Winter Hardy Cactus and Magnolias for New England

Magnolias are without doubt the most spectacular flowering trees that can be grown in temperate climates. Luckily for gardeners, the genus Magnolia is going through a "golden age" of new plant development. The result is rapidly expanding options for cold-climate gardens. Come and see some of these gorgeous new hybrids, some old favorites that still deserve planting, and see what beauty may result if you try growing your own magnolias from seed.

Magnificent Magnolias for Northern Gardens an illustrated lecture will be given on Saturday, February 12 from 10:30 am to noon at the Berkshire Botanical Garden. The Berkshire Botanical Garden is located at the intersection of Routes 102 & 183 in Stockbridge, MA.

Instructor Stefan Cover works at Harvard University's Museum of Comparative Zoology where he studies North American ants. He moonlights as a botanist/gardener with special interest in ornamental woody plants, especially magnolias. He runs the international seed exchange for the Magnolia Society and cultivates many of these lovely trees in Stow, Mass.

Hardy Cactus Gardening for New England Gardens, an illustrated lecture, will also be offered on Saturday, February 12th from 12:30 to 2 pm by Stefan Cover at the Berkshire Botanical Garden.

There are cacti with desert landscapes in the west but there are many cacti that you can grow in southern and central New England. This talk illustrates what will grow here, where to get the plants, and what you need to do to have a successful cactus garden in Massachusetts — all illustrated by the speaker's USDA Zone 5B cactus garden in Stow, MA.

The cost if each talk is $20 for members and $25 for non-members. Registration is required. To register, call the Berkshire Botanical Garden at 413-298-3926. For more information about upcoming family, youth and adult programs, visit the website @ www.berkshirebotanical.org.