By Carol Stocker
Globe Correspondent\
Garden Club Plant Sales continue through early June, raising money for worth local causes and providing bargains for shoppers with sharp eyes. Don't buy the spreaders!

May 24, 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. The Stoneham GC "Annual Plant Sale & Lobster Roll Luncheon" at All Saints Episcopal Church 79 Central St. Stoneham. For information contact geotren@rcn.com

May 26, Dracut Garden Club 3rd Annual Plant Sale, 9:00 AM – NOON. Rain Date – May 27th– Featuring Garden Favorites, Vegetable Plants, Colorful Planters, Potted Flowers, Seedlings on the Dracut Historical Society Lawn, Lakeview Avenue

May 26, 9 am - noon, Osterville Garden Club Plant & Bake Sale, Osterville Garden Club Plant & Bake Sale, Special Features: Heuchera-Heucherella (Coral Bells), Herbs, Garden Items, Home Baked Goods, “Plant Doctor” Table at Osterville Library Green, Wianno Avenue, Osterville

May 29, 6:45 pm The Norwood Evening Garden Club's Donna Lane presents her "Container Garden" Program at the Carriage House of the First Baptist Church, 71 Bond St., Norwood, MA. $5 donation requested.

June 1 and 2, 9:00 A.M. (on both days) -5:00 P.M., Belmont Garden Club, "Signs of Spring" Flower Show at the Belmont Public Library's Assembly Room, 336 Concord Ave., Belmont.

June 2, 9 am - noon, Fairbanks Garden Club, Plant Sale, rain or shine, The Fairbanks House Museum 511 East Street, Dedham

June 2, 9 am - 3 pm Needham Garden Club Annual plant sale, corner of Highland Avenue and Great Plain Avenue, Needham

June 2, 9:00 A.M. -1:00 P.M. Scituate Garden Club "Annual Plant Sale " on the grounds of the historic Mann House, Greenfield Lane, Scituate with tours of the club's adjacent award winning wild flower garden.

June 2, 9:00 a.m. - 12 noon, Fairbanks Gareden Club of Dedham, "Plant Sale" on the grounds of The Fairbanks House Museum. The sale will take place rain or shine at 511 East Street, Dedham.

You can find some real bargains at plant sales - they are kind of like yard sales, only with plants, most of which were dug up from local backyards. The plants tend to be larger and less expensive than what you will find in nurseries and to be climate tested to thrive in our area. And these events raise a lot of money for local civic projects. So it's a win-win. But here's the catch: Ask a lot of questions and don't buy anything unless you get good answers. Some plants have been dug up for sale because they spread more than the owners like and they want to get rid of them! So beware of garden thugs.

I'm having a plant sale myself with neighbors at 375 Hillside Street, Milton, this Saturday 8 a.m.-3 p.m. and Sunday noon-3 p.m. featuring about a thousand perennials we've dug and divided from our own backyards, including some unusual ones. Most are only $5 and well behaved.

Here's a long list of others being held this week. You can probably find at least one near you.

The Marblehead Garden Club Plant Sale, The Star of the Sea Community Center, 80 Atlantic Ave. Marblehead, Saturday 9 am - 12:30 pm. Cottage Gardeners of Marblehead and Swampscott will be holding its annual plant sale on Saturday, May 19, 9-12:30, St. Stephens Church in Marblehead. Besides beautiful perennials from members gardens, and herbs, and vegetable seedlings priced very reasonably they will sell gently used garden tools and garden accessories.

Saturday 9 am - noon. The Medfield Garden Club Spring Perennial at the First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church, 26 North Street Medfield

Saturday 8:30a.m -11:00a.m. Brockton Garden Club Plant Sale featuring perennials from members gardens at the Brockton Parks Dept – 45 Meadow Lane, Brockton

Saturday, 9 am - 11:30 am, The Friendly Garden Club of Beverly at a new indoor location – the Beverly Senior Center at 90 Colon Street (down the road from the Briscoe Middle School). Proceeds will support civic beautification projects.

Saturday 9 am -2 pm, the Tewksbury Garden Club Will host their annual Plant Sale
at the Tewksbury Public Library, 300 Chandler Street, Tewksbury

Saturday at 8 am The Haverhill Garden Club Plant Sale will continue until it sells out of plants at Bradford Common, near 14 Church Street, Haverhill.

Saturday, 9 am - noon The Wareham Garden Club Spring Plant Sale will be held at the Olde Methodist Meeting House, 495 Main Street, Wareham

Saturday 9 am - noon. The Plymouth Garden Club Plant, Bake & Attic Treasures Sale
will be held at the Chiltonville Church, 6 River Street, Plymouth. Rain or Shine

Saturday, 9 am - 1 pm Garden Club of Hyannis Annual Plant & Bake Sale
“From Our Garden to Yours” Annuals, Perennials, Flowers, Herbs, Vegetables, Shrubs Home-baked Goodies Rain or shine. Proceeds to benefit the Scholarship Fund.
Location: Centerville Recreation Building, 524 Main St., Centerville MA

Saturday, 9:00 A.M. - 1:00 P.M. Acton Garden Club, "Plant Sale" on the Acton Center Common

Saturday, 9:00 A.M. - 12 noon Walnut Hill Garden Club of Hanover, "Biennial Plant Sale." First Congregational Church Riley Hall, Silver St. Hanover

Saturday, 9:00 A.M. - 11:00 A.M. Marblehead Garden Club 81st Annual Plant Sale.
Plants from the Jeremiah Lee Mansion’s gardens, as well as those from members’ gardens, will be available. Selections include wildflowers, perennials, annuals, herbs, rock garden plants and ground cover plants. Garden Club members are on hand to answer questions and provide gardening tips. Location: Star of the Sea Community Center, 80 Atlantic Ave., Marblehead

Saturday, 9:00 a.m. - 12 noon, Holliston Garden Club's annual Plant Sale features perennials dug from members' gardens, high quality annuals, herbs and vegetables.
Location: Church Green, Rte. 16, Holliston

Saturday, 9:00 a.m. -12 noon Community Garden Club of Duxbury, "Plant Swap & Sale"
Location: Town Green, Washington St. Duxbury

Sunday, 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. The Andover Garden Club presents "Jeduthan Abbot House & Garden Tour" at 31 Lowell St. Andover
Tickets: $20 and can be purchased prior to the event (Tickets will NOT be sold at the door) Contact: Dana at 978-475-4451

Sunday 9 am - noon, The Country Lane Garden Club Annual Plant Sale, at the First Parish Chelmsford Unitarian Church 2 Westford Street, Chelmsford

Sunday, 10 am - 2 pm, the North Andover Garden Club Annual Plant Sale, Stevens Memorial Library, Main St., North Andover

Sunday, 7 pm, Beth Shalom Garden Club. “Containers, Containers, Containers” program by Carol Bello and Karen Gorton. Temple Beth Shalom, 670 Highland Avenue, Needham. $5 donation requested. The floral designs will be raffled off!

Tuesday, 10:00 a.m. -2:00 p.m. Stoneham Garden Club "Annual Plant Sale & Lobster Roll Luncheon" at All Saints Episcopal Church 79 Central St. Stoneham

Dracut Garden Club 3rd Annual Plant Sale, May 26, 2012 9:00 AM – NOON
Rain Date – May 27th– Featuring Garden Favorites, Vegetable Plants, Colorful Planters, Potted Flowers, Seedlings.. Location: Dracut Historical Society Lawn, Lakeview Avenue

May 26, 9 am -noon Osterville Garden Club Plant & Bake Sale
Osterville Garden Club Plant & Bake Sale, Special Features: Heuchera-Heucherella (Coral Bells), Herbs, Garden Items, Home Baked Goods. “Plant Doctor” Table
Location: Osterville Library Green, Wianno Avenue, Osterville

By Carol Stocker
If you love irises, visit the Iris Society of Massachusetts' spring iris show on Monday, May 28, 2012 (Memorial Day) at the Harvey Wheeler Community Center, 1276 Main St., Concord, MA (see it on Google Maps at this link: http://g.co/maps/bjr2v)

The theme of this year's show is "Hats Off to Irises" with hats decorating the show tables and hat-themed arrangements. The show will be open to the public (for free) from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM. There will be arrangements, an exhibit of companion plants, an information table, a popularity poll for visitors to vote for their favorite iris flowers, and potted iris plants and bare-root rhizomes for sale. You might find something unusual.

The competition will include the Horticultural Division (individual stalks of named irises, judged by accredited AIS judges), the Youth Horticulture Division (for exhibitors under 19), the Seedling Division (unintroduced irises of any type), an Educational Exhibit, the Design Division (arrangements featuring irises on hat-related themes in several classes, to be judged by accredited Garden Club Federation judges) or the Companion Plants Division (cut flowers, cut foliage or entire plants, to be judged by popular vote of the visitors). To download the full show schedule (PDF), visit http://www.massirises.org/pdfs/ISMShowSchedule2012.pdf

Entries will be accepted between 8:00 AM and 10:30 AM. Judging is from 10:30 AM - 1:00 PM, at which point the show opens to the public.

This Saturday is the biggest day of the year for garden club plants sales which raise tens of thousands of dollars for local civic projects. Since many of the plants are dug from members' yards you never know what you might find, or what the prices may be. These sales are kind of like plant yard sales. You can find some choice rarities or bargains if you are lucky - and if you come early. Here's some of the day's sales:

8-10 a.m., the Milton Garden Club Perennial and Cow Manure Sale will be held outside the Milton Public Library, 476 Canton Ave., Milton.

8:30 A.M. - early afternoon,The Garden Club of Amherst "Annual Plant Sale" will be held on the Amherst town common (rts. 9 & 116).

9 am -1 pm, the Open Gate Garden Club of Chelmsford 50th Anniversary Plant Sale will feature Herbs, Annuals, Perennials, Hangers, Planters, Mother’s Day Gifts, Refreshments, a Design Demonstration and a Master Gardener available for questions at the Unitarian Universalist Church, 2 Westford Street, Chelmsford Common at the corner of Rte. 110 & Rte. 4.

9:00 a.m. -12 noon the Bridgewater Garden Club "Annual Plant Sale" featuring perennials from members gardens will be held at the Bridgewater Cole-Yeaton Senior Center, 10 Walley Krueger Way, Bridgewater.

9 am - 2 pm Boggestow Garden Club of Sherborn will hold their Geranium Sale at 19 Washington Street, on the lawn of the Library. Rain or Shine.

9 am - 1 pm the Norwood Evening Garden Club will hold their Annual Plant Sale at Hawes Pool Park, Washington St., Norwood, MA

9 am -1 pm the Billerica Garden Club Plant Sale will be at the Billerica Senior Center, 25 Concord Road, Billerica

9 am -1 pm The Country Gardeners Georgetown Plant Sale will be at 30 E. Main Street, Georgetown.

9 am -2 pm The Boxford Village Garden Club Plant Sale will be at 2 Elm Street, Boxford MA. (Elm Street is the main street in Boxford Village, where the East Boxford Church is located.)

9 am -12 noon the Framingham Garden Club Plant Sale will offer a variety of different plants from members’ gardens and other gardening information. Members will be available for questions at the Cushing Maintenance Building at the Winter St.(near Keefe) entrance.

9:00 A.M. -1:00 P.M. the Billerica Garden Club Plant Sale will be held at the Billerica Council on Aging 25, Concord Road, Billerica.

By Carol Stocker
The Spring Festival and Perennial Divide will be held at Boston on May 12th at Boston Natural Areas Network’s City Natives, 30 Edgewater Drive, Mattapan from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The festival is free for everyone and is held rain or shine.The Festival’s highlight is the Perennial Divide where anyone who shares an interest in community or backyard gardening can come together to swap plants and gardening tips. Participants are requested to pre-divide their perennial plants into smaller pieces and to bring their own containers for plants to take home. You do not need to bring plants if you are a beginning gardener; there are plenty of free plant divisions to share. BNAN staff members along with skilled BNAN Master Urban Gardeners will be standing by to assist with any questions, concerns or comments you might have.

The Spring Festival also includes a Gardener’s Market of native plants and vegetable seedlings propagated at City Natives along with compost, organic fertilizer and soil amendments to help gardeners build their soil. Proceeds from all sales will benefit BNAN’s City Natives. There is also a free workshop on beekeeping presented by Mike Graney from 12:00- 1:00 p.m. This event also offers the opportunity to take a self-guided tour of the Learning Garden and network with other gardeners.

For more information about the Spring Festival and Perennial Divide, contact BNAN at 617-542-7696 or www.bostonnatural.org. City Natives is accessible by public transportation to Mattapan Square. Remember only service dogs are allowed onto the property.

####

LOCAL LAWYERS joined volunteers to plant 16 trees on Saturday, April 28 at the Dudley Street Neighborhood Charter School in Roxbury. The event was made possible with the help of LATTE (Lawyers Accountable To The Earth), which is joining forces with Grow Boston Greener (GBG), and Boston Natural Areas Network (BNAN).

LATTE is a local initiative of RainforestMaker, a non-profit program founded by Boston attorney Jeffrey S. Glassman, and is dedicated to providing for tree planting and maintenance at Boston area sites in need of trees. "Since lawyers go through ten times more paper than the average office worker, it is only fitting that they replant the trees they use.” Says Attorney Glassman, “Planting trees at schools sets a positive example for teachers, parents, and kids and raises awareness that resources used in one's life can be mindfully restored."

Jesse Solomon, Executive Director, Boston Plan for Excellence was also at the school to help out. Mr. Solomon stated, "The Dudley Street Neighborhood Charter School aims to provide a world class education for all its students, preparing them for long-term academic success and responsible civic engagement. As part of that mission, we want to help our students learn about and become stewards of their environment and community. We are intent on making the physical space be the welcoming and vibrant space our children deserve, and having several trees recently added to the property goes a long way toward this goal."

The Grow Boston Greener program was launched by Mayor Menino on Arbor Day, April 30, 2007 when an inventory of the City’s trees showed that Boston had an overall tree canopy cover of 29%. The GBG vision is to plant an additional 100,000 trees by 2020 to increase the urban tree canopy to 35% and make Boston a cooler, greener, healthier city. The goals of GBG are to increase tree canopy, mitigate heat island effect, reduce energy consumption, improve air quality and improve storm water management. GBG focuses not only on planting trees, but also on the community-based stewardship activities necessary to ensure the trees' survival.

Boston Natural Areas Network assists the City of Boston by managing the GBG program. Funding for the GBG program is provided by the support of corporate and philanthropic donors through the Fund for Parks and Recreation in Boston.

Boston Natural Areas Network is a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing together local residents, partner organizations, public officials and foundations to preserve, expand and enhance urban open space, including community gardens, greenways and urban wilds. For further information about the organization, becoming a member or the calendar of events, visit www.bostonnatural.org, or call 617-542-7696.

One of the best soil amendments for garden and lawn is aged cow manure because cows have four stomachs so weed seeds are fully digested and will not sprout again, unlike those in horse manure. But local organic aged cow manure is hard to find in the Boston area. One source is the Milton Garden Club's annual plant sale, which orders in a truckload of 40 pound bags at $7 each from an organic Massachusetts farm. The catch is that you have to place your reserve it in advance, because anything extra sells out fast.

Orders should be submitted by Thursday, May 3, and accompanied by checks payable to the Milton Garden Club and mailed to Barbara Phinney, 104 Canton Ave., Milton, MA 02186 (please include your email address for confirmation). Or you can email her for an electronic order form at cooper448@me.com. Call 617-696-8009 with questions. Every effort will be made to accommodate late orders.

Bags that have been reserved should be picked up in the parking lot of the Milton Public Library, 476 Canton Ave., 8 a.m. to noon. There will also be many unusual perennials from Milton Garden Club members' gardens for sale at the library from 8-9:30 a.m. so go early if you want to shop.

The club provides a detailed set of instructions on how to use the compost. To help calculate the number of bags to purchase, here are some guidelines:
Approx. 1 bag per 20 sq. ft. of bed area - 1” compost worked into soil
Approx. 2 bags per 1000 st. ft. top dress lawns, apply spring & fall

A Few of the Verified Benefits of Compost Use Include:
• Improves soil and its porosity, creating a better plant root environment.
• Increases moisture infiltration and permeability, reducing bulk density of heavy soils, and reducing soil erosion and runoff.
• Improves the moisture-holding capacity of light soils, reducing water loss and nutrient leaching while improving moisture retention.
• Improves the cation exchange capacity (CEC) of soils.
• Supplies organic matter.
• Aids in the proliferation of soil microbes.
• Supplies beneficial microorganisms to soils and growing media.
• Encourages vigorous root growth.
• Allows plants to more effectively utilize nutrients, while reducing nutrient loss from leaching, enabling soils to retain nutrients longer.
• Contains humus, assisting in soil aggregation and making nutrients more available for plant uptake.
• Buffers soil pH.

To quote author and organic gardener Ann Lovejoy, “Dairy manure may be the single most useful soil builder around. Composted dairy manure from healthy cows is just about perfect for garden use; it can be used as a topdressing and for soil improvement, and it is safe to use in unlimited numbers.”

That's why gardeners call it "black gold."

By Carol Stocker
This is my favorite annual weekend at the Museum of Fine Arts, whose galleries are transformed through Monday by almost 70 extraordinary arrangements inspired by specific works of art in the museum collection. Volunteer arrangers in many local garden clubs have been assigned wildly differing works of art works to interpret, ranging from mid-century jewelry to early American furniture and ancient Egyptian tombs. The fun of Art in Bloom is to judge for yourself how cleverly or deftly each flower arrangement echoes the art it is paired with. The floral festival is free with regular Museum admission - which itself is free on Monday night from 5-9 p.m. at the end of the show.

One of the best arrangements ever devised for Art in Bloom must be the Boston Junior League Garden Club's large two dimensional installation by Jane Carr and Lucinda Larson, which interprets an entire special exhibit room of fashion illustrations. Their mammoth piece is comprised of five assorted flower arrangements linked together by the classic fashion motif of sinuous curving palm fronds. The witty result is a floral art special exhibit in its own right that mirrors the spacial relationships of the larger display around it.

There is a lot of mirroring. For instance the very effective arrangement that is Dana Roberts' and Jean Ridge's interpretation of a nautical American painting, for the Hull Garden Club, seems to float in its boat-like ceramic vessel. Having the right container can make (or break) a floral arrangement, of course. Stephanie Hartwell and Joan Gallery of the Amateur Gardeners of Milton reflect a cache of Joan Crawford's aquamarine and diamond jewelry with camera ready flowers in a glittering mirror vase gaudy as the trophy ball on TV's "Dancing With The Stars."

The second floor of the Linde Family Wing for Contemporary Art is a jewel box itself, and is the must-see gallery of this 36th edition of Art in Bloom. Begin with Jessica Pohl and Barbie Cobb's interpretation of "Sinuous," a writhing white sculpture which they deftly recreate with fiddle heads and calla lilies for the Weston Garden Club. The free-wheeling fun continues throughout this wing as flower arranging goes modern.
Maureen Marshall and Catherine Healy do a vibrant interpretation of red toile wallpaper for the Holliston Garden Club.

The Art of Europe Wing is another fun spot. The warm golden heart of Ann Millington's and Cat Malone's outwardly pale roses captures the changing light in the architectural landscape they have interpreted for the Milton Garden Club.

Many of the Professional Designers' arrangements are also worthy of accolades, including Sue Kaplan Flower melting red and black installation and Jolie Lapham Design's playful red and green dragon. New Leaf flores also prompts second looks.

Members' Night is Sunday, April 29, 6–9 pm with members-only viewings with tours, shopping, and dining. Tours continue until 8 pm; galleries are open until 9 pm. The New American Cafe's last seating is at 8 pm; Taste opens until 8:30 pm. The Paula Pryke Book Signing is Monday, April 30, 12:30–1:30 pm

Boston Natural Areas Network and the Boston Urban Forest Council will be busy this April planting trees throughout Boston. Here are four opportunities to help expand Boston’s urban forest.

MA DCR Park Service Day—Saturday, April 21

Partner: Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation
Time: 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Location: Pope John Paul II Park, Hallet Street Entrance, Dorchester, MA
BNAN Website: www.bostonnatural.org/index.htm

MA DCR Website: www.mass.gov/dcr/parkserve/

Service projects to improve MA Department of Conservation and Recreation Parks across the Commonwealth will be happening on Park Serve Day. Join BNAN volunteers to plant crabapples at Pope John Paul II Park in Dorchester on the Neponset River. Gloves, tools, snacks and water provided.

Allandale Urban Wilds Earth Day Planting—Saturday, April 21

Partner: Boston Department of Parks and Recreation
Time: 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Location: 7VFW Parkway, West Roxbury
Website: www.bostonnatural.org/index.htm

Bring water and wear sturdy shoes.

Nightingale Community Garden, Arbor Day Tree Planting—Friday and Saturday, April 27 and 28

Partner: Nightingale Community Gardeners
Time: 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Location: 512 Park Street, Dorchester
BNAN Website: www.bostonnatural.org/index.htm

Join the Arbor Day Celebration to intall orchard and buffer plantings to improve the perimeter of the garden. Sixteen trees will be planted. Gloves, tools and guidance will be provided

Emerson School, Arbor Day Tree Planting—Saturday, April 28

Partner: Neighborhood Tree Advocates
Time: 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Location: Dudley Street at Shirley Street, Roxbury
BNAN Website: www.bostonnatural.org/index.htm

Help plant new flowering and shade trees along the perimeter of the schoolyard, focusing on Dudley and Langdon Street edges. Gloves, tools and guidance will be provided to ensure a great experience.

For more information or to sign up for one or more of these wonderful opportunities to help green Boston, please call BNAN at 617-542-7696 or email at info@bostonnatural.org.

Boston Natural Areas Network is a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing together local residents, partner organizations, public officials and foundations to preserve, expand and enhance urban open space, including community gardens, greenways and urban wilds. For further information about the organization, becoming a member or the calendar of events, visit www.bostonnatural.org, or call 617-542-7696.

Show Director Carolyn Weston confirmed that the Boston Flower & Garden Show will return to the Seaport World Trade Center in 2013. Meanwhile, here's a few of the organizations and companies that helped make this year's show, First Impressions, which closed Sunday, a success: the Massachusetts Horticultural Society (www.masshort.org) Mahoney's Garden Centers (www.mahoneysgarden.com), the 2012 Newport Flower Show Exhibit (www.newportflowershow.org), Peter R. Sadeck, Inc., www.petersadeck.com), Magma Design Group Inc (www.magmadesigngroup.com), Massachusetts Master Gardeners (www.massmastergardeners.org), Ahronian Landscaping & Design (www.ahronian.com), the Bonsai Study Group (bonsaistudygroup@comcast.net), Cass School of Floral Design (

People always ask me, "Is The Flower Show worth going to this year?" And I always say, "Yes!" I love the Boston Flower & Garden Show. It's one of the classiest and best in the nation (and I've been to a lot of flower shows in other places).

This grand old Boston tradition runs through Sunday at the Seaport World Trade Center. It's a great place to find some spring gardens in full bloom after the teasing unseasonably warm March weather we have enjoyed.

The 137-year old non-profit show met its demise in 2009 for financial reasons but was resurrected the following year by the Paragon Group, event marketers and producers, under the guidance of Carolyn Weston, who directed the old show. The operation has been a success. Thank you, Paragon Group.

The many display gardens by landscape professions showing their wares are designed on the theme: "First Impressions: Adding Wow Factor to Outdoors Spaces." Mahoney's has an entrance exhibit illustrating front yard garden panache and orange tuplips flanked by Jameson Landscape and an outstanding garden by Heimlich Nurseries, which has supported the show for generations with it annual large flowering landscapes. Newer participants include Markus Specimen Tree, Crystal Brinson, Ahronian Landscaping & Medway Garden Center, the Garden Design School, Quintessential Gardens, and Liquid Landscape Designs, which features some unusual rock and glass mashups. Peter Sadeck won the Allen C. Haskell award for his spectacular green archway featuring live parrots. The Newport Flower Show exhibit also had great showmanship.

The clever miniature gardens viewed through a peephole like display window are also enchanting. Gloria Freitas Steidinger of the Easton Garden Club won in this catagory for her miniature creation of "Shangrila." As usual, this feature was organized by Debby Hogan and her husband, noted landscape designer and nurseryman Warren Leach, who will be speaking at 11 a.m. Thursday.

There are dozens of other continuous lectures. I am particularly looking forward to Saturday's 1 p.m. lecture by Mike & Angie Chute on gardening with the new low maintenance roses.

Flower arranging also has a strong presence. Professional florists in one invitational have made living hats from flowers and foliage fashioned after those bizarre forward tilting caps called "fascinators" you saw at Kate and WIll's Royal Wedding last year.

The flower show's Ikabana display is completely serene and inspiring. There are also several competitive amateur flower shows, including two by members of the Garden Club Federation of Massachusetts, and a garden photography competition, all run by the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, under the title: Blooms! This also includes a children's education section that will include a scavenger hunt and horticultural activities near the Mass. Hort. desk, trustee Betsy Madsen pointed out.

Mass. Hort. provides many volunteers, and showcases hobby gardeners' plants in its amateur section, including a wonderful cotton plant with bolls of ripe cotton grown by Elaine and Sidney Koretsky of Brookline.

The New England Flower Show, which has employed thousands of local volunteers over its many decades, has deep roots in the community. Two charismatic volunteer leaders who died in the last year were honored among the Mass. Hort. exhibits. Chestnut Hill's wonderful Corliss Knapp Engle, who died in November after a lifetime of horticultural contributions, had a garden photography award named after her, which was won by Debbie Ross of Winnetka, Il., for her photograph of lodge pole pine.

There was also a write-up about the many contributions of long-time Weston resident Susan Beth Emery Dumaine, who died in February in Kentucky where she had retired. She was whip smart, energetic and funny. Among her many local horticultural contributions, Dumaine for many years ran (and policed) nomenclature at the flower show so all plants were correctly labeled. It was painstaking work.

Fittingly, Mass. Hort. Executive director Kathy Macdonald was on hand at the show where she praised a new high tech form of plant labels being used here and at the Elm Bank headquarters. "You scan the plant labels (called hortycodes) with your smart phone and and it tells you about the plant and there's even an audio link with the correct pronunciation." I think Susan Dumaine would have loved it.

For more information about the Flower Show visit http://www.bostonflowershow.com.

Iris Gestram will become the new deputy director of Harvard's Arnold Arboretum. “We are thrilled to have Iris join our team,” said Arboretum Director William (Ned) Friedman. “Her combination of managerial skills and experience in public horticulture will be a great asset to the Arboretum as we embark on the next exciting chapter of our history.”

Iris comes to the Arboretum from the National Association for Olmsted Parks where she served as Executive Director. Previously, Iris headed the Education and Visitor Services Department at historic Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, PA, where she oversaw guest services, education, public programs, public relations, and marketing for the 1,000-acre public garden. Iris also served as Director of Education and Visitor Services at the Olmsted-designed Bok Tower Gardens in Lake Wales, FL, adjacent to Mountain Lake Community with its numerous residential landscapes designed by the Olmsted firm.

“I have long admired the Arnold Arboretum as a renowned research institution, public garden, and Olmsted-designed landscape,” Iris said of her appointment. “I am delighted to be joining the Arboretum’s accomplished staff. With Ned’s leadership and new research facilities at Weld Hill, there are exciting opportunities for greater integration between the Arboretum and Harvard University and for positioning the Arboretum as an international center for plant science, horticulture, and education.”

Iris offers the Arboretum extensive experience in non-profit management, strategic planning, and program development. She holds a master’s degree in plant science from Humboldt University in Berlin, Germany, and a master’s of science in public horticulture administration from the Longwood Graduate Program, University of Delaware. While in the Longwood Program, Iris developed a preservation plan for the historic landscape of Gibraltar in Wilmington, DE, designed by pioneer woman landscape architect Marian Cruger Coffin.

An active participant nationally in the fields of historic landscape preservation and public horticulture, Iris has served on the Longwood Graduate Program Executive Committee and the Gibraltar Landscape Advisory Committee for Preservation Delaware, Inc. She recently completed a strategic plan for the Smithsonian Horticulture Services Division that initiated a name change to Smithsonian Gardens to better reflect the organization’s stature and operations as a public garden, educational institution, and horticultural display garden.

BOYLSTON, Mass. - Tower Hill Botanic Garden's Executive Director, John Wheaton
Trexler, has announced that he plans to retire March 15, 2012, following nearly
28 years as Executive Director of the Worcester County Horticultural Society [WCHS].
Mr. Trexler will be named Executive Director Emeritus at his retirement.

The Worcester County Horticultural Society, which owns and operates Tower Hill Botanic
Garden, will launch a national search for Trexler's successor. WCHS Board President,
Christopher Reece announced that a search committee would be named shortly.

Mr. Reece announced that Trexler is leaving the Horticultural Society after successfully
completing four capital projects/campaigns totaling more than $30 million. These
projects include the construction of more than 50,000 square feet of buildings,
30 acres of garden, and four miles of trails. The most recently completed projects
are the Limonaia (a display greenhouse) and the Winter Garden. Mr. Reece said, "John
has been extraordinarily successful in working with the Board of Trustees and with
major donors to see that the Board's vision became reality."

When Trexler joined WCHS in 1984, the Board had decided to move from its downtown
Worcester property to acquire at least 50 acres of land and to develop a public
garden. On April 1, 1986, after researching 25 different sites, the Society purchased
Tower Hill Farm in Boylston. Today, Tower Hill Botanic Garden comprises year-round
displays of the finest plants available for cultivation in central New England,
showcased within remarkably diverse landscapes. Elegant statuary, rustic and classical
structures, fine stone walls, and miles of woodland trails enhance the natural features
of this beautiful 133-acre property.

Trexler oversaw the development of Tower Hill during the first 25 years of the Society's
50 year Master Plan. The result of that effort includes a magnificent complex of
buildings and 21 diverse gardens and natural landscapes. Trexler is particularly
proud of his oversight of the WCHS library, which holds over 6000 books and periodicals
spanning seven centuries.

"The Staff and Board will miss John's focused and passionate dedication to the grand
vision of Tower Hill Botanic Garden, but we are committed to maintaining the excellence
that John has established for Tower Hill during his long and successful tenure,"
said Mr. Reece.

The Berkshire Botanical Garden is open for snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and hiking through the 15-acre facility daily. Educational programs and special events run continuously through the winter months the corner of Routes 102 & 183, Stockbridge, MA 01262. For more infomration call 413 298-3926 or visit berkshirebotanical.org

Saturday, March 3, 10 am ? noon: Growing a Cutting Garden. Bring a cardboard box to transport plantings home. Learn how to make a small, highly productive cutting garden. All aspects of growing cut flowers, selecting varieties that hold up best, sowing times and techniques, planting and transplanting, cultivating and preparing for market will be covered. This is a program for both the home gardener and the nascent market gardener. After the presentation, participants will sow some of the instructor?s favorite seeds and transplant seedlings to grow on at home.
Instructors: Jan Schaffer and Marty Sax
Berkshire Botanical Garden, corner of Routes 102 & 183, Stockbridge, MA 01262
413 298-3926 www.berkshirebotanical.org

Saturday, March 10, 1 ? 3 pm
A Nursery Man?s Miscellany: New and Lesser Known, Garden-worthy Plants
Lecture
Cost: Members $22; Nonmembers $27
A talk on the lesser known garden-worthy plants sure to enhance your garden. While the efficacy element of gardening?s success depends on many factors beyond simple plant selection, this lecture covers an eclectic range of choice plants to rejuvenate your perennial plant palette.
Instructor: Ed Bowen
Berkshire Botanical Garden, corner of Routes 102 & 183, Stockbridge, MA 01262
413 298-3926 www.berkshirebotanical.org

Mondays, March 12 ? April 2, 6 ? 9 pm
Organic Vegetable Gardening
Lecture/Discussion
Cost: $185 for all levels, Co-enrolled with Horticulture Certificate Program
A class for those starting or caring for a vegetable garden, this is a practical class on growing food. Topics will include site selection, soil and nutrient management, seed selection, design, crop rotation schemes, seeding and planting, pest management and specific plant cultivation, with an emphasis on building a healthy soil and careful management of moisture requirements. Each week, a different vegetable family will be covered: Melon family, Tomato family, Beet family, Cabbage Family, Legume family and the Greens family.
Instructor: John Howe
Berkshire Botanical Garden, corner of Routes 102 & 183, Stockbridge, MA 01262
413 298-3926 www.berkshirebotanical.org

Saturday, March 17, 9 am ? 3 pm
Build a Backyard Chicken Coop: Basic Carpentry Skills
Hands-on workshop

Members $50; Nonmembers $60
Tool list available at www.berkshirebotanical.org
Learn basic carpentry skills for building a small backyard chicken coop. Learn basic hand and power tool techniques as well as woodworking and project planning skills. Become familiar with building materials and the simplicity of backyard woodworking projects. The program will focus on the simplicity and satisfaction of proper hand tool use; and the ways power tools expedite the building process.
Instructor: Will Conklin
Berkshire Botanical Garden, corner of Routes 102 & 183, Stockbridge, MA 01262
413 298-3926 www.berkshirebotanical.org

Friday, Saturday, Sunday, March 23, 24, 25, 10 am - 4 pm
Botanical Illustration with Graphite Pencil

Workshop
Cost: Members $195; Nonmembers $225
Bring a bag lunch, all levels
Materials list available at www.berkshirebotanical.org
A great class for beginners or more advanced students that will give you the confidence to draw and get you to look at nature more closely. Draw the beauty of nature's dried pods, grasses and flowers from garden and fields. Train the eye through quick sketching, drawing plants in proportion, the essentials of perspective and applying tonal values to give your drawing visual depth.
Instructor: Carol Ann Morley
Berkshire Botanical Garden, corner of Routes 102 & 183, Stockbridge, MA 01262
413 298-3926 www.berkshirebotanical.org

Saturday, March 24, 10 am - noon
Chickens in the Backyard
Lecture
Cost: Members $22; Nonmembers $27
Calling all gardeners to join the backyard chicken movement! This workshop will inspire and give you the skills to start your own backyard flock. Topics covered: nutrition, shelter/coops, health, egg production, breeds, predators, regulations, general care, helpful resources and more. Inspect a few hens and admire some freshly laid eggs. All levels; beginners encouraged.
Instructor: Meg Taylor
Berkshire Botanical Garden, corner of Routes 102 & 183, Stockbridge, MA 01262
413 298-3926 www.berkshirebotanical.org

Saturday, March 31, 10am - noon
Rejuvenating Shrubs including Lilacs, Weigela, Forsythia and more
Hands-on workshop
Cost: Members $35; Nonmembers $42
Participants should bring hand pruners, work gloves and dress for the weather. This workshop will focus on rejuvenating pruning, including when, why and how to renovate or rejuvenate your woody plants. Learn about tools, timing and specific techniques available to the home gardener. Following a lecture and several pruning demonstrations participants will learn by doing.
Instructor: Ken Gooch
Berkshire Botanical Garden, corner of Routes 102 & 183, Stockbridge, MA 01262
413 298-3926 www.berkshirebotanical.org

Saturday, March 31, 1 - 3 pm
Cultivating all the Right Moves: Body Mechanics for Gardeners
Discussion/workshop
Cost: Members $22; Nonmembers $27
For home gardeners and professionals. Prepare to garden comfortably, safely, and efficiently this spring. Learn a simple, effective and energizing stretching routine that will help prevent garden-related injuries, muscle strains, aches, and pains. Explore proper movement techniques for bending, lifting, digging and raking. Assess a variety of gardening situations for reducing stress and strain on your joints by choosing the right ergonomic tools and implementing energy conservation strategies that will help you garden with ease all season long.
Instructor: Carrie Whitelaw
Berkshire Botanical Garden, corner of Routes 102 & 183, Stockbridge, MA 01262
413 298-3926 www.berkshirebotanical.org

Kennett Square, PA. - "There is telling evidence that climate change is affecting plant life around the world and here at Longwood," said Paul Redman, the director of Longwood Gardens. "For example, through Longwood Gardens sponsored research we have observed that plants are flowering earlier on average one day per decade over the last 150 years." The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has announced a partnership with Longwood in the form of an exhibit featuring climate data. Other public gardens are also observing earlier bloom times, and changes in temperature and precipitation patterns.

In the clutch of winter, two Central Massachusetts
cultural institutions collaborate on an exhibition of fresh floral arrangements
and artistic masterworks that conjure the sights and scents of a warmer climate.
Flora in Winter, on view Thursday through Sunday, January 26-29, features fresh
floral arrangements interpreting works of art at the Worcester Art Museum.

"A Floral Feast" at Tower Hill Botanic Garden (11 French Drive, Boylston) features works by garden club members and floral designers from throughout
Central New England who have volunteered to create the arrangements.

Visitors can enjoy gorgeous arrangements in the Worcester Art Museum's galleries and in the Education & Visitors Center at Tower Hill, as well as floral displays sponsored by area florists to adorn public spaces. Guided tours at each location will be offered several times daily.

Special Events
celebrating Flora in Winter will be held at each institution throughout the period.
At Tower Hill Botanic Garden, celebrate "A Floral Feast" as the inspiration for
arrangements displayed in Tower Hill's Education & Visitors Center, including the
Limonaia opened in the fall of 2010, adjacent to the lush subtropical blooms and
greenery in the Orangerie, with the backdrop of the Winter Garden.

On Friday, January 27 at 7:30 pm, Tower Hill enhances the mood and atmosphere of
Flora in Winter with a Candlelight Concert presented by jazz pianist Dr.
Elliot Steger and friends. Tickets are $30 nonmembers and $25 for members of either
Tower Hill or the Worcester Art Museum. Twigs Café will provide complimentary hors
d'oeuvre. Call Tower Hill at 508.869.6111 ext. 135 for reservations.
Opening Hours for Flora in Winter at Tower Hill Botanic Garden:
9am-5pm daily, reopening at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, January 27 for the Candlelight
Concert.

Tower Hill admission is $12 adults, $9 seniors ages 65 and older, $7 for youth ages
6-18. Admission is free for Tower Hill Members, and children under 6.

Public tours will be held at Tower Hill at 1 and 3 p.m. each day. Tours are included
with the price of admission.
For private tours for groups of 10 or more, please call for more information: 508.869.6111
ext. 125.

Dec 3-4 at The Berkshire Botanic Garden’s annual Holiday Marketplace, Gallery of Wreaths, holiday plant sale and artisans from throughout the Berkshires and beyond. Hours are Saturday, December 3, 10 am – 5 pm and Sunday, December 4, 10 am – 3 pm. www.berkshirebotanical.org / 413-298-3926.

Dec. 3: The Milton Garden Club will host its annual Green Sale Sat., Dec. 3, 9 - 11 a.m. at Cunningham Hall, 75 Edge Hill Road, Milton. The sale of fresh evergreen wreaths, arrangements and table top trees, each individually decorated item will benefit town beautification projects.

Dec. 7 Come to the Arboretum in December to learn about fascinating plants from the experts who study them. On December 7 at 7:00pm in the Hunnewell Building, Greg Anderson from the University of Connecticut will discuss the nightshades (Solanaceae) which includes both saints (potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants) and sinners (tobacco, mandrake, henbane, and belladonna). On

December 13 at 7:00pm at Weld Hill, at the Arnold Arboretum, Senior Research Scientist Peter Del Tredici offers an in-depth look at Ginkgo biloba, one of the oldest and most fascinating trees on the planet. Both lectures are free, but you must register in advance to reserve space.

Weekends through Dec. 18 Heritage Gardens Aglow Annual Celebration of Lights
Heritage Museums & Gardens will present its Gardens Aglow Annual Celebration of Lights on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 5:00pm to 9:00pm through December 18. The museum’s buildings and grounds will sparkle with festive lights and decorations and Old St. Nick will hold court in the museum’s Ford Model T (as his sleigh is in the shop).
Visitors will catch the holiday spirit by strolling the Heritage grounds, walking the Labyrinth, and finding their way through the Hart Family Maze Garden. There will be a gingerbread house display and kids’ holiday crafts area. Visitors will also be able to toast marshmallows at the Magnolia Café, ride the vintage carousel, and enjoy the automobile and folk art collections.This event will be held December 2-4, 9-11, and 16-18. Tickets are $7/member adults, $4/member children ages 3 to 17, $10/ non-member adults, $5 member children ages 3 to 17, and free for children age 2 and under. Heritage is located off Route 6 at 67 Grove Street in Sandwich, Mass. For more information, call 508.888.3300 or visit www.heritagemuseumsandgardens.org.

Through Jan. 2, Newport. Spectacular decorations will soon deck the halls of The Breakers, The Elms and Marble House, as The Preservation Society of Newport County prepares to welcome visitors for Christmas at the Newport Mansions, through January 2, 2012. Holiday music, tours, shopping events, a holiday dinner dance and visits from Santa Claus will bring the season to life at three of America's grandest historic houses. Decorations at the mansions include decorated Christmas trees of various sizes, dozens of wreaths, hundreds of yards of garland and thousands of flowers, including poinsettia plants, lilies, roses, carnations and potted palms. Period-style ornaments are used to decorate many of the trees, and white candles illuminate the windows. There will be several new features to the decorations this season, including an elaborate, custom-made Nativity scene to be displayed in the Gold Room of Marble House, with figures dressed in gold, green and ivory fabric to coordinate with the window coverings and upholstery in the room. The Breakers, The Elms and Marble House will be fully decorated and open daily for tours, except Thanksgiving and Christmas Day, through January 2, 2012. A Winter Passport ticket providing daytime admission to all three houses can be purchased for $28 for adults, $9 for children 6-17. Children under the age of 6 are admitted free. Tickets can be purchased online at www.NewportMansions.org, or at each property. Children can visit with Santa Claus in a spectacular setting at each of the three mansions on Sundays in December. Santa will make public appearances from noon to 3 p.m. at The Breakers on December 4, Marble House on December 11, and The Elms on December 18. The visit with Santa is included in the regular admission price.Holiday Evenings at the Newport Mansions provide a unique opportunity to see these historic houses lit up for a night-time celebration. Guests can take a leisurely self-guided tour through the mansion, enjoying live holiday music and a stop for cookies and pastries, eggnog and cider. Holiday Evenings at The Breakers are scheduled for December 3, 10 and 31, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. On December 17, guests can enjoy a Holiday Evening Duet: The Elms and Marble House, and see both houses for the price of one, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Admission to Holiday Evenings is $28 in advance, $35 at the door. Children 6-17 are admitted for $10. Children under the age of 6 are admitted free. Preservation Society members enjoy reduced admission, $25 in advance, $30 at the door. On December 17, a single ticket provides admission to both The Elms and Marble House. Advance tickets are available online at www.NewportMansions.org, or call (401) 847-1000.

Peerless pioneering landscape architect Carol R. Johnson of Cambridge, who recently suffered severe fractures from a bike accident in France, was back in the saddle last week to address 120 members and friends of the Boston Committee of the Garden Club of America. Johnson is chairman emeritus of Carol R. Johnson Associates of Boston, the landscape architecture firm that she began over 50 years ago as one of the first woman owned design firms in the US.

Johnson share stories about her encounters with historic figures including Walter Gropius, President Lyndon Johnson, Buckminster “Bucky” Fuller, the Shah of Iran and Carolyn and Ted Kennedy as she explained her design concepts for some of her most innovative projects. Johnson has served as mentor to generations of landscape architects. She is also a Gold Medal awardee of the American Society of Landscape Architects and a lecturer at the Harvard’s Graduate School of Design.

Another inspiring figure of international note, Arabella Dane of Boston, was awarded the organization’s prestigious Boston Bowl for her achievements. She is former president of the American Horticulture Society and the World Association of Flower Arrangers, a three time master judge for the Garden Club of America (horticulture, flower arranging, and photography), and a prized lecturer and mentor.

Boston University was also recognized at this meeting with a Beautification Award for more than $4 million worth of landscape enhancements to Commonwealth Avenue completed 3 years ago in conjunction with the city and the state.

Connie Oliver, Garden Club of America vice president, also attended the gathering, held at the Country Club in Brookline. The Boston Committee supports horticulture and landscape preservation within the city and is part of the GCA.

--CAROL STOCKER

You can learn about nature even in Winter. Here is the December class schedule for the New England Wild Flower Society, starting with Saturday, December 3, 2011, 9 am-3 p.m., Wetland Species Identification in Winter, Garden in the Woods, Framingham, MA. Instructor Dennis Magee builds knowledge and skills for recognizing wetland trees and shrubs in winter. The morning session is spent indoors learning key identification features. After lunch, we go out in the field to see these 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: $76 (Member) / $91 (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.

Sunday, December 4, 2011, 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m., Shrubs in Winter, Garden in the Woods, Framingham, MA. The leaves are nearly gone from most shrubs, but you can still learn to recognize them. In this class, we focus on a number of macro-characteristics such as branching patterns, growth habits, bark, persistent fruit, galls, and habitats to help us identify more than 20 native New England shrubs in late fall and winter. Instructor Roland "Boot" Boutwell discusses the natural history of the shrubs we see. The program begins with a classroom session and then moves into the field. Look for such species as witch-hazel (Hamamelis virginiana), highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum), and, of course, winterberry (Ilex verticillata) and wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens). Fee: $48 (Member) / $58 (Nonmember). Pre-registration is necessary, contact the registrar at 508-877-7630, ext. 3303.

Tuesday, December 6, 2011, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.,Wildflower Propagation II, Garden in the Woods, Framingham, MA. Learn tips for raising wildflowers from seed, allowing access to an astonishing variety of species not often seen in garden centers or nurseries. Develop a deeper appreciation of plant physiology and evolution. Instructor Kate Pawling discusses seed physiology and ecology as well as the various techniques used to germinate and grow a wide variety of native species, including such challenging genera as Trillium. Discuss seed and spore collection and storage. Clean and sow a variety of seed to take home and grow. All materials provided. Bring a bag lunch. Fee: $56 (Member) / $67 (Nonmember). Pre-registration is necessary, contact the registrar at 508-877-7630, ext. 3303.

Tuesday, December 20, 2011, 3:30-5:30 p.m., Welcoming the Winter Solstice, Garden in the Woods, Framingham, MA. The Winter Solstice marks the time of the year when the midday sun is at its lowest point in the sky. The Solstices mark key turning points in the year and have been celebrated by many cultures throughout history. The Winter Solstice marks the shortest day (and longest night) of the year, as well as the first day of winter. This year, the solstice occurs on Thursday, December 22 at 12:30 am. Instructor Roland "Boot" Boutwell helps us prepare for the solstice and celebrate the season with solstice history and lore, poetry, a solstice story and a walk outdoors to enjoy the setting sun and the beauty of nature. The program will end indoors with a short ceremony to welcome the solstice season followed by warm cider and cookies. Fee: $9 (Member) / $11 (Nonmember). Pre-registration is necessary, contact the registrar at 508-877-7630, ext. 3303.

--CAROL STOCKER

New England Wild Flower Society has announced the winners of its annual awards program which recognizes organizations and individuals that have demonstrated creative vision and exceptional achievement in furthering the goals of New England Wild Flower Society to conserve native plants and their habitats. Thirteen individuals and organizations were recognized at the Society’s annual meeting, held Sunday, November 6, at Garden in the Woods, 180 Hemenway Road, Framingham, MA. A special tribute was also paid to the many donors who for more than 20 consecutive years have made financial contributions to the Society.

Following a State of the Society Report given by Executive Director Debbi Edelstein, Dr. Tristram Seidler gave a fascinating presentation entitled The Bees of New England: Native Plants’ Best Friends. After the presentation, the awards were given.

Dr. C. Barre Hellquist of Adams, MA, was recognized with the Society’s 2011 Conservation Award for extensive research of Polamogeton and other rare and endangered aquatics and for monitoring invasive aquatic species throughout New England. He has named and described the globally imperiled Potamogeton ogdenii (Ogden’s pondweed). He has coauthored, with Garrett E. Crow, Aquatic and Wetland Plants of the Northeast and has contributed to Flora Conservanda in both the 1996 and upcoming editions. Barre has served on the regional advisory committee of the New England Plant Conservation Program (NEPCoP) since the 1990s and has shared his wisdom with numerous other conservation agencies in New England and beyond. Although his work is also national, including Yellowstone National Park, as well as international, including Australia, New England Wild Flower Society credited Dr. Hellquist’s great accomplishments in New England. Melissa Cullina has described him most colorfully as the “Aquatic Jedi Master.” His canoe has been on almost every pond, river, stream and bog in New England.

Irina Kadis and Alexey Zinovjev of Randolph, MA, were given the Education Award for educating the public about fragile habitats and environmental threats in Massachusetts through their website, botanical inventories, guided walks, publications and photography. Botanist Irina Kadis and Entomologist Alexey Zinovjev, have dedicated considerable time and talent to raising awareness about native plant communities, particularly in southeastern Massachusetts. Through plant inventories, publications, educational programs, guided walks, and a website, they teach the public, inform concerned citizens, and influence policymakers. Their salicicola.com website, which means “dwelling on willows”, is maintained by Alexey and features more than seven thousand of his superb photographs, all edited by Irina and presented in a searchable database. The site provides scholarly articles, botanical checklists, and an invasive plant database, organized by county. There is even a fun, though challenging, quiz to try. Results of their work prompted Friends of Myles Standish State Forest to create the Pine Barrens Community Initiative (PCBI) to further prevent degradation of this fragile habitat. With state approval and grant funds, Alexey and Irina support PCBI by propagating native plants for restoration projects, encouraging property owners to remove invasive plants and informing the community on environmental topics.

Carol Lemmon of Branford, CT, accepted the Connecticut State Award for completing many yearly rare plant population searches, and for willingly taking on management activities that benefit rare plants in Connecticut. NEPCoP and the Connecticut Botanical Society have benefited from Carol’s contributions for many years. Her professional career with the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station included work with milkweed and butterfly habitats. Carol has managed the site for the only known population of Aesclepias viridiflora (green comet milkweed) in New England. Without her efforts to preserve the site and eliminate invasive plants, the population would very likely be extirpated. Carol is cofounder and former president of the Connecticut Butterfly Association which has created a butterfly garden at Lighthouse Park in New Haven. She is also involved in the reclamation of Killingworth Bog.

Maine State Award winner Glen Mittelhauser of Gouldsboro, ME, was recognized for the collaborative publication of The Plants of Acadia National Park, and for extensive contributions to education about and conservation of the native environments of Maine coastal islands. Glen Mittelhauser coordinated the publication of The Plants of Acadia National Park, the collaborative effort of the Friends of Acadia, The Garden Club of Mount Desert, and the University of Maine Press. The guide includes descriptions of 862 plants, a reference for the novice or botanist. Another collaborative guide, The Cyperaceae of Maine, which identifies the 215 species of sedges, is presently at press. Glen has created bio-geographical studies of flora of Maine island groups from Inner Sand Island to Franklin Island, guiding visitors to the island’s native habitats. In addition, he has researched nontoxic methods of invasive control on the islands to encourage hospitable breeding sites for seabirds. He is the founder and director of the Maine Natural History Observatory, which advances the scientific knowledge of Maine’s flora and fauna through research, monitoring and collaboration. He is a member of NEPCoP’s Maine Task Force and the Maine Botanical Advisory Group.

The Massachusetts State Award went to Dr. Robert Bertin of Paxton, MA, for exemplary research on the flora, floristic change and alien species in central Massachusetts and for teaching the next generation the importance of plant biology and ecology. He is a Professor of Biology at the College of the Holy Cross and an avid field researcher. He has published on the flora of Worcester County, and has systematically sampled vegetation, collecting thousands of herbarium specimens. Through this work, he has reported several dozen rare plant populations and many new county records. He is also working on a flora of Franklin County. His other research interests include reproductive biology of plants and the biogeography of invasive species. He is an exemplary teacher (his students love him), and an excellent field botanist and researcher with a broad and deep knowledge of plants. He has been both recording secretary and vice president of the New England Botanical Club, has served on NEPCoP’s Massachusetts Task Force, and is currently on the editorial board of the journal, Rhodora. Dr. Bertin was simultaneously nominated this year by two people.

The New Hampshire State Award went to the New Hampshire Natural Heritage Bureau of Concord, NH, for creating The Nature of New Hampshire: Natural Communities of the Granite State, which describes the complex ecosystems and enhances understanding of the state’s habitats with clear and understandable text and beautiful photography. The Natural Heritage Bureau has also compiled brochures about the ecosystems of twenty different bio-diversity sites within the state. The biologists in the New Hampshire Natural Heritage Bureau foster a cooperative and common sense approach to protection of resources and plant diversity as they work with land managers and land users throughout the state. Donald Kent, Administrator of the New Hampshire Natural Heritage Bureau, accepted the award.

The Rhode Island State Award was given to Paul Dolan of Foster, RI, for enthusiasm and personal commitment to the delivery of environmental education which inspires stewardship and understanding of ecosystems throughout Rhode Island. PAUL DOLAN is the Deputy Chief of the Division of Forest Environment at the RI DEM. He is admired as a capable and effective forester, an understanding administrator, an inspired teacher and an experienced public servant. Environmental organizations and educators recognize him as a leader and a hands-on partner in promoting forest stewardship in both rural and urban areas. Paul is active with the RI Environmental Educators, the Society of American Foresters, and RI Wild Plant Society (especially in understanding the building of a beaver dam for the Rhode Island Wild Plant Society Flower Show exhibit in February, 2011). He has made significant contributions to the preservation of our native plants and their habitats, while spreading forest stewardship and ecosystem values to young and old. He leads field trips to study trees all around our state, on his own property and often on this own time. He devotes tremendous efforts to find funding for scholarships for educators and programs for school children. His commitment never ends. He is always on the job.

Sharon Plumb of Berlin, VT, was given the Vermont State Award for strategic and effective work in the field of invasive species control throughout the greater Vermont community. She is the Invasive Species Coordinator for the Vermont Chapter of the Nature Conservancy. But it is for her work above and beyond that title for which she is most praised by her colleagues. She has singlehandedly lead numerous significant efforts related to invasive plants, including the launching of the iMap Invasives Database in Vermont and establishing a successful, voluntary code of conduct with Vermont’s nursery industry. Sharon co-chairs the Vermont Invasive Exotic Plant Committee, is establishing a citizen science monitoring website with partners, is involved in many networking, educational and grant initiatives related to invasive species, and has developed numerous guides and other publications relating to invasives, among other notable achievements. Sharon is considered a regional expert on the subject of invasive species and frequently shares that knowledge at scientific symposiums and nursery industry meetings.

The Kathryn Taylor Award was given to Ellen Sousa of Turkey Hill Brook Farm, Spencer, MA, for converting a traditional home landscape to a biodynamic garden designed to attract pollinators and provide wildlife habitat, using plants native to the Northeast. The Kathryn S. Taylor Award for Private Gardens is awarded for a garden of any size displaying significant use of wildflowers and temperate North American native plants. The award was created in honor of Kathryn (Kitty) Taylor, president of the Society from 1948 until 1973. Turkey Hill Brook Farm is home to a wide variety of wildflowers and native plants. The garden is designed as a habitat garden: a place that provides food, shelter, and housing for birds, pollinators, amphibians and other at-risk wildlife species. Ellen designs for more than beauty. She wants biodiversity; healthy plant communities; and stable, functioning ecosystems. Her thoughtfully planted garden is registered as a Certified Wildlife Habitat and as a Monarch Waystation. Ellen earned her Certificate in Native Plant Studies through New England Wild Flower Society in 2008. She recently completed a book, The Green Garden: The New England Guide to Planning, Planting and Maintaining the Eco-friendly Habitat Garden.

Landscape Design Award went to Magma Design Group, Samantha and Neil Best, of Pawtucket, RI, for inspiring design that utilizes native trees, shrubs and perennials to create a species-rich sanctuary for people and wildlife in a beautiful, backyard woodland. In the last few years, they have won many awards for their exhibits at the Rhode Island Flower Show. Thoughtful plant selection and creative masonry are two hallmarks of their gardens. Neil and Samantha Best, principals of the company, sum up their philosophy well: “Magma is the fundamental building block of the earth. Its movement is fluid, deliberate, and often energetic. What it leaves in its wake are creations that inspire awe.” The primary garden which merited the Landscape Design Award was a private residential one in Hope, Rhode Island. All of the judges who visited the site were impressed and delighted by this exemplary design which included native trees, shrubs, perennials, and grasses. The garden makes a lovely transition between the lawn adjacent to the house and the woodland, with a charming, winding path and small dining and relaxing area tucked away behind mostly native shrubs and perennials. The plants were chosen to give year-round interest, with trees and garden vignettes forming focal points from the living areas of the house and garden. The bunchberry, beginning to reproduce itself, was particularly delightful to see, as it is so often a challenge to get that species to thrive in a garden.

Two Service to the Society awards were given. One to Ray Abair of Middleboro, MA, for long service to the Sanctuary Committee and Plant Conservation Volunteers (PCVs), including botanical inventories and management projects, surveying for ferns and fern allies, and fern id consultation, and for more than 15 years of teaching for the Education Department. He is involved in botanical inventories and management projects on all sanctuaries, especially at the Hobbs Fern sanctuary, where he and Don Lubin are conducting long-term research on the sanctuary’s exceptionally diverse fern flora. Ray has also developed an extensive trail system for the property. Ray is one of New England’s outstanding fern experts and is often consulted by botanists on fern identification. The other Service to the Society award was presented to Peter Brem of Framingham, MA, for outstanding efforts through the years from guided tours to cart tours, and an array of carpentry and other volunteer projects for the Horticulture Department – all accomplished with a smile. Peter is the mastermind behind the invasive plant jail design and his tour groups are always charmed by his friendly humorous manner. Staff horticulturist Nate McCullin refers to him as “The Beast” who keeps going and making tangible, important differences here at Garden in the Woods.

The mission of New England Wild Flower Society is to conserve and promote the region’s native plants to ensure healthy, biologically diverse landscapes. Founded in 1900, the Society is the nation’s oldest plant conservation organization and a recognized leader in native plant conservation, horticulture, and education. The Society’s headquarters, Garden in the Woods, is a renowned native plant botanic garden in Framingham, Massachusetts, that attracts visitors from all over the world. From this base, 35 staff and more than 1,000 volunteers work throughout New England to monitor and protect rare and endangered plants, collect and preserve seeds to ensure biological diversity, detect and control invasive species, conduct research, and offer a range of educational programs. The Society also operates a native plant nursery at Nasami Farm in western Massachusetts, which grows plants for retail customers and for landscaping and restoration projects, and has eight sanctuaries in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont that are open to the public.

Tower Hill's annual "HOLLY DAYS", a horticultural celebration of the winter
holidays, will highlight the world of fashion, Nov. 25-Jan. 2. Ornaments
reflecting fashionable shoes, hats, pocketbooks, and other items, will be transformed int objects of art with all natural materials. On display will decorated trees, wreaths, and swags adorned with hand-crafted ornaments made of dried flowers, leaves, seeds, seed-heads, cones, branches, and fruits. Llights illuminate the lush foliage of flowering plants and bulbs in the interior glass houses, with the show continues outdoors in the new Winter Garden.

This year's weekend & Wednesday evening entertainment includes live music, youth activities, holiday workshops, and garden tours. Visitors may browse the Gift Shopand lunch at Tower Hill's Twigs Café, (open daily 11:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M). Twigs Café will serve small plate dinners at "Food & Fire" in the Great Hall with its grand fireplace, on Wednesday evenings from 4:30pm-7:30 pm.

A HOLLY DAYS GALA & FASHION SHOW takes place on Friday, December 2, from 6-9 pm, and will include a light dinner, followed by a fashion show presented by James Hogan, and caroling in the Limonaia. Tickets are $125 per person and may be purchased online, or by calling 508-869-6111.

The HOLLY DAYS exhibit and entertainment is included with garden admission; $10
Adults, $7 Seniors (65+) and $5 Youth (6-18), children under 6 and Members admitted
FREE. Discounted group rates are available.

Hours: Daily from Nov. 25-Jan. 2, 9 A.M. to 5 P.M., Wednesdays until 8 P.M., CLOSED
December 24, 25, 31, and January 1. Tower Hill is located at 11 French Drive in
Boylston, Mass., three miles north of exit 24 off Route 290. For more information,
contact Tower Hill Botanic Garden at 508-869-6111, or visit the website at www.towerhillbg.org

BOYLSTON, Mass.- Tower Hill Botanic Garden hosts "A New England Rain
Forest," the Massachusetts Orchid Society's Annual Orchid Show, Friday, Nov. 4; 1-5pm and Saturday & Sunday, November 5-6; 9am-5pm. Thousands of orchids will be on display throughout the Visitors Center and around the Orangerie and Limonaia, at Tower Hill. Orchid societies participating in the show include: A&P Orchids, New Earth Orchids, Frosty Hollow Orchids, and more.

Orchid vendors from across the country will offer a wide variety of plants, supplies
and even jewelry for sale. Art and educational exhibits will be held each day of
the show and experts will answer orchid growing questions from visitors. Also,
members of the Massachusetts Orchid Society will offer demonstrations on orchid
care, instructional videos, and guided tours of the show. Although the judging sessions
themselves are not open to the public, the results of the judging will be on display
at the show. The show will represent a huge range of Orchids, the largest of all
the plant families.

The show and its associated programs are included with Garden admission ($10 adults,
$7 seniors, $5 youth aged 6-18, children under 6 free). Tower Hill Botanic Garden
is located at 11 French Drive, Boylston, Mass., exit 24 off Route 290. For further
information, call 508-869-6111 or log on to www.towerhillbg.org.

Just in time for Halloween, "Wicked Bugs: The Louse that Conquered Napoleon’s Army and Other Insect Monstrosities" will be the topic of Amy Stewart, Writer and Gardener, this Saturday, Oct 22, 2:00-3:15 pm at the Arnold Arboretum's Weld Hill Research Building

In a follow up to her very successful New York Times bestseller "Wicked Plants," Amy Stewart tackles the insects, worms, and spiders that have tormented humankind for centuries. In this darkly comical look at the sinister side of our relationship with the natural world, Stewart has tracked down over 100 of our worst entomological foes—creatures that infest, infect, and generally wreak havoc on human affairs. With wit, style, and exacting research, Stewart has uncovered the most terrifying and titillating stories of bugs gone wild. She will share some of her discoveries in her inimically comedic way. Books will be available for purchase and signing. Admission Fee is $5 members, $15 nonmembers. To register go online to the Arnold Arboretum’s Continuing Education at www.arboretum.harvard.edu

Tower Hill Botanic Garden, Boylston - Bonsai-the art of training trees to grow in miniature-will be the focus of a weekend-long exhibit at Tower Hill Botanic Garden on September 10-11, presented by the Bonsai Societies of New England. Many beautiful bonsai specimens-several more than 50 years old-will be on display. The amazing trees have all the characteristics of their normal sized counterparts: large, twisted trunks, changing leaves, exfoliating bark--but scaled down to table-top size. Many specimens from several private collections will be on display. Lectures and demonstrations on Bonsai care and culture will be held throughout the weekend.

Bonsai Weekend is included with admission to Tower Hill Botanic Garden which is
free on Saturday, September 10, due to the coinciding Gardener's Emporium, regular
admission is charged on Sunday, September 11; $10 Adults, $7 Seniors and $5 Youth
aged 6-18, Children under 6 and Tower Hill members are free. Tower Hill is located
at 11 French Drive, Boylston, exit 24 off Interstate 290. For more information,
call (508) 869-6111 or log on to www.towerhillbg.org

Fall Gardening Programs continue at Nightingale Garden in Dorchester

Nightingale Community Garden, located at 512 Park Street in Dorchester continues to be a center of garden activity this fall with concerts, workshops and garden festivals. The workshops will help neighborhood gardeners get the most out their vegetable gardens with helpful hints on fall garden planning, harvesting, and end of the year garden care. There will be a class on how to prepare herbs for the kitchen and in addition to the garden workshops there will be a Caribbean concert featuring Treavor Comma, a watercolor workshop, and a Fall Harvest Festival. The programs will be led by BNAN garden educator, Erika Rumbley along with help from BNAN staff and Master Urban Gardener volunteers. The workshops are a response to the growing interest in community gardening.

Saturday, September 10, 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Herbs from your Garden

Saturday, September 17, 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Watercolors in the Garden

Registration is required for this program-- Call 617-542-7696 or email to info@bostonnatural.org to register.

Thursday, September 29, 5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. Putting your garden to Bed

This workshop will be at Spencer Street Community Garden, 96 Spencer Street, Dorchester

Thursday, October 6, 5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. Putting your garden to Bed

This workshop will be at Leyland Street Community Garden, 6-18 Leyland Street, Dorchester

Saturday, October 8, 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Putting your garden to Bed

This workshop will be at Nightingale Community Garden, 512 Park Street, Dorchester

On Saturday, October 15 from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Nightingale Community Garden will celebrate its first annual Fall Harvest Festival. This is an opportunity for all Dorchester gardeners to share the bounty of their harvest. You are invited to bring food and your appetite and enjoy the potluck of fresh dishes inspired by a season of growing.

DOT Grows Garden council meets the first Tuesday of every month from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Codman Square Health Center, in conference room B. This newly formed council serves to support Dorchester community gardeners, residents, families and organizations in practicing and promoting community gardening, sharing resources and ideas and planning for a healthier Dorchester.

The Nightingale Garden Workshop Series is part of BNAN’s Boston Is Growing Gardens (BIGG) project which aims to double the community garden food growing capacity in Dorchester and increase opportunities for access to healthy food and physical activity for Dorchester residents. Working with our partners, the City of Boston, Dorchester Environmental Health Coalition, gardeners, neighbors and local health organizations , BNAN is undertaking to create a two-fold increase in the number of plots (from 249 to 251) in the 17 Dorchester Community Gardens owned by BNAN.

Funding for Dorchester Community Gardens has been provided by the Boston Public Health Commission/Center for Disease Control, The Manton Foundation, The Boston Foundation, The Claneil Foundation, The Towards Sustainability Foundation and The Amelia Peabody Charitable Fund in addition to the City of Boston Department of Neighborhood Development.

If you would like to learn more about BIGG or how to get involved in community gardening in your Dorchester neighborhood, please contact BNAN at info@bostonnatural.org or call BIGG Project Manager Grantley Payne at 617-542-7696 x21.

Boston Natural Areas Network is a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing together local residents, partner organizations, public officials and foundations to preserve, expand, and enhance urban open space, including community gardens, greenways, and urban wilds. For more information about the organization, becoming a member or the calendar of events, visit www.bostonnatural.org or call 617-542-7696.

HERITAGE MUSEUMS AND GARDENS presents a Rustic Trellis Design and Construction Workshop

Sandwich, Mass.— Noted Cape Cod sculptor Alfred Glover will lead a two-day Rustic Trellis Design and Construction Workshop at Heritage Museums & Gardens on Saturday and Sunday, September 10 and 11, from 10:00am to 2:30pm. 
The result will be a beautiful natural trellis that participants take home to that special garden spot. The registration fee is $125 for members; $140 non-members (tools and materials will be provided). Heritage is located off Route 6 at 67 Grove Street in Sandwich, Mass. To register, see www.heritagemuseums.org or contact Heather Mead, director of programming, at 508.888.3300 ext. 149 or hmead@heritagemuseums.org.

In this workshop, participants will take a second look at natural materials that are usually discarded, and will use them to design useful and decorative works of art. The trellises that will be created can be seen as sculpture, although they can also be a functional part of the landscape. Participants will learn basic design and assembling skills that will enable them to continue on to other rustic furniture and sculpture projects. 



Instructor Alfred Glover has been working with found wood and other materials since moving to Cape Cod in 1973. An accomplished painter and sculptor, his work is included in numerous public and private collections, including museums, libraries, schools, and hospitals, most notably Children's Hospital in Boston and recently Cape Cod Hospital's pediatric ward. Glover has been Assistant Professor of Sculpture at Cape Cod Community College for the past ten years and has conducted many workshops through educational venues, as well as privately at his Cataumet studio. A number of his playful rustic trellises have been translated in bronze with colorful painting. For more information about the artist, see www.alfredglover.com.

Founded in 1969, Heritage Museums & Gardens is a place that celebrates American culture and inspires lifelong learning by sharing excellence in horticulture, garden design, and the exhibition of great collections. Heritage is located on 100 acres of gardens and nature trails on the banks of Shawme Pond in historic Sandwich; it is the largest public garden in southern New England. In addition to the magnificent grounds, known for their encyclopedic collections of daylilies, hostas and hydrangeas, the estate holds a nationally significant collection of Dexter rhododendrons, specialty gardens, water features, and sculpture. Hidden Hollow, a new family-friendly feature, is a place for exploration of the natural world and learning about environmental stewardship. Heritage also offers three buildings housing permanent exhibits of world-class automobiles, American folk art, historical artifacts, a working carousel, and changing special exhibits on aspects of American culture.

BERKSHIRE BOTANICAL GARDEN OFFERS A WIDE RANGE OF
WORKSHOPS AND DEMONSTRATIONS THIS SEPTEMBER and and October Harvest Festival

Stockbridge, MA. . .A wide variety of hands-on workshops, lectures, demonstrations and field studies covering topics from pruning shrubs to studying wild mushrooms will be presented this month by the Berkshire Botanical Garden.

On Saturday, September 10, 10 am – noon, demonstration/workshop Bringing Patio Plants Indoors for Winter will provide tips to encourage outdoor plants to thrive through the winter months and multiply for next season’s garden. Participants will learn about cultivation, fertilizing, watering, healthcare and propagation and take home a variety of cuttings. Instructor Jenna O’Brien owns Viridissima, a garden design and maintenance business in Becket, MA. Cost: Members $22, Nonmembers $27.

Enjoy your own garden greens throughout the late fall and early spring months after participating in Extending the Season’s Harvest: Growing Vegetables for Four Seasons, a field trip on Saturday, September 10, 1 – 4pm at Gould Farm in Monterey, MA. Stephen Enoch, Gould Farm’s Garden Team Manager, will present options for types of structures to contain plants, crop selection and soil preparation. Cost: Members $22, Nonmembers $27.

On Saturday, September 17, 9 am – 3 pm, Drew Monthie, a horticulturist, garden designer and ecologist, will provide an understanding of how invasive species are degrading our ecosystem and what gardeners can do to control these destructive plants. A morning lecture, a hands-on workshop and demonstration of eradication techniques and a short field trip are all part of Invasive Plant Identification, Removal and Control Strategies. Cost: Members $85, Nonmembers $90.

Learn all about fungi at Stalking Wild Mushrooms in the Berkshires on Saturday, September 17, 1 – 3 pm. John Wheeler, president of the Berkshire Mycological Society, will illustrate and describe the most common poisonous and edible mushrooms and take participants into the woods on a mushroom hunt. Cost: Members $22, Nonmembers $27.

Massachusetts Certified Arborist Ken Gooch will lead a demonstration/workshop on Pruning Shrubs and Small Ornamental Trees on Saturday, September 24, 10:30 am – 1:30 pm. He will focus on why and how to shape, renovate, train or rejuvenate woody plants, both evergreen and deciduous. Learn about pruning tools, timing and specific techniques available to the home gardener. Cost: Members $30, Nonmembers $35.

Berkshire Botanical Garden is one of New England's oldest and most treasured public gardens. Established in 1934, its mission was to inspire and educate the community about responsible horticulture and home-grown food. Today, with a year-round schedule of garden classes and workshops, prestigious guest lecturers and a horticulture certification program, in addition to many special events, it is still dedicated to these founding values and to the preservation and improvement of the local environment. Its 15 acres contain 22 zone 5 display areas representing over 3,000 regionally appropriate plant species, significant trees, unique shrubs and exotic botanical collections.

Berkshire Botanical Garden’s Harvest Festival, a cherished Berkshire region event and harbinger of the autumn season for nearly 80 years, will be held October 1-2 at the Garden located in Stockbridge, MA. This year’s Festival combines legendary autumn activities with an expanded farmer’s market, vaulting demonstrations (gymnastics on horseback) and new vendors, artisans and crafters.

The Festival’s reputation as a New England tradition is nationally recognized as one the largest and longest running events of its kind in the country. Live music, crafts, food, a silent auction, plant sale, expanded farmer’s market and family friendly activities fill the 15-acre garden, where hundreds of local artisans, entertainers and vendors are featured.

Crafts
The Harvest Festival is the premier showcase for over 60 local and New England-based artisans and crafters — jewelers, ceramicists, photographers and many more will exhibit, display or demonstrate their crafts, including weaving, spinning, blacksmithing, felting and more.

Local Food
The Harvest Food Court and Botanical Café and Bakery provide distinctive snack and meal choices including grilled sour dough pizza and freshly baked apple streusel pie. The festival also features fabulous local food artisans, producing handmade chocolates and more, as well as an array of local farm vendors at the new and improved Farmer’s Market.

Music and Entertainment
The Festival stage will be booked all weekend with music ranging from 40’s swing and jazz to children’s songs and fiddling. Included in the lineup are David Grover, The Lucky Five’s, The Berkshire Ramblers, Frank Schaap, Down Home, Kelly, Putnam and Stevens and Moonshine Holler. In addition, buskers will roam the grounds with music and Johnny Mystic’s magic throughout the weekend.

Children’s Activities
The Festival is well known for its children’s activities including the famous hay jump and maze, haunted house, the Happy Face Painter, pumpkin toss, Jona’s Balloon Animals, puppet shows, Wraps and Tats (hair wraps and airbrushed tattoos) jump rope making, child-friendly farm animals and pony rides, mini-golf, the Pocket Lady, and a full tent of craft activities for children.

Classes for Gardeners

Join Garden staff for informal classes on seasonal topics including seed saving, garden wrap-up (fall maintenance) pickling and invasive plant control.

Silent Action, Giant Tag and Book Sale, Jewelry Boutique, Country Bazaar and Plant Sale
Great finds at great prices abound at the Harvest Festival where visitors can stock up on plants, gently used books, home and garden items, toys, apparel, jewelry and – through an exceptional silent auction – including vacations, art, home and garden décor and services.

Berkshire Botanical Garden’s Harvest Festival runs from 10 am – 5 pm both Saturday and Sunday, October 1-2. Admission is $10 per vehicle. A complete list of activities, vendors and entertainment is available through the Garden’s website, www.berkshirebotanical.org.

Berkshire Botanical Garden is one of New England’s oldest and most treasured public gardens. Established in 1934, its mission was to inspire and educate the community about responsible horticulture and home-grown food. Today, with a year-round schedule of garden classes and workshops, prestigious guest lecturers and a horticulture certification program, in addition to many especial events, it is still dedicated to these founding values and to the preservation and improvement of the local environment. Its 15 acres contain 23

Zone 5 display areas representing over 3,000 regionally appropriate plant species, significant trees, unique shrubs and exotic botanical collections.

The Garden is open daily, 9 am – 5 pm and is located at the intersection of Routes 102 and 183, Stockbridge, MA. To register for classes, or for more information on Garden programs, events and courses, visit the Garden web site: www.berkshirebotanical.org or call 413 298-3926.

WASHINGTON – The National Park Service and the Garden Club of America recently renewed a formal partnership based on conservation and management of native plants.

National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis said, “The Garden Club of America has supported national parks and the National Park Service since before there was a National Park Service and the formal renewal of this partnership will serve us well into the future.”

Jarvis said the Garden Club of America has played “an integral role in our efforts to restore federally listed threatened and endangered plant species and remove exotic plants from parks.

The Garden Club of America goes back to 1913 and members were supportive in not only creating national parks but in creation of the National Park Service in 1916. Jarvis said, “They supported Minerva Hamilton Holt in her decade-long quest that resulted in the creation of Joshua Tree National Monument and they’ve generally supported creation of new parks and fought against efforts to exploit park lands for commercial gain.”

All that while, Garden Club of America members also supported work in conservation and plant management. Through the formal partnership, national parks work with the local Garden Club of America clubs to inventory, map, monitor, propagate, and transplant threatened or endangered plants; pull invasive plants; and conduct valuable research projects.

"Garden Club of America members are excited about continuing our partnership with the National Park Service,” said Joan George, President of the Garden Club of America. “This ongoing relationship has enhanced our ability to achieve mutual goals."

Examples of current National Park Service/Garden Club of America projects include surveys of rare plants at Acadia National Park, removal of invasive plants at Congaree and Cuyahoga Valley national parks, and restoration of Texas trailing phlox (Phlox nivalis ssp texensis) in Big Thicket National Preserve.

The National Park Service and the Garden Club of America have also partnered with the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center to initiate the Be PlantWise Program, which gives gardeners tips on how to manage their gardens to preserve the unique qualities of neighboring wild lands.

On Thursday, September 8, ten people will be recognized, led by Lynden B. Miller, by the Massachusetts Horticultural Society at its Honorary Medals Dinner. Lynden B. Miller will receive the George Robert White Medal of Honor for her work as a designer of urban parks and will deliver the keynote speech as part of the evening’s events. She is a public garden designer in New York City and director of The Conservatory Garden in Central Park, which she helped rescue and restore beginning in 1982. Her work includes gardens for The Central Park Zoo, Bryant Park, The New York Botanical Garden, Madison Square Park, and Wagner Park in Battery Park City as well as many smaller projects in all five boroughs and beyond, including waterfront gardens in Red Hook, Brooklyn, improvements to Union Square Park and the 97th Street Park Avenue Mall, renovation of the “Gateway to Harlem” Broadway Mall at 135th Street, Hunter College, and the 67th Street Armory.

Also being honored is Wesley R. Autio, professor of pomology in the Department of Plant, Soil and Insect Sciences at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. He will receive the Jackson Dawson Award for his body of work in the horticultural sciences. The recipient of the Thomas Roland Medal will be Richard Jaynes, who will be honored for his work in expanding the use of rare and unusual plants for the home garden. A graduate from Wesleyan University (BA) and Yale (Ph.D.), he worked at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station for 25 years as a plant breeder and horticulturist with specialties in chestnut and mountain laurel resigning in 1984 to start Broken Arrow Nursery in Hamden, Connecticut. Today, Broken Arrow is recognized as one of the premier growers of uncommon plants.

Two Mass Hort volunteers will be recognized for their outstanding contributions. Gold Medals will be given to Carrie Waterman for her work over several decades on behalf of amateur horticulture both at the New England Spring Flower Show and elsewhere; as will volunteer Joyce Bakshi, who for the past two years has organized the Festival of Trees at Elm Bank. Also receiving gold medals will be Theodore Landsmark of Boston Architectural College for his work on behalf of the Landscape Institute; Organic Gardening Magazine for its promotion of ecologically sound practices in gardening and farming; and writer Ellen Ecker Ogden for her articles, essays and talks on organic gardening.

Proceeds from the dinner are used to maintain Elm Bank’s gardens. Tickets are available through the Mass Hort website, www.MassHort.org, or by calling 617-933-4961. For additional information contact: Neal Sanders at 508-359-9453

BOYLSTON, Mass.- Tower Hill Botanic Garden will present the eighth annual Gardeners
Emporium, a Fall Plant and Garden Accessory Sale, on Saturday, Sept. 10, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., featuring more than a dozen non-profit, regional plant societies, specialty nurseries, and purveyors of garden ornaments.

Some of the plant societies present at the event will include the Conifer, Cactus & Succulent, Epimedium, Miniature Plant, Hosta, and Daylily societies.

Each of these groups will offer expertise on their plant specialties. Niche nurseries and garden accessory companies include: Grey Stone Gardens from Fitchburg, Cut It Out from Stockbridge, and Stonegate Farm & Flowers from Greenfield, New Hampshire.
The Shop at Tower Hill. Twigs Café will offer light fare for lunch.

Admission to the Gardeners' Emporium is free and there is no charge for parking.
Tower Hill Botanic Garden is located at 11 French Drive in Boylston, exit 24 off
route I-290.

It is the home of the Worcester County Horticultural Society, incorporated in 1842
for the purpose of "advancing the science, and encouraging and improving the practice
of horticulture." Located on 132 acres, the Garden hosts educational programs, exhibits, shows, and special events throughout the year.

Framingham, MA – New England Wild Flower Society’s Education Department has announced its September 2011 classes, courses, and field trips; and they are searchable/available online, downloadable online, and available by calling the registrar (508-877-7630, ext. 3303). For more information, visit http://www.newenglandwild.org/learn.

September 2011 Listings – Adult Classes, Gardening, Horticulture, Field Trips in Eastern MA

Tuesdays, September 6, 13, 20, 6:30-8:45 p.m. and Sundays, September 11, 18, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Native New England Shrubs, Garden in the Woods, Framingham, MA, and field sites.The many species of native New England shrubs display a wide variation in size, shape, color, and in characteristics of their bark, flowers, and fruits. This course introduces students to about 50 species growing in this region. We emphasize identification and become familiar with family characteristics and historic uses. Field sessions held in locations off-site with directions provided during the first class. Fee: $215 (Member) / $258 (Nonmember). Pre-registration is necessary, contact the registrar at 508-877-7630, ext. 3303.

Saturday, September 10, October 1, 2011, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Field Identification Techniques, Norcross Wildlife Sanctuary, Monson, MA. Instructor Leslie Duthie equips students with the skills and knowledge to identify plants in the field. Discover a variety of floral structures, learn to recognize reliable family characteristics, and develop familiarity with botanical Latin, advancing from using amateur field guides to using professional keys. Designed for students who have taken “Wildflowers of New England” or have previous experience identifying wildflowers, the course will help increase your confidence and skill in field identification. Fee: $175 (Member) / $200 (Nonmember). Pre-registration is necessary, contact the registrar at 508-877-7630, ext. 3303.

Thursday, September 15, 2011, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Survey of Late Season Grasses of the Northeast, Garden in the Woods, Framingham, MA. Instructor Dennis Magee focuses on the grasses which are in identifiable condition in late summer and early fall. Key identification characteristics are given for 10 tribes and 60 or so genera of common grasses using dried specimens and microscope displays. Following a morning session of lecture and observation of the plant materials, there is an afternoon field trip to observe as many grasses as can be found in the time available. Students are expected to have a good understanding of basic botanical nomenclature and concepts. Fee: $72 (Member) / $86 (Nonmember). Pre-registration is necessary, contact the registrar at 508-877-7630, ext. 3303.

Saturday, September 17, 2011, 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Native Gardens in Newton, Newton, MA.

Instructor Risa Edelstein helps us learn how a landscape designer working with urban properties and their sustainably- minded owners can create enticing native gardens in small spaces. The first garden we visit, situated around a Victorian house, received a front yard overhaul, which was achieved by removing lawn and creating a habitat garden by adding many natives with four-seasons of interest. The second homeowner wished to make her garden as eco-friendly as possible, reducing its carbon footprint, reusing materials and creating habitat for wildlife. A walkway of recycled brick was installed, rain gardens improved drainage around the existing edible garden, and 100-year old recycled seawall blocks were installed as sitting walls. Shrubs from the front of the property were replanted in the back and a mostly native woodland garden was created under a red maple. Fee: $22 (Member) / $25 (Nonmember). Pre-registration is necessary, contact the registrar at 508-877-7630, ext. 3303.

Tuesdays, September 20, 27, October 4, 11, 18, 25, November 1, 8, 15, 29, 2011, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Introduction To Botany, Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA. Instructor: Kanchi Gandhi, Ph.D. explores plant cells and tissues, anatomy and morphology, reproduction, nutrition, growth and development, plant diversity, evolution, classification, and nomenclature. This course, offering both lectures and laboratory time, introduces botany to new students or serves as a refresher course. Fee: $280 (Member) / $372 (Nonmember). Pre-registration is necessary, contact the registrar at 508-877-7630, ext. 3303.

Tuesday, September 20, 2011, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Wildflowers in Fall, Garden in the Woods, Framingham, MA. As a follow-up to our spring course, “Wildflowers of New England,” instructor Neela de Zoysa highlights flora in the last stages of the growing season. What fruits have been produced by spring wildflowers and how are they dispersed? What flowers are blooming in the fall and why? Which pollinators are active? The program includes a walk in the Garden, a power-point presentation to illustrate the key points, and samples for dissection and close observation. References for fruits and winter ID provided. Fee: $36 (Member) / $43 (Nonmember). Pre-registration is necessary, contact the registrar at 508-877-7630, ext. 3303.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011, 7-8:30 p.m., Certificate Program Orientation, Garden in the Woods, Framingham, MA. Join Bonnie Drexler, Education Director, and certificate program graduates for an illustrated talk that includes some of the fascinating stories that native plants have to tell, along with a look at the Society's efforts to conserve the region’s native flora. Hear about the structure of the Society's Certificate in Native Plant Studies program and how it can guide your learning. Everyone is welcome at this free presentation. Preregistration is requested, but not required.

Saturday, September 24, 2011, 10 a.m.-12 noon, Organic Practices in Stow Garden, Stow, MA. Instructor Denise Pegrum take us into this two-acre garden which has evolved over the past twenty years from the builders’ ten foundation plants to a diverse landscape with a shade garden, multiple large perennial beds, a meadow, a woodland garden, a vegetable garden and the beginnings of a small orchard. The end of September is a great time to evaluate the garden, move and divide plants, and decide what was successful and what failed. A garden is never finished and the target is always moving. During the visit, learn how sustainable methods are applied to development and maintenance and what steps will be taken now to ready the garden for winter and get a head start for spring. Fee: $22 (Member) / $25 (Nonmember). Pre-registration is necessary, contact the registrar at 508-877-7630, ext. 3303.

Sunday, September 25, 2011, 1-3:30 p.m., Fungi in the Fall, Drumlin Farm Nature Center, Lincoln, MA. Can you distinguish a bolete from a gilled mushroom? And what technically is a mushroom anyway? Fall is fungi season in the Northeast, the best time to discover and identify what’s out in the field. Instructor Jef Taylor helps us learn the crucial and sometimes astonishing roles these fascinating life forms have in the ecosystem and some methods for identifying mushrooms and other fungi all around us. Fee: $20 (Member) / $24 (Nonmember). Cosponsored by New England Wild Flower Society and MA Audubon Society Drumlin Farm. Pre-registration is necessary, contact the registrar at 508-877-7630, ext. 3303.

Tuesday, September 27, 2011, 7-9 p.m., Design a Native Mixed Border Garden in the Fall, Garden in the Woods, Framingham, MA. Your border garden can have four-seasons of beauty! Take advantage of ideal fall planting conditions to establish borders filled with native perennials, shrubs, vines, and small trees. Horticulturist and landscape designer Laura Eisener discusses how to artfully combine a variety of beautiful plants, and illustrates basic design principles you can apply to planning and planting a mixed border of any size and shape. Fall bargains abound in nurseries, and this is an ideal opportunity to begin fresh or redesign existing border areas in your garden. Fee: $26 (Member) / $32 (Nonmember). Cosponsored by New England Wild Flower Society, MA Audubon Drumlin Farm, and The Landscape Institute. Pre-registration is necessary, contact the registrar at 508-877-7630, ext. 3303.

Friday, September 30, 2011, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Invasives: ID, Ecology, and Control, Garden in the Woods, Framingham. This course provides an introduction to about 40 of the most common invasive non-native plants in our local landscapes. Through lecture, discussion, power-point presentation, herbarium specimens, and a walk outside, instructor Ted Elliman helps us become familiar with identification clues as well as the habits of a number of these plants that are so disruptive of natural ecosytems. Discuss management techniques for many of these species on both a home and a landscape scale. Fee: $48 (Member) / $58 (Nonmember). Cosponsored by New England Wild Flower Society, MA Audubon Drumlin Farm and Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University. Pre-registration is necessary, contact the registrar at 508-877-7630, ext. 3303.

Framingham, MA – New England Wild Flower Society’s Education Department has announced its August 2011 classes, courses, and field trips; and they are searchable/available online, downloadable online, and available by calling the registrar (508-877-7630, ext. 3303). For more information, visit http://www.newenglandwild.org/learn.

August 2011 Listings – Adult Classes, Gardening, Horticulture, Field Trips in Eastern MA

Tuesday, August 2, 2011, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Bellevue Pond, Middlesex Fells, MA. Enjoy a summer stroll to study a range of wildflowers in bloom along the edge of Bellevue Pond, a beautiful site within the 2,500-acre rocky woodland known as Middlesex Fells. We will then hike up Pine Hill, one of the many rocky outcrops or "fells" in the area for a panoramic view of downtown Boston. After lunch, Instructor Roland "Boot" Boutwell will hike with the class to a small meadowy area to study one more very different type of habitat. The walk will focus on plant ID as well as fun and interesting natural history about the plants which we see. Fee: $36 (Member) / $44 (Nonmember). Pre-registration is necessary, contact the registrar at 508-877-7630, ext. 3303.

Thursday and Friday, August 4, 5, 2011, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Basic Wetland Identification and Delineation. Garden in the Woods, Framingham, MA. This two-day introductory course for environmental consultants, conservation officers and commissioners, and anyone seeking to better understand how to interpret and conserve wetlands provides a foundation in principal elements of wetland identification -- wetland hydrology, hydric soils, and hydrophytic plants. Field identification and delineation are discussed and practiced. Fee: $169 (Member) / $203 (Nonmember). Pre-registration is necessary, contact the registrar at 508-877-7630, ext. 3303.

Saturday, August 6, 2011, 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Introduction to the Use of Compasses and Maps for Land Navigation, Garden in the Woods, Framingham, MA. Through classroom instruction and hands-on practice, instructor Joel Carlson helps the class learn to read topographic maps, use geographic location systems, compasses and clinometers, and global positioning systems. During a field excursion, practice navigating in small groups to several points using a map and compass. Fee: $84 (Member) / $101 (Nonmember). Pre-registration is necessary, contact the registrar at 508-877-7630, ext. 3303.

Wednesdays, August 10, 31, 1-3:30 p.m., Native Herbaceous Plant Materials: Late Season, Garden in the Woods, Framingham, MA. This course covers many of the best native North American herbaceous plants for New England landscapes and gardens, with an emphasis on species that bloom in the second half of the growing season. Instructor Jessie Panek focuses on identification, cultural requirements, and the relationship between native habitats and the requirements of designed and managed spaces. Lectures include firsthand looks at plant materials used at Garden in the Woods. Fee: $70 (Member) / $82 (Nonmember). Pre-registration is necessary, contact the registrar at 508-877-7630, ext. 3303.

Saturday, August 13, 2011, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Twice-cut Ferns Workshop, Garden in the Woods, Framingham, MA. A useful way to distinguish ferns is by the degree to which the blade is dissected. About half of our ferns have two degrees of cutting, and they form the largest group when sorted in this way. Compare and contrast ferns of this group using projected photographs, charts and hands-on examination. Instructors Don Lubin and Raymond Abair discuss vocabulary, frond morphology and field identification techniques. A field session follows to see the ferns in various habitat areas of the Garden. Fee: $72 (Member) / $87 (Nonmember). Pre-registration is necessary, contact the registrar at 508-877-7630, ext. 3303.

Thursday, August 18, 2011, 10 a.m.-12 p.m., Late Season Container Gardening, Garden in the Woods, Framingham, MA. Instructor Dan Jaffe helps the class get past the potted chrysanthemum and a pumpkin for your front porch this fall. With summer winding down, it’s time to jazz up those tired container plantings you’ve been watering since June. Discover native plants that carry color, texture and form into the fall and learn tips on design, maintenance and over-wintering. Then assemble and plant your own container under the instructor’s guidance. BYOC--bring your own container. Containers and plants available at a discount for class participants that day. Class fee includes potting mix, fertilizer and mulch. Fee: $30 (Member) / $36 (Nonmember). Pre-registration is necessary, contact the registrar at 508-877-7630, ext. 3303.

Saturdays, August 27, September 10, 2011, 1-4 p.m., Asters of Field and Woodland, Garden in the Woods, Framingham, MA. Although among the more difficult species of native plants to identify in the field, asters are an important family of plants to know, for they comprise a substantial proportion of the late summer and fall-blooming herbaceous flora of our region. They're also beautiful and have an exquisite structure which makes them exciting to study. Instructor Arieh Tal will focus on 15-20 of the most common species - the ones most likely to be found in the wild most of the time. Fee: $72 (Member) / $84 (Nonmember). Pre-registration is necessary, contact the registrar at 508-877-7630, ext. 3303.

August 2011 Listings – Kids Classes, Gardening, Horticulture, Field Trips in Eastern MA

Tuesday thru Friday, August 2, 3, 4, 5, 2011, 9:30 a.m.-noon, Cattail Nature Kids at Garden in the Woods, Framingham, MA. Cattail Nature Kids for Ages 7-9 offers children an exciting way to experience nature’s wonders and have fun at the same time. Garden in the Woods is ours to explore, including ponds, streams, forests and all their plant and animal inhabitants. Each day instructor Bonnie Drexler will include hands-on science activities, games, and crafts. Search the pond edge for frogs and turtles, dip in its waters for newts and pond life, create many nature inspired crafts such as insect habitats and t-shirts, visit with creatures of the forest floor, marvel at natural wonders with our powerful stereo-microscopes and much more. Fee: $103 (Member) / $124 (Nonmember). Pre-registration is necessary, contact the registrar at 508-877-7630, ext. 3303.

Tuesday, August 9, 2011, 10-11 a.m., Eyes on Owls, Garden in the Woods. Join naturalist Marcia Wilson and her visiting owls to learn about New England’s native owl species. Marcia will introduce us to the owls living secretively around us and will teach naturalists’ skills to find owls without disturbing them. A hooting lesson to learn the owls’ calls and tips for owling on your own will follow. Meeting these mysterious residents of New England’s wild places will be a rare opportunity. Presented by Marcia Wilson of Eyes on Owls, Dunstable, MA. Fee: $4 (fee charged for ages 3+) (Member) / $6 (fee charged for ages 3+) (Nonmember)

This weekend marks the grand opening of Maine’s greenest public building, the Bosarge Family Education Center at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens. Tours and programs continue all weekend.

The Platinum LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) structure is expected to generate as much or more energy than it consumes, achieving net-zero-energy status. Its multi-zoned landscape with rain gardens is a model of sustainable design. Signage, including an electronic dashboard showing energy use in real time, helps visitors understand what makes this super-green project special, and provides ideas they can use at home.

The 8,000-square-foot Education Center and adjacent Visitor Center are the hub of the 250-acre waterfront property, which offers spectacular ornamental gardens including children’s and sensory gardens, miles of trails, art exhibits, events, and programs.

Almost immediately after the Gardens’ 2007 opening, the 9,500-square-foot Visitor Center’s uses exceeded available space. The new Education Center will fill the bill with large, flexible areas for classes and programs, studios, and offices.

Funding came from the Bosarge Family Foundation, which donated $2 million, including a $1.5 million matching challenge, which the Gardens not only met but exceeded. The total cost for the Center and its landscape is $4.2 million.

While the Education Center represents the latest science, the design is based on a seemingly whimsical premise: If a plant designed a building. The thinking behind the metaphore posits that a building designed by a plant would function efficiently, generating more energy than it uses without fossil fuels. It would shape itself to fit the character of its bioregion and maintain, or even add to, its ecosystem. It would only produce waste that another system could use. It would conserve water by on-site capture and recycling. And it would adapt to changing environmental conditions. The Education Center does all this.

Among the many professionals involved in the project were Scott Simons Architects, Portland, Maine; Maclay Architects, Waitsfield, Vermont; landscape architect Herb Schaal; Fore Solutions green-building consultants in Portland: and Bensonwood, which constructed the building’s components in New Hampshire and brought them to the Gardens.

To learn more, call 207-633-4333, visit www.MaineGardens.org, or visit the Gardens, off Barters Island Road in Boothbay, Maine.

On July 13 British plantsman Adrian Bloom will visit Elm Bank for two public events. A lifelong gardener and past owner of ‘Blooms Nurseries Ltd.’ and ‘Blooms of Bressingham’, he now manages the‘Foggy Bottom’ garden in Norfolk, England.

The public is invited to a 9 a.m. continental breakfast in the James Crockett Memorial Garden with Bloom Wednesday immediately followed by a visit to the Bressingham Garden for a hands-on look at the garden, led by its designer.

Beginning in 2002, Adrian Bloom began planting demonstration gardens in America, both to illustrate his design principles and promote his plants. In August 2007, he accepted an invitation to install a garden at Elm Bank. This very intriguing perennial garden is 4000 square feet.

At 7 p.m. Bloom will talk about his original vision for the garden and how he adjusted that vision to meet American – and New England – sensibilities and realities.

To register for the tour and lecture, please visit:
http://www.masshort.org/Two-Mass-Hort-Events-with-Adrian-Bloom-on-July-13th

I highly recommend the Berkshire Botanical Garden as well worth a summer visit. It is composed of 23 display areas including perennial borders, mixed borders featuring thousands of annuals, a rock garden, rose garden, pond garden, children’s garden, native plant gardens, an arboretum and woodland preserve open daily, 9-5 Admission - Adults: $12; Seniors/Students: $10; Members/Children under 12: Free. Guided public tours Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, 10am – free with Garden admission. Berkshire Botanical Garden, 5 West Stockbridge Road, Stockbridge, MA 01262
413 29 8-3926 www.berkshirebotanical.org

Upcoming specials events include Bird Necessities: Outdoor Installations by Artists and Designers opens June 11 for the season. The New Rose Garden Opening will be held July 16 with a workshop and reception with guest gardener Michael Marriott of David Austin Roses. Cocktails in Great Gardens will be held three Friday evenings: June 17, July 15, and August 19.

Bird Necessities: Outdoor Installations Created by Artists, is an exhibition that explores ways to provide birds with food, shelter, habitat and artful assistance in attaining them, opens at Berkshire Botanical Garden Saturday, June 11, 5:30-7pm with a reception at the Garden.

Curated by Great Barrington and Manhattan-based artist Anne G Fredericks, the exhibition grew out of Garden’s 2011 theme, Out on a Limb, and highlights artists who are active members of the Berkshire community with a special feeling for the terroir: Naomi Blumenthal, estate garden designer, potter and jewelry maker who draws inspiration from the local landscape; Dale Culleton, an artist/potter who restores both landscapes and buildings, and Jon Piasecki, an award-winning landscape designer and stone worker. All have worked to preserve aspects of our local environment: tree species, view-scapes, gardens, historic sites and indigenous woodland environments. As artists, they have each developed a personal oeuvre that is deeply rooted in nature.

Through Labor Day, visitors can view Bird Necessities: Outdoor Installations Created by Artists throughout the Garden’s various environments: Anne Fredericks’ work is a hanging pavilion filled with bedding and nesting materials where birds of all kinds can “shop” for substance to create their nests; Naomi Blumenthal exhibits a collection of natural and functional sculptural bird feeders and houses fashioned after strange and natural tree fruit; Dale Culleton’s bird habitat is an eight foot tall structure of local black locust and white marble with references back to the Shaker use of those two materials, and Jon Piasecki’s intricate habitat is inspired by a male bower bird - an accomplished avian builder whose elaborate structures are said to represent the origin of architecture.

The exhibit is free with the cost of admission, and is open daily, 9am-5pm. Tickets to the opening reception are $25 and are available by calling Berkshire Botanical Garden at

Also through Labor Day is Out on a Limb: Architects Take a Bough
An exhibition of six tree houses built on storied fantasy, inspired by birds, reflecting history, reminiscent of childhood, it is curated by Matt Larkin and Elizabeth Hamilton. Free with admission to the Garden
Open daily, 9-5.

Friday, July 8, 11 am is Birds of Prey, a lecture free with Garden admission.Wildlife rehabilitator Tom Ricardi will visit with magnificent birds of prey, demonstrate some of their unique behaviors and inspire children of all ages to appreciate, respect and conserve these important members of our wild kingdom. Free with admission to the garden.

Tuesday July 12, 10am-1pm is The Garden in Watercolor, a Hands on workshop for Members $145/Nonmembers $175. Individual classes $45.

View the summer garden with an eye for color, mood, texture and painting. Learn the basics of composition and color through the medium of watercolor. Take all four sessions or individual classes. Instructor: Ann Kremers.

Wednesday July 13, 2-4 pm
Preserving the Harvest – Putting Food By

You Can Do It!

Lecture/demonstration in a professional kitchen off site (directions available upon registration)

Members $22/Nonmembers $25

First of a series of four classes on preserving the harvest with tried and true methods. This class features canning - learn how to put up your own salsa, chutneys and condiments. Explore the many ways a canner can be put to use creating wonderful and unique gifts as well as enhancing your own food pantry. The class will also cover pressure canning and demystify this useful method for insuring food safety. Instructor: Kathy Harrison.

Thursday, July 14, 4 pm.

The Crystal Palace: The History of Greenhouses in America

Illustrated Lecture

Members $20/Nonmembers $25

Learn how the functional greenhouses of the 18th and 19th centuries for growing tropical plants were expanded into glasshouses, orangeries, and conservatories to become increasingly ornamental and an indicator of great wealth in American society. Slides of these crystal palaces and their associated historical head houses and potting sheds will be shown. Instructor: Arete Warren, art historian.
Berkshire Botanical Garden, 5 West Stockbridge Road, Stockbridge, MA 01262
413 29 8-3926 www.berkshirebotanical.org

Friday, July 15, 10 – 4 pm.

Making Paper Garden Lanterns – Japanese Style
Hands on workshop

Members $75/Nonmembers $85; Materials fee $15 paid to instructor. Materials list available upon registration.

Make a beautiful Japanese style paper garden lantern from natural materials to create a one of a kind lamp for your home or garden. Instructor: Nancy Moore Bess
Berkshire Botanical Garden, 5 West Stockbridge Road, Stockbridge, MA 01262
413 29 8-3926 www.berkshirebotanical.org

Friday, July 15, 5-7pm

Cocktails in Great Gardens
Members $20/Nonmembers $25
One in a series of four Friday evening visits to spectacular private gardens. Enjoy this rare opportunity to roam these private spaces with the gardeners themselves, while enjoying wine and hors d’oeuvres in the beautiful waning light of the summer day. Garden location to be announced.

Saturday, July 16, 2 – 3:30 pm

Naturally Healthy Roses with Rosarian Michael Marriott

Lecture

Members $30/Nonmembers $35

An in-depth look at naturally healthy roses that exhibit New England hardiness and compliment an informal growing setting. Learn about the planning behind Berkshire Botanical Garden’s newly redesigned rose garden and learn tips and techniques for successfully growing this group of plants. Rosarian Michael Marriott has been nursery manger for David Austin Roses, Ltd. since 1985. He has gardened since he was a child and studied Agricultural Botany at University

Saturday, July 16, 3:30pm

Rose Garden Opening and Reception
Join rosarian Michael Marriott of David Austin Roses as Berkshire Botanical Garden celebrates the opening of the new rose garden.

Tuesday July 19, 10am-1pm

The Garden in Watercolor

Hands on workshop

Members $145/Nonmembers $175. Individual classes $45.

View the summer garden with an eye for color, mood, texture and painting. Learn the basics of composition and color through the medium of watercolor. Take all four sessions or individual classes.

Instructor: Ann Kremers.

Tuesday & Wednesday, July 19 & 20, 3 - 6 pm

Macro Photography
Hands-on workshop

Members $55/Nonmembers $65

Materials list available upon registration

Learn to take amazing photos of flowers, leaves, insects, feathers, pebbles and more. Each class will include a lecture on techniques, demonstrations, and practice time in the garden. Participants will bring developed photos to the second class for analysis and critique. Classes include tips and techniques of macro settings, different lenses and lighting techniques for advanced photo adventures. Discuss focus, light, composition, color and final output of your photographs. Students will have an opportunity to use the instructor’s high-end macro lenses during class. Instructor: Taylor Mickle.

Thursday, July 21, 4 pm

Beverage Confidential – The History of Libations

Sweet Perfection . . . Chocolate from Seed to Sweet

Class Fee: $22

One of four in a series of classes on the history, lore and practical know-how on some of life’s best indulgences. Chocolate has been considered a delicacy for centuries, beginning with the pre-Columbian Mayan cultures. Learn about the natural history of the tropical cocao plant, consider its culinary properties and learn about the art and craft of chocolate making from an expert.

Instructor: Joshua Needleman

Wednesday, July 27, 2-4 pm

Preserving the Harvest – Putting Food By

Dry it – You’ll Like It & Baby It’s Cold Inside!

Lecture/demonstration in a professional kitchen off site (directions available upon registration)

Member $22

Learn how to use a dehydrator to make soup, snacks and delicacies to give as gifts or enjoy at home. Freezing summer’s bounty is a fool proof method for putting food by. Master the basics of blanching, chilling, air tight wrapping and freezing for a taste of summer in the depths of winter.

Instructor Kathy Harrison

Thursday, July 28, 4 pm

Beverage Confidential – The History of Libations

Beyond the Buzz. . .All About Coffee

Class Fee: $22
One of four in a series of classes on the history, lore and practical know-how on some of life’s best indulgences. Enjoy a stimulating program on the history of coffee and learn about its remarkable journey from ancient Ethiopia to the latte shops of modern society. Learn how to brew a great cup of coffee and enjoy a delicious sample of the Barrington Coffee Roasting Company summer menu. Instructor: Barth Anderson.

Saturday, May 21; 9:30am - 2:30pm at the Espousal Conference Center, 554 Lexington St., Waltham, MA 02454: Perennials, herbs, shrubs, and trees $3-$10 for most, also gardening gloves, worm farms, and worm castings. Experienced gardeners will be on hand to help with selection. Professional landscape designers will be available for individual design consultations for $25 for half an hour. Bring photos of your yard or project.

Proceeds from the Plant Sale will be used for COGdesign's Nursery Garden, on the grounds of the Espousal Center, which supplies plants to other community projects throughout greater Boston. For more information visit cogdesign.org

When "Martha Stewart Living" magazine editor Stephen Orr accepted his achievement award from the Horticultural Society of New York April 12 he used the occasion to praise an absent fellow honoree, longtime Houghton Mifflin garden book editor Frances Tenenbaum of Cambridge."Frances created the American garden book!"

She was represented by her daughter, Cambridge book designer Jane Tenenbaum. Also attending were author Phyllis Meras of Martha's Vineyard, Ken Carpenter, Maire Gorman, Nancy Grant-Mahoney, John Mendelson, Becky Saikia-Wilson, as well as Betsy Groban and another colleague from Houghton Mifflin, Lisa A. White, Charles A. Wall of McGraw Hill, plus Susan Twarog of Secret Gardens of Cambridge, an annual fundraiser Tenenbaum launched 20 years ago for the Friends of the Cambridge Public Library.

"Before Frances, the only gardenwriters known in America were British," said Sara Hobel in a phone interview before the event. She is director of the Society, which increases awareness and stewardship of New York City's green spaces. "Our library is full of her books."

"Fire & Ice" was the theme of the New York Flower Show Dinner Dance at 583 Park Avenue. The annual event is known for outrageous seven foot tall centerpieces by top floral designers, who this year created either towering infernos of red roses, ranunculus, and radiant Rothschild lilies or frosty white flowering fruit trees. The wittiest table, by Rod Winterrowd, took "Dinner at the Burton's, Gstaad, circa 1965" as its theme. It featured framed photos of Liz and Dick at each place setting, along with antlers and snow dusted evergreens on a cozy faux fur tablecloth. Another table used small taxidermied birds as napkin rings.A third featured a tiered red cake topped with a black raven - but this was just a statue.

Other honorees were David Easton, an Architect and Interior Designer, and Alex Timbers, an Obie and drama Desk award winning writer and director.

Frances Tenenbaum grew up on Long Island, graduated from the University of Michigan, and earned a Master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University. While she was in college, she wrote occasional articles for the New York Herald Tribune.

After the war, married with two children, she worked as a freelance journalist and editor, and wrote her first book, Gardening with Wild Flowers (published by Scribners). Frances then became personally and professionally involved in horticulture. After moving to Massachusetts, she started as an editor at Houghton Mifflin Company in Boston.

During her long career in publishing, Frances became one of the nation’s leading garden editors, acquiring and editing dozens of titles on every aspect of popular horticulture and landscaping. "She was very canny. She chose good projects," said Wall. "We did some books that were my idea,"said Meras, one of her long time authors. "But when the books were her idea, they always sold well."

Frances published handsome books on the eccentric author and illustrator, Tasha Tudor, republished Celia Thaxter’s An Island Garden (first published by Houghton 100 years ago), and pruned the valuable but dreary Taylor’s Encyclopedia of Gardening into a single handsome reference and an extensive series of in-depth, full-color books on specific gardening topics. For decades, Taylor’s Guides have been acknowledged as the last word for aspiring and accomplished gardeners alike. "When I was first starting out, I would look through Frances' Taylor guides and think, 'How am I going to learn the names of all these plants?' " Orr remarked when accepting his award Tuesday.

In addition to her latest honor from the New York Horticultural Society, Frances has earned awards from the Massachusetts and American horticultural societies, and the Garden Writers Association of America. When the GWAA listed the 25 most important garden books over the previous 25 years, it included four Houghton Mifflin books, all acquired and edited by Frances.

Frances’s children have followed her bookish tradition. Jane is a book designer in Cambridge, Mass.; David is a science journalist and book author in Madison, Wis.

Past Honorees of the Horticultural Society of New York include, Christo and Jean-Claude, Contemporary artists; Mario Buatta, Interior Designer; John Berendt, author of the book Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil; Bunny Williams, interior designer; Nancy Clarke, White House Chief Floral Designer; Dr. Shirley Sherwood, botanist, author and one of the premier collectors of botanical art; Elizabeth Scholtz, esteemed Director Emeritus of the Brooklyn Botanical Garden and long-time HSNY Benefactor; Chris Giftos, former Floral Master at the Metropolitan Museum of Art; Charlotte Moss, Interior Designer; Suzy Bales, author The Garden in Winter; Tony Ingrao & Randy Kemper, Interior Designers.

The New York Flower Show Dinner Dance was Chaired by CeCe Black, Elizabeth Scholtz, Sheila Stephenson and Elizabeth Stribling.

The Horticultural Society of New York’s programs help to expand New York City’s greening efforts and to ensure the benefits of horticulture, from the beautification of home and garden. Their program also includes the community enhancement of public green space, the growing of fresh vegetables on urban farms and the job opportunities of landscape and design and maintenance. Funds raised help support, Green City, Green Work, Apple Seed, The Barbara A. Margolis Library, The Art Gallery and Horticulture Services.

--CAROL STOCKER

Framingham, MA - New England Wild Flower Society’s Garden in the Woods opens its 2011 season April 15. The Garden’s season extends through October 31, 2011, Tuesday through Sunday and holiday Mondays 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. From April 15 through July 4, extended hours are scheduled on Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. to give the public a chance for an early morning walk or to catch the perfect light for photographing native plant species in bloom. Admission fees are $10 for Adults 18-64, $7 for Seniors 65+, and $5 for Youths 3-17. Last admissions are one-half hour before closing. Guided walking tours are offered free with paid admission when the Garden is open weekdays at 10 a.m. and weekends at 2 p.m.

The theme for the 2011 season is People, Plants, and Pollinators. New interpretive signage explains the importance and role of native plants in New England and develops the horticulture and conservation messages of using native plants in different New England habitats and gardens. The Idea Garden has undergone a face lift with expanded ideas and conservation messaging presented. The Invasive Plant Jail has been moved to this location, providing a stronger location for the message to visitors about the problems arising in New England from the spread of these invaders and what can be done about them. Also, in the Idea Garden, an expanded edible garden and herb garden give visitors a fascinating view of native edible plants and medicinal herbs.

Last winter, a significant amount of tree work was performed in the Garden which opened up the canopy above many of the flower beds to more light. Trees had been allowed over the years to grow mightily from tiny specimens of the 1930s. By opening up the canopy, the Garden will be able to feature more native plant species and recognize its heritage from the 1930s and 1940s when the trees were much lower and not shading the area so much. The stock beds, which have not been used for many years, are being refurbished to allow the Society to grow many plants for sale which need this habitat.

Three exhibits are planned for the season;

June 15 – August 31: Native BUZZ: Creative Container Gardening for Pollinators

August 17 – September 21: People, Plants, & Pollinators Take 1-Photo Show of Historic Photos

September 21 – October 31: People, Plants, & Pollinators Take 2-Photo Show

Garden in the Woods began in 1931 when Will C. Curtis purchased 30 acres to create his dream of a “big wildflower sanctuary in which plants will be grown, their likes and dislikes discovered, and the knowledge gained passed on in an effort to curb the wholesale destruction of our most beautiful natives.” Thirty-four years later Curtis and his partner Howard Stiles deeded the property to New England Wild Flower Society. The Garden was then expanded to 45 acres with new plantings along new trails and in extended habitats. The beauty and charm of the original Garden, with winding paths and a choice collection of rare and beautiful plants, are still hallmarks of the Garden today. With more than 1,000 native plant species and 100 rare and endangered species, the Garden is an ever-blooming place to visit spring, summer, and fall and learn about native plants and sustainable gardening.

2011 Calendar for Garden in the Woods

April

April 15 - Opening Day

April 23 - Earth Day Celebration – free general admission - special events from 12-4p.m.

April 30 – “Civil War Era” Native Plant Garden Tour – 1 p.m.

May

May 6 - National Public Gardens Day

May 8 - Mother’s Day

May 13 - GO WILD! Fundraising Party/Auction

May 30 - Memorial Day – Open

June

June 19 - Father’s Day

June 21 - Animal Ambassadors "Rainforest Reptiles" 10-11a.m.

June 15 - Members Day

June 15 (thru August 31) – Opening Day – Container Show - "Native BUZZ: Creative Container Gardening for Pollinators” - Invitational, educational competition (professional and people’s choice awards)

July

July 4 - Independence Day – Open

July 19 - Animal Ambassadors "Animal Adventures" 10-11a.m.

July 20 - Members Day

July 20 (thru September 20) - Opening Day – Photo Exhibit “People, Plants, Pollinators” Take 1

August

August 9 - Animal Ambassadors "Eyes on Owls" 10-11a.m.

August 14 - Free Lecture on Native Plants and the Civil War 1 p.m.

August 14 – “Civil War Era” Native Plant Garden Tour 2 p.m.

August 17 - Members Day

August 28 – “Civil War Era” Native Plant Garden Tour 2 p.m.

September

September 5 - Labor Day – Open

September 21 - Members Day

September 21 (thru October 31)-Opening Day–Photo Exhibit “People, Plants, Pollinators” Take 2,

September 24 - Museums Day with Smithsonian Magazine special pricing

September 25 – Grandparents Day – special events 1-4 p.m.

October

October 2 - Annual Native Plant Lecture and Certificate Awards

October 10 - Columbus Day – Open

October 19 - Members Day

October 31 - Closing Day

The mission of New England Wild Flower Society is to conserve and promote the region’s native plants to ensure healthy, biologically diverse landscapes. Founded in 1900, the Society is the nation’s oldest plant conservation organization and a recognized leader in native plant conservation, horticulture, and education. The Society’s headquarters is located at Garden in the Woods, a renowned native plant botanic garden in Framingham, Massachusetts, that attracts visitors from all over the world. From this base, 35 staff and more than 1,000 volunteers work throughout New England to monitor and protect rare and endangered plants, collect and preserve seeds to ensure biological diversity, detect and control invasive species, conduct research, and offer a range of educational programs. Education programs are offered in every New England State as part of the largest native plant education program in America. The Society also operates a native plant nursery at Nasami Farm in western Massachusetts, which grows plants for retail customers and for landscaping and restoration projects, and has eight sanctuaries in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont that are open to the public. For more information, visit www.newenglandwild.org.

COGDesign notice:
Looking for that special garden ornament? A specimen tree? Or maybe tree pruning from one of the area’s most reputable contractors? Then prepare to bid early and often at the annual on-line auction In the Garden at www.cogdesign.org, April 5-12. All proceeds help bring gardens and parks to the greater Boston area.

In the Garden offers specialty goods and services for the discerning gardener and attracts great interest and spirited bidding. Among the prized offerings this year are a topiary lemon cypress from specialty nursery Snug Harbor Farm, one-of-a-kind artwork for indoors and out, pampering soaps from the Royal Horticultural Society, and much more. Retail values for auction selections range from $25 to $1,600.

COGdesign provides pro bono landscape design services wherever people need plants, gardens and parks, from homeless shelters and public schools to community gardens and neighborhood green spaces, throughout the greater Boston area.

Cut back the dead tops of perennials left over from last year. Pull back mulch so it is not in contact with tree trunks, stems of shrubs and emerging perennial foliage. It is ok if it touches emerging bulbs. Rake winter debris from lawns and flower beds when the soil is not damp with a bamboo or other kid of springy rake that will not tear sod. Scatter bulb fertilizer around sprouted bulb foliage. Put up bird boxes to attract nesters. Spread a half inch layer of compost over the garden and lawn. If you don't have a compost pile, order finished compost for delivery from a garden center or purchase bags of compost. Start seeds of peppers, broccoli, eggplants, flowering tobacco, portulaca, China aster, dwarf marigold, ageratum, cleome and petunia indoors under lights.

By Carol Stocker
Globe Correspondent

So how is The Boston Flower & Garden Show now that it has settled into its second season at the Seaport World Trade Center? It's smaller than its predecessor, which used to cover five acres at the Bayside Expo each March. But it is still big enough that my feet hurt by the time I see everything. Which means it's big enough.

This late winter tonic commands a lot of skill and creativity, especially among the show's more than two dozen major exhibitors. The theme is container gardening. Best in Show goes to Peter R. Sadeck's spooky woodland garden which features a dark cedar swamp and a forest of dead tree trunks serving as "containers" or nurse trees for the next generation of wild woodies. An exquisite life size moss maiden is perched magically atop one of the 12-foot tall ash trunks that suggest a requiem for an old growth forest. Two live owls add to the Gothic atmosphere, along with a giant peregrine-gyrfalcon hybrid. Sadeck's flower show exhibits always make surprising use of live birds, and this might be the best one yet.

Stranger still, while Sedack's wildlife handler Mala Isaac was introducing onlookers to the beautiful barn owl, a center employee came in with a small wild saw-whet owl he had found in a nearby parking lot, where it had perhaps been hit by a car. At first stunned, the owl darted free when it regained its wits. "I guess it can fly after all," said Isaac as it landed on a rafter 40 feet above the exhibit. I hope the hall has a mouse population so the little saw-whet owl can find something to eat at night when they turn the lights out.

The gorgeous garden created by Miskovsky Landscaping of Falmouth and Allen C. Haskell Horticulturalists of New Bedford also has birds, their signature free flying white fantail pigeons who roost in a white dovecote. But the aesthetic highpoint of this exhibit is a lofty tree house by Mike Duffany, with its own window box, staircase and daybed. At ground level shady seating nook is nestled underneath. Talented Paul Miskovsky and David Haskell last teamed up for the 2007 New England Spring Flower Show and its good to have them back for this show.

Nearby, the always entertaining sculptor Jill Nooney of Fine Garden Art in Lee, N.H., has given a transcendent spin to the show's theme of container gardening by using organic containers ranging from emu eggs to lobster shells. A human skull sports a bird's nest and a crown of seaweed.

The 2011 Newport Flower Show has mounted an ambitious exhibit to promoted its own 16-year-old show, which will be held June 24 - 26 on the grounds of the historic Rosecliff mansion in Newport. This display features a large tree hung with candelabras as decorations and a Grand Dame from the Edwardian era dressed in a gown of fresh cut flowers.

Michael C. Jardin Fine Gardens of Lakeville and Earthworks of Leverett both have built wonderful rock formations using native granite and The Magma Design Group of Pawtucket, RI, built a photographic stone moon gate that could be the focal point of any garden. Cape Cod Life, the Mashpee based magazine, landscaped with native plants around a seaside structure to introduce a whiff of summer on the Cape.

The New England Orchid Societies, Mahoney's Garden Centers, Heimlich Nurseries, the Bonsais Study Group, Katsura Gardens of Plymouth and Crystal Brinson of Fairhaven all display impressive plant material while Cass School of Floral Design in Watertown will conduct flower arranging mini-demos every couple of hours. To see some really spectacular formal arrangements, wend your way through the back doorways to Mass Hort's "Blooms!" Floral Design Divisions.

The Miniature Garden Competition, a longtime favorite at the old Flower Shows in Boston, has been resurrected nearby. In 2008 when the New England Spring Flower Show closed its doors for the last time, it was thought that these diminutive Edens were gone forever. But late last year the Massachusetts Horticultural Society asked long time Miniature Gardens exhibitors Debi Hogan and Warren Leach of Seekonk to work with them to bring these popular gardens to the new Boston Flower and Garden Show. (Warren is a co-owner of the very fabulous Tranquil Lake Nursery in Rehoboth.)

The Boston Flower Show is owned and produced by Paragon Group, and is managed as a Trade Show. The Massachusetts Horticultural Society partners with Paragon Group to keep horticulture front and center and to also keep some aspects of the traditional New England Spring Flower Show alive, particularly the floral design classes, and potted plants and gardens that have been such part of the old show for more than a century.

The Miniature Gardens have always been a popular part of this Amateur Design Division of the show. Each garden is designed to resemble an actual vista with plants and accessories scaled down to one twelfth size, and is viewed through a small window. The four groups of exhibitors have painted a background for their box, grown the plants, and assembled the final plan at the show. The Holbrow family have made a particularly charming miniature garden based on the spring display of trailing nasturtiums in Isabella Stewart Gardener’s courtyard on the Fenway in Boston. Exhibiting at the Flower Show in Boston is a family tradition that goes back more than a century to Charles E. Holbrow, a Brighton greenhouse grower who won a silver cup from the Massachusetts Horticultural Society in the 1890s.

Carolyn Weston has continued doing a fine job as the show's director. Katherine Macdonald, the new executive director of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society in Wellesley, has also been on hand running "Blooms!" - Mass Hort's show within the show which includes all of Thursday's lectures and programs.

The Boston Flower And Garden Show is open Thursday, March 17, 9:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.; Friday, March 18, 9:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.; Saturday, March 19, 9:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.; and Sunday, March 20, 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Tickets prices are: Adults $20; Seniors (65+) $17; Children 6-17 $10; and Under 6 Free. Massachusetts Horticultural Society members receive free tickets. For more information visit, www.masshort.org/Blooms_and_the_Boston_Flower_&_Garden_Show

Saturday, April 2, 1:30-4:30 p.m. there is a Pruning Shrubs with the Pros class at Garden in the Woods, Framingham, MA. Early spring is an excellent time to prune many woody plants. In this hands-on workshop, participants work in small groups for guided practice on woody members of the Garden’s shrub collection. Instructor Deborah Howe helps us discover ways to enhance a plant’s vigor, health, and appearance and learn which tools to use, when to prune, and how the plant responds. Bring hand-pruners and dress for working outdoors, rain, snow, or shine. Fee: $36 (Member) / $43 (Nonmember). Pre-registration is necessary, contact the registrar at 508-877-7630, ext. 3303.

Thursday, April 7, 7-8:30 p.m. Certificate Program Orientation. Garden in the Woods, Framingham, MA. Join Bonnie Drexler, Education Director, and certificate program graduates for a free illustrated talk that includes some of the fascinating stories that native plants have to tell, along with a look at the Society's efforts to conserve the region’s native flora. Hear about the structure of the Society's Certificate in Native Plant Studies program and how it can guide your learning. Everyone is welcome at this free presentation. Preregistration is requested, but not required.

Thursday, April 14, 7-8:30 p.m. Wild Foods, Nutrition, and Land Conservation. Garden in the Woods, Framingham, MA. Land conservation has many obvious benefits -- protecting habitats and watersheds, preventing erosion, offering places of beauty and respite. Few of us consider the additional benefit to our health and well-being that derives from the wild, nutrient-dense foods these natural areas can provide. Instructor Arthur Haines takes a provocative look at agriculture (particularly small-scale) and its effects on the environment and human health. How does clearing the canopy and understory of a natural area affect wild food sources? Do changes in our diet over the past century have a physiological and genetic impact? Appreciating the critical need humans have for wild food provides another powerful argument for the protection of land from uses that drastically alter its ecological function. Fee: $20 (Member) / $24 (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.

Saturday, April 16, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Vernal Pool Ecology. Garden in the Woods, Framingham, MA. During the end of the last ice age, retreating glaciers carved some of New England's most unique habitats, vernal pools. These ephemeral bodies of water harbor an array of plants, invertebrates, reptiles, amphibians, and other wildlife. Instructor Mark D. Cooperman begins with an introduction to the geology and ecology of these pools. We discuss the natural history of the organisms inhabiting them, devoting particular attention to those that rely upon vernal pools for successful reproduction. Our afternoon session brings us into the field where we take a first hand look at the Garden’s Lost Pond, a classic woodland vernal pool. Bring a lunch and rubber boots. Fee: $60 (Member) / $72 (Nonmember). Pre-registration is necessary, contact the registrar at 508-877-7630, ext. 3303.

Sunday, April 17, 12:30-4:30 p.m. Invasives: ID, Ecology, and Control. Garden in the Woods, Framingham. Get a head start on invasive control this year by learning to identify invasives in the early season. This course provides an introduction to about 40 of the most common invasive non-native plants in our local landscapes. Through lecture, discussion, power-point presentation, herbarium specimens, and a walk outside, become familiar with identification clues as well as the habits of a number of these plants that are so disruptive of natural ecosytems. Instructor Ted Elliman discusses management techniques for many of these species, on both a home and a landscape scale. The “Invaders” issue of the Society’s magazine as well as the MA Field Guide to Invasives will be available for purchase at a discount. Fee: $48 (Member) / $58 (Nonmember).
Cosponsored by New England Wild Flower Society and Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University.

Pre-registration is necessary, contact the registrar at 508-877-7630, ext. 3303.

Wednesday, April 20, 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Beginning Bonsai with Native Plants. Garden in the Woods, Framingham, MA. Have you ever admired the form of a venerable bonsai tree and wondered how it was created? Now is your chance to try your hand at creating a bonsai designed from native plant materials to take home and nurture for years to come. Instructor Glen Lord teaches all the basics to get you started with your own bonsai, including the application of moss, landscaping with rocks, and tips about bonsai care. All materials provided. Fee: $75 (Member) / $90 (Nonmember). Cosponsored by New England Wild Flower Society and Bonsai West, Littleton, MA. Pre-registration is necessary, contact the registrar at 508-877-7630, ext. 3303.

Thursdays, April 21, 28, May 5, 19, 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Also, alternate course of classes given Thursdays, April 21, 28, May 19, 2011, 6:30-9 p.m. and Saturday, May 14, 10 a.m.-12 noon. Wildflowers of New England. Garden in the Woods, Framingham, MA. A great way to begin the study of native plants, this course focuses on learning to identify wild plants and provides field experience across the spectrum of New England flora. Sessions will cover plant identification using Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide. Instructor: Neela de Zoysa familiarizes students with family characteristics, growth patterns, habitats, and pollination mechanisms of many of our native wildflowers. Practice plant identification and study plant habitats in the field. Bring a hand lens to each class. Required text: Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide. Fee: $142 (Member) / $167 (Nonmember). Pre-registration is necessary, contact the registrar at 508-877-7630, ext. 33

Wednesdays, beginning April 27, Native Herbaceous Plant Materials: Early Season. Garden in the Woods, Framingham, MA. Many native North American herbaceous plants are suitable for growing in New England. Instructor Jessie Panek examines the characteristics of horticulturally important native plants that grow and/or flower early in the season. Discussion includes how a plant’s cultural requirements relate to its wild habitat. Lectures are accompanied by firsthand looks at plant materials used at Garden in the Woods. Designed for anyone wanting to work at a professional level with native plants, this course is also appropriate for the avid home gardener. Fee: $142 (Member) / $167 (Nonmember)

Pre-registration is necessary, contact the registrar at 508-877-7630, ext. 3303

Wednesday, April 27, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Low-Maintenance Design with Native Plants. Garden in the Woods, Framingham, MA. Lower your garden maintenance by using native plants and designing carefully. Learn how to design a unique garden space with strong connections to our spectacular New England landscape. In this interactive format, you are encouraged to bring your ideas, along with photographs, plans, or sketches of your own property. Landscape designer Owen Wormser helps you create enjoyable, low maintenance, and sustainable garden spaces while discovering important functional and aesthetic aspects of native plants. Fee: $36 (Member) / $43 (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.

Friday, April 15, 6:30-8 p.m., Frog Moon Night Hike. Garden in the Woods, Framingham, MA. What strange quacks, trills, and peeps can be heard coming from ponds and bogs on a spring evening? Who is making all of that racket and why? Come to the Garden for a slide program presented by instructor Bonnie Drexler about some amazing amphibian singers, practice some croaky calls yourself, and then walk through the woods to experience the sound from the swamps. The evening ends with snacks and some "froggy" crafts to take home. Fee: $9 (Member) / $11 (Nonmember). Pre-registration is necessary, contact the registrar at 508-877-7630, ext. 3303.

NEWFS classes, courses, and field trips are searchable online, down loadable online, and available by calling the registrar (508-877-7630, ext. 3303). For more information, visit http://www.newenglandwild.org/learn.

The Boston Flower & Garden Show, will return to the Seaport World Trade Center in Boston on Wednesday, March 16 through Sunday, March 20 and focus on the creative possibilities of container gardening. The theme – A Burst of Color: Celebrating the Container Garden— will showcase dozens of ways to add vibrancy, warmth, and drama to any size space – a sunny welcome on a city terrace, a gourmet harvest in a suburban side yard, or a fresh focal point for a mature landscape.

The 2011 Boston Flower & Garden Show will kick off on Tuesday evening, March 15 with a VIP Preview Party, which brings together New England’s best garden designers, hundreds of garden enthusiasts, and Boston glitterati. Proceeds from the annual sneak-peek fundraiser will benefit the Boston Parks and Recreation Department’s Fund for Parks and Recreation in its work to maintain and beautify the City of Boston.

Set to the backdrop of over 25 garden displays by cutting-edge landscape professionals and area nurseries, visitors to the 2011 Boston Flower & Garden Show will also enjoy daily hands-on children’s gardening activities, 200 vendors featuring thousands of plants and hundreds of the newest gardening products, as well as chances to take home exciting giveaways.

Highlights include:

* Gardening & floral arrangement demos: Guests will enjoy 30 gardening demonstrations from leading experts and gardening groups such as the New England Rose Society and the Massachusetts Nursery & Landscape Association; floral arranging demos will be presented by the Massachusetts Professional Florists Association.

Lectures by top garden writers: The Show will feature 28 lectures by garden experts, including authors Charlie Nardozzi, Tovah Martin, Ray Rogers and Ed Smith.

Daily cooking exhibitions from local gurus such as garden chef Carole Murko of Heirloom Meals and the culinary team at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston

The Massachusetts Horticultural Society and the Garden Club Federation of Massachusetts coordinate colorful competitions amongst the region’s top amateur floral arrangers.

The Marketplace Book Store: Many of the Show’s speakers and lecturers will have their books on sale at the Book Store, where guests will also find hundreds of other titles pertaining to gardening—cookbooks, garden design, containers, pruning.

Preview Party, Tuesday, March 15: A kick-off to New England’s largest horticultural event, proceeds from this exclusive fundraiser and annual sneak-peek to the Show will benefit the Fund for Parks and Recreation, which helps support environmental projects, park beautification projects, and recreation programming in the City of Boston. WCVB’s Randy Price and Bianca de la Garza will Co-Chair this VIP event. Tickets for the Preview Party are available at www.cityofboston.gov/parks/.

The 2011 Boston Flower & Garden Show is produced by Paragon Group, event marketer and producer of major events, including the New England International Auto Show and the National Golf Expo Boston.

Where:

* Seaport World Trade Center, 200 Seaport Boulevard, Boston

When:

* Preview Party: Tuesday, March 15, 5:30 – 8:00 PM
* Wednesday, March 16 through Saturday, March 19, 9 AM – 8 PM
* Sunday, March 20, 9 AM – 6 PM

Admission:

· $20 for adults

· $17 for seniors (65+)

· $10 for children ages 6-17

· Children under age 6 admitted free

· Group rates for 20 or more at $16 per ticket

· Tickets are available at all Roche Brothers stores and at www.TheBostonFlowerShow.com

Four Miniature Gardens will be created by gardeners from Cambridge, Framingham, Mansfield, Somerset & Seekonk/Rehoboth for The Boston Flower And Garden Show.

The theme of the Show is "A Burst of Color: Celebrating the Container Garden". The Massachusetts Horticultural Society presents a Show within the Boston Flower and Garden Show titled: "Blooms! 2011 at the Boston Flower & Garden Show." The Miniature Gardens Competition are part of this Show within a show. The Show Hours are: Wednesday, March 16, 9:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.; Thursday, March 17, 9:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.; Friday, March 18, 9:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.; Saturday, March 19, 9:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.; and Sunday, March 20, 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Tickets prices are: Adults $20; Seniors (65+) $17; Children 6-17 $10; and Under 6 Free. Massachusetts Horticultural Society members receive free tickets. For more information visit, www.masshort.org

The Miniature Garden Competition has long-time been a popular feature of Flower Shows in Boston. In 2008 when the New England Spring Flower Show closed its doors for the last time, it was thought that these diminutive edens were gone forever. Late last year the Massachusetts Horticultural Society asked long time Miniature Gardens exhibitors Debi Hogan and Warren Leach of Seekonk to work with them to bring these popular gardens to the new Boston Flower and Garden Show.

The Boston Flower Show is owned and produced by Paragon Group, and is managed as a Trade Show. The Massachusetts Horticultural Society partners with Paragon Group to keep horticulture front and center and to also keep some aspects of the traditional New England Spring Flower Show alive, particularly the floral design classes, and individual plants and gardens that have been such a popular part of the New England Spring Flower Show for more than a century. These flower arrangements, individual pots of flowers, window boxes and even gardens are tended and designed by amateur gardeners, garden club members, plant societies and even children. The Miniature Gardens have always been a popular part of this Amateur Design Division of the show.

These spectacular mini landscapes are created on a scale of one inch is equal to one foot. Each garden is designed to resemble an actual vista with plants and accessories scaled down to one twelfth the size size. The gardens are viewed by Show participants through a viewing window set 48" feet off the Show floor. The window is just 14" tall by 26 inches wide.

The Miniature Gardens combine horticulture and artistry with an intricate design. They are composed primarily of live plants with accessories such as water, pots, paving, small buildings and other accessories allowed. The gardens are constructed within a plywood box measuring 30 inches high by 24 inches deep. The exhibitors paint the background of the box, grow the plants, plan the garden and finally assemble it all at the Show. Miniature garden may be created by groups or individuals. This year four miniature gardens will be created by groups or individuals from Cambridge, Framingham, Mansfield, Somerset and Seekonk/Rehoboth.

* The Holbrow Family have long been exhibitors of Miniature Gardens, creating imaginative and artistic miniature designs in 2006, 2007 and 2008 and several years before that. In fact exhibiting at the Flower Show in Boston is a family tradition that goes back more than a century to Charles E. Holbrow, a Brighton greenhouse grower, who won a silver cup from the Massachusetts Horticultural Society in 1892 , for "the second best two dozen Waban roses" at the show. The cup is a handsome trophy; and the family wonder sometimes what the first place trophy most have looked like.

Several family members will help with the miniature garden this year including Mom (Mary Holbrow of Cambridge) and daughter and granddaughter, artists Gwendolyn and Felicity Holbrow of Framingham.

The Holbrow family’s miniature garden design is based on the spring display of trailing nasturtiums, colorful blooms and greenery in Isabella Stewart Gardener’s courtyard on the Fenway in Boston. Inspired by her travels in Venice, Mrs. Gardener designed the garden as part of the museum she established on the Fenway and opened to the public in 1903. It is sure to be a colorful exhibit.

Kim Sestak and Andrea Kukulka from the Garden Club of Mansfield will be creating a Miniature Gardens for the very first time this year. Kim reports that "Andrea and I are thrilled to be participating in our first exhibition at the Flower Show. My mother-in-law and I have been attending the show for many years and the miniature garden window box exhibits were always our favorites. I have been curious about these gardens for years, and when the opportunity cam along I just jumped in knowing it would be a great opportunity and a learning process."

Kim and Andrea have been busy scrambling for plants and eyeing everything to see if it can fit that one inch is equal to one foot scale. Kim dug through two foot of snow looking for garden plants and is keeping her fingers crossed that they will be ready for exhibition by mid-March They also rummaged through a trailer of over winterized plants at Osburne Nursery, scraped moss off the ground at Patrick Lyons Greenhouse and worked with the owner of Evergreen Tree and Landscape to dig through the ice to open his greenhouse doors. They have been growing seeds and rooting whatever they find. Neither gardener can sit at their kitchen tables with their family any longer, since the tables are covered in plants.

Andrea and Kim’s Miniature garden will feature a typical home owner’s landscape. The idea for the home garden was inspired by this year’s Flower Show theme: "A Burst of Color - Celebrating the Container Garden." Kim says "After such a long winter covered with an endless blanket of snow, we really welcome the lush color of green and every color thereafter is a bonus. The warmth of color fills the air as the gardener puts into action what was planned over the winter’s rest." They will use careful staging of blooms to provide instant color and draw ones eye away from the sides of the boxes, just like in the garden, color can be used to help draw the gardens to a closer living outdoor space. Andrea reports "One can manipulate the canvas more easily with container gardening than a garden bed. Even garden accessories and hardscape have their role in the overall tapestry." They hope the viewer can embrace the colors that nature has given and embellish it with ones own sense of uniqueness.

Fred Perry of Somerset is designing a classic courtyard in which visitors will look into the garden, peering through the architecture of a colonnade. A small fountain will bubble into crossing channels that divide the enclosed quadrangle into four sections. The well chosen and diminutive plants within the garden will create a secluded place of beauty. Fred is also the Director of Horticulture at Blithewold Gardens and Arboretum in Bristol, Rhode Island. In his home landscape he has worked with his son Eric to create a miniature railway garden. This is the first time Fred will be going solo in designing a Miniature Garden for the Flower Show. In 1999, he co-designed the gold medal winning miniature that also won the Historic Landscape Award for the whole show.

The final Miniature garden will be created by Debi Hogan and Warren Leach of Seekonk, although their garden will be for display only - not for judging, since Debi and Warren are co-chairing the Miniature Gardens this year. The were instrumental in finding exhibitors, judges and bringing the Miniatures back to the Show this year. Warren is also co-owner of Tranquil Lake Nursery in Rehoboth.

Debi and Warren are working on their seventh Miniature Garden. They designed their first garden for the New England Spring Flower show in 1994. A year later when the Miniature Gardens were pulled out of the Flower Design competition and given their own status, Debi and Warren were asked to Co-Chair the Miniature Gardens Competition and guide it towards independent status. They Chaired the Miniature Gardens for the New England Spring Flower Shows in 1995 and 1996, exhibiting a garden just for display in 1996. In subsequent years, they entered competitive miniature gardens in 1999, 2006, 2007 and 2008, winning a gold medal each year and also winning the silver bowl for First place among the Miniature Gardens three times and the Historic Landscape Award for the entire show three times, competing against all the other gardens in the show, including the larger landscapes.

This year Debi and Warren will create a miniature garden that is the archetype of Persian garden, originating from the marriage of a rich cultural heritage, artistic expression and environmental responsiveness to a hot dry climate. The visitor will look through the window to see a garden oasis composed of the playful use of water represented by geometric rills, pools and fountains surrounded by the colorful architecture of the Persian culture. Plants in this dry climate are used sparingly for shade and structure with responsiveness to the hot and dry environment. Drought tolerant plants will be emphasized .

Many people are planting fruit trees as one of the easiest ways to cut food bills by growing food at home. The Boston Natural Areas Network is launching the Boston Orchard Program to provide support and education for the care and cultivation of Boston’s fruit trees and orchards located on public lands throughout the City of Boston. As part of the Boston Orchard Program, Boston Natural Areas Network is partnering with the Food Project, the Boston Tree Party, and the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation on two free pruning workshops.

On Saturday March 5, as part of the Food Project’s Winter Workshop Series, John Bunker, Pomologist from Super Chilly Farm in Maine will provide pruning tips at the Shirley-Eustis House Orchard located at 33 Shirley Street in Roxbury.

On Saturday March 12, Ben Crouch, sole proprietor of Jamaica Plain’s Land of Plenty Gardens will provide more information about pruning at the Blake House Orchard located at 735 Columbia Road in Dorchester.

The free programs, for everyone interested in learning more about protecting their trees begin at
10 a.m. Reservations are required. Contact BNAN at 617-542-7696 or info@bostonnatural.org.

Boston Natural Areas Network is succeeding the work of Earthworks, Inc. which after many years of stewardship has closed its doors.Boston Natural Areas Network is a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing together local residents, partner organizations, public officials and foundations to preserve, expand, and enhance urban open space, including community gardens, greenways, and urban wilds.

Stockbridge, MA. . .Classes, lectures, and workshops all geared towards the
home gardener are currently open for registration at Berkshire Botanical
Garden.

A three-session lecture, The Home Vegetable Garden, provides an opportunity
to fine-tune garden plans in an informative and practical program on how to
grow food. This introduction to vegetable gardening will include site
selection, soil and nutrient management, seed selection, design, crop
rotation schemes, seeding and planting, pest management, and specific plant
cultivation. Taught by former Extension Vegetable Specialist for the
University of Massachusetts John Howell, the lecture meets February 26,
March 5, and March 12 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Cost for the series is
$108 Members / $135 Nonmembers.

The Wild Side of Gardening, an illustrated lecture/demonstration focusing on
growing summer bulbs, is scheduled for Saturday, March 5, 2:00 - 4:00 p.m.
Horticulturist Matt Mattus will share his designs, ideas, and inspirations
for adding lesser-used summer bulbs to gardens and container plantings.
Participants will receive a plant resource list and growing tips to
successfully recreate summer bulb gardens at home. Cost: $20 Members / $25
Nonmembers.

Housescaping with Succulents, Orchids, and More is scheduled for Saturday,
March 12, 10:00 a.m. to noon. This hands-on demonstration/workshop explores
plants from around the world, including agaves, orchids, and other exotics,
which can be grown as low maintenance patio plants that double as
houseplants during the winter months. Under the direction of garden
designer Rob Gennari, students will practice dividing and repotting a
variety of specimen plants and take home divisions to incorporate into their
collections. Cost: Members $37 / Nonmembers $42.

Growing Under Glass, a lecture/discussion focusing on the practical home
greenhouse, will be held Saturday, March 12, 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. Designed for
all levels of growers, topics covered will include assessing and evaluating
different greenhouse designs, framing, glazing, ventilation, heating,
cooling, and accessory equipment necessary for a successful operation. The
program will conclude with a walking tour, led by instructor John Bartock,
of the various greenhouses on the grounds of Berkshire Botanical Garden,
including an historic Lord & Burnham glass house, a Lexan production
greenhouse, a solar pit greenhouse, a poly hoop house, and cold frames.
Cost is $20 Members / $25 Nonmembers.

Beginning gardeners and nascent market gardeners can learn how to create a
small, highly productive cutting garden Saturday, March 19, 10:00 a.m. -
noon at a discussion/workshop, Growing a Cutting Garden. Taught by Anne
Hunter, owner of Lastings, a specialty fresh and dried flower farm, the
program will include selecting varieties, sowing times and techniques,
planting and transplanting, cultivating and preparing for market.
Participants will sow seeds and transplant flower seedlings to take home.
Fee for the workshop is $25 Members / $30 Nonmembers.

A Plant Press Workshop taught by Berkshire Botanical staff, is scheduled for
Saturday, March 26, 10:00 a.m. - noon. This hands-on workshop involves
constructing a professional-sized herbarium plant press for preserving
flowers, fruits, ferns, and leaves from gardens, fields and forests. The
cost is $45 Members / $54 Nonmembers. Following the workshop, participants
are invited to join University of Massachusetts herbarium Director Karen
Searcy, for a discussion and demonstration, The Art and Science of Pressing
Plants. Students will then practice preserving plant material with their
newly constructed plant press. Students only interested in the
discussion/demonstration by Ms. Searcy can join the program from noon - 1:30
p.m.
The cost is: $22 Members / $27 Nonmembers.

All classes, lectures, and workshops are held at Berkshire Botanical
Garden's Education Center, 5 West Stockbridge Road, Stockbridge, MA. To
register, call the Garden at (413) 298-3926, or visit the web site:
www.berkshirebotanical.org Berkshire Botanical Garden offers year-round
programs to children and adults wishing to expand their knowledge of
gardening and the environment.

Massachusetts Agriculture in the Classroom is sponsoring a Statewide Winter Conference for teachers titled "Growing Minds Through Massachusetts Agriculture." The conference offers educational and networking resources, activity ideas and framework connections that can facilitate and enhance pre-K through 12th grade classroom teachers alike and help bring agriculture to the classroom.

The 10th Annual Growing Minds through Massachusetts Agriculture Conference offers educational and networking resources that can facilitate and enhance pre-K through 12th grade classroom teachers alike. This year’s conference will feature a choice of six concurrent workshops during each of four workshop sessions. Workshops will explore the many diverse commodity sectors of Massachusetts Agriculture while providing hands-on learning opportunities that bring agriculture alive in the classroom. Each will offer specific background and activities for either elementary, middle or high school level. Speakers, panels and activities will emphasize agriculture and hands-on activities for the classroom. Don’t miss this day of discussion, interaction and opportunities for exploring new ideas for your Massachusetts classroom.

The $50 fee includes lunch and all materials. ($55 on the day of the conference) Ten Professional Development Points are provided for those who attend the full day conference, carry out a related classroom activity, and send in a brief report of their experience. Scholarships are available to new teachers and teachers from urban schools thanks to funding from a Farm Credit East AgEnhancement Grant. For eligibility information and an application form, check the MAC website at www.aginclassroom.org, click on winter conference and then Scholarship link. We also thank Big Y Foods, Inc. of Springfield and the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources for sponsoring our Winter Conference for Educators by providing funds to support some of the costs. We also thank the Ludlow Public Schools and Randall’s Farm in Ludlow for their support! A limited number of full and partial.

The day will begin with registration from 8:00 to 8:30 a.m., followed by a Welcome and Introductions. Choose from six workshops during each concurrent sessions from 9:00-10:10 a.m.; 10:20-11:30 a.m.; 12:50-2:00 p.m. and 2:10-3:20 p.m.9:00 to 10:10 Concurrent Workshop Session

At 9:00 a.m. the first of four concurrent workshop sessions will begin. (Choose one of six Workshops)

Workshop 1: Fund-Raising for Schoolyard Agriculture

This workshop will start with a primer on writing a successful grant proposal with Mary Greendale program development and grant writing consultant for the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources. She will discuss locating grant sources, tailoring grant application to donor's interests and steps for writing a successful proposal. She will also discuss strategies for finding the community of likely local supporters for your project and engaging the school administrations and parents.
Then learn form other teachers who have been successful raising funds and developing community support for their school gardening programs. Finally, hear about MAC's mini-grant program and what we look for in a mini-grant application. Appropriate for all grades.
Workshop Facilitator: Bill Cassell, 3rd grade teacher and school farmer at the L.D. Batchelder School in North Reading.

Workshop 2: Making Cheese in the Classroom

Dairy Farmers, Marjorie Cooper and nephew James Cooper from Coopers’ Hilltop Dairy Farm in Rochdale will offer an overview of the dairy industry in Massachusetts today. Learn about the life cycle of the cow, milking, milk products, pricing and direct marketing. The making of cheese is a simple process that can be easily adapted to the classroom. Marjorie and James will demonstrate making cheese from the milk of the cow. They will also provide resources including information on where to purchase cheese-making kits. Appropriate for elementary and middle school.
Instructors: Marjorie and James Cooper, Coopers’ Hilltop Dairy Farm

Workshop 3: Teaching Sustainability Using the School Garden

For the past two years the Jackson Street School in Northampton has engaged in a school-wide garden initiative to promote environmental learning, healthy eating, and an awareness of caring for our earth through recycling and composting. Teachers use the garden as an outdoor classroom for science, nutrition, literacy, social studies and math. The school also has embarked on a school-wide garbage reduction program; students and staff recycle and compost school waste in the cafeteria and individual classrooms. Teachers Mary Bates, Mary Cowhey, Susan Ebitz, Mary Ellen Reed and Aaron Piziali are partnering with faculty, school administration, parents, the school PTO, the Northampton Education Foundation and Northampton city departments to make these efforts sustainable over the long term. Appropriate for Grades K-6.
Instructors: Mary Bates, Mary Cowhey, Susan Ebitz and Aaron Piziali from the Jackson Street School in Northampton

Workshop 4: Art Meets Agriculture in the Classroom

Two art teachers who participated in our 2010 Summer Graduate Course will share a variety of ideas and activities that they used to incorporate their summer of agricultural immersion into their art lessons. Kerry Bart-Raber from the Hubbardston Elementary School and Diana Billipp from the William Diamond Middle School in Lexington will show you how they use sketching and drawing, observational research, murals , printmaking and clay sculptures to connect the farm to the school. Targeted for elementary and middle school.
Instructors: Kerry Bart-Raber from the Hubbardston Elementary School and Diana Billipp from the William Diamond Middle School in Lexington.

Workshop 5: Mini-Chicken Coop from Pallets

Reduce waste by reusing pallets and recycle them into a small chicken coop. Backyard poultry has become very popular and is also a good way to introduce kids to agriculture in the classroom. In this hands-on workshop, Russ Anderson from Worcester Technical High School will work with participants to help build a low cost mini-chicken coop for home or schoolyard using recycled materials with hand tools & cordless drill. Limited to 12 participants.
Instructor: Russ Anderson has raised poultry for many years. He majored in Animal Science at Stockbridge and later Agricultural Education at UMass and has worked on large scale poultry farms and taught poultry keeping as a Peace Corps Volunteer in West Africa. He has a Masters in Tech Ed/Industrial Arts (FSU). He has a small farm in Leicester, Mass where he keeps poultry, game birds & rabbits and teaches Environmental Science & Technology at Worcester Technical High School.

Workshop 6: Let the Outside In: Hidden Hollow: An Outdoor Discovery Center

Learn about Hidden Hollow, a new innovative outdoor space at Heritage Museums and Gardens focused on low-tech, natural activity areas where children and their families connect to nature. Participants will learn about ways they can adapt this "Nature Explore" model to fit their site, and they will gather curriculum materials and ideas for outdoor learning; including changing weekly themes tied directly into Massachusetts Curriculum frameworks, booklists, community collaboration ideas and more. Join us in helping every school in Massachusetts create their very own outdoor discover space!
Instructor: Tobey Eugenio, M.Ed., Environmental Education Specialist, Heritage Museum of Sandwich

At 10:10 a.m. there will be a brief break and participants will choose a workshop for the next session concurrent session which will last from 10:20 to 11:30 a.m. (Choose one of six workshops).

Workshop 1: Managing a School Garden Program: Roundtable Discussion

This workshop offers an opportunity to share ideas, successes, challenges, and overall know-how with others who already have experience with gardening at a school. Participants are encouraged to bring copies of printed handouts of ideas, information, materials and resources that would be helpful to fellow school gardeners. Target age range: Pre-K through grade 8.
Discussion Leaders: Marian Hazzard, retired elementary teacher, current volunteer coordinator, four-season garden and greenhouse program, Touchstone Community School, Grafton, MA; Seth Mansur, middle school assistant science teacher, Touchstone Community School, Grafton, MA and Kelly Foss, school garden coordinator from the Wheeler School in Providence.

Workshop 2: Bringing American History to Life: Learning from Our Agricultural Past

Learn the story of Massachusetts farming and the people who worked the land with Dennis Picard, living history interpreter and Director of the Storrowton Village Museum in West Springfield. He'll trace our agricultural roots from the earliest European colonies to 18th and 19th century family farms and kitchen gardens to the shift to the cities due to industrialization and changes in technology. Some of these changes may surprise the attendees in light of our long held concepts of historic farming. Learn about life on these farms, the crops they planted, animals they tended and the life of the farmer in New England. Dennis will describe how these farmers made a living and the differences today and will offer activity ideas for teaching with tools in the classroom. Suitable for grades K-12.
Instructor: Dennis Picard, Living History Interpreter and Director of Storrowtown Village Museum

Workshop 3: Farm Literacy Workshop

Prudence Barton, the school librarian at Lanesborough Elementary School will introduce or remind teachers of books and websites about farming, farmers and farm animals. This is a great way to integrate reading with social studies and science. This presentation is targeted primarily to elementary level teachers, with some information for secondary level instruction.
Instructor: Prudence Barton, Librarian, Lanesborough Elementary School and owner of a small local farm focusing on Heritage Breeds.

Workshop 4: Grain and Breadmaking Workshop

During this hands-on multi-sensory lesson you will explore grains and grasses, learning about different types of breads that can be made in the classroom. During the session Laurie Amberman, children's educator from the Soule Homestead Education Center in Middleboro will make bread and herbal butter, while also exploring the social customs, etiquettes and storytelling around sharing food as you taste several home-made breads. Appropriate for all grades.
Instructor: Laurie Amberman, Children's Educator, Soule Homestead Education Center, Middleboro.

Workshop 5: Fiber to Fabric Workshop

This workshop will offer an introduction to spinning and an overview of fibers. Working with fiber is an excellent hands-on experience for students. Whether you are teaching a unit that can incorporate fiber production, or just looking for something to keep their fingers busy, come explore the fun you and your students can have with fiber! Explore different fibers such as wool, alpaca, angora, cotton and flax observing the differences and learning how each is grown and used. Brenda Loescher, experienced spinner from Amburgey Farm in Ashburnham, will show you how to card wool and spin using a drop spindle and spinning wheel. She'll offer a history of spinning and send you home with a kit that you can use with your students in the classroom. Appropriate for all grades. (Limited to 15 participants.) This workshop will be repeated in the afternoon.
Instructor: Brenda Loescher, Spinner, Amburgey Farm, Ashburnham

Workshop 6: Ornamental Plants for the School Landscape

Bright colorful flowers, fruits and twigs help create an enjoyable and interesting environment and also provide food and shelter for birds, butterflies and other desirable wildlife. Many school sites provide challenging cultural conditions for growing plants, such as shallow soil; poor soil structure and texture; road salts from parking lots; other toxins from previous construction in the area, as well as a lack of skilled horticultural maintenance. Horticulturist and garden designer Warren Leach from Tranquil Lake Nursery in Rehoboth will showcase a variety of tough plants for the schoolyard and provide examples of how each can be used to create a beautiful and inspirational landscape that also offers opportunities for educational links to the classroom.
Instructor: Warren Leach, horticulturist and garden designer, Tranquil Lake Nursery, Rehoboth, MA

11:30 a.m. to 12:50 p.m. Lunch, Awards and Speaker, followed by the opportunity to interact and visit exhibits.

Cassie Uricchio from Mount Everett Regional High School in Sheffield is our Teacher of the Year.
The Lunch Time Speaker is Marian Hazzard on: Lessons from the Green School in Bali

12:50 to 2:00 p.m. Workshop Session Three (Concurrent sessions, choose one of six workshops)

Workshop 1: Gardening to Increase Biodiversity

Plant a garden at your school or home that will attract and support butterflies, frittilaries, moths and other herbivorous insects. In doing so, you will be able to enjoy and study the life cycles of these key members of the food web, while also help to increase biodiversity by providing the food for organisms such as birds, amphibian, reptiles and even mammals. Horticulturist Debi Hogan will offer an overview of some of these insects, showing their life cycle and the plants that will attract and feed the adults while also providing food for the larval stages. She will also suggest gardening practices that will encourage and support these insects.
Instructor: Debi Hogan, horticulturist and educator, Massachusetts Agriculture in the Classroom and Tranquil Lake Nursery

Workshop 2: Composting Workshop

This workshop will offer an overview of composting session. You will learn how to build a bin, the science of compost, adding the materials to the pile, turning and aeration and how to adapt composting to a larger school or municipal project. Composting educator Anne-Marie Runfola will also discuss how to teach science, math, civics and even art using the compost pile. Learn how to make a soda bottle bioreactor activity.
Instructor: Anne-Marie Runfola, Compost educator

Workshop 3: Fiber to Fabric Workshop

This workshop will offer an introduction to spinning and an overview of fibers. Working with fiber is an excellent hands-on experience for students. Whether you are teaching a unit that can incorporate fiber production, or just looking for something to keep their fingers busy, come explore the fun you and your students can have with fiber! Explore different fibers such as wool, alpaca, angora, cotton and flax observing the differences and learning how each is grown and used. Brenda Loescher, experienced spinner from Amburgey Farm in Ashburnham, will show you how to card wool and spin using a drop spindle and spinning wheel. She'll offer a history of spinning and send you home with a kit that you can use with your students in the classroom. Appropriate for all grades. (Limited to 15 participants.) Repeat of the morning workshop.
Instructor: Brenda Loescher, Spinner, Amburgey Farm, Ashburnham

Workshop 4: Embryology in the Classroom

Incubation of eggs in the classroom provides many cross curricular opportunities for teaching reading, writing, math, science and much more. It can also be a challenge for those who have not tried it before. Jessica Ouimet hatches eggs with her fifth grade students at the Coburn Elementary School in West Springfield. She will unravel the mystery, showing you how to set up the incubator, put in the eggs and turn the eggs for successful hatching. She will also present an overview of embryo development, life cycles and brooding of newly hatched chicks and share activities used in her classroom as she teaches this unit. Content is geared towards the elementary grades.
Instructor: Jessica Ouimet, teaches fifth grade at the Coburn Elementary School in West Springfield

Workshop 5: Dairy Farming in Massachusetts

This workshop will offer an overview of dairy farming in Massachusetts providing a history of milk production in the state from colonial to current times. Try out a couple of hands on activities for the classroom and meet a number of farms that offer educational programs and school tours. Connect to the Massachusetts Department of Agriculture's Google maps link and learn how to use it as a teaching tool.
Instructor: Krisanne Koebke, Massachusetts Dairy Promotions, Dudley

Workshop 6: Maple Sugaring Workshop

Late winter is the time to get outdoors, explore the local landscape and woodland, and find the perfect Sugar Maple tree to tap with your students. As you boil the sap into syrup, students can study the history of maple sugaring, draw and chart the boiling process, sing songs, write stories and generally immerse themselves in the maple season. Farm Educator Doug Cook, from Land's Sake in Weston will bring equipment and activity ideas offering ideas and answering questions to take you through the maple season. Targeted for elementary to middle school.
Instructor: Doug Cook, Education Director, Land's Sake, Weston

The last concurrent workshops session will be held from 2:10 to 3:20 p.m. Choose one of six workshops.

Workshop 1: Worm Composting in the Classroom

Take a step towards developing your own green classroom. Learn how food wastes from snack time or the cafeteria are composted in worm bins right in the classroom. Amy Donovan, the Program Director for Franklin County Solid Waste Management District in Greenfield, has started all types of composting and recycling programs at many Massachusetts schools. She’ll offer an overview of how to make an easy and inexpensive worm bin, what materials are acceptable for worm bins, why composting is important, student involvement, and following the waste materials from the school to the garden. Activity ideas related to composting will also be offered.
Instructor: Amy Donovan, Program Director, Franklin County Solid Waste Management District, Greenfield

Workshop 2: Using the Nutrition Label to Teach Science, Math & Nutrition

The workshop will focus on helping students to become informed food consumers by analyzing the information on the nutrition label. Linda Rohr, middle school nutrition educator will review concepts of math, science and nutrition providing opportunities for sharing and discussion. Participants will also prepare three easy-to-make snack foods: popcorn, pita chips and potato chips. These classroom made foods will then be compared to commercially made items for taste, cost and nutrition. You decide which food product is better! Targeted to middle School.
Instructor: Linda Rohr, Middle School Nutrition Educator

Workshop 3: Ornamental Plants for the School Landscape

Bright colorful flowers, fruits and twigs help create an enjoyable and interesting environment and also provide food and shelter for birds, butterflies and other desirable wildlife. Many school sites provide challenging cultural conditions for growing plants, such as shallow soil; poor soil structure and texture; road salts from parking lots; other toxins from previous construction in the area, as well as a lack of skilled horticultural maintenance. Horticulturist and garden designer Warren Leach from Tranquil Lake Nursery in Rehoboth will showcase a variety of tough plants for the schoolyard and provide examples of how each can be used to create a beautiful and inspirational landscape that also offers opportunities for educational links to the classroom.
Instructor: Warren Leach, horticulturist and garden designer, Tranquil Lake Nursery, Rehoboth, MA

Workshop 4: Connecting to the Curriculum Frameworks

The workshop will engage you in connecting food and agriculture to the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks. While the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has recently adopted the Common Core State Standards, which can be found at www.corestandards.org, the frameworks will continue to be used by local communities to augment these standards and to develop more specific curriculum. Take advantage of this opportunity to bring your experiences and expertise to help us create a MAC compendium of relevant, real world activities and resources for teachers, students and parents to use in their schools and communities.
Facilitator: Rita Brennan Olson, M.S., Nutrition Education and Training Coordinator, Massachusetts Department of Education, Elementary and Secondary Education

Workshop 5: Starting a Community Garden Project

There are many ways to start a community garden. Using the Harvests From The Heart garden project located in Wrentham, as a model, Ken Oles will discuss the initial steps in planning, organizing and maintaining a community garden. Whether you are working with friends, neighbors, or a local organization, there are many factors to consider when beginning a new garden. From choosing a name for your project to starting seeds and initial cultivation, this workshop will facilitate planning while identifying pitfalls that may occur. The following specific items will be addressed: site selection and preparation, team-building, start-up costs, publicity, irrigation, food safety, selecting a sponsor, liability, disease and pest control, and data collection. Who should attend: gardeners, educators, volunteers, supporters of community garden projects, and others who are interested in promoting healthy communities. Meet others with similar interests, participate in discussions, and leave with new ideas.
Instructor: Ken Oles, a URI/MGA Master Gardener and retired educator, is the organizer and consultant for the Harvests From The Heart project in Wrentham. In 2010, project volunteers grew and harvested over 3,000 pounds of fresh produce for the Wrentham Food Pantry. Ken also serves on the Board of Directors for Massachusetts Agriculture in the Classroom.

Workshop 6: Horses

History was written on the back of the horse." No other animal, except perhaps the dog, has had as much influence on human development as the horse. Learn how horses helped shape civilization in the past and how they continue to shape society today. We may no longer need horses for transportation and "horsepower" as we did in previous centuries, but the animal continues to hold our fascination and respect. The equine industry is alive and well in the Northeast, generating billions of dollars of revenue. Horses provide a viable agricultural industry that is economically sustainable. This industry improves quality of life by preserving open spaces. Horses provide immeasurable benefits improving strength and independence to individuals with physical, mental and emotional challenges through therapeutic riding programs. They also provide tremendous pleasure to the people that own and are involved with them. Come and learn about the many ways you can include horses in your classroom from reading to math, biology, art and history. Suitable for all ages.
Instructors: Dale Perkins, of Mesa Farm in Rutland, offers many programs for children and adults focused on farming and equestrian activities, both recreational and therapeutic. Leonora Giguere is a life long horse enthusiast and equine artist from Leicester. Both are affiliated with City to Saddle, a local organization committed to providing funding and access to equestrian programs to underserved youth.

The day will end at 3:00 p.m.
with a Poster Viewing Session, Evaluations and Distribution of Educational Materials related to Massachusetts Agriculture.

The mission of Massachusetts Agriculture in the Classroom is to foster an awareness and learning in all areas related to the food and agriculture industries and the economic and social importance of agriculture to the state, nation and the world. In addition to the Annual Winter Conference for Educators, Massachusetts Agriculture in the Classroom offers a seasonal newsletter; workshops on the farm for educators; A fall "Greening the School Conference" for teachers; a Summer Graduate Course; a Directory of agricultural materials and providers; mini-grants for teachers and educators; an interactive website; an various manuals and curriculum. For more information on the Growing Minds through Massachusetts Agriculture Conference or on Massachusetts Agriculture in the Classroom, contact
Debi Hogan
Massachusetts Agriculture in the Classroom, Inc.
P. O. Box 345
Seekonk, MA 02771
e-mail: massaginclasssroom@earthlink.net
Web Site: www.aginclassroom.org
Phone: 508-336-4426
Fax: 508-336-0682

Stockbridge, MA. . .Classes, lectures, and workshops all geared towards the home gardener are currently open for registration at Berkshire Botanical Garden.

A three-session lecture, The Home Vegetable Garden, provides an opportunity to fine-tune garden plans in an informative and practical program on how to grow food. This introduction to vegetable gardening will include site selection, soil and nutrient management, seed selection, design, crop rotation schemes, seeding and planting, pest management, and specific plant cultivation. Taught by former Extension Vegetable Specialist for the University of Massachusetts John Howell, the lecture meets February 26, March 5, and March 12 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Cost for the series is $108 Members / $135 Nonmembers.

The Wild Side of Gardening, an illustrated lecture/demonstration focusing on growing summer bulbs, is scheduled for Saturday, March 5, 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. Horticulturist Matt Mattus will share his designs, ideas, and inspirations for adding lesser-used summer bulbs to gardens and container plantings. Participants will receive a plant resource list and growing tips to successfully recreate summer bulb gardens at home. Cost: $20 Members / $25 Nonmembers.

Housescaping with Succulents, Orchids, and More is scheduled for Saturday, March 12, 10:00 a.m. to noon. This hands-on demonstration/workshop explores plants from around the world, including agaves, orchids, and other exotics, which can be grown as low maintenance patio plants that double as houseplants during the winter months. Under the direction of garden designer Rob Gennari, students will practice dividing and repotting a variety of specimen plants and take home divisions to incorporate into their collections. Cost: Members $37 / Nonmembers $42.

Growing Under Glass, a lecture/discussion focusing on the practical home greenhouse, will be held Saturday, March 12, 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. Designed for all levels of growers, topics covered will include assessing and evaluating different greenhouse designs, framing, glazing, ventilation, heating, cooling, and accessory equipment necessary for a successful operation. The program will conclude with a walking tour, led by instructor John Bartock, of the various greenhouses on the grounds of Berkshire Botanical Garden, including an historic Lord & Burnham glass house, a Lexan production greenhouse, a solar pit greenhouse, a poly hoop house, and cold frames. Cost is $20 Members / $25 Nonmembers.

Beginning gardeners and nascent market gardeners can learn how to create a small, highly productive cutting garden Saturday, March 19, 10:00 a.m. – noon at a discussion/workshop, Growing a Cutting Garden. Taught by Anne Hunter, owner of Lastings, a specialty fresh and dried flower farm, the program will include selecting varieties, sowing times and techniques, planting and transplanting, cultivating and preparing for market. Participants will sow seeds and transplant flower seedlings to take home. Fee for the workshop is $25 Members / $30 Nonmembers.

A Plant Press Workshop taught by Berkshire Botanical staff, is scheduled for Saturday, March 26, 10:00 a.m. – noon. This hands-on workshop involves constructing a professional-sized herbarium plant press for preserving flowers, fruits, ferns, and leaves from gardens, fields and forests. The cost is $45 Members / $54 Nonmembers. Following the workshop, participants are invited to join University of Massachusetts herbarium Director Karen Searcy, for a discussion and demonstration, The Art and Science of Pressing Plants. Students will then practice preserving plant material with their newly constructed plant press. Students only interested in the discussion/demonstration by Ms. Searcy can join the program from noon – 1:30 p.m.

The cost is: $22 Members / $27 Nonmembers.

All classes, lectures, and workshops are held at Berkshire Botanical Garden’s Education Center, 5 West Stockbridge Road, Stockbridge, MA. To register, call the Garden at (413) 298-3926, or visit the web site: www.berkshirebotanical.org Berkshire Botanical Garden offers year-round programs to children and adults wishing to expand their knowledge of gardening and the environment.

Ned Friedman, the new director, has initiated a series of outstanding free public lectures by top names in the field of evolutionary studies. All lectures take place in the Hunnewell Lecture Hall, 125 Arborway, Boston, MA 02130. Advance registration is required. Contact Pamela Thompson, 617.384.5277. http://calendar.arboretum.harvard.edu/index.php

"The Good, the Bad, and Occasionally the Dead: Humanity’s Relationship with Earth’s Nitrogen" by Alan Townsend, University of Colorado, Boulder, is the next lecture in the series, to be held Monday, February 28, 6:30–8:30pm

He will speak about the occasionally odd, often dramatic history of humanity’s relationship with phosphorous and nitrogen.

How do we live the lives we want while maintaining healthy ecosystems that can support future generations? These challenges will define the coming century, and one of them lies at the heart of the most fundamental of human needs: the need to eat, the good these chemical elements do and the harm they cause, and ultimately, the reasons to have hope for a better future.

There will also be a lecture on "Our Constitution’s Intelligent Design" by U.S. District Judge John E. Jones III on Monday, March 28, 6:30–8:30pm for Arboretum members only. You can join online at arboretum.harvard.edu/membership or call 617-384-5767.

In 2005 Judge John Jones presided over the landmark case of Kitzmiller v. Dover, and thereafter rendered an opinion holding that it is unconstitutional to teach the concept of intelligent design as an alternative to the theory of evolution. In the aftermath of that ruling, Judge Jones, an appointee of former President George W. Bush, was subjected to intense criticism. Judge Jones will highlight some of the lessons he learned from these experiences, including the development of his passion for judicial independence, and a belief in the need for better civics education, particularly related to our three branches of government

Ned Friedman recommends the following reading related to this talk:

· Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District (available online), Monkey Girl by Edward Humes,

· 40 Days and 40 Nights by Matthew Chapman,

· The Battle Over the Meaning of Everything by Gordy Slack

· The Devil in Dover by Lauri Lebo.

The Garden Club Federation of MA is currently accepting scholarship applications from qualified high school seniors, college students, and graduate students for 11 different scholarships. And its parent organization, National Garden Clubs, Inc.(NGC), is offering additional scholarships to college juniors, seniors, and graduate students sponsored by the GCFM.

Scholarships are available for students majoring in agronomy, biology, botany, city planning, conservation, environmental studies, floriculture, forestry, horticulture, land management, landscape design, and allied subjects. Three of the scholarships require that the student attend the University of Massachusetts, while the rest are unrestricted. In 2010, GCFM awarded eleven $1,000 scholarships, and the two Massachusetts students sponsored by the GCFM received NGC scholarships.

Applicants must reside in Massachusetts, have a minimum grade average of B (3.0 on a 4.0 scale), exhibit good character, and demonstrate financial need. Applications and financial aid forms can be obtained at gcfm.org/Education/Scholarships/GCFMA.aspx. The deadline for submitting applications is March 1, 2011.

For further inquiries, please email gcfmscholarship@aol.com or contact the GCFM scholarship secretary,
Kathie Jones, at 413-458-2886.

Every year National Garden Clubs awards additional scholarships of $3,500 each. These are available to Massachusetts college juniors, seniors, and graduate students who are sponsored by GCFM. To be eligible, applicants must have at least a 3.25 GPA (on a 4.0-point scale) and be majoring in agriculture education, agronomy, botany, biology, city (rural and urban) planning, economics, environmental conservation, floriculture, forestry, horticulture, land management, landscape design, plant pathology/science, wildlife science, and/or other related or allied subjects. A comprehensive list of majors and application requirements is available at gardenclub.org/Youth/Scholarships.aspx.

Students wishing to apply for NGC scholarships should also apply for the GCFM scholarships. NGC application forms are available at www.gardenclub.org/Youth/Scholarships.aspx and are also due March 1, 2011. Please mail NGC applications to the GCFM scholarship chairman, Leslie Frost, at 31 Lowell Street, Andover, MA 01810-2929.

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.

On Jan. 1, Edward “Ned’’ Friedman became the new director of Harvard’s Arnold Arboretum in Jamaica Plain, only the eighth in its 138-year history. Friedman is a tenured professor of organismic and evolutionary biology at Harvard.
In outreach to the public, he has initiated a New Director’s Lecture Series at the Arnold Arboretum

All lectures are free and take place in the Hunnewell Lecture Hall, 125 Arborway, Boston, MA 02130.

Advance registration is required. Contact Pamela Thompson, 617.384.5277. http://calendar.arboretum.harvard.edu/index.php

Here is a lecture schedule and an interview by garden writer Carol Stocker with Ned Friedman:

Restoring Hawaii’s Marvels of Evolution

Robert Robichaux, University of Arizona

Monday, February 7, 6:30–8:30pm

Botanist Robert Robichaux of the Hawaiian Silversword Foundation and University of Arizona discusses recent efforts to restore Hawaii’s marvels of plant evolution.

Evolving in splendid isolation over millions of years, Hawaii’s native plants exhibit patterns of diversity that are unrivaled elsewhere on Earth. Especially striking are the many examples of adaptive radiation, in which original immigrants to the islands evolved into dazzling arrays of plants exhibiting great variation in form and habitat preference. Yet, Hawaii’s native plants face an uncertain future. Many native plants, such as the exquisitely beautiful silverswords and lobeliads, now teeter on the edge of extinction.

The Good, the Bad, and Occasionally the Dead: Humanity’s Relationship with Earth’s Nitrogen

Alan Townsend, University of Colorado, Boulder

Monday, February 28, 6:30–8:30pm

Hear about the occasionally odd, often dramatic history of humanity’s relationship with phosphorous and nitrogen.

How do we live the lives we want while maintaining healthy ecosystems that can support future generations? These challenges will define the coming century, and one of them lies at the heart of the most fundamental of human needs: the need to eat, the good these chemical elements do and the harm they cause, and ultimately, the reasons to have hope for a better future.
Our Constitution’s Intelligent Design

U.S. District Judge John E. Jones III

Monday, March 28, 6:30–8:30pm

**FOR MEMBERS ONLY** Join online at arboretum.harvard.edu/membership or call 617-384-5767.
In 2005 Judge John Jones presided over the landmark case of Kitzmiller v. Dover, and thereafter rendered an opinion holding that it is unconstitutional to teach the concept of intelligent design as an alternative to the theory of evolution. In the aftermath of that ruling, Judge Jones, an appointee of former President George W. Bush, was subjected to intense criticism. Judge Jones will highlight some of the lessons he learned from these experiences, including the development of his passion for judicial independence, and a belief in the need for better civics education, particularly related to our three branches of government

Recommended reading related to this talk:

· Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District (available online), Monkey Girl by Edward Humes,

· 40 Days and 40 Nights by Matthew Chapman,

· The Battle Over the Meaning of Everything by Gordy Slack

· The Devil in Dover by Lauri Lebo.

Ned Freidman spoke to us of his passion for bringing more scientific research to the grounds of the 265-acre Arnold and about the new lecture series he has started.

Q. We know you are a research scientist, but are you also a gardener?

A. I love to garden. I am almost competitive about gardening. My wife and I canned 80 quarts of tomatoes this year from just nine plants. We make jam from our fruit trees. We live now in Boulder, Colo., where the season is short but the sunlight is intense. I also grow hops and brew my own beer there.

Q. What kind of tomatoes do you grow?

A. Celebrity, Sweet 100’s. No heirlooms or anything unusual because my wife is a botanist, too, and she studies Solanum plants, which are related to tomatoes, and we don’t want to transmit any plant diseases to her research projects.

Q. What have you done at the University of Colorado?

A. I’m a plain old garden variety professor studying the evolutionary origins of flowering plants (mostly trees) and how they reproduce. We’ve come up with some big surprises.

Q. What are your goals for the Arnold Arboretum?

A. The new Weld Hill building will open with a spectacular set of labs as a base for bringing undergraduates and post-docs and plant researchers to the Arboretum. They’ll be able to do microscopy and molecular biology right at the Arboretum. My job will be to get the new research building on Weld Hill up and running, but also to get science out of the building and into the schools and community.

Q. How?

A. I want to do outreach to public school teachers about the history of evolution. I want to get a National Science Foundation S.T.E.M. grant (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) for our graduate students to partner with science teachers in the public schools. I will do more on adult education, too. I will have a monthly community night when I will bring in someone very special from around the world for Boston. We’ll do it in an evolutionary way.

Q. Do you actually take care of the trees?

A. We have talented arborists for that, and we’re well-staffed, with 75 employees. But I hope they’ll let me up in the bucket for a bird’s eye view.

Q. Do you worry about the Asian long horned beetle?

A. I was visiting when they found those four infected trees in the hospital parking lot across the street. I don’t know where they came from. I was so impressed by the way the staff snapped into action. They knew what species the beetles preferred and the date that each tree had been previously checked. They checked all the trees again, and the beetles hadn’t spread to the Arboretum, but the trees there are so attentively checked by a full staff that it would never go undetected. We wouldn’t be playing “catch-up.’’ But we want to continue to educate our neighbors to keep an eye on their own trees.

Q. Given all the new threats to trees today by changing climate and imported pests and diseases, what kind of tree would you plant for the future?

A. My favorite tree is the ginko. I did my dissertation on it. It’s tough, pollution- and pest-tolerant, it has beautiful gold coloring in the fall. There’s a stretch of streets linked with ginkos in Yokahama and they look beautiful. Goethe wrote a tremendous love poem to a much younger woman about the ginko leaf. It’s a mysterious and romantic plant.

Q. Are you as cheerful as you seem?

A. I’m very cheerful. I have always felt I’ve been the luckiest person in the world because I get to spend my life with plants.

--CAROL STOCKER

NEWBURYPORT, MA - The 10th annual Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA) Course in Organic Land Care will be held on January 12, 13, 14, 18, 19, 2011 (snow date Jan. 20) at the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge in Newburyport, Massachusetts, a sustainably-constructed “green” building with a state-of-the-art theater and multi-purpose classroom where the course will be held. The refuge was established in 1942 to provide feeding, resting and nesting habitat for migratory birds, and is of special significance to waterfowl and shorebirds.

Sponsored and organized by the NOFA Organic Land Care Program, this five-day, (accreditation optional) intensive courseStandards for Organic Land Care: Practices for Design and Maintenance of Ecological Landscapes, written by NOFA’s Organic Land Care Committee. These Standards, first published in 2001, are the first of their kind in the country.

Course faculty include respected scientists and experienced organic land care practitioners, who instruct the following classes: Principles and Procedures; Site Analysis, Design, and Maintenance; Rain Gardens/Storm Water Infiltration; Soil Health; the Soil Foodweb; Fertilizer and Soil Amendments; Composting; Lawns; Lawn Alternatives; Planting and Plant Care; Wetlands; Pest Management; Wildlife Management; Disease Control; Mulches; Invasive Plants; Client Relations and Running a Business. Four hands-on case studies are also included in the course.

At the end of the course, attendees will be able to incorporate methods and materials that respect natural ecology and the long-term health of the environment into the care of their own landscapes or ones that they manage. Those who pass the optional exam offered at the conclusion of the course can become NOFA Accredited Organic Land Care Professionals (AOLCPs), able to use the NOFA Organic Land Care AOLCP logo, be listed in the new AOLCP Online Searchable Database at www.organiclandcare.net and have the opportunity to represent NOFA at organic land care events.

Over 1,200 land care professionals from 22 states have taken NOFA’s course. These professionals include landscapers from large and small firms, landscape architects, garden center employees, municipal groundskeepers and property managers. Small business owners, entrepreneurs, homeowners, land trust and conservation organization staff and many others have also found the course extremely valuable.

For more information or to receive registration brochures, contact Kathy Litchfield, NOFA/Mass Organic Land Care Course Coordinator, at (413) 773-3830, kathy@nofamass.org or visit www.organiclandcare.net to register online.

24th ANNUAL NOFA/MASS WINTER CONFERENCE TO BE HELD IN WORCESTER

“Celebration of Sustainability”

Over 900 people from central New England are expected to attend the Northeast Organic Farming Association/Massachusetts Chapter, Inc. (NOFA/Mass) 24th Annual Winter Conference on Saturday, January 15, at the Worcester Technical High School on Skyline Drive. The conference has doubled in size over the past five years, indicative of a growing interest in regional food systems. Everyone from beginning to advanced farmers, gardeners and anyone interested in sustainability can participate in seminars or workshops, a lively exhibit area, a delicious potluck lunch, and a children’s program.

Michael Phillips,of Heartsong Farm and Lost Nation Orchard, in Groveton, New Hampshire, will keynote the conference. Michael Phillips and his wife, Nancy, grow 65-80 varieties of organic apples in their orchard and direct-market their products to local consumers who can purchase apples on the farm or through an apple-share buying program. Nancy is a well-known herbalist and educator who manages the family farm’s production of medicinal herbs. Michael will lead an all-day seminar on Organic Orcharding. Nancy will lead an all-day seminar on Herbs for Family Health. Participants can register for either of the all-day seminars or choose to attend any of 60 workshops.

For beginning gardeners there are workshops on soil fertility, gardening in small spaces, and seed saving. Livestock workshops include raising cows, poultry, dairy goats and bees. For more advanced farmers there are workshops covering weed management, cardboard mulch, draft animals and income taxes. For those interested in raising and preparing their own food there are workshops on food preservation, making condiments at home and making naturally fermented non-alcoholic drinks.

Somerville resident and Slow Money board member Eric Becker attended the NOFA/Mass Winter Conference in 2009. After attending a workshop on beekeeping by Jean-Claude Bourrut of Natick Community Organic Farm, Eric fell in love with bees and installed a beehive on his front porch. “Raising bees has been such a rewarding activity for me and my kids. My kids have learned how to handle them and care for our hive. The NOFA conference was a turning point for my family. It’s definitely possible to live an urban lifestyle and raise your own food.”

Conference registration is $65 per person with discounts available for NOFA members, certified farmers, students, teens and children; seminar registration is $120. Complete conference information is available at www.nofamass.org.

The conference is sponsored by Whole Foods Markets, Stonyfield, Farm Family, Greenleaf Foundation, Clements Law Office, Boston Organics, Green Fields Market, Suzanne’s Specialties, Nature’s Best Organic Feeds, Groton Wellness, Harris Seeds, Vermont Compost, Groundscapes Express, Fertrell, Bejo Organic, Lancaster Agricultural Products and Neighboring Food Coop.

The Massachusetts Horticultural Society announces Jan 6 that it has named Katherine K. Macdonald as the organization’s new executive director. She brings both public company and not-for-profit management experience and was president of KMAC Marketing. Prior to that, she was vice president of marketing for Thompson Island Outward Bound, a non-profit focused on experiential education.

“We are thrilled. Kathy is a talented strategist with experience in both the non-profit and for- profit sectors. She has a proven track record of being able to transform mission and vision into actions,” said Betsy Ridge Madsen, president of the board of trustees of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society. “Mass Hort has moved through some challenging times to achieve institutional stability. Because of her combination of business acumen and non-profit spirit, we are confident that Kathy’s leadership will successfully drive and expand the organization’s educational miss

Macdonald spent six years with Thompson Island Outward Bound where she was responsible for generating $3 million of annual revenue that supported the core mission. She also helped develop an environmental program that combined Outward Bound’s philosophy with environmental studies, to encourage teambuilding and environmental stewardship. Her business career spans more than twenty five years, and includes entrepreneurship, technology start ups, the Xerox Corporation, and the hospitality industry. Most recently, she was president of KMAC Marketing, which provides strategic planning and marketing assistance to profit- and not-for-profit organizations.

“I see an extraordinary opportunity to leverage the turnaround that is already underway at Mass Hort as a launching pad for the organization’s renaissance,” Macdonald said. “Mass Hort has been part of the environmental movement since 1829, and now is the time to make its voice heard in the contemporary conversation. My goal for Mass Hort is straightforward: to use the organization’s considerable resources to meet society’s changing needs. To that end, I believe Mass Hort must sharpen its focus on sustainability, protecting natural resources, health, and environmental stewardship.”

“Mass Hort is here today because of the hard work, perseverance and tenacity of many people,” said Macdonald. “The Society’s trustees and staff, Master Gardeners, donors, and its many volunteers have seen the organization through a difficult period. I see my job as delivering on the promise of Mass Hort on their behalf.”

Macdonald holds an MBA from Olin Graduate School of Business at Babson College and a bachelor’s degree from Central Connecticut State University. Long active in civic affairs in Wellesley, Macdonald has been an elected Town Meeting member for 24 years. She has served on multiple committees, including the Advisory/Finance Committee, the Wellesley Housing Development Corporation, and the Community Preservation Committee. She has managed several initiative campaigns including one, in 2002, for the Massachusetts League of Women Voters that focused on campaign television advertising. Macdonald and her husband Kevin have lived in Wellesley for more than 30 years. They have two adult children, Brian and Bridget.

Headquartered at the historic Elm Bank Reservation in Wellesley and Dover, Mass Hort welcomes visitors. Mass Hort’s Blooms! at the Boston Flower and Garden Show, an annual Boston tradition, is held in March at The Seaport World Trade Center. Katherine K. Macdonald named New Executive Director of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society Visit www.MassHort.org to learn more.

A Trustees of Reservations green gift membership is a possible last minute gift for someone who loves the outdoors and also enjoys visiting, preserving, and protecting the scenic and historic landscapes and landmarks.

Starting as low as $45 for individual members ($35 for students and seniors, $65 for families), a gift membership to The Trustees provides free access, year-round, to 104 reservations located in 75 communities across Massachusetts. A Trustees gift membership also provides the recipient with significant savings on stays at The Trustees’ two bed and breakfasts and discounts on hundreds of annual events, workshops, and programs, and summer camps.

Trustees’ gift memberships* include:
* Free/reduced admission to 104 Trustees properties (including popular destinations like Crane Beach in Ipswich, World’s End in Hingham, the Old Manse in Concord, the Bryant Homestead in Cummington, Doyle Center and Community Park in Leominster, Bartholomew’s Cobble in Tyringham, and Cape Pogue on Martha’s Vineyard)
* Discounts on stays at Trustees bed & breakfasts (The Inn at Castle Hill in Ipswich and the Guest House at Field Farm in Williamstown)
* Discounted fees for the hundreds of events, programs, lectures and workshop the Trustees offer year-round, for all ages
* The Trustees Property Guide, a 224-page guidebook to the organization’s 104 reservations – available exclusively to members;
* A year’s subscription to our quarterly member magazine, Special Places, which will keep you up-to-date on topics and events related to conservation, nature, history, cultural landscapes, and the environment; and
* For a contribution of $100, The Trustees are also offering a free copy of Edible: A Celebration Of Local Foods. This beautiful 324-page book will delight anyone who cares about delicious, safe, sustainable food being cultivated and grown in our own local communities.
* This year, with any gift membership order placed before January 15, 2010, you’ll also receive a set of collectible, sturdy, and earth-friendly grocery bags featuring wood cut illustrations of Crane Beach and Weir River Farm.

Founded by open space visionary Charles Eliot in 1891, The Trustees “hold in trust,” and care for, 104 “reservations” located on more than 26,000 acres in 75 communities throughout Massachusetts.

All Trustees 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, mountain vistas, and a Gold LEED-certified green building in Leominster, the Doyle Center, which serves as a meeting space and gathering place for the conservation community.

The Trustees also work to promote healthy, active, green communities around the state, by providing hundreds of year-round programs and events that inspire people of all ages to enjoy the outdoors and appreciate the history, nature, and culture of the Commonwealth. Most programs and events are free-of-charge or heavily discounted for members.

Accredited by the Land Trust Alliance, The Trustees are an established leader in the conservation movement and model for other land trusts nationally and internationally. In addition to its many reservations spanning 26,000 acres, The Trustees also hold perpetual conservation restrictions on more than 19,000 additional acres (a total larger than any other conservation organization in Massachusetts), and have worked with community partners to assist in the protection of an additional 16,000 acres around the Commonwealth.

One of the largest non-profits in the state of Massachusetts, The Trustees employ 152 full-time, 49 regular part-time, and 400 seasonal staff with expertise in ecology, education, historic resources, land protection, conservation, land management, and planning. To find out more and/or become a member, please contact www.thetrustees.org .

Gift memberships can be ordered online or by calling 978.921.1944 (M – F, 9AM – 5PM).

By Carol Stocker
Globe Garden Writer

The Gardner Museum’s interior courtyard is adorned with winter berries, dozens of red poinsettias, flowering jade, jasmine trees, white azaleas and lady’s slipper orchids.

On December 16, the Gardner opens its doors to celebrate the season—and herald the arrival of the museum’s new Renzo Piano-designed wing, currently under construction and slated to open in early 2012—with an evening of music, cocktails, informal talks, gallery games, and more in the museum’s uniquely atmospheric courtyard and galleries. Acclaimed multidisciplinary artist and Gardner Artist-in-Residence Adam Pendleton returns to the museum to present the premiere of three scenes (variation two), a new work that incorporates musical performance and spoken text.

After this event, Gardner After Hours will take a hiatus for 2011 as the museum prepares for the opening of its new wing. However, from January through August 2011, the museum will continue to hold Extended Evening Hours (5-8pm) on the third Thursday of each month.

Both the Café and Shop offer special holiday fare this month. And both will be closed during all of 2011 as construction is completed, and will reopen in new and improved facilities within the museum’s new wing in early 2012. Building On a Legacy: Learn more about the Gardner Museum’s new wing, designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Renzo Piano, at http://www.buildingproject.gardnermuseum.org.

Each New Years Day, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum offers a free day of museum admission in conjunction with Boston’s First Night celebration, inviting Bostonians and visitors to kick off the new year in style. This annual event honors the late Frank Hatch, former board member and President of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, for his lifelong dedication to public service and the arts. On January 1, the museum is open to all from 11am to 5pm.

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum • 280 The Fenway Boston MA 02115 • Tue.-Sun., 11am-5pm; plus After Hours events, 5:30-9:30pm on the third Thursday of the month, through December 2010 • Admission: $12 adults; $10 seniors; $5 students; FREE members, children under 18, everyone on their birthday, and all named “Isabella”; full list of discounts at http://www.gardnermuseum.org/specials.asp • $2 off regular admission with a same-day receipt or membership card from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston • Box Office 617 278 5156, boxoffice@isgm.org • www.gardnermuseum.org • Modeled after a 15th-century Venetian palazzo surrounding a flowering courtyard garden, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum houses one of the most remarkable art collections in the world, featuring works by Rembrandt, Michelangelo, Raphael, Degas, and Sargent. Concerts, seasonal garden displays, lectures, and special events enrich the collection and continue to fire the imagination of all who visit.

NEW BEDFORD PRESERVATION SOCIETY PRESENTS ITS 19th ANNUAL HOLIDAY HOUSE TOUR:

Herald in the holiday season with the New Bedford Preservation Society on their 19th Annual Holiday House Tour on Sunday, December 5 (1 to 5 p.m.). Get in the yuletide spirit at this popular holiday event - a must for architecture and history enthusiasts!

Experience the history and appeal that New Bedford is noted for as you visit historic homes that have been decked in festive holiday décor. Along the way, you'll enjoy greetings from historic characters in period costume. The magnificent Rotch-Jones Duff House and Garden Museum will be included in this year’s tour with its gala holiday décor and designer-decorated rooms. Additional highlights at RJD will be a Festival of Tables and a New Bedford Museum of Glass exhibit. The popular "Spot the Victorian Peppermint Pig Scavenger Hunt," an addition to last year's tour, will again be part of the tour with proceeds from the sale of the pigs (available at tour headquarters) benefiting the society's scholarship fund. View a sneak peak video of last year's tour at the society's website: www.nbpreservationsociety.org .

Both the Saturday candlelight tour and Sunday afternoon tour start at the Wamsutta Club, 427 County Street, tour headquarters, where a pre-tour holiday brunch will be held on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., along with a holiday raffle of gifts, art, handcrafted items and generous gift certificates donated by local merchants. Discounted advance tickets ($19 with $2 discount to Society members) are now on sale at the following locations: Elaine's at the Black Whale, New York Shoe Repair (for credit card sales), The Surrey Shoppe, Periwinkles, Baker Books, Davoll's General Store, The Ultimate Touch, The Woodhouse Shop, Roseland Nursery and the Marion General Store. At the door, ALL tickets will be priced at $23. Cost of the Sunday brunch is $17 (all-inclusive, tax and tip), and reservations may be made by calling the Wamsutta Club at 508.997.7431.

The Annual Holiday House Tour is the Society’s signature fund-raising event. All proceeds benefit the work of the Society in its efforts to sustain and promote historic preservation in New Bedford through such projects as the historical building marker program, historical cemetery tours, walking/trolley tours, the Re-Leaf tree-planting program, the newly formed scholarship fund, the publication of self-guided walking tour brochures, lectures, and more.

For more information, please call the New Bedford Preservation Society office (388 County Street, New Bedford) at 508-997-6425 or visit www.nbpreservationsociety.org.

GALLERY OF WREATHS AT BERKSHIRE BOTANIC GARDEN HOLIDAY FESTIVAL TODAY.

Stockbridge, MA. . .Berkshire Botanical Garden hosts its 20th annual Holiday Marketplace Sunday, December 5, 10 A.M. – 3:00 P.M. A sale of unique, hand-made gifts and seasonal decorations including a Gallery of Wreaths, displays of holiday centerpieces, swags, table top decorations, and hundreds of unique items and ornaments created by local artisans will transform the Garden into a festive celebration of the holiday season. Admission is free.

Preparation for the highly anticipated event brings together a community of over 80 wreath makers and designers who volunteer their talents and skills to create unusual, one-of-a-kind selections for the Garden’s Gallery of Wreaths. Available for sale will be traditional, live wreaths combining various evergreens, natural seed pods and other found materials, as well as elaborate wreaths using decorative bows, balls, and ribbons. This year’s guest wreath designers include Susan Shook of Trillium Garden Company, Lenox, MA; Cornelia Webster, Webster Ingersoll, Sheffield, MA; Abigail Lanoue and Lisa Mareb Pfannestiel, Windy Hill; Erin Piester and Claire Ward, Ward’s Nursery; Susan Faivre of Dolby Florist, and Annie Whalen, Bella Flora, all of Great Barrington, MA. In addition, boxwood kits and decorated boxwood trees, baskets with seasonal greens, small tabletop evergreens, amaryllis, paper whites, and hyacinths, all beautifully potted and ready for holiday bloom, will be available for sale.

This year’s Holiday Marketplace features over a dozen local growers, artists and artisans, including gifts and alpaca wool products from Spruce Ridge Farm, Old Chatham, NY, jewelry by Silver Twist, Housatonic, MA, antique and depression glass and tea sets from Adenida Antiqua of Southampton, MA, and exotic and unusual plants from Glendale Botanicals, Glendale, MA. A whimsical, unique selection of garden-lovers favorites especially selected for Holiday Marketplace will be offered by the Garden’s own Gift Shop. Sweet and savory snacks and refreshments will be provided by SoMa Catering of Richmond, MA.

Of special interest this year is the debut of the Berkshire Botanical Garden Calendar. The calendar represents a compilation of retrospective photographs taken over the past year at Berkshire Botanical Garden by Reinout van Wagtendonk, of Berkshots. Mr. van Wagtendonk’s work has appeared locally in The Berkshire Eagle, Berkshire Living and Animal Life, and in national and international publications. He has been named Berkshire Botanical Garden’s 2011 featured guest photographer.

Proceeds from Holiday Marketplace support Berkshire Botanical Garden’s education programs and display gardens. Additional information on Holiday Marketplace and other events is available at www.berkshirebotanical.org or by calling (413) 298-3926. Berkshire Botanical Garden is located in Stockbridge, MA at the intersection of Routes 102 and 183.

The “Horticultural History Tour” symposium, a series of five lectures, will be held at the Massachusetts Horticultural Society headquarters at Elm Bank, in Wellesley on Saturday. The day-long lecture series on Garden and Landscape History runs 9:00am - 4:00pm at Hunnewell Carriage House in The Gardens at Elm Bank 900 Washington Street Wellesley, MA Info and registration at www.MassHort.org. 617-933-4995.

In conjunction, The Massachusetts State Senate, on the Motion of Dover Senator James Timilty, has certified that November 13 is Garden History Day in Massachusetts.

The symposium will be hosted by John Furlong, FALA, emeritus director, Landscape Institute, Arnold Arboretum, faculty member Boston Architectural College.

At 9:00 AM Gerry Wright as Frederick Law Olmsted presents a biography of the landscape architect who was influenced by the natural landscapes of New England throughout his life. In 1850, at age 28, he traveled to England and was smitten with the countryside and a “democratic park” in Birkenhead . Omlsted’s two styles of landscape architecture were the creation of the “pastoral” and the “picturesque”. Beyond the creation for beauty, there was a sense of “service deeply rooted in his planning of public places. N.Y. City ’s Central Park, Harvard’s Arnold Arboretum and to the two 200 acre country estates on the Charles River in Wellesley and Dover are among the legacies of Olmsted and his firm.

At 10:30 AM Allyson Hayward , garden historian and author of Norah Lindsay: The Life and Art of a Garden Designer will deliver a new talk on two important New England estates, the Hunnewell estate, known as Wellesley, and Elm Bank, the Cheney/Baltzell estate which is now the home of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society. Today, these landscapes reveal a layering of New England ’s garden history. Ms. Hayward will take you on an armchair tour of these exciting gardens with an illustrated lecture tracing the landscapes dating from 1850 to the present. You will revel in the beauty of the initial vision of Horatio Hollis Hunnewell and his Italian Garden and Pinetum at Wellesley . The lecture will continue with images of Elm Bank from its Victorian grandeur to its transformation into a 1920s grandiose playground for Boston society, complete with theme gardens that portrayed the owners’ sense of taste and style.

At 11:30 AM David Barnett, PhD., President and CEO of Mount Auburn Cemetery, will present Wilson’s China: A Century On, published by The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew , 2009. Wilson was the Arnold Arboretum’s principal plant collector from 1906, and in 1927, on the death of Director Charles Sprague Sargent, was appointed the self-styled “Keep” of the Arboretum. In addition to introducing over 1,200 plants, Wilson was a popular author and lecturer and a Mass Hort Trustee . His remarkable achievements are a continuing inspiration to botanists, horticulturist and landscapers. The slides have been loaned to Mass Hort through the courtesy of the English authors, Tony Kirkham and Mark Flanagan, respectively Head of the Arboretum at Kew and Keeper of the Royal Gardens in Windsor Great Park .

12:30 PM Lunch – Catered by Cuisine Chez Vous

1:30 PM Elizabeth S. Eustis is a garden historian and guest curator, former Trustee of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, past President of the New England Wild Flower Society and faculty member of The Landscape Institute. She will speak on Romanticism in the landscape, the subject of a 2010 exhibition that she co-curated for the Morgan Library in New York , Romantic Gardens: Art, Nature and Garden Design, with a catalogue published by David R. Godine. Following the transition from formal classicism to more naturalistic garden design, Romanticism added a new emphasis on emotional and spiritual response to the landscape. The pervasive influence of Romanticism inspired artificial ruins, garden cemeteries, wild gardens, and contributed powerfully to the public parks movement. This talk will be extensively illustrated by recent photographs and historic works of art.

3:00 PM Local author Meg Muckenhoupt will lead attendees through the verdant world of her book, Boston’s Gardens & Green Spaces (Union Park Press, 2010). She examines the role of public spaces throughout Boston ’s historic and contemporary landscape.

Framingham, MA – Each year at its annual meeting New England Wild Flower Society honors organizations and individuals who have demonstrated creative vision and exceptional achievement in furthering the Society's conservation goals. On Sunday, November 6, the Society recognized the following individuals through the awards listed:

The Education Award is given to an individual or a group for original and significant work that promotes public understanding and appreciation of temperate North American
plants. William Cullina of Southport Island, ME, was recognized for his life-long dedication to promoting public understanding and appreciation of temperate North American plants and their immeasurable value for our earth’s biodiversity. New England Wildflower Society could once claim Bill Cullina as one of its own when he was Director of Nursery and Plant Propagator from 1995 to 2005. Now Bill’s official title is Director of Horticulture and Plant Curator at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens. However, Bill wears many professional hats; consultant, photographer, freelance author, lecturer and teacher. Today, we honor his extraordinary contributions as an educator. Bill is an outstanding speaker, addressing diverse audiences about the ecology, growth and propagation of woody and herbaceous native plants. He is the also author of several award-winning books and most recently won the 2009 American Horticultural Society’s Book Award.

State Awards are given to an individual, group, or organization within a New England state for a significant contribution to the preservation of native plants and/or their habitats within that state. Preference is given to work that has impact throughout a state.

The Connecticut Award was given to John Picard of Clinton, CT, for his leadership at Willard Island, working with more than 100 volunteers from throughout CT converging in Hammonasset State Park to do battle with a 10-acre tangle of invasive species, including oriental bittersweet, Japanese honeysuckle, autumn olive, barberry, and others.

The Maine Award was given to Andrew Cutko, ecologist, of Augusta, ME, who co-authored the recently published Natural Landscapes of Maine and worked with larger timber companies in ME to survey their lands for uncommon or exemplary natural communities and rare plants, thereby protecting many of Maine’s outstanding botanical features.

The Massachusetts Award was given to Kathy Wilensky of Concord, MA. As a dedicated volunteer for the Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program for 7 years, she coordinated the state plant watch list of over 150 species, keeping staff aware of uncommon plants that may be of conservation concern in the future. The list is also important for keeping global tallies of plants which have their greatest abundance in MA but are limited in their global range.

The New Hampshire Award was given to Joann Hoy of Auburn, NH, mentor, educator, editor, collaborator, peer, and ultimately “a botanist’s botanist”. She is the host of “Lunch with Joann” where she moderates the discussion of a topic of interest or a recent scientific article or publication. She is a long-standing member of the New England Plant Conservation Program’s New Hampshire Task Force and volunteers to monitor numerous rare plant locations. She also volunteers for numerous activities with The Nature Conservance and the New Hampshire Natural Heritage Bureau. She is also a scientific editor and does contract work for the MA and ME Natural Heritage programs.

The Rhode Island Award was given to Carl Sawyer of Wakefield, RI, Research Associate in the College of the Environment and Life Sciences at the University of Rhode Island, where he quietly and unselfishly shares his knowledge and skills in plant science, taxonomy plant communities and conservation with students, colleagues, non-profit conservation organizations and state agencies.

The Vermont State Award was given to Arthur Gilman of Marshfield, VT, who has just completed a new Flora of Vermont, “the most scholarly and professional flora in the history of the state of Vermont.” He is also a nationally renowned expert on ferns and fern allies especially grape fern. He is past president of the New England Botanical Club, a member of the Vermont Endangered Species Committee, Flora Advisory Group, Vermont Natural Resources Board, and New England Plant Conservation Task Force, to name a few. He is a principal in the firm of Gilman & Briggs Environmental and is noted for his expertise on the distribution of plants relevant to biodiversity conservation.

The Kathryn S. Taylor Award for Private Gardens is given to a privately owned garden of any size displaying significant use of wildflowers and other temperate North American native plants. The garden must be at least three years old and must exhibit excellence of design and maintenance in all seasons. Mrs. Thelma Hewitt’s outstanding home garden in New London, New Hampshire features a masterful combination of New Hampshire natives and regionally listed plants. This large garden, sited on a hill overlooking the mountains, is home to a thriving collection of alpine plants native to New Hampshire and a prodigious patch of Chamaepericlymenum canadense (formerly known as Cornus Canadensis). In addition to native plants, the garden’s impressive design incorporates New Hampshire native stone along its many winding paths. Polygala paucifolia cascades over the native stone creating a breathtaking show in spring. Newer paths wind their way through the wooded edge of the yard. This exceptional garden serves as an educational laboratory where Mrs. Hewitt enthusiastically shares her horticultural knowledge with local garden clubs, the Garden Conservancy, New England Wild Flower Society and other organizations.

Service to the Society Awards are given to individuals who have aided the Society in furthering its mission through devoted service in one or more capacities. Betty Wright and Deborah Hellmold were honored this year.

Betty Wright of Marlborough, MA, wears many hats at New England Wild Flower Society, working for the conservation department as a plant conservation volunteer, surveying rare species and removing invasive plants. She also serves as an adult guide at Garden in the Woods; collects, cleans, and packages seeds for the seed bank; and “will do just about anything for the conservation department.”

Deborah Hellmold of Framingham, MA, volunteers at Garden in the Woods, donating her time and talents for the weekly bloom board where she collects the data and helps organize the scheduling of new and seasoned volunteers. She also volunteers as a children’s guide and designed most of the costumes which one sees at Earth Day, Fall Family Festival, and other special events in the Garden. The bumble bee, lady bug, ant, butterfly, and tree were all her creations.

The mission of New England Wild Flower Society is to conserve and promote the region’s native plants to ensure healthy, biologically diverse landscapes. Founded in 1900, the Society is the nation’s oldest plant conservation organization and a recognized leader in native plant conservation, horticulture, and education. The Society’s headquarters, Garden in the Woods, is a renowned native plant botanic garden in Framingham, Massachusetts, that attracts visitors from all over the world. From this base, 35 staff and more than 1,000 volunteers work throughout New England to monitor and protect rare and endangered plants, collect and preserve seeds to ensure biological diversity, detect and control invasive species, conduct research, and offer a range of educational programs. The Society also operates a native plant nursery at Nasami Farm in western Massachusetts, which grows plants for retail customers and for landscaping and restoration projects, and has eight sanctuaries in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont that are open to the public.

BOYLSTON, Mass.- Tower Hill Botanic Garden will host "Trident's Treasures,"
the Massachusetts Orchid Society's Annual Orchid Show on Friday, Nov. 5; 1-5pm and Saturday & Sunday, November 6-7; 10am-5pm. Thousands of breathtaking (and sometimes spooky!) orchids will be on display throughout the Visitors Center and around the Orangerie, and in newly opened spaces--including the Limonaia at Tower Hill.

This show is known for its
spectacular variety, creativity and informational value. As Orchid Society member
Joanna Eckstrom explains: "...with the dozen or so orchid societies and individual
orchid enthusiasts who participate, 'Trident's Treasures' is sure to be one of our
best efforts ever." Some of the orchid societies participating in the show include:
A&P Orchids, New Earth Orchids, Frosty Hollow Orchids and more.

The theme for this year's show, "Trident's Treasures" is a play on words in memory
of Dr. Wilford B. Neptune of Boston, a surgeon and orchid expert and long-time member of the Massachusetts Orchid Society, who died earlier this year at the age of 88. Consequently, many of the exhibits will have an "under-the-sea" motif.

Orchid vendors from across the country will offer a wide variety of plants, supplies
and even jewelry for sale. Art and educational exhibits will be held each day of
the show and experts will answer orchid growing questions from visitors. Also,
members of the Massachusetts Orchid Society will offer demonstrations on orchid
care, instructional videos, and guided tours of the show. Although the judging sessions
themselves are not open to the public, the results of the judging will be on display
at the show.

The show and its associated programs are included with Garden admission ($10 adults,
$7 seniors, $5 youth aged 6-18, children under 6 free). Tower Hill Botanic Garden
is located at 11 French Drive, Boylston, Mass., exit 24 off Route 290. For further
information, call 508-869-6111 or log on to www.towerhillbg.org

Historic New England recently restored the main driveway and historic ha-ha wall at the Codman Estate in Lincoln, allowing visitors to once again experience the formal entry to the property from Codman Road as it was originally intended.

Over time, the formal driveway at the Codman Estate leading from Codman Road to the front of the main house had strayed from its original lines, and curves obscured the view to the main house that visitors were intended to experience. Before work on the roadway or ha-ha wall could begin, it was necessary to prune several trees along the drive and to straighten and resurface the driveway. Historic New England property care staff used existing piers at the western entrance and historic photographs to determine the roadway's original location. Once the road work was complete, restoration of the wall began. Some areas were raised to create a consistent height across the entire length of the wall. Other sections were repaired. Missing stones were replaced with matching stones found on site.

The final stages of the project recreated the ha-ha earthwork detail with new topsoil and then seeding the area to create a grassy "shoulder" angled from the road bed to meet the top of the wall. For more details on this project, and to see before and after images as well as photographs of the work in progress, view our ha-ha wall slide show.

This project is part of a larger multi-year effort to restore many features of this important historic landscape. The project was made possible by Historic New England's Preservation Maintenance Fund, established in 2009, when Historic New England received the largest grant in its history, a total of $3 million over three years, to address preservation maintenance needs for its historic properties.

About Historic New England

The Codman Estate is one of Historic New England's thirty-six sites throughout the region. As the oldest, largest, and most comprehensive regional heritage organization in the nation, Historic New England brings history to life while preserving the past for everyone interested in exploring the New England experience from the seventeenth century to today. The organization shares the region's history through vast collections, publications, public programs, museum properties, archives, and family stories that document more than 400 years of life in New England. For more information visit HistoricNewEngland.org.

What is a ha-ha wall?

A ha-ha wall is an eighteenth and nineteenth-century landscape device made, popular in English country estates and intended to create a visual illusion. The wall itself is a retaining wall separating two levels of lawn space. The upper level is usually the formal side with the country house, while the lower level is often a meadow or field with animals grazing. From the house, the view into the field is uninterrupted as the grassy lawn runs right to the top of the retaining wall and the eye is then carried without interruption into the field. But the cows or sheep in the meadow cannot access the upper level because the elevation change and retaining wall stand in their way.

Historic New England is celebrating its centennial. Discover all that's happening across the region this year at http://www.HistoricNewEngland.org/Centennial

STOCKBRIDGE: Horticulture Certificate - Level II Designs on the Land- An Historical will be offered on Mondays, November 8 - 29 from 6 - 9 p.m. at the Berkshire Botanical Garden. Berkshire Botanical Garden is located at the intersection of Routes 102 & 183 in Stockbridge, MA.

Understand the origins of landscape design by exploring the early gardens of Persian and Islamic traditions. These slide illustrated lectures will cover the classical gardens of Egypt, Greece, and Rome and then travel on to Chinese and Japanese influences in garden design. The series concludes with a study of medieval garden design. Design project required. Instructor Marie Stella is a landscape designer, historian and lecturer. She specializes in historical landscapes, and initiatives to foster the preservation of rural landscape.

The cost of this series is $185. All levels 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.

TELEPHONE: 413-298-3926 FAX: 413-298-4897

Horticulture Certificate – Level III Designing with Plants will be offered on Wednesdays, November 3 - December 1, from 6 - 9 p.m. at the Berkshire Botanical Garden. Berkshire Botanical Garden is located at the intersection of Routes 102 & 183 in Stockbridge, MA.

This course will cover how to develop a planting design plan. Students will learn concepts specific to designing using plant characteristics as a basis for selection. This design method known as plant driven design uses plant growth characteristics as the major consideration in developing a planting plan. Plant combinations using factors including site conditions and compatibility in addition to aesthetic considerations will be the main focus of this course. Learn the technical aspects of making a planting plan including estimating numbers, spacing and cost for given projects. Students will complete a design project. Instructor Drew Monthie, is a horticulturalist, garden designer and ecologist working in upper New York State. He is committed to teaching about the importance of using native plants to provide beauty and preserve biodiversity in yards and gardens.

The cost of this series is $185. All levels 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.

Crazy, Mixed-up Border a Lecture With Steve Silk

Crazy, Mixed-up Border, a lecture will be offered on Saturday, November 6, 10 am - noon at the Berkshire Botanical Garden. Berkshire Botanical Garden is located at the intersection of Routes 102 & 183 in Stockbridge, MA.

This kitchen sink approach to garden making welcomes representatives from every realm of the plant kingdom including trees, shrubs, annuals, tropicals, edibles and perennials. No leaf is left unturned in this search for the best and brightest of forms, foliage and flowers, which are then combined to create garden vignettes whose beauty lasts from spring through fall. The crazy, mixed up border also relies on artful garden framework, inspiration in geometry, contributions of thoughtful hardscape and consideration of a well kept edge. This is a gardening style that celebrates change and experimentation. Instructor Steve Silk is an award-winning photographer and writer. He has worked for at the Hartford Courant, and Fine Gardening magazine. His photography has garnered two Garden Writers of America awards for best portfolio. He collaborated with Sydney Eddison on several projects, is past President of the Connecticut Hardy Plant Society and is the President of the Connecticut Horticultural Society.

The cost of this lecture is $20 for members, $25 for non-members. All levels 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.

Framingham, MA – New England Wild Flower Society’s Education Department has announced its November and December 2010 classes, courses, and field trips; and they are searchable/available online, downloadable online, and available by calling 508-877-7630, ext. 3303. For more information, visit http://www.newenglandwild.org/learn.

Wednesday, November 3, 2010, 1-3 p.m., Booklover's Botany, Garden in the Woods, Framingham, MA. Join two book aficionados (Instructors Carol Govan and Robin Wilkerson) who would love to share their favorites from the Society’s impressive collection in the Lawrence Newcomb Library. Did you know Asa Gray wrote a beautifully illustrated botany primer for schoolchildren? Are you familiar with Peter Parley’s Illustrations of the Vegetable Kingdom; Trees, Plants and Shrubs printed in 1840? See rare books illustrating wild flowers, ferns, and woody plants; wonderful children’s books any adult would love; serial publications that show the history of American Botany; and Newcomb’s original notebooks. Conclude with tea and scones. Fee: $28 (Member) / $33 (Nonmember). Pre-registration is necessary, contact the registrar at 508-877-7630, ext. 3303.

Saturday, November 13, 2010, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Pruning Fundamentals, Garden in the Woods, Framingham, MA. Proper pruning improves both the health and structure of woody plants and allows the gardener to influence the aesthetic qualities of trees and shrubs. Instructor Dave Ropes covers pruning methods for established plantings in the home landscape. Learn how to select basic tools, make a proper cut, determine which branches to cut, and the correct time to prune for different species. Bring hand pruners to try various cuts. Fee: $33 (Member) / $39 (Nonmember). Pre-registration is necessary, contact the registrar at 508-877-7630, ext. 3303.

Saturday, November 13, 2010, 1-4 p.m., Understanding Botanical and Horticultural Names, Garden in the Woods, Framingham, MA. During this workshop on plant nomenclature, students have the opportunity to sort out the confusion often associated with plant names. Instructor Judith Sumner discusses common names, binomial scientific names, and the history of nomenclature since Linnaeus. Review the current rules of nomenclature and see why and how plant names sometimes change. Practice looking at a variety of plant names and deducing clues to the plant characteristics. Attention is also given to the names of species and hybrids in cultivation and the meaning of cultivar names. Fee: $40 (Member) / $48 (Nonmember). Cosponsored by New England Wild Flower Society and Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University. Pre-registration is necessary, contact the registrar at 508-877-7630, ext. 3303.

Tuesday, November 30, 2010, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Wildflower Propagation II, Garden in the Woods, Framingham, MA. Learn tips for raising wildflowers from seed, allowing access to an astonishing variety of species not often seen in garden centers or nurseries. Develop a deeper appreciation of plant physiology and evolution. Instructor: Kate Pawling discusses seed physiology and ecology as well as the various techniques used to germinate and grow a wide variety of native species, including such challenging genera as Trillium. Discuss seed and spore collection and storage. Clean and sow a variety of seed to take home and grow. All materials provided. Fee: $48 (Member) / $58 (Nonmember). Pre-registration is necessary, contact the registrar at 508-877-7630, ext. 3303.

Saturday, December 4, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Identifying and Enjoying Herbaceous Plants in the Late Fall, Garden in the Woods, Framingham, MA. When herbaceous plants have died back and look "disenchanted," it is still possible to identify some of them by closely examining their dried leaves, stems, and persistent fruits and seeds. Join Frances Clark for a classroom exploration to investigate 25-30 weeds and native herbaceous species growing in disturbed habitats, fields, and woodland edges. Examine specimens close at hand to learn identification features and intriguing seed-dispersal mechanisms. Fee: $36 (Member) / $42 (Nonmember). Pre-registration is necessary, contact the registrar at 508-877-7630, ext. 3303.

Thursday, December 9, 2010, 10:30 a.m.-12 noon, Energywise Landscaping (Energy-Wise Landscape Design), Garden in the Woods, Framingham, MA. Design your landscape so it saves energy and contributes to a healthier environment. Instructor Sue Reed helps you discover tips to lower your home’s heating and cooling costs, minimize fuel used in landscape construction, maintenance and everyday living, and choose products and materials with lower embedded energy costs. Our landscapes are full of opportunities to reduce energy consumption-- most of them involve little or no cost, and some will actually save money. Find out how to shrink your energy footprint while enhancing your property and adding value to your home. Sue Reed will sell and sign her widely acclaimed new book on the topic following the program. Fee: $15 (Member) / $18 (Nonmember). Pre-registration is necessary, contact the registrar at 508-877-7630, ext. 3303.

Sunday, December 12, 2010, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Shrubs in Winter, Garden in the Woods, Framingham, MA. The leaves are nearly gone from most shrubs, but you can still learn to recognize them. In this class, instructor Roland "Boot" Boutwell focuses on a number of macro-characteristics such as branching patterns, growth habits, bark, persistent fruit, galls, and habitats to help us identify more than 20 native New England shrubs in late fall and winter. We also discuss the natural history of the shrubs we see. The program begins with a classroom session and then moves into the field. Look for such species as witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana), highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum), and, of course, winterberry (Ilex verticillata) and wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens). Fee: $48 (Member) / $56 (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.

November and December 2010 Listings – Kids Classes, Gardening, Horticulture, Field Trips in Eastern MA

Sunday, November 21, 2011, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Full Moon Night Hike, Garden in the Woods, Framingham, MA. Near the night of the "Beaver Moon", Instructor: Tracy Phipps invites us to venture out into the dark forest to enjoy the nighttime sights, smells, and sounds. Who is still awake? What stars or planets can we spot? What tricks can we use to find our way? After our walk, enjoy hot cocoa and make a booklet of full-moon activities for months of full moons to come. For Children with Adult Companion. Fee: $9 (Member) / $11 (Nonmember). Pre-registration is necessary, contact the registrar at 508-877-7630, ext. 3303.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010, 3:30-5:30 p.m., Holiday Nature Crafts, Garden in the Woods, Framingham, MA. Instructor Bonnie Drexler shows us how to use "gifts" found in nature to create gifts for friends and families for the holidays. Learn how to string seed pods and cranberries to make chains for a tree or to feed the birds. Set up a natural print shop to make wrapping paper, gift tags, and greeting cards. Pot up a topiary wreath that will continue growing for years. With a variety of materials from the woods, make special gifts for special people and have fun too. For Grades 1-4. Fee: $14 (Member) / $16 (Nonmember). Pre-registration is necessary, contact the registrar at 508-877-7630, ext. 3303.

Wellesley - The Hunnewell Family Arboretum became the first garden in the United States to receive a plaque from the prestigious International Dendrology Society last Sunday.

"This is the only private estate garden I know of in the country that has been in the same family for four generations," said Peter del Tredici of the Arnold Arboreum Sunday as he led a tour of some its oldest and rarest trees.

H.H. Hunnewell started planting the trees in 1852. He named the estate Wellesley after his wife Isabella Welles. (The town and adjacent college both later appropriated the name.)

The IDS Plaque recognizes an exceptional tree collection and emphasizes the importance of its preservation,said Charlotte Feldman of Philadelphia, an IDS vice president. "This may be the most important collection of old conifers in the U.S.," she added.

Arabella Killander of Cambridge, England, presented the plaque (and a young dawn redwood tree) to Willard Hunnewell and Luisa Hunnewell, widow of the late Walter Hunnewell, representing the family members of three generations in attendance.

Luisa Hunnewell hosted a luncheon for the family and for horticulturalists including Prof. John Palmer, Gary Koller, Stephen A. Spongberg of the Polly Hill Arboretum, del Tredici, and David P. Barnett of Mt. Auburn Cemetery.

The Harvest Festival & Perennial Divide, hosted by Boston Natural Areas Network, will take place at City Natives, 30 Edgewater Drive, Mattapan today from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

The Harvest Festival will have select native plants and produce from local farms available for sale, as well as a children’s craft project, live music, tours of BNAN’s Learning Garden and bee apiary, and plant advice from Master Urban Gardener graduates. Gardeners can also participate in the Perennial Divide, a unique way to swap plants you no longer want for something new to plant in the garden. Gardeners bring plant divisions and empty containers from home and select something new provided by other gardeners. A wide variety of other plants, cultivated at City Natives, will be available for sale.

Gardeners are also invited to participate in the The Incredible Crop Olympics with categories like the Biggest Tomato, Heaviest Zucchini, Largest Sunflower and Most Voluminous Vegetable. Register vegetable entries by calling BNAN at 617-542-7696, or bring your vegetables for consideration to the event before 11:00 a.m. Prizes will be awarded.

Boston Natural Areas Network is a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing together local residents, partner organizations, public officials and foundations to preserve, expand and enhance urban open space, including community gardens, greenways and urban wilds. For more information about BNAN, becoming a member or programs and events, visit www.bostonnatural.org or call 617-542-7696.

Monday, October 18th
A presentation by Shelly Cantor about the Rose Bowl Float she created and prepared with friends. It will include slides and a discussion of material types, numbers of blooms used and then a mention of 9 award winning floats which took part at that time.

Tuesday, October 19th
At 9 a.m. Members will go to the Historical House to tidy up their gardens and prepare them for the winter.

Monday, November 8th
A presentation by Cheryl Miller about Elm Bank during which she will discuss progress on new plantings and plans for the future.

Monday, December 6th
Traditional chowder lunch followed by a workshop where members and guests will be able to make Christmas wreaths or centerpieces. This will be taken by Roz Augustin and Joan Clepstone.

All meetings take place, unless otherwise stated, at The Wellesley Community Center starting at 11:30 a.m. when luncheon is served with a 12 noon business meeting and program starting at 12:30 p.m.

Globe Garden Expert Carol Stocker will be on-line live at boston.com from 1-2 p.m. Friday, Sept. 17, to answer your gardening questions.

On Thursday, September 23, the landscaper Paul Miskovsky will open his Falmouth garden for an evening of conversation with Adrian Bloom of Blooms of Bressingham. Many of his plant introductions can be seen at the Bloom-designed 46,000-square-foot Bressingham Garden at Elm Bank.

Paul Miskovsky's garden has as its centerpiece a 90-foot-long waterfall that cascades down a densely planted hillside. Explore the garden and talk with Adrian Bloom while enjoying wine, cocktails and hors d'oeurves. All proceeds from the evening benefit the Massachusetts Horticultural Society. Tickets, which are tax-deductible, are $150 per person at 617-933-4995.

Tower Hill Botanic Garden will host the 4th Annual Show and Sale presented by the Cactus & Succulent Society of Massachusetts September 18-19. Lectures
throughout the weekend will provide additional information and insight into this group of plants. Children can learn about cactus at a planting station for
kids. Vendors will offer plants and supplies for sale.

So, what specifically is a cactus? Technically speaking, cacti are "succulent xerophytes."
Succulents are plants that store large quantities of water in their leaves, stems,
or roots, which gives them their characteristically fleshy appearance. Since many
succulent plants developed in areas with periodic drought, they developed special
adaptations to survive long periods without rainfall. Biologically speaking, these
are referred to as "xerophytes." In cacti, extreme evolutionary modification has
resulted in spines, thick stems, and shallow roots. While all cacti are succulents,
not all succulents are cacti. Cacti are perhaps the best-known family of the succulents.

The Cactus and Succulent Show is included with regular admission to Tower Hill Botanic
Garden. The Garden is located at 11 French Drive, Boylston, exit 24 off Route 290.
Members are admitted free, otherwise Admission is $10 for adults, $7 for Seniors,
and $5 for Youth; Children under age 6 are admitted free. For more information,
log on to Tower Hill's website at towerhill.org.

Globe Garden Expert Carol Stocker will be on-line live at boston.com from 1-2 p.m. Friday, Aug. 27, to answer your gardening questions. .

Water Whimsy at Garden in the Woods
Framingham, MA - New England Wild Flower Society announced today the Society has partnered with New England Garden Ornaments to present Water Whimsy, a small show of large and small water features at Garden in the Woods. In addition to the Michael Mazur fountain in the entrance garden and the Nate McCullin bird baths in the wildlife garden, there are seven fountains which appear in Water Whimsy at the entrance to the Curtis Path, in the Idea Garden, Edible Garden, Rain Garden, and Patio Garden. All of the fountains recirculate the water being used or they are standing water birdbaths.

Water Whimsy continues in the Garden through September 7. Included in the show are bubbling, flowing, and standing fountains. Elements were chosen to appear timeless as opposed to new or antique. Chiseled stones, millstones, staddle stones, stone balls, molded balustrades and caps, granite bowls and bamboo are used to create these features, nestled among the native plants in the various gardens. They provide a whimsical feeling within the naturalized structure of the many gardens.

Millstones were used in windmills, watermills, and other structures to grind wheat and other grains. Grains would be poured into a round trough. The millstone would be run around the inside outer lip of the trough, grinding the grains. Larger mills used wind or water to power the operation. Smaller mills used human or animal strength to handle the rotation of the millstone around the trough. The three millstones in this exhibit show three different sizes. The two larger stones were imported from England.

Staddle stones look like stone mushrooms and were originally used as supporting bases for granaries, hayricks, game larders, etc. These staddle stones lifted the structures off the ground to protect them from moisture and vermin. The two shown adjacent to the Rain Garden are from the Cotswold region of England and are from the 19th Century.

The three column fountain in the Entrance Garden is of Basalt, a stone quarried on the west coast of the US. Naturally occurring in the rock face as plates, it is easily cut along its veins into the natural column shape. The top is then cut and polished and the column plumbed for a water feature.

The granite bowl used in the Idea Garden water feature is from a piece of Quincy, MA, granite, salvaged from the foundation of a building in Boston. The stone mason who carved it is famous for using a blow torch to carve into stone. The spheres of the Three Sphere Fountain, found opposite the Patio Garden, are hand carved from lava stone. Each has been weathered to a beautiful dark black patina.

Scott LaFleur, Botanic Garden Director and Horticulture Director for New England Wild Flower Society, remarked, “Water Whimsy is a great show for the hot days of summer. The soft sounds of the water draw you in close to hear and see the features. They are beautifully integrated into the Garden and look like they were always there. Being a small show, it does not overpower the Garden. You still focus on our collection of native plants when you visit.”

New England Wild Flower Society’s Garden in the Woods was founded in 1931 by landscape designer Will Curtis who developed the Garden with Howard Stiles. The Garden showcased Curtis’ designs and interest in featuring native plants for sustainable gardens. Curtis deeded the Garden to New England Wild Flower Society in 1965. The Garden is open to the public Tuesday through Sunday and holiday Mondays 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. from April 15 through October 31. Guided walking tours of the Garden are given weekdays at 10 a.m. and weekends at 2 p.m. Entrance fees to the Garden are $8 for adults, $6 for seniors and students with identification, and $4 for youths 3 to 18.

CARLISLE, MA – On Sunday, August 1, Northeast Organic Farming Association/ Massachusetts Chapter (NOFA/Mass), is sponsoring a wild edibles foraging walk led by Russ Cohen at Great Brook Farm State Park on 984 Lowell Street in Carlisle from 9:30am to 12:30pm.

“Great Brook Farm State Park is one of the best places I know to lead foraging walks,” said Cohen. “The reason we chose this site over other options is that I have documented 66 different species of wild edibles plants at the park. This number is greater than any other single site that I’ve visited.”

Cohen explained that the huge variety of edible species results from the diversity of the landscape at the park, which contains a working farm, forested areas, a wetland area, and multiple field edges.“At the farm there are many wonderful garden weeds that are edible, including stinging nettle, which is classically associated with dairy farms. The woodland species include blueberries, huckleberries, wintergreen berries, raspberries, black raspberries, blackberries, and sumac. Along the River Meadow Brook, which runs through the park, there are cattail, elderberry, water chestnut, and groundnut.”

“Groundnut is the plant that allowed the Pilgrims to survive the lean winter of 1620 to 1621 when they first arrived on this continent, and it remained an important food crop for many years. Despite the stories we learned in grammar school, corn was not even in the picture,” said Cohen.Along with many native species like groundnut, the park is home to what are considered invasive species such as the Autumn Olive, whose copious berries can be made into a delicious fruit leather or jam. Cohen remarked: “When it comes to the difference between native species and invasive species, the approach I take in my workshop is to ask whether the plant edible -- not to ask for its birth certificate. The generally dry conditions we’ve been experiencing this summer severely limit mushroom yields. If the rain pick up, it’s possible that we’ll see them.”

Registration for the walk is $30, and it is open to the public on a first come, first served basis. Workshop registration is limited to 35 people. There is a $5 discount for NOFA members. To register online or by check (these options are available if received by Saturday, July 31), visit www.nofamass.org and look under “Upcoming Events.” The cost for on-site registration is $35, and last minute registrants are asked to contact event organizer, Ben Grosscup, at 413-658-5374 to check on space availability.