The Garden Club of the Back Bay

Visit lovely Sandwich homes at your leisure on Wednesday, July 14, from 11 – 3.  Light refreshments will be served at Green Briar Nature Center, 6 Discovery Hill Road in East Sandwich. This event is a benefit for The Thornton W. Burgess Society.

The Thornton W. Burgess Society is a non-profit educational organization founded in 1976 to carry on the pioneering conservation work of author/naturalist Thornton W. Burgess (1874 – 1965). Mr. Burgess, who was born and grew up in Sandwich, Massachusetts, went on to achieve national and international recognition for his childrens stories that teach lessons of conservation and love of wildlife.

Over 170 books and 15,000 stories by Burgess chronicle the tales of Peter Rabbit and his animal friends, including Jimmy Skunk, Grandfather Frog, Johnny Chuck, Sammy Jay, Reddy Fox, Hooty Owl and many others. Through these engaging stories, generations of young people have learned about the natural world and have developed an understanding of the importance of conservation of our natural resources.

The Thornton W. Burgess Society operates three facilities. The Thornton W. Burgess Museum on the shores of Shawme Pond on Water Street (Rte 130) in Sandwich village and the Green Briar Nature Center, the Jam Kitchen at 6 Discovery Hill Road (off Rte. 6A) in East Sandwich and the East Sandwich Game Farm.

Tickets are $15 each, in advance or on the day of tour, if available, and may be purchased at Green Briar.    For more information, call 508-888-6870, or log on to www.thorntonburgess.org.

The Fourteenth Annual Flower Carpet will take place at the Grand-Place of Brussels in Belgium beginning with a grand opening celebration beginning with the official inauguration (by invitation) at 8:30 pm on Thursday, August 12 at the “Maison du Roi” and the Town Hall, and continuing Friday through Sunday with public viewings from 9:00 am through 11:00 pm.  Town Hall’s balcony will be open to visitors for a panoramic view for the price of three Euros, with children 12 and under admitted free.

The flowers are set in place by hundreds of horticulturists, and there will be a fireworks display and music concert as part of the festivities.  Visit www.flowercarpet.be for a look at past flower carpet displays.  The painstaking recreation of Oriental carpet patterns is something to behold. Officially, the first Floral Carpet as its present-day form was created in 1971 on the Grand-Place by the landscape architect E. Stautemans, but, in fact, it was the culmination of a whole series created in various towns in Flanders. He had been experimenting since the early 50′s making simple small carpets, more like rugs, mainly consisting of begonias. He very quickly realized that floral carpets would be an excellent vehicle for the promotion of his beloved begonias which he had always worked with, both technically, economically and aesthetically.After years of attempts and calculations, this architect, who was inventive and imaginative, and knew how to make the most of the numerous resources of begonias, became an expert in the creation of superb floral carpets with sophisticated colors and complicated designs.

Mark your calendars for the Garden Club Federation of Massachusetts series of Flower Show School Courses, beginning Tuesday, September 14 through Thursday, September 16, at the Holiday Inn in Taunton, Massachusetts.  Instructor and National Garden Club Federation Past President Barbara May will lecture on Flower Show Procedure and Design, and Cathy Felton will cover Horticulture: Annuals & Cacti and Succulents.  Brochures are available by contacting Hila Lyman, GCFM Local Flower Show School Chairman, at 508-548-0841, or by emailing her at hilajeanne@comcast.net.

Picture below is Marisa McCoy’s interpretation of the Great Barrier Reef, from Flora in Winter 2010.

American Horticultural Society host Katy Moss Warner invites you to join her and Tour Escort Susie Orso to Sicily October 28 – November 7, 2010.  Sicily’s strategic placement in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea exposed it to a succession of invading civilizations that left the island with an exceptionally rich historical, cultural, and agricultural legacy.  In addition to some of the finest classical sites outside of Greece, on this visit you will see marvelous Roman and Byzantine mosaics, Norman churches, and privately-owned Baroque palaces and gardens where succulents, citrus, bougainvillea, and exotic plants abound.

Katy Moss Warner, persident emeritus of the American Horticultural Society, and Susie Orso, have been to Sicily a number of times and are eager to share the dramatic natural beauty, the remarkable sense of antiquity, and the exotic horticulture of this enchanting island.

After flying into Catania, you will visit Taormina for a three night stay at the Grand Hotel Timeo, where you will visit ancient theaters, the Villa Comunale garden created by Florence Trevelyan, and will hear a presentation in the evening by Dr. Charles Sacamano on The Horticulture and Agriculture of the Historic Island of Sicily.  You will travel to Catania, Mt. Etna, Villasmundo, Syracuse, Agrigento, Palermo and more.  A complete itinerary can be found at www.ahs.org.

Take part in a special opportunity to learn about the landscape and gardens at Hamilton House with Historic New England’s Piscataqua Region Landscape Manager Gary Wetzel. Imagine the changes in the land as wilderness yields to a busy commercial waterfront, then to farming and, finally, to formal gardens. Learn about the flowers, trees, and other plants and how the gardeners create and maintain the beautiful landscape. Tour participants are invited to visit the house at no additional charge. Landscape and garden tours are available for private groups by special arrangement. The tour will take place on Thursday, July 8 and on Saturday, August 7, from 10:30 – 11:30 am. $6 for HNE members, $12 nonmembers. Registration is required – call 207-384-2454, or log on to www.historicnewengland.org.

James Redding and Diane Guidebeck of Mahoney’s Garden Center in Falmouth will present at Highfield Hall, 56 Highfield Drive, Falmouth, on Thursday, July 1, beginning at 10 am.  James, an expert in advising consumers on pests and pesticides and plant diseases and herbicides, will help you learn what’s eating your prize perennials, turning your grass brown in patches, and other maladies of Cape Cod summers.  He will present natural, non-invasive and ecologically friendly methods to control pests and diseases so you are rewarded for your hard work with a healthy garden instead of spending time combating problems.  Diane will talk about perennial plants native to the Northeast that require little maintenance, are Cape Cod hardy, and are adaptable to soil types, light conditions, and temperature change.  $5 suggested donation.  For directions, log on to www.highfieldhall.org.

The centerpiece of the 75-acre sanctuary in southern NH, Ponemah Bog is maintained by NH Audubon’s Nashaway Chapter. At the center of the property is a three-acre kettle hole pond, encircled by a floating mass of sphagnum. The pond and bog are easily accessible by a narrow boardwalk, which includes spur trails to four viewing platforms.  On this trip with Roland “Boot” Boutwell and the New England Wild Flower Society on Saturday, July 10, from 10 – 2,  expect to see the magnificent orchid grass-pink, (Calopogon tuberosus), in bloom, as well as horned bladderwort, (Utricularia cornuta), and small cranberry, (Vaccinium oxycoccos). You should also see a host of other bog plants, including pitcher plants, sundews and tamaracks. The beauty of this bog may make you think you have passed on to the hereafter, and in fact, according to Longfellow in The Song of Hiawatha, “Ponemah” means “land of the hereafter”. Ponemah Bog is very accessible and is less than an hour from Boston. Bring a bag lunch as well as a hand lens if you have one.  The fee is $32 for NEWFS  members and $36 for nonmembers, and you may register at www.newfs.org.

The New England Wild Flower Society is holding a Fancy Ferns Workshop at Garden in the Woods in Framingham on Sunday, July 11, from 10 – 4.  Some of our most beautiful ferns are “three-times cut.” Lady fern, hay scented fern (below), and several wood ferns are the more common taxa in this group.  Don Lubin and Raymond Abair will discuss vocabulary, frond morphology, and field identification characteristics. The class involves careful observation of fronds from these species, and possibly a hybrid as well.  The indoor session includes a lecture and the use of dissecting microscopes, followed by a field session to see the ferns in various habitat areas of the Garden. Bring a bag lunch and a hand lens if you have one.  The fee to attend is $66 if a NEWFS member and $78 if a nonmember.  You may register at www.newfs.org.

The Frederick W. Vanderbilt Garden Association invites you to Wine & Roses in the Formal Gardens at the Vanderbilt National Historic Site, Route 9, Hyde Park, New York, on Saturday, June 26, from 5 – 7.  Enjoy wine and cheese, music, informal garden tours, floral arranging demonstrations, and door prizes.  Reservations are required. Tickets are $40 per person, $75 per couple.  Call Gail at 845-264-4356, email fwvga@marist.edu, or log on to www.vanderbiltgarden.org before June 22 to secure your place.

NOFA/Mass presents its first annual Statewide Backyard Poultry Workshop Day. On July 10, there will workshops in every region of the state to inform you on how to raise chickens for eggs and/or meat right in your own backyard. NOFA/Mass is a community of farmers and educators striving for greater self-reliance and freedom in feeding our families and communities. This is a great opportunity to learn skills needed to shape your food future. These workshops are intended to meet the resurgence of interest in backyard poultry. They all take place in the field of actual chicken raising operations. Some are commercial scale and other are just for home-use. They are all led by experienced poultry raisers who also know how to teach. Each workshop presenter will explain and demonstrate some key steps that can empower you to start raising poultry or improve what you are already doing. Please bring your questions. The workshops take place outdoors. Be prepared for sunny or for rainy weather. Wear proper footwear for being in the field. Bring a water bottle & protect skin from the sun. You may also want to bring a camera and a notebook. To prevent the possible spread of disease from farm to farm, host farms may ask you to do a foot bath if you currently own poultry. Registration for these workshops goes from $30-$40. NOFA membership discount: $5. Early registration (by June 26) discount: $5. Contact: Ben Grosscup, 413-658-5374. By email, ben.grosscup@nofamass.org; put “Backyard Poultry” in subject.  For more information, log on to www.nofamass.org/programs/extensionevents/backyardpoultry.php.

Beatrix Farrand was one of the foremost landscape designers of the early 1900s. Born into a prominent New York family, Farrand eschewed the traditional social life of the Gilded Age to pursue her passion for landscape and plants. Many of her “high society” clients were had estates in Newport, the Berkshires, and Maine, but ultimately Farrand became the landscape designer for university campuses and public gardens. Join past Garden Club of the Back Bay speaker, landscape historian, author, and Vineyard gardener Judith Tankard for a look at the life and work of Farrand.  Beatrix Farrand: Private Gardens, Public Landscapes, published in 2009, is Tankard’s seventh book on landscape history. This lecture, taking place Wednesday, June 30 at the Polly Hill Arboretum, beginning at 7:30 pm, is sponsored by Middletown Nursery and the Polly Hill Arboretum.  $10 admission, $5 for PHA members.  For more information, log on to www.pollyhillarboretum.org.

Judith Tankard continues her book tour with a stop at Berkshire Botanical Garden, 5 West Stockbridge Road in West Stockbridge,  on Thursday, July 8 at 4 pm. Beatrix Farrand (below) was one of the foremost landscape architects of the early 1900s and one of the earliest women to take up the profession. She studied privately under the renowned horticulturist Charles Sprague Sargent and learned about garden design through extensive travel abroad. Many of her clients were members of high society, with estates in Newport, the Berkshires, and Maine. Learn about this remarkable woman and her lasting influence on the field of landscape design.  $20.  To register, log on to www.berkshirebotanical.org, or call 413-298-3926.

Judith B. Tankard is an art historian specializing in landscape history. She is the author of seven books and has taught for over twenty years at the Landscape Institute of the Arnold Arboretum, Harvard University.

Join the City of Boston Parks and Recreation Department and the Friends of Ringgold Park on Monday, June 21, at 6:30 pm in third floor Child Care Room of the Blackstone Community Center, 50 West Brookline Street,  to discuss Ringgold Park’s Center Circle Fountain project.  See the site plans, express your views, and take an active part in the process.  See how different construction materials affect the budget.  Your input is wanted. The highly trafficked Ringgold Park, which rests on Ringgold Street between Shawmut Avenue and Tremont Street, has recently become a matter of discussion as initial building plans have been put into place to construct a fountain in its barren, grassy center. Complicating matters, however, is the need to raise at least $85,000 to fully fund construction costs. An interesting report on the project to date may be found at www.mysouthend.com.

Johnson Hill Farm is a unique place where you will find a Lavender Labyrinth, Doves, an 1800’s Cemetery, and more – all high on a hill, down in a hollow of scenic Buckland, Massachusetts. It is the home of the Lavender Labyrinth where you can experience the beauty of nature and aroma of Lavender. The Lavender Festival is held here during the last full weekend of June each year.  Admission is free, and the hours are 10 – 4 each day.  You will enjoy a relaxing self-guided tour of the Farm, local artisans and crafters vending their products, demonstrations throughout the weekend, workshops in pounded flower art, lavender wand making, wild flower gathering and wreath making, cooking with lavender, and more.  Each day there will be a release of the doves, weather permitting.

The Farm, located high on Johnson Hill, is nestled in a Hollow surrounded by the rolling hills of Buckland. This is now both a home and the home of the Lavender Labyrinth, the owner’s doves, an historic cemetery, and the all too friendly farm dogs. Entering the labyrinth can be a healthy walk or a gentle wander through the lavender, or for some a spiritual exercise or experience.

For those interested in historic cemeteries, Sandy and Glenn Cardinal now carefully tend the Johnson Hill Cemetery. Photos are encouraged, but the stones are too fragile now to allow rubbings.

Lavender grown and hand-harvested from the Labyrinth on the South Meadow provides the material for fresh cut or dried lavender and related hand-crafted products. Tucked between the plants you will find ‘verb garden stones’ (some practical, others whimsical) on display. Other crafts become available when inspiration and skill decide to work successfully together. Call 413-625-6439 for more information, or log on to www.lavenderland.com.

Join the Falmouth Art Center on this one of a kind spectacular walking garden tour on Thursday, July 8, from 10 – 3.  Seven outstanding seaside gardens, including a National award winner, are located on a private peninsula on Cape Cod with English-style cottage gardens and manicured country estates.  This tour is an easy seaside walk, arranged so you may stroll at your leisure through the gardens and outdoor markets.  Hidden garden gems will include a Farmer’s Market, Artisan Marketplace, and much more.  Tickets, $35, are limited, and the event is rain or shine.  Because the neighborhood has a no-parking rule, offsite parking, with shuttles to and from the seaside community, is included in the ticket price.  Harborside luncheon is also available.  Tickets may be purchased by telephone or in person at the Falmouth Art Center, Tuesday through Fridays, 9 am – 4 pm, or on Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 4 pm.  You may also call 508-540-3304, or order on line at www.falmouthart.org.  If you wish to mail a check made out to the Falmouth Artists Guild, you may do so by sending your check to Falmouth Art Center, PO Box 660, Falmouth, MA 02541.

Nothing evokes serenity and “naturalizes” a landscape like a glade of ferns. They are easy to establish and provide dependable season-long greenery. This workshop will get you started in appreciating and identifying common native ferns and learning the right ones for different soil and light conditions. We’ll begin with a classroom program about fern natural history, keys for identifying the common natives, and how to integrate ferns into landscapes with different light, soil, and vegetative surroundings. From there the class will explore a nearby preserve to see a variety of  ferns in the wild. Finally, those interested may follow the instructor to his property nearby to see how native ferns add diversity and aesthetic quality to a natural landscape. Cosponsored by the New England Wild Flower Society with Westport River Watershed Alliance and the Connecticut College Arboretum, the program takes place Saturday, July 10, from 10 – 2.  You may register at www.newfs.org, and the participation fee is $38 for members of the cosponsoring organizations, and $44 for nonmembers.  Garry Plunkett will lead the class, and directions will be sent.

Porter Square Books, 25 White Street in Cambridge, welcomes Leslie Brunetta, a freelance writer whose articles have appeared in the New York Times, Technology Review, and the Princeton Alumni Weekly, as well as on NPR, on Tuesday, June 29, beginning at 7 pm.  Her wonderful new book, co-authored with Catherine L. Craig, Spider Silk: Evolution and 400 Million Years of Spinning, Waiting, Snagging, and Mating “cures arachnophobia for any lucky reader…”, according to Simon Levin, author of Fragile Dominion.  For more information, log on to www.portersquarebooks.com.

Twig, the  flower shop at 83 Charles Street, has invited noted Santa Fe impressionist Joseph Breza to exhibit his remarkable work at its Beacon Hill location.  Breza is extremely accomplished, and has exhibited internationally.  He is known for his use of color and bold brushstrokes in brilliant Impressionistic landscapes, garden still lifes and scenes from France, Italy and New Mexico.  Also on display, naturally, will be beautiful flowers and unique gift products.  The reception will begin at 6 pm and admission is free.  You may call 617-292-8944 for more information.  Roses For Emily is pictured below.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation invites the public to a free event – Boston Modern: The Spirit of Reinvention -  on Wednesday, June 30, beginning at 6:30 pm, celebrating the history and debating the future of the Boston area’s Modern and recent past architecture.  Join some of the preservation movement’s sharpest thinkers and most outspoken commentators for a provocative evening exploring the critical, and often controversial, issues facing the future of Greater Boston’s 20th century structures and landscapes.  Journalist and author Anthony Flint of the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy will moderate a panel featuring David Fixler, FAIA of EYP and DOCOMOMO-US/New England, Kathy Spiegelman, Chief Planner, Harvard’s Allston Initiative, and others.  After hearing the experts, add your voice to the conversation during the public forum.

A Special Insiders Tour of The First Church at 6:30 pm will be limited to the first 45 registrants.  The reception and program will begin at 7 pm.  RSVP to my.PreservationNation.org/BostonModern.

The Boston Modern event is presented by the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Modernism + Recent Past Program and Northeast Office, in partnership with the Boston Preservation Alliance, Boston Landmarks Commission, Boston Society of Architects, Common Boston, DOCOMOMO-US/new Engld, Historic New England, and Preservation Massachusetts, with sponsorship from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Henry Luce Foundation.

Looking for an excuse to wear the dress you bought for your niece’s wedding?  Mrs. Brittain Bardes, Mrs. James B. Gubelmann, Mrs. Norey Dotterer Cullen, and Mrs. Samuel M.V. Hamilton, Honorary Chairs, request the pleasure of your company at The Newport Flower Show Olmsted Benefactor Dinner to honor Marion Oates Charles.  A special presentation to long time supporter and co-founder of The Newport Flower Show will be made during the cocktail reception.  During dinner, Mr. Carter Roberts, President and CEO of the World Wildlife Fund, will accept the 2010 Newport Flower Show International Achievement Award.  All this takes place Saturday, June 26, beginning at 7 pm at Marble House, 596 Bellevue Avenue in Newport.  The $650 per person cost will include reserved seating at Marble House with Mr. Carter Roberts, admission to the Friday Opening Night Cocktail Party, free weekend parking at Rosecliff, Preferred Seating at Saturday’s Luncheon/Lecture with Tony Avent, Friday Early Bird Shopping, Special Admission to the Show immediately following judging, a Special Gift, and three day Show Admission.  Please note that all but $175 per ticket is tax deductible.  To secure your place, log on to www.NewportFlowerShow.org.