The Garden Club of the Back Bay

The Connecticut Botanical Society will sponsor a Sedge Workshop on Saturday, July 10, beginning at 10 am at Lockwood Farm Cottage in Hamden, Connecticut.  Led by Sigrun Gadwa, CBS Plant Ecologist, the workshop will work with fresh specimens of the Carex species from the 2010 field season, examining both inflorescences and vegetative characteristics, such as the color of leaf bases.  You’ll learn several distinctive sedge “Sections.”  If you collect a sedge to bring to the workshop, collect only a small portion of a clump, and a few perigynia (seeds); refrigerate in a ziplock bag until the workshop.  Bring a loupe. Directions: Interstate 91: Take exit 10. Follow the Route 40 connector for 3.1 miles. Take a right onto Whitney Ave (Route 10) and go north for 0.6 miles. Take a left onto Evergreen Avenue, go 0.1 mile and take a right onto Kenwood Avenue. The farm is on your left; take the second driveway and follow signs to the cottage.  $15 – no registration required.  For more information, log on to www.ct-botanical-society.org.

This Berkshire Botanical Garden workshop on Thursday, July 15, from noon to 5, will help participants use cameras to see gardens in new ways and bring their garden photography to a higher level. Instruction will cover basic camera functions and digital basics in easy-to-understand concepts and then apply them to the unique challenges of photographing a garden. Participants will spend time outdoors photographing the beautiful gardens at Berkshire Botanical. Following the shooting session review/critique the images made during the afternoon. Participants with specific questions about their camera should bring the camera manual along.

Rich Pomerantz, one of this year’s Garden Club of the Back Bay speakers, is a full time freelance photographer who specializes in garden photography for books, and magazines. Rich’s images have appeared in periodicals including Garden Design, Traditional Home, Horticulture and Fine Gardening, and Brides Magazine. Rich’s book Great Gardens of the Berkshires was published in October, 2008.  The workshop will cost $50 if a BBG member, $60 if not.  Bring a digital camera to class. You may register on line at www.berkshirebotanical.org, or call 413-298-3926.

David Salter, Tree Division Manager of Hamilton Tree in Falmouth, will speak on Tree Pruning: Health, Aesthetics and Safety, on Thursday, July 8, beginning at 10 am at Highfield Hall, 56 Highfield Drive in Falmouth.  From an informed background, with degrees in agriculture and urban forestry, and with certification as a Massachusetts and International Society of Arboriculture arborist, David is ready to help homeowners care for trees on their properties.  David will share the art of tree pruning so you don’t mistakenly damage or even kill a tree.  He’ll review the importance of removing deadwood, decreasing the weight in trees, increasing light to an area, enhancing a view, clearing brush away for fire safety, and shaping and reshaping trees.  He will also discuss the proper tools for different pruning challenges and demonstrate proper pruning techniques.  $5 suggested donation.  For more information, log on to www.highfieldhall.org.

On Thursday, July 8, enjoy a summer’s evening soiree celebrating the arrival of summer plants and flowers in the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum courtyard, 280 The Fenway, with family events, including planting flowers to take home.  The evening will begin at 5:30, runs until 8 pm, and is free, although tickets are available Tuesday through Thursday, from 11 – 4, the week of the event, since space is limited.  Call 617-566-1401 for more information.

After years of collecting heritage wheat seeds in villages in Europe and the Mideast,  the University of Massachusetts invites farmers and gardeners, chefs and researchers  to tour the UMass heritage wheat trials of rare grains, spanning little known ancient einkorn, emmer, and Transcaucasus wheat plants to delicious varieties beloved by French artisan bakers, and many more, on Wednesday, July 7, between 1 – 5 pm. Taste and bring home heritage wheat seeds that thrive in New England. Learn how to integrate small grains in a diversified rotation. Share practical experiences to build a local wheat-to-bread system. Taste high nutrition einkorn bread (pictured below)  that is safe for many people who suffer with gluten allergies. $10 donation for einkorn bread.  Contact Eli Rogosa to register: growseed@yahoo.com See: www.growseed.org for registration form. Funded by NESARE.  The address of the UMass Research Farm is 8991 River Road (off Rt. 116), Deerfield, Massachusetts.

Gail Blakely, long-time food editor of the Enterprise Newspapers and artisan bread baker herself, will guide you through getting to know the vendors of the Falmouth Farmers Market, using local seafood in your recipes, becoming familiar with local cheeses, learning from a local fish chef, and then moving into Fall with the bounty of local produce.  This nutritious and delicious opportunity to eat and cook well is sponsored by Highfield Hall, 56 Highfield Drive in Falmouth, and the four part series will be held on Fridays, July 9, July 23, August 6, and August 20, from 10:30 – 12:30.  Classes are $20 or $75 for the four part series.  Sign up at www.highfieldhall.org.

The Wareham Garden Club sponsors its Coastal Treasures Garden Tour on Friday, July 9 and Saturday, July 10, from 10:00 am – 3:00 pm.  Tickets cost $18 in advance, and $20 on the day of tour.  Contact Sandy Slavin, 508-291-1643 for more information.

Another field trip sponsored by The New England Wild Flower Society on Sunday, July 18,  from 10 – 2, will take place in the Berkshires.  Located just a mile north of the Connecticut-Massachusetts border in the Town of Hampden, Minnechaug Mountain has a diversity of forests, wetlands, and stream corridor communties. The mountain, which is owned and managed by the Minnechaug Land Trust, has an elevation of 908 feet and is crossed by a network of hiking trails.  Its forested habitats include northern hardwoods-hemlock-white pine habitats on middle and lower slopes, and richer habitats with sugar maple and white ash at higher elevations.  The summit area has a dry hickory-hornbeam forest (a rare community type in Massachusetts) with a variety of unusual flora that are particular to this type of habitat.  Over the past two years, NEWFS Conservation staff have been working with the Minnechaug Land Trust in botanical inventories and invasive species management on the mountain.  Join us as we continue our botanical forays on this special mountain (there is still plenty of flora to search and identify!) and see some of our ongoing work to improve the quality of its habitats. Moderately strenuous—sturdy footgear recommended.  $32 for NEWFS members, $36 for nonmembers, and registration may be accomplished at www.newfs.org.

Take a field trip to Albany, New Hampshire with the New England Wild Flower Society on Sunday, July 18, from 10 – 4, led by Chris Mattrick.  The Boulder Loop Trail leaves the Swift River Valley from the Albany Covered Bridge, one of the most scenic locations along the Kancamagus Highway in the heart of the White Mountains. Located on the north side of the “Kanc” and the Swift River, this trail ascends through the boulder-strewn forest below Sundown Ledges. The bowl created by the arc of these ledges is highly enriched and contains several rare plant species. Take a quick off-trail hike to locate the known locations and look for more. The summit is montane acidic cliff community with some pockets of enrichment. The summit of the ledges provides spectacular views of the Swift River Valley to the west and south. Explore the summit area and look for another recently discovered rare species. Recent trail work on the Boulder Loop trail makes this an easy and enjoyable hike. Sturdy hiking boots a must.  Bring a bag lunch, plenty of water, and hand lens if you have one.  $48 fee for NEWFS members, $54 for nonmembers, and you may register at www.newfs.org.

The Massachusetts Horticultural Society is looking for  full time executive leadership. The Executive Director will hold full responsibility for the financial, strategic, and organizational growth and success of Mass Hort. Reporting to the Board of Trustees, the Executive Director will lead the development of the strategic vision and planning process for a renewed organization that drives the mission into an increasingly digital and ecologically-aware world. S/he will capitalize on the past successes, expertise, and resources of the Society to build it into a premier organization known for its mission of promoting the science, art, and practice of horticulture and dedicated to providing the public an appreciation, understanding, and enjoyment of plants and our environment.

The ED must have a leadership style that promotes collective involvement and collaboration, open and inclusive communications, be adept at managing in highly matrixed organizations, advocates and cultivates volunteer involvement, and inspires all parties to work toward a singular mission and vision. The ED will prepare all budgets and cash flow projections and in concert with the Board oversee all external audits.

Formed in 1829, Massachusetts Horticultural Society is dedicated to encouraging and improving the science and practice of horticulture and to developing the public’s enjoyment, appreciation, and understanding of plants and the environment. With its library, exhibitions, education and community outreach programs, and the recent development of a hands-on education and information center at Elm Bank Reservation in Wellesley, the Society is recognized as a consistent and comprehensive resource for horticultural science and practice, serving more than 270,000 people annually. Among its finest and most widely recognized achievements has been the Society’s Spring Flower Show (now produced as a joint venture). First produced in 1871, the Show was New England’s largest indoor event, attracting nearly 90,000 people annually. MHS is one of the largest horticultural societies in the U.S., and New England is home to one of the largest and most dedicated groups of gardeners in the country.

Local candidates only – no relocation. For additional information, contact Mass Hort  at 617-933-4900, or mail resume to them at 900 Washington Street, Wellesley, MA 02482.

Gardening enthusiasts will enjoy the Provincetown Art Association and Museum’s 13th Annual Secret Garden Tour on Sunday, July 11, 2010, 10am-3pm, a double header garden experience. The day begins with a self-guided walking tour of gorgeous Secret Gardens in Provincetown’s east end. Ticket-holders receive a map and booklet with stories and details about each garden. Visitors are then invited to Provincetown Art Association and Museum, at the corner of Commercial and Bangs Streets, to tour the Art of the Garden, an exhibition of floral works in air-conditioned galleries. All proceeds from the event benefit PAAM exhibitions and educational programs.

The Secret Garden Tour leads guests through hidden stone paths and crooked wooden walkways into borders and beds of specimen plants, common and exotic flowers, and lush greenery. The owners and tenders of fragrant and visually stunning Provincetown gardens plan to welcome more than 500 visitors.

Free parking for the tour is provided at Benson, Young and Downs Insurance Agency and Gately-McHoul’s Funeral home, found at the end of Harry Kemp Way. A fleet of shuttle-cars makes continuous stops between the parking lots and gardens throughout the day. Tickets to the Secret Garden Tour include admission to PAAM’s galleries for the Art of the Garden exhibition (see watercolor painting entitled “Provincetown Garden”  by Mark Mulholland, below.) This event continues to be a success year after year due in part to the kindness of more than fifty dedicated volunteers.

Tickets are non-refundable and must be reserved in advance. Tickets are $30. All proceeds from this event benefit PAAM’s exhibitions and educational programs. For tickets and reservations, call PAAM at 508-487-1750.

Old South Meeting House, 310 Washington Street, hosts author and photographer Paul Wainwright on Friday, July 2, from 1 – 4, for a book signing and author talk.  Paul’s elegant book A Space for Faith: The Colonial Meetinghouses of New England, contains photographs and essays of New England’s Colonial meetinghouses, which were an important part of American history.  This book is sure to please readers of history and lovers of architecture and fine photography. When built in the 1700s, colonial meetinghouses were the center of both religious and civic life – concepts not at all separate in colonial New England. Paul Wainwright has collected a wealth of images of New England’s surviving colonial meetinghouses that go beyond mere documentation of what these buildings look like – they explore the feeling of “presence” that exists in them. An accompanying essay by noted colonial historian Peter Benes elaborates on the communities that built and used these meetinghouses, and traces a narrative rich in the history and architecture of New England. $35.  Call 603-362-6589 for more information, or log on to www.aspaceforfaith.com.

It is well understood that the nature of Japanese gardens differs greatly from those in the Western World. They are regarded as representing the universe and its elements, and expressing a specific philosophy. Some of the most highly acclaimed are those located in and around the ancient city of Kyoto. This fall, Tuesday, October 26 – Thursday, November 4,  a small group, limited to only 20 participants, will enjoy a unique opportunity to visit some of the most renowned gardens, temples and palaces in this region personally selected by Professor Lennox Tierney, current Curator of the Art of Japan for the Utah State Museum of Fine Arts, the Mingei Museum, San Diego, and Art Director of San Diego’s Japanese Friendship Garden.

Professor Tierney is also the author of “The Nature of Japanese Garden Art”, in which he examines the Zen principles that relate to Japanese gardens, and the terms WABI SABI, which reflect the value of understatement and the richness of aging. On the tour he will provide a unique orientation and understanding of the many specific elements encountered in the places visited. In 2007 Professor Tierney received the Order of the Rising Sun from the Emperor of Japan for his services.

For pricing information, contact Sterling Tours at 619-299-3010, or email sterling1@cox.net.  The web site for Sterling Tours is www.sterlingtours.info.

This three day intensive workshop, from 10 – 4 on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, July 19, 20 and 21, will focus on colored pencil techniques for botanical illustration. Learn ways to create textured backgrounds with the brilliant hues of colored pencils. This versatile color medium can create colors smooth as glass and rough as sandpaper and by changing technique mimic an oil painting, pastel or watercolor. Discover which colors glow together and others that harmonize in a composition. Explore a full range of techniques for creating both bold and subtle effects that will bring a botanical drawing alive. Participants should bring a pear and other fruits or flowers to include in their illustrations.

Carol Ann Morley is an illustrator and dedicated teacher of botanical illustration working in Dover, NH. She founded the Botanical Art Illustration Certificate Program at the New York Botanical Garden and teaches illustration there and for other botanical gardens. This is Ms. Morley’s only workshop at the Berkshire Botanical Garden for 2010.  To register on line ($185 for BBG members, $195 for nonmembers) log on to www.berkshirebotanical.org, or call 413-298-3926. The colored pencil illustration of an Oriental poppy below is by Barbara Piascik, 2007.

Highfield Hall, 56 Highfield Drive in Falmouth, presents another in its series of garden lectures on Wednesday, July 7 beginning at 4pm with Ron Smolowitz, Owner and Operator of Coonamesset Farm in Falmouth (pictured below,) speaking on Growing Organic Crops: Nutritional Value. Ron’s expertise in small-scale agriculture, aquaculture, and fisheries has kept him a busy man, running his 20 acre farm and research center, Coonamessett Farms in Falmouth, since 1989, all the while consulting and writing, too.  Ron will be sharing methods for successfully growing organic crops in the garden to maximize the nutritional value of everything you present for the table.  After the presentation, he will contribute produce from his garden to the Tapas & Tastings culinary session at 5:30 in Highfield Hall’s kitchen.  $5 suggested donation.  Log on to www.highfieldhall.org for more information.

Come to the Boston Common Parkman Bandstand, 170 – 175 Tremont Street,  on Saturday, July 3, between 10 – 6, for Cultural Survival’s festival of indigenous arts, music and culture from around the world.  Meet the artisans, and learn about thousands of handmade crafts, as well as the many projects supported through each sale.  Enjoy Thai cuisine, free live music, cultural presentations, and more.

Yarina trio, playing traditional folk music of the Americas, Lakota singer and drummer Tim Swallow, and others will perform.  Zapotec weaver Jose Buenaventura Gonzalez will present a telar or loom demonstration, and Benard Domingo, a Shona artisan from Zimbabwe, will give a wire and bead art workshop.  Henna tattooing, Hmong embroidery, and Alejebre or wood carving and painting will be highlighted as well.  Dean’s Beans will provide excellent organic and fair trade coffee.  For more information, log on to www.culturalsurvival.org. Free admission.  The event is sponsored by Whole Foods, Massachusetts Worldfest, Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health, and Penske.

A special treat awaits gardening enthusiasts on Saturday, July 10, beginning at 11 am at the Provincetown Art Association and Museum at the corner of Commercial and Bangs Streets in Provincetown.  You will have the chance to meet renowned gardening expert Suzy Bales.

Bales has published thirteen popular books on the topic of gardening and won the Garden Writer of the Year Award from the American Horticultural Society in 1995. She has twice been awarded the Quill and Trowel Award by The Garden Writers of America. Fellow gardeners may recognize Bales from her frequent TV appearances on ABC and NBC as well as her series of garden spots on Good Morning America. She travels and lectures constantly and has been the featured speaker at Epcot, the Williamsburg Garden Symposium and other flower shows across the country including Philadelphia, Seattle, San Francisco, Boston, St. Louis and Atlanta. Suzy has twice been a featured speaker at the Disney Institute and was a judge and the headline speaker at the Northwest Garden Show in February 2004. PAAM is pleased to host Bales, who will offer an informative lecture at the museum, followed by a luncheon hosted by Ricki Nenner at her Charles Zehnder modernist house and garden in Truro.  Tickets are $50 ($20 if attending the lecture only), and may be obtained by calling PAAM at 508-487-1750.

In this New England Wild Flower Society workshop at Garden in the Woods in Framingham on Thursday, July 15, from 9:30 – 3:00,  you will focus on a variety of wetland community types, their ecology, and common indicator species. Following a short introductory lecture, you will visit wetland habitats, including a red-maple swamp, a flood-plain marsh, and a pond. While in the field, take advantage of the season by exploring ferns, sedges, and various aquatic species, as well as shrubs and trees. Bring a hand lens, lunch, and come prepared for wet feet in the field.  Frances Clark will lead, and the price to participate is $61 for NEWFS members and $72 for nonmembers.  Register at www.newfs.org.

Making Herbal Salves at the Polly Hill Arboretum, State Road, West Tisbury will take place Tuesday, July 6 (repeats August 17) 1pm-3pm.   Holly Bellebuono of Vineyard Herbs returns to PHA for her popular salve-making workshop. This fun hands-on workshop starts with a walk to identify and collect medicinal herbs and weeds on the Arboretum grounds. Then participants make their own oil infusions and beeswax-based ointments. Learn practical knowledge on when and how to use herbal salves and take home your useful creations. Supplies included. $45/$40 for PHA members. Please pre-register by calling 508-693-9426, or email karin@pollyhillarboretum.org.

During the late 19th century, a network of pedestrian paths and walks was constructed in Brookline to facilitate the passage of citizens up and down Corey and Aspinwall Hills to the new Beacon Street Boulevard where there was a streetcar line.  Beacon Street, widened in 1887 according to plans drawn up by Frederick Law Olmsted, afforded such easy access to Boston that mansions were built for wealthy families abutting the stylish street.  On this walking tour of the paths, your guide from Brookline Adult and Community Education will cover all the stairs and terraces that comprise the great circuit of pedestrian walks, from Summit Path all the way to Beaconsfield Path ending at the MBTA Beaconsfield station. The history of the paths and the surrounding architecture, and the story of the lost paths will be recounted. This is a long, strenuous walk that covers several miles of primarily stairs, but participants may drop out at any point along the way and hop onto the Green Line to return home. Please wear comfortable walking shoes and bring a bottle of water.  Call 617-730-2700 to register.  Fee is $25, plus a $6 registration fee if you have not registered for another course with Brookline Adult Ed this semester.  Meet at the intersection of Washington Street and Beacon Street in Brookline.  Register on-line if you wish at www.brooklineadulted.org.