The Garden Club of the Back Bay

Gorgeous purple and pink lupines in bloom are reason enough to visit New Hampshire’s Franconia region each June.  The 15th annual Fields of Lupine Festival provides added incentive for travelers, including special tours, art events, concerts and more.  For information, call 603-823-5661.

On Thursday, June 4th from 5 pm to 8 pm more than twenty participating businesses from Boston’s historic Beacon Hill will join together to celebrate the coming of summer with a fabulous Summer Shopping Stroll. The festivities include exciting promotions and tasty refreshments offered by each participating retailer during the stroll, and a chance to win a gift basket with a selection of products and services from all participating businesses. Visit each participating business the night of the Summer Stroll and enter to win a fabulous Gift Basket (on display as of Friday, May 29th at Core de Vie Studios, 40 Charles Street)! The more businesses you visit, the greater your odds of winning (one entry per business). For more information log on to www.beaconhillsummerstroll.com.

Mrs. Angela Menino and Commissioner Antonia Pollak cordially invite you to the 13th Annual Rose Garden Party to benefit Park ARTS on Wednesday, June 24, from 5:30 – 8:00 at The Rose Garden, Back Bay Fens, Boston.  Garden party attire is enthusiastically encouraged.  Wear a hat to enter the Hats Galore! contest, where judges will choose their favorites in the following categories: Best Garden Party Hat, Most Creative Hat, Most Elegant Hat, and Just for Men Hat.  Individual tickets $125.  To reserve and make credit card payment by telephone, call 617-961-3039, or send a check  made payable to The Fund for Parks & Recreation: Park ARTS, and  mail to the Rose Garden Party Committee c/o Boston Parks and Recreation Department, 1010 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA 02118.  Parking will be available on Park Drive and Agassiz Drive, and there will be Boston Park Rangers to direct you.

Gardens for Charlestown, Inc. presents Pocket Gardens of Historic Charlestown on Saturday, June 20, 2009 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.  Tickets are $15 each.  Pick up tickets and start at the Community Garden at the corner of Main Street and Bunker Hill Street.  For more information contact Pat McSweeney at patmcs@verizon.net. Gardens for Charlestown is a non-profit, all-volunteer garden and greenspace organization established in 1976.  It owns and maintains a 63 plot community garden and supports neighborhood initiatives to reclaim abandoned or neglected public spaces throughout Charlestown.   Log on to www.charlestownonline.net/gardens.htm for updated information.

The City of Boston holds Household Hazardous Waste Drop-Off Days twice a year. As they are scheduled, the details are posted on the following website: www.cityofboston.gov/publicworks/recycling/hazardouswaste.asp.

Drop Off Schedule & Locations

Currently, the City of Boston’s Household Hazardous Waste Drop-Off Days are scheduled for:

June 6, 2009
9am-2pm
University of Massachusetts, Boston
Morrisey Blvd

June 27, 2009
9am-2pm
West Roxbury Public Works Yard
315 Gardner St

Guidelines

Put household poisons, insecticides, paint, tires, auto fluids, car batteries, wood preservatives, herbicides and pool supplies, propane tanks, motor oil , and products labeled corrosive, flammable or toxic in cardboard boxes for safe transport and bring them to the above locations.

For Boston residents only. No commercial waste will be accepted. Proof of residency required. The City reserves the right to reject materials. For more information call 617-635-4959.

TVs & Computer Monitors
TVs & computer monitors are NOT accepted at Household Hazardous Waste Drop-Off Days. Please call 617-635-7574 for home pickup of TVs and computer monitors.

Web Link http://www.cityofboston.gov/publicworks/recycling/hazardouswaste.asp

Learn which herbs to grow, how and when to plant, either for your garden or create a container garden for your deck or patio, at the Stonewall Kitchen flagship location in York, Maine.  Stonewall Kitchen’s herb garden will be planted throughout the morning by Jacqueline Nooney Landscaping. Jackie and her team will be there to answer your questions and share their tips for successful planting.  You will be able to purchase herbs from local grower Martha King.  For more information and directions call : (207) 351-2712, or log on to  www.stonewallkitchen.com.

Join the Isabella Stewart Gardner Curator of the Collection Alan Chong for this fascinating exploration of Isabella Gardner’s artistic vision and broader goals in creating a museum that would be architecturally distinct yet seamlessly interwoven into Boston’s urban fabric.  Tickets are free and may be reserved in advance.  A $1.50 service fee applies to tickets reserved online.  Tickets may also be reserved in person at the Museum’s front entrance at 280 The Fenway or by calling the Gardner Box Office at 617-278-5156.  For more information log on to www.gardnermuseum.org.

The 30th annual Festival of Historic Houses, sponsored by the Providence Preservation Society, will take place 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eight houses in the Queen Anne, Victorian, and Colonial Revival styles will be featured on the tour. Formed in 1956 to respond to the proposed demolition of a number of 18th- and early 19th-century houses on College Hill, the Providence Preservation Society (PPS) has grown from that small neighborhood group to a multifaceted citywide preservation organization. The Saturday tour will begin with registration at Wheeler School’s Baker House (217 Hope Street, Providence, RI 02906) on the corner of Stimson Avenue. The Stimson Avenue area features superb examples of restored Queen Anne, Victorian, and Colonial Revival architecture. See the remarkable interior detail behind these otherwise-closed doors. Tour goers who purchase their Saturday tour tickets by June 4 will be entered in a drawing for one of four Tiffany & Co. Sterling Silver Key Pendants from the new Tiffany Keys Collection. Tickets, $35, at the Baker House, 217 Hope Street. Information: (401) 831-7440 and ppsri.org.

Mahoney’s Garden Center in Winchester will host a live broadcast of Paul Parent’s Gardening Advice show on Sunday, June 7 at Mahoney’s Garden Center in Winchester, Massachusetts.  Paul Parent has been on the radio providing gardening advice to listeners in New England for the last twenty years.  Paul’s expert gardening advice is now heard on stations all over the country with one half million listeners.  The Live Broadcast is from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m., and the Q & A will be from 10 a.m. – noon.  Seating is limited so please sign up early to reserve your seat.  Log on to www.mahoneysgarden.com for more information and to register.  The same event will take place in Falmouth on Sunday, June 28, from 6 a.m. to noon.

Join a safe, guided bicycle convoy with police escorts! Led by experienced cyclists and escorted by Boston Police, convoys follow a fixed schedule and route and originate at locations throughout metro-Boston. All convoys finish at City Hall Plaza Boston, where free breakfast, bike expo and music await you! To sign up go to www.bikefridays.kintera.org. Registration is free!

The Emerald Necklace Conservancy announces a night of fun and fundraising to Save the Boston Mounted Park Rangers Horses on Monday, June 1 from 7 – 9 pm.  The Boston Park Ranger Mounted Unit has its own department horses, tack, trailers, and patrol vehicles.  They patrol all nine parks in the Emerald Necklace as well as neighborhood parks and cemeteries.  Over the years, The Boston Park Ranger Mounted Unit has grown into a highly recognized and respected agency in the City of Boston. There will be delicious food and drinks and live music presented by the hot Boston band Felix Brown at Jacob Wirth Restaurant, 31-37 Stuart Street, Boston, between Washington and Tremont Streets.  Saddle up and help the Mounted Park Rangers as a “Mane Supporter” ($1,000), “Chomping at the Bit” ($500), “Hot to Trot” ($250), “In the Saddle” ($100) or “Stirrup Enthusiasm” ($50).  Please rsvp to Susan Knight: sknight@emeraldnecklace.org or call 617-522-2700.  All contributions are tax deductible.  Payments can be made by check or credit card.  Make checks payable to Justine Mee Liff Fund.  Mail to Emerald Necklace Conservancy, 891 Centre Street, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130.  RSVP by May 30 – checks only at the door.  Log on to www.emeraldnecklace.org for more information.

Artwork can be interpreted with flowers just as it can be expressed with words.  Kathy Thomas, an accomplished landscape painter and a top floral designer, will use her own works and Elm Bank’s flowers to create a series of arrangements that reflect the mood and composition of the artwork.  She’ll show you how she approaches the art and the tools she employs to capture the essence of a painting with flowers.  $10 non-members, $5 members.  For directions, and to register on line, log on to www.masshort.org.

This year, the signature Providence Preservation Society event celebrates its 30th Anniversary in style with a “Tiffany Garden Party” on Friday, May 29 from 6:00-9:00 p.m. in an historic Angell Street house and garden, owned by Brooke and Eugene Lee, adjacent to the Saturday Festival tour neighborhood. Tickets for the Tiffany Garden Party are $100 and must be purchased in advance. Tickets for the Tiffany & Co.  Blue Box Fundraiser are $125. All boxes contain a Tiffany gift, with one special box containing a dazzling quatrefoil diamond key pendant.  For more information, call 401-831-7440 or log on to www.ppsri.org.

Once again the New England Wild Flower Society hosts a members’ only event at Garden in the Woods in Framingham.  Bring a bottle of wine from the Rhine River Region to share.  Admission is $5, and the event is limited to 25 people.  Stroll the Garden, sip your wine, admire the rhododendrons, and stop at the Garden Shop for a personal shopping adventure with the Botanic Garden Director. Make your reservations by calling 508-877-7630, ext. 3001.  If you’re not already a member, joining is easy – log on to www.newfs.org, or sign up when you reserve.

Eight houses will be open from noon to 5 p.m., including an 1865 Mansard Victorian, four Colonial Revivals built between 1903 and 1925, and a 1920 Arts and Crafts house. The tour, sponsored by the Newton Historical Society, will take place in five historic neighborhoods. Tour tickets, $30 (members, $25), will be available at the Newton History Museum, 527 Washington Street (Jackson Street). For advance tickets, $25 (members, $20), and information: (617) 796-1450 and newtonhistorymuseum.org

The flower show is back in town! Nearly two years after its absence, the city of Boston will once again host a major flower show, featuring a new location and an experienced team of show producers. The Boston Flower & Garden Show, to be held March 24 – 28, 2010 at the Seaport World Trade Center in Boston, will boast major exhibits, a garden marketplace, daily gardening demonstrations, lectures, judged competitions and more. The flower show will be produced by the Paragon Group, event specialists for many consumer exhibitions, including the New England Auto Show, under the direction of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society’s (MHS) former flower show director, Carolyn Weston.  For more information, log on to www.TheBostonFlowerShow.com.

On Friday, May 29, The Learning Project Elementary School will present its annual Mayfest celebration on the steps of Trinity Church facing Copley Square.  The festivities begin at one o’clock with a program of singing by Learning Project students, grades K-6.  The highlight of the performance is the weaving of the traditional Maypole by the sixth graders.  Former Garden Club of the Back Bay co-President Margaret Pokorny built the Maypole for the Learning Project, and the program is a delight for all ages.  In the event the construction currently underway in front of Trinity Church is not completed by May 29, the program will be moved to the amphitheater in front of First Church, Boston, on the corner of Marlborough and Berkeley Streets, and the Maypole will be danced at the Clarendon Street Playground.  The public is encouraged to attend.  Log on to www.learningproject.org, or call 617-266-8427 for more information.

Visit the Arnold Arboretum, Boston Nature Center, Forest Hills Cemetery, Franklin Park, and the Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site  Thursday, May 28 to Sunday, May 31 for Birds and Bards: A Festival Celebrating Birds, Poetry, and Nature. Spend the weekend exploring birds, poetry, and nature in over 1000 acres of greenspace along Boston’s Emerald Necklace. The festival includes activities for children and adults, most of which are free!  Presented by the Arnold Arboretum, Boston Nature Center/Mass Audubon, Forest Hills Educational Trust, Franklin Park Coalition, Franklin Park Zoo, and the Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site.

Activities begin on Thursday with a 7 a.m. morning bird walk at the Arnold Arboretum.  That evening at 7:30, enjoy the Birds & Bards Kick-Off at Forsyth Chapel for a festive evening of song, pictures and poetry celebrating birds and nature.  Learn about the landscapes that sustain and protect migratory birds in the heart of the city. Art inspired by our feathered friends will include photographs by Eduardo del Solar, jazz vocals by Valerie Stevens, and a reading by poet Brendan Galvin.  $5 suggested donation.

Friday begins with a 7 a.m. bird walk in Franklin Park, and a 6 p.m. family bird walk, also in Franklin Park, plus a 7 p.m. movie night at the Franklin Park Clubhouse.

Saturday centers around the Boston Nature Center, with an early morning birdwalk, followed by continental breakfast and conversation with Chris Leahy, a talk at 11:00 on Urban Orchards and Bird Habitats, and a noontime live raptor demonstration.  At 1:30, enjoy the Great American Song Book Concert with Marianne Ryan, Stanley Macht, and the young singers of Catching Joy as they perform classics celebrating birds by Gershwin, Kern and Porter.  Finally on Saturday move to the Arnold Arboretum at 3:00 for a Haiku Hike.

Sunday begins at Forest Hills with a 7 a.m. birdwalk, a tour at 10 a.m., a guided bird walk at Franklin Park Zoo at 10:30, and the culminating event, a 2:00 Family Concert with Solar Winds at Forsyth Chapel ($10).

For complete event listings and information, log on to www.arboretum.harvard.edu.

The Boston Farmers Market Season kicked off this week with the opening of the Copley Square Farmers’ Market. This market will be in the park from 11 am to 6 pm on Tuesdays and Fridays from now until November 24th. Mass Farmers Markets were recently selected as a “Local Hero” in the category of non-profit organizations, in recognition of their outstanding contribution to the local foods movement in greater Boston.  For more information, log on to www.massfarmersmarkets.org.

Join the New England Wild Flower Society now, if you’re not already a member, and attend this members only event on Thursday, May 28, from 5-7 pm.  $5 per person, and  bring a bottle of California wine to share. Limited to 25 people. Stroll the Garden. Sip your wine. Stop at the Garden Shop for a personal shopping adventure with the Botanic Garden Director. Make your reservations by calling 508-877-7630, ext. 3001. For information on joining NEWFS, log on to www.newfs.org.