  Bring your curiosity, wear old clothes and prepare for some fun. For children in grades K-2. Instructor: Bonnie Drexler. Fee: $12 (Member) / $14 (Nonmember). Pre-registration is necessary, contact the registrar at 508-877-7630, ext. 3303.

 Sunday, January 31, 1:30–3:30 p.m. Winter Wonders Walk, Garden in the Woods, Framingham, MA. Family Program: Children with Adult Companion. Come to Garden in the Woods to see a puppet show about winter survival.  Make a "track-finder."  Walk through the wintry woods with instructor Tracy Phipps.  Enjoy hot drinks and a winter craft activity.  Hike down into the snowy woods, over an icy brook, and beside a meadow looking for signs of winter residents and their activities. Learn how our foxes, rabbits, squirrels, turtles, frogs, trees, and wildflowers survive the long snowy months. Fee: $8 (Member) / $10 (Nonmember). Pre-registration is necessary, contact the registrar at 508-877-7630.

CAROL STOCKER will answer questions about Christmas decorations, arrangements, greenery, houseplants and gift plants live from 1 to 2 p.m. at Boston.com Friday, Dec. 18.  ARNOLD ARBORETUM -The Winter Solstice in Legend and Song    
Dec 19th, 2009 (Sat)   7:30 PM - 9:30 PM Hunnewell Building, Arnold Arboretum
Diane Edgecomb, Storyteller, and Margot Chamberlain and Tom Megan, Musicians
 
Celebrate the season with acclaimed storyteller Diane Edgecomb and musicians Margot Chamberlain and Tom Megan. This performance features solstice legends from Greece, Scandinavia, and England as well as traditional music on Celtic harp, synthesizer, accordion, and voice. Classic evergreen lore, haunting legends of light, humorous tales of the season, and a traditional wassail round out this solstice celebration. Register early for this popular event. Appropriate for adults and for children twelve years and older.

Fee: $20

One of New England's favorite tellers, Diane Edgecomb has been featured on National Public Radio as well as at theaters, colleges, museums, and nature centers throughout the Northeast. A versatile performer whose tellings are filled with rich characterizations, Edgecomb has been hailed by Publisher’s Weekly as "a virtuoso of the spoken word: an entire cast rolled into one." Edgecomb has been recognized nationally as a leader in bringing together storytelling and nature themes. She is the author of A Fire in My Heart: Kurdish Tales.

Margot Chamberlain draws on a background of singing, classical piano, medieval and folk repertoire, Celtic music, and therapeutic harp to create accompaniments that speak to the heart of story and song. She has performed with Quadrivium, LiveOak, Mistral, Revels, and the Gentle MUSES at museums, festivals, residential and medical facilities, and other venues throughout New England.

Composer, playwright, and musician Tom Megan is a multi-instrumentalist who plays piano, synthesizer, accordion, guitar, and penny whistle. He has written several full-length musicals and has received numerous writing awards for the musical stage, including the Yip Harburg Award. He performs regularly with the Billy Walsh Band and Naked Caravan.
 
Spirit: Garden Inspiration HOR 481

Jan 19th, 2010 (Tue)   7:00 PM - 8:30 PM Trinity Church, 206 Clarendon St. Boston

Dan Pearson, Garden Designer and Writer

Dan Pearson is one of the most important and influential landscape designers working today. At the heart of all his gardens lies an unshakeable theme – his reverence for the power and delicacy of nature. In this lecture Dan will demonstrate his design process, in which he extrapolates on the spirit of place as it emerges through geography, history, architecture, and native flora. Dan will explain how he believes landscapes—both wild and designed—speak to us, how human interventions in the landscape can animate and inform, and how they can serve to memorialize and to heal.DPearsonLandformsHokkaido002.jpg

Fee: $20 member; $25 non-member.

Dan Pearson is a landscape designer with an international reputation for design and planting excellence. His key strengths are horticultural expertise, an informed and intuitive approach to the organization of space, and the practice of ecological and sustainable design principles. Dan trained at Wisley, a Royal Horticultural Society garden, and at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. He is a weekly gardening columnist for The Observer, before which he was a columnist for The Daily Telegraph and The Sunday Times. He is co-author of The Essential Garden Book (with Sir Terence Conran) and author of The Garden: A Year at Home Farm. He has presented and appeared in several TV series and has designed five award-winning Chelsea Flower Show gardens.
 

Boston Globe garden expert Carol Stocker will answer questions about Christmas decorations, arrangements and greenery, houseplants and gift plants live from 1 to 2 p.m. at Boston.com Friday, Dec. 18. She will be on line every other Friday. You can also visit her Blog at boston.com/gardenblog for updates on horticultural news, events and gardening tips. She will also be reviewing the best garden books of 2009.

At the GARDNER Museum: Holiday Flora: The Gardner Museum’s interior courtyard is adorned throughout December with winter berries, dozens of red poinsettias, flowering jade, jasmine trees, white azaleas and lady’s slipper orchids. A must-see for visiting relatives, and a fragrant escape from the winter weather, the central courtyard is an oasis of sun and flowers in the heart of Boston’s only Venetian-inspired palazzo.

Each New Years Day, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum offers a FREE day of museum admission in conjunction with Boston’s First Night celebration and to kick-off the new year in style. The annual event honors Frank Hatch, former Board member and President of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, for his lifelong dedication to public service and the arts. The day includes free admission for all activities.

Any day is free to members, children under 18, and all named “Isabella." Admission is also free to people on their birthdays.

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum is at 280 The Fenway Boston MA 02115 It is open Tue.-Sun., 11 am-5 pm; plus third Thursdays for After Hours events 5:30-9:30 pm • Admission: $12 adults; $10 seniors; $5 students. $2 off regular admission with a same-day Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, receipt • Box Office 617.278.5156, boxoffice@isgm.org • www.gardnermuseum.org •

First holiday open house at the newly open Wakefield Estate, Brush Hill Road, Milton, Thursday, December 17th from 4-7 pm
Please RSVP by Dec. 14 at 617-333-0924 or one of the staff email addresses below.
The Mary M. B. Wakefield Charitable Trust is a new 501(c)(3) non-profit organization staffed by:
Mark Smith, Executive Director - email: mark@dogwoodlanefarm.org
Erica Max, Landscape Supervisor and Educational Coordinator - email: erica@dogwoodlanefarm.org
Dave Cafaro, Grounds and Building Maintenance - email: dave@dogwoodlanefarm.org
Deborah Merriam, Horticultural Specialist
For more information visit www.wakefieldtrust.org