The Garden Club of the Back Bay

The Ecological Landscaping Association, in conjunction with Green Decade, sponsors a tour of four residential Newton properties on Saturday, June 12, from 1 – 4 pm.  Are you looking for alternatives to traditional, monoculture lawns that require a lot of water, chemicals, and time?  There are many alternatives to a resource-intensive, chemically-maintained lawn.  Visit four beautiful and successful properties in Newton to see organic lawns, meadow gardens, and edible landscapes.  Each location that you visit will have a professional on-site to discuss the project design, maintenance, answer your questions, and help you understand the options that you have this season to move to more sustainable and organic practices.  All of the sites will be open during the entire tour, so you may choose how much time to spend at each location.

Perennial and Meadow Gardens:  Elaine Bresnick is a technology entrepreneur.  A few years ago, her gardens, which she called “the final frontier,” were rescued from over 25 years of neglect by Risa Edelstein, a local landscape designer, who designed and installed the lovely, indigenous and drought tolerant organic plantings which thrive there today.  The design was inspired by Elaine’s neighbor, Virginia Inglis, who adopted the notion of no lawn, years before.  Virginia’s backyard garden, terraced with billows of grasses and perennials, is a wildlife sanctuary in the middle of Newton.  Risa will be on hand to guide you through these gardens and answer your questions.

Edible Garden: Ted Chapman, another local landscape designer, is opeing his own property for this unique opportunity to tour a successful example of an edible landscape.  Sustainability and energy efficiency are hallmarks of this property.  Using a permaculture model, Ted began designing this edible landscape in 1983.  The mature plantings are both beautiful and productive and are a testament to sustainable maiintenance practices.  Ted’s property also features a 1983 passive solar retrofit of an 1880 working class Victorian home.

Organic Lawn: This private property will demonstrate a successful organic lawn installation that has been managed sustainably for a few years.  Frank Koll, an organic lawn care professional, will be on hand to answer your questions about organic fertilizers, compost tea, watering, and organic lawn care.

$15 for ELA or Green Decade Members, $20 for non-members.  Registration is limited.  Call 617-436-5838, or email ela.info@comcast.net.

The Lyman Estate Greenhouses will host the annual Hosta and Perennial Sale on Thursday, June 3 – Sunday, June 6, and again Saturday, June 12 – Sunday, June 13, from 9:30 am – 4:00 pm.  Thousands of plants are available in creams, golds, blues, and mixes.  Choose from large specimen and small plants, along with many new to the market and hard-to-find varieties.  The Lyman Estate  knowledgeable staff is on hand to help you choose the right hostas for your garden. Free admission.  Call 781-891-1985 for more information, or log on to www.historicnewengland.org.

Faith Crawford, photographer and designer of this web site, posted some peony pictures on her own website, www.faithcrawford.com, which are quite luscious, and we think you will enjoy them.  A sample is shown below.

It’s hard to believe that 25 years have passed since the first Plant Sale was held on the rough field and lawn in front of the Farmhouse.  That sale attracted nearly 400 visitors – pretty astonishing for the first sale at the brand new headquarters of the Worcester County Horticultural Society. At its peak, the sale has attracted as many as 3,100 visitors, expanding to become one of Tower Hill’s largest fundraisers.

Because of the construction  at the core of the property, this year’s sale will be held in the grassy overflow parking field adjacent to the paved lots.  Some details remain the same: one of the many benefits of Tower Hill’s Plant Sale is the ability to select from the specialty offerings of more than a dozen participating Plant Societies, including Bamboo, Cactus & Succulent, Conifer, Daylily, Epimedium, Fern, Heather, Hosta, Indoor Gardeners, Lilac, Magnolia, Miniature Plants, Orchid, Rhododendron, and Rose.  These ardent devotees are wild about their specific plant interests and can offer great tips on care and growing.  Please note that a Tower Hill member discount card does not apply to sales in the plant society area, and most of the societies are able to accept only cash or checks.

More than 12,000 plants will be available for sale:  unusual perennials, herbs and everlastings, shrubs and trees, including Cary Award Winners, natives, annuals, incredible edibles, and Tower Hill “Best Buy” plants – donated divisions from beautiful plants grown by members. Special Plant Sale T-shirts to commemorate the 25th anniversary will be sold, and there will be Plant Giveaways to our early arriving members.  Two silent auctions on the day of the Plant Sale feature a variety of choice, hard to find, specimen plants and garden ornaments.  Register first and enjoy the challenge of competing with other plant enthusiasts for the plants that spark your interest.  Tower Hill members enjoy the benefit of early admission at 9 a.m.  For more information, call 508-869-6111, or log on to www.towerhillbg.org.

Don Lubin and Raymond Abair will lead a New England Wild Flower Society field trip on Sunday, June 13, from 11 – 3.  The large woods known as Estabrook Woods on the north side of Concord, Massachusetts has more fern diversity than one might expect. The normal array of common ferns is augmented by rich swamp edges and as well as old limestone quarry pits.  Expect to see Massachusetts fern, Christmas fern, ebony spleenwort, fragile fern, and perhaps a couple of other calciphiles.  Some off-trail walking is involved, but not much climbing. Wear long pants, and bring insect repellent, a bag lunch, and a hand lens if you have one.  Directions will be sent upon registration, which may be done by logging on to www.newfs.org.  Fee is $32 for members and $36 for nonmembers.

All Garden Club of the Back Bay members take note:  our own Susan Juretschke is featured today (May 24) at www.BostonZest.com. Susan is the Club’s Horticulture Chair, and recognition for all the work she does for the neighborhood and our Club is long overdue.   She will also talk about urban gardening in tomorrow’s BostonZest post, so be sure to log on!

Agriculture Deputy Secretary Merrigan has launched a website – “Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food,” and plans a Facebook chat to expand the conversation on local food systems.  The new web pages and on-line tools will help consumers make healthier food choices.  There is a lot on this website to explore. This is a USDA effort to create new economic opportunities by better connecting consumers with local producers. It is also the start of a national conversation about the importance of understanding where your food comes from and how it gets to your plate. Today, there is too much distance between the average American and the farmer, and the USDA hopes to create links. To log on, click on to www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/knowyourfarmer?navid=KNOWYOURFARMER (I know, could they possibly have made that address a little shorter?)

A celebration of the opening night of Glories of the Garden, a summer-long series of programs and events to support the restoration of the gardens at Highfield Hall, will be held Friday, June 11, from 6 – 8:30 pm at Highfield Hall, 56 Highfield Drive in Falmouth.

The evening’s activities  include hors d’oeuvre by Chef Roland, a complimentary wine and beer bar, and a preview of an art exhibition representing 34 regional artists. Participating artists include Kate Nelson, Ron Fowler, Jan Lhormer, Hilary Osborn, Doug Rugh, Jane Eccles, MaryAlice Eizenberg, Sarah Fielding-Gunn, Suzanne Packer, Christie Velesig, Joyce Zavorskas (whose painting is pictured below,) Susan Anne Hollis, Joan Ledwith, Jane Lincoln, Linda Young, Audrey Forge, Anne Boucher, Diana Lee, Julie Olander, Marisa Repeta, Carol Odell, Tamara Clark, Priscilla Levesque, Mona Podgurski,  Sandra Wakeen, Aleta Steward, Loraine Trenholme, M’Lou Sorrin, Ron Tinney, and Rosalie Nadeau.   There will also be a floral show, silent auction, and raffle.   Tickets, $75 per person, can be purchased online at www.highfieldhall.org/programs_fundraisers.shtml or by calling (508)495-1878, ext. 313.

The 2010 Field Meeting of the Northeast Section of the Botanical Society of America, the Torrey Botanical Society and the Philadelphia Botanical Club, to be held Sunday, June 20 – Thursday, June 24 will explore the Botany of Berkshire County, Massachusetts. Participants will stay at Buxton School in the heart of Williamstown, down the street from the famous Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute and Williams College. This is a lovely country setting with hiking trails close by.

Accommodations are in the school dormitory rooms in the main building and two other buildings on campus. Men and women will have separate facilities either by building or by floor. Most rooms will have two, three or four occupants and bathrooms are shared. Private rooms for singles or couples will be hard to come by, but we may be able to arrange something depending on the registration number. Also, if anyone would prefer a private room with bath, the Williams Inn is just down the street and will have rooms available for $125 single and $145 double (plus tax) per night. For this, you make your own arrangements. All your meals would be at Buxton.

Buxton has the reputation of having very good meals using local produce when available. The price of the field meeting will be $350 including four nights lodging and meals from Sunday night thru Thursday breakfast. Linens are included. Without room, price is $225.

Field trips, by bus, will include Mt. Greylock (below), the highest mountain in Massachusetts with its own unique sub-alpine boreal forest and rare plants, and Bartholomew’s Cobble, National Natural Landmark, where “you’ll find one of North America’s greatest diversity of fern species” and many interesting plants amid the unusual geology of the cobbles. Other trips will depend on the best botanical locations at the time. There will be a variety of evening lectures. For further information, contact Chairperson Nan Williams at nnwrowe@gmail.com, (413) 339-5598, or download the invitation at www.ct-botanical-society.org.

The Roosevelt-Vanderbilt National Historic Sites are pleased to announce the Fifth Annual Bellefield Design Lecture: The Maine Work of Beatrix Farrand by Patrick Chasse, a program of its park partner, The Beatrix Farrand Garden Association, on Sunday, June 6, beginning at 2 pm, at the Henry A. Wallace Visitor Center at the Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt Historic Site and The FDR Presidential Library and Museum, 4079 Albany Post Road, Hyde Park, New York.  Patrick will discuss Farrand’s life and work in Maine from childhood through her retirement at Garland Farm, including a number of private commissions that are rarely ever seen by the public. A reception and heirloom plant, book and garden treasure sale will follow in the Garden at Bellefield.  Tickets are $30 ($25 for Beatrix Farrand Garden Association and Garden Conservancy members), and may be purchased in advance (strongly recommended, because seating is limited) by logging on to www.beatrixfarrandgarden.org or by calling 845-229-9115, ext. 26.

The Marlborough Historical Society invites you to its 35oth Anniversary Spring Historic Homes Tour and Tea on Saturday, June 13.  This special tour and tea at the Peter Rice Homestead (pictured below), 377 Elm Street in Marlborough,  is still in the planning process, but up to date information on times and fees may be found at www.historicmarlborough.org.

The West End Branch of the Boston Public Library will host an exhibit by The Friends of Mary Cummings Park.  The City of Boston owns this Park located in Burlington and Woburn. Mary Cummings Park is a 210 acre public park which was given in trust to the City of Boston for the purpose of keeping the land forever open as a public pleasure ground.  It offers fields, forests, trails, wetlands, and a variety of wildlife habitats for public enjoyment.  Come learn more about this special place.  The West End Branch is located at 151 Cambridge Street in Boston.  For more information on The Friends of Mary Cummings Park, log on to www.cummingspark.org.

This course focuses on how to conduct basic inventories of plants as descriptions of vegetation communities on public and private land for the purpose of conservation planning and management.  The evening session on Thursday, June 10, from 7 – 9 pm at Garden in the Woods in Framingham covers elements of field preparation and the fundamentals of community classification systems.  Field investigations include sampling a variety of forest and meadow communities, applying data on geology, soils, and hydrology as well as information on species associations, including the application of rapid and comprehensive sampling techniques.  Sturdy footgear, compass, and hand lens recommended.  Bring a bag lunch for the Friday (9:30 – 3) field session.  The instructor will be Frances Clark, and the fee is $98 for NEWFS members, $115 for nonmembers.  Register at www.newfs.org.

Reserve a space now (no later than July 1) for the NEBC Field Trip to the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens and Boothbay Region, Friday, September 10 – Sunday, September 12.

Highlights of this fabulous trip include a visit to the Kate Furbish “Flora of Maine” art collection at Bowdoin College with Special Collections Curator Richard Lindemann, a trip to the scenic salt marsh at Popham Beach with Arthur Haines, a lobster picnic at Robinson’s Wharf on Southport Island, a ferry ride for an all day excursion to botanize the beaches and coastal headlands of Monhegan Island with Melissa Dow Cullina, a catered pool-side barbeque (with vegetarian option), an evening workshop on digital macrophotography with Bill Cullina, and early bird hike along stunning Ocean Point in Boothbay, and a guided tour of the new Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens (pictured below – photograph copyright Karl Gercens).  The first scheduled activity is at Bowdoin College, Brunswick, at 10 am on Friday September 10.  The final scheduled activity will be lunch on Sunday, September 12 at the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, though participants may stay at the Gardens as long as they wish until closing.  Participants may choose to stay with the group at the Coburn House Inn in Boothbay at a reasonable group rate.

Registration fee is $75, to be sent to the trip coordinator Melissa Dow Cullina, 250 Hendricks Hill Road, Southport Island, ME 04576.  Please make check out to Melissa, who will be coordinating all aspects of the trip.  The fee includes one bag lunch, ferry ticket, barbeque, CMBG ticket, and all scheduled events.  For more information, email Melissa at mcullina@gmail.com, or call 207-633-4546.  You may also find links to lodging options, and may download a pdf file with registration form, at www.rhodora.org.

The East Bridgewater Garden Club announces its Huge Plant Sale ETC., to be held  Saturday, May 29, from 10 – 3, at the new expanded location of Sachem Rock Farm (pictured below), Route 106, 355 Plymouth Street, East Bridgewater, Massachusetts.  Proceeds from the sale of plants, trees bushes and garden related items benefit Student Scholarship and Civic Beautification Funds.  All plants are grown and obtained by Garden Club members.  There will be a rain date Sunday, May 30, if necessary.  For information, or to check if the sale is canceled because of rain, call the Plant Sale Organizers, Debbie Clish (508-378-7346) or Pam Galligan (781-724-8051), or email dianasp1@msn.com.

The Friends of the Public Garden host a day to celebrate the importance and enduring story of the Boston Common, on Monday, June 7, from 11 – 2, at The Boston Common, 147 Tremont Street in Boston.

Children will experience 7500 years of history through Native American Fishweirs, grazing livestock, colonial games, stocks, Freedom Trail interpreters, Civil War re-enactors, and a Victorian carousel. The Wampanoag Nation Singers and Dancers perform from 12:30-1:30 p.m.  This event is on the same day the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company holds its drumhead election.

Co-sponsoring this free event are The Freedom Trail Foundation, Frog Pond Foundation, Hammond Residential Real Estate, The Massachusetts Historical Society, and Whole Foods Market.  For more information, log on to www.friendsofthepublicgarden.org, or email marjorie@harronandassociates.com.

In 2005 scientists associated with the Harvard Forest published a report: “Wildlands and Woodlands: A Vision for the Forests of Massachusetts.” The authors called for a bold new land protection effort to stave off accelerating forest fragmentation. Join David Foster, director of the Harvard Forest (and Polly Hill Arboretum research associate) on Tuesday, June 8, from 7:30 – 9 at the Martha’s Vineyard Agricultural Hall, pictured below, for this special lecture.  Receive a copy of the report and learn more about the group’s latest publication, “A Wildland and Woodland Vision for the New England Landscape: Local Conservation, Biodiversity and the Global Environment.” This report recognizes the important role of the region’s forests and farmlands and puts forth a conservation and management proposal benefiting our local and global environments. Foster will discuss the direct relevance to conservation planning on Martha’s Vineyard. Bring your questions and concerns. This lecture sponsored by Bartlett Tree Experts.  For more information, log on to www.pollyhillarboretum.org.

The Garden Education Center of Greenwich is pleased to present “Grandiflora: Green with Envy” the 2010 Garden Tour, to be held Thursday, June 10, from 10 – 4. The Tour will feature six spectacular gardens and a patron lunch in a private home. Included this year are beautiful settings which feature ornamental rock gardens, waterfalls, picturesque gazebos, columned pergolas, terraced gardens, and sweeping lawns. There are waterfront views of Greenwich Point and Long Island Sound, deep perennial borders, lavish uses of ornamental grasses, koi ponds, and stately specimen trees. It is a unique opportunity to see and experience some of the finest landscapes in our town. Bunny Williams’ Old Mill Farm is pictured below – we don’t know if it’s on the tour this year, but it’s a magnificent example of a Greenwich garden. Every year people come from far and wide…so save the date and be ready to be truly inspired. VERANDA Magazine is the Major Media Sponsor.

Individual ticket for the tour only, advance purchase price $75 (this is Greenwich, after all), and day of tour purchase price $95. Sponsor ticket, including a Country Club lunch, is $150, and Patron ticket, which includes lunch in a private garden, is $275. Pay $500 per ticket and you’ll be a benefactor, with lunch in the private garden and a great deal of gratitude. If you would like to just have lunch at the Greenwich Country Club, the cost is $45. For more information, contact gec@gecgreenwich.org, or call 203-869-9242.  All tickets will be mailed.

The Arnold Arboretum and Trinity Church are pleased to present programs on the intersections of gardens, spirit, health, environment, and healing. On Thursday, June 3, at 7:00 pm, Dominique Browning will speak on the topic Spirit of a New Garden.

For over a decade, Dominique Browning brought gardening expertise to readers around the country as editor-in-chief of House & Garden magazine. But one Monday morning in 2007, the magazine folded and she was told to pack up her office. She also packed up the house where she had raised two children and had lovingly tended her own garden. After losing the job that defined her and the garden that inspired her, Browning started to cultivate a new garden, beginning a journey of self-discovery and reinvention. Join Browning, author of Slow Love, as she shares how the spirit of a new garden helped her to love the unexpected, unanticipated life.

Fee $20 Arboretum and Trinity members, $25 nonmember.  This lecture takes place at Trinity Church, 206 Clarendon Street in Copley Square, Boston.

Register online at arboretum.harvard.edu or call 617.384.5277 (Arboretum) or 617.536.0944 x225 (The Shop at Trinity) to purchase tickets over the telephone. Questions? Contact Kathy Acerbo-Bachmann 617.536.0944 or by email at kacerbobachmann@trinitychurchboston.org.

Five fabulous private gardens located in the South Natick area will be available for viewing one day only, Thursday, June 10, from 10:00 am – 2:30 pm, with proceeds benefiting the Bacon Free Library and the Natick Historical Society.  Tickets, which cost $30, will be available at the Library, 58 Eliot Street, Natick, MA 01760.  The event is sponsored by the Friends of the Bacon Free Library, and you may call 508-653-6730 for more information, or email bfl@minlib.net.