The Garden Club of the Back Bay

Twig is now accepting enrollments in its fall design classes. There are two 6 week sessions, so enroll early as class size is limited.  Courses include instruction on preparing flowers for arrangements, choosing the right vases, hand tied bouquets, centerpieces and a seasonal themed arrangement. The cost per session is $275.00.
-All supplies included
-Participants will leave with an arrangement after each session.
-Participants will receive a 20% discount on all loose and bunched flowers at any Twig location for 3 months after the class.

Twig has two locations, one at 769 Tremont Street in the South End, and a second at 83 Charles Street in Beacon Hill.  For more information, log on to www.twigboston.com, or call 617-292-8944, x. 801.  You may also email info@twigboston.com for the specific dates of the Fall session.

New England Wild Flower Society has partnered with New England Garden Ornaments of Sudbury, MA, to present Water Whimsy, a small show of large and small fountains. In addition to the permanent Michael Mazur fountain at the entrance (below) and the Nate McCullin bird baths in the Wildlife Garden, Water Whimsy features nine bubbling, flowing, and standing water installations located at the entrance to the Curtis Path and in the Idea, Edible, Rain, and Patio gardens. Composed of chiseled stones, millstones, staddle stones, stone balls, molded balustrades and caps, granite bowls, and bamboo, these hand-carved and one-of-a-kind fountains bring a special ambiance to their garden settings. Water Whimsy continues in the Garden through September 7. For more information, log on to www.newfs.org.

Come to Ashfield, Massachusetts Tuesday, October 12 and Wednesday, October 13 for a two day intensive course in the foothills of the Berkshires.  This course of study will explore Beaver Lodge, a residence designed by Marie Stella, who spoke to The Garden Club of the Back Bay in March, 2010.  This handsome laboratory setting will offer information on the promotion of sustainability, innovative use of native plant materials, construction of rain gardens, green roofs, and vegetated walls.  Rainwater harvesting and organic vegetable gardening will also be featured.  A “petting zoo” of green materials will help familiarize you with the latest products available.  Enjoy locavore gourmet meals and learn about Slow Food.  Beaver Lodge is Platinum LEED certified, the highest level of achievement designated by the US Green Building Council in Washington, DC, and the only such home in western Massachusetts.  Cost per person for the two day Tri-Refresher Workshop (Landscape Design, Gardening Studies School, and Environmental Studies) is $200 for eight hours of instruction.  Room and Board: Per night including breakfast (12 persons can be accommodated dormitory style at Beaver Lodge), $75.  Tuesday dinner and Wednesday lunch – organic local produce and products: $75.  Note: One group can stay overnight Tuesday and the other on Wednesday.  Total immersion is an integral part of the Beaver Lodge experience.  A list of items to bring will be mailed to participants, as well as directions.  To register, or for a copy of the complete schedule, contact Marie Stella, 719 Barnes Road, Shelburne Falls, MA by emailing marie@mariestellabeaverlodge.com.  You may also check her website at www.mariestellabeaverlodge.com.

Floriade happens only ONCE EVERY TEN YEARS. This Donna Dawson led, I Can Garden tour will give you a full day there so you can take as much of it in as possible. Visitors to Floriade 2012 in Venlo will have the opportunity to enjoy the world’s most exquisite and exceptional flowers, plants, trees, fruits and vegetables. At Floriade 2012 you will experience nature. Using the senses of sight, hearing, taste, touch and smell you will experience firsthand the influence horticulture has on the quality of our daily lives. Floriade is a World Horticultural Expo staged once every ten years in the Netherlands. But Floriade 2012 offers much more. Each day features a cultural program of music, dance, literature, theater and visual art from all over the world. Sustainable, pioneering architectural eye catchers, as never seen before, will be shown for the first time at Floriade 2012. With countless exciting, innovative and educational attractions and activities. Various characteristic restaurants and friendly, welcoming cafes offer visitors a place to savor delicious local and international cuisine, naturally prepared with home grown ingredients.

The Spring Tour Includes:

Keukenhof – Spring at its most beautiful. An unprecedented wealth of spectacular floral displays planted in endless varieties, alternated with beautiful works of art. Keukenhof is unique, world famous and has been one of the most popular destinations in the Netherlands for many years now.

Hortus Bulborum – with its 4,200 spring-flowering historical bulbs. This collection consists primarily of tulips, narcissus and hyacinths, but there is also a small number of Fritillaria and crocus, primarily the C.vernus types. In addition to functioning as a gene bank, the garden has a seasonal display of thousands of heirloom bulbs, some of which are no longer in commercial production. Certain tulips originated in the 16th century. The Fritillaria persica on display was already in cultivation as early as 1577, while the oldest narcissus is several centuries older yet. The garden, therefore, provides a fascinating overview of these immensely popular spring bloomers grown through the centuries.

Van Gogh Museum – A visit to the Van Gogh Museum is a unique experience. The museum contains the largest collection of paintings by Vincent van Gogh in the world. It provides the opportunity to keep track of the artist’s developments, or compare his paintings to works by other artists from the 19th century in the collection.

Afternoon Canal Cruise in Amsterdam - Enjoy the best cruise through 17th century Amsterdam. Holland’s capital has 160 canals and 1000 bridges. Experience Amsterdam from the water. Cruising through a number of Amsterdam’s canals, this cruise passes along some of the city’s most beautiful spots. While gliding through the old centre of the city you see elegant merchant’s mansions, carillon-crowned churches and the warehouses with their rich history from Holland’s Golden Age.

Aalsmeer Flower Auction – ‘The world marketplace for flowers and plants’ – Every day Bloemenveiling Aalsmeer sets the world price for flowers and plants. This happens by bringing supply and demand together by means of the auction clock- a fascinating process during which large and small batches of flowers are sold within fractions of seconds. Each day, 19 million flowers and two million plants are sold through 13 clocks at ‘Bloemenveiling Aalsmeer’.

Amsterdam Botanical Gardens – Hortus Botanicus – The Hortus Botanicus Amsterdam is one of the oldest botanic gardens in the world. Today, there are more than 4,000 plant species growing in the garden and greenhouses. The Hortus is located in the Plantage district on the edge of the hectic center of Amsterdam. Behind the 300-year-old gates, however, the bustle of the city seems to disappear.

Paleis Het Loo - Paleis Het Loo is a palace, more than three hundred years old, right in the heart of the Netherlands, close to the town of Apeldoorn. The former royal residence has been open to the public since in 1984 after undergoing substantial restoration work. The sumptuously furnished interiors give an impression of how the Dutch royal family lived here for three centuries. The reconstructed gardens breathe the atmosphere of their seventeenth century origin with their fountains and elegantly box-lined parterres. The palace’s setting in one of Holland’s most beautiful nature areas makes a visit a real delight at any time of year.

For complete details, log on to www.gardeningtours.com. The price, land only, is 2,400 Euros per person, double occupancy, with a 717 Euro single supplement. You may email Donna at donna@icangarden.com, or call toll free 1-866-642-7172. Why call now for something which takes place in 2012? Because Donna’s acclaimed 2011 tours have already sold out – they are that good. You must act early to secure your spot.

“Eat it to Save It.” Seems like an odd statement, doesn’t it? But if requesting heirloom varieties of produce on our plate encourages chefs to search them out and farmers to plant them, then it’s a success. So let’s do our part to help bring back more of these heirlooms… By doing what we do best, eating!

Along with Chefs Collaborative and their program the RAFT Grow-Out, Slow Food Boston is teaming up with a number of local chefs to offer up a series of amazing dinners throughout the next few months.

RAFT is a program started by Slow Food USA as a spin-off from the ARK of Taste, which recognizes foods that are in danger of extinction due to changing tastes & growing practices. RAFT goes one step further, bringing attention not only to regional foods and heirloom varietals that are hard to find, but also the cultural traditions around food that are being lost.

The RAFT Grow Out is a program that encourages local farmers to grow unusual heirloom varietals and teams them up with local chefs willing and eager to use those vegetables. The desired result? More people getting to discover amazing flavors, textures and colors and start asking for them at the markets. And in response more farmers being willing to grow them!

So back to the eating thing. The RAFT Heirloom Harvest Dinner series kicks off on Monday August 23rd at 6pm at Garden at the Cellar, 991 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge. Chef Will Gilson will be putting together an amazing four course meal featuring RAFT veggies for your gastronomic pleasure, and there will be Chefs Collaborative reps and a farmer on hand to discuss what you’re eating.

Cost for the evening is $65, inclusive of tax and tip but not drinks. The regular wine and beverage list will be available for purchases. Preregistration and payment are required. To register, log on to www.slowfoodboston.com.

As the final talk in the Massachusetts Horticultural Society’s Wednesdays in the Garden series, arborist Paul Fletcher will discuss caring for your trees in a time of drought, Asian longhorn beetles and winter moths (see damage below).  His advice should not be missed.  The event takes place Wednesday, August 25 at Elm Bank, 900 Washington Street in Wellesley, beginning at 6:30 pm.  Refreshments will be served.  $8 for Mass Hort members and $10 for non-members.  Please bring cash or a check.  For directions, log on to www.masshort.org.

Blithewold invites you beyond the garden gate to tour this charming local property on Sunday, September 5, from 2 – 4 pm. As part of a small and informal group, discover a Summer Home’s story and distinct collection of plants. See the landscape through the eyes of the designer and come away with new ideas and a fresh perspective.

Each Intimate Garden Tour is unique, but all afford the opportunity to explore and ask questions.  This seaside project of Louis Raymond’s is a study in Summer interest. It’s all about what’s glorious from June through November.

Spring (and Winter) are irrelevant, so there are no rhodies, daffodils, wisteria or azaleas. Instead, traditional high-summer perennials are joined by huge swathes of the full variety of Summer-interest shrubs and trees, many of which are hard-pruned to maximize their colorful foliage.

The immense scale of the property called for immense plantings, too. The smaller double borders are 20 feet deep; the BIG double borders are twice as deep, and almost 200 feet wide. The cutting garden is one of the newer projects, with 1,200 square feet in raised beds.  Thrilling horticulture partners with a dramatic Bayside setting, for an intense landscape so unusual that it was on the cover of House & Garden magazine.

Check out pictures of this garden here at www.renaissancegardening.com/garden.htm

*In the case of heavy rain, participants will be notified of cancellations by phone. If you do not hear from us a few hours before the program start, the program will run as scheduled.

Directions to the site will be mailed a few weeks prior to the tour. Light refreshments will be available.  Registration is limited and required in advance.$30 Blithewold members, $35 non-members. For more information, call 401-253-2707, or email jmurphyedu@blithewold.org.

An 8′ by 38′ hand-woven piece of interactive art, designed by architect Hansy Better Barazza, will be hanging around the Rose Kennedy Greenway now through September 4.  The exact location is Fort Point Channel Parks, North (between Seaport Boulevard and Pearl Street).  Viewing is free.  You may see and read more about the project on the Big Hammock website, www.thebighammock.org.

The Town of Waitsfield will receive a fruit orchard consisting of a variety of fruit trees including: apples, pears, and cherries! This new orchard will benefit Waitsfield’s tradition of conserving land to yield long-term health, sustainable food production and community engagement. All are invited  for the groundbreaking and planting celebration on  Wednesday, August 18 at 808 Old County Road in Waitsfield, Vermont, beginning at 1:00 pm.  The schedule is as follows:
1:00 pm: Project overview and introductions (Town of Waitsfield; Fruit Tree Planting Foundation; Edy’s Fruit Bars)
1:15 pm – 1:30 pm: Ceremonial Tree Planting
1:30 pm – 4:30 pm: Tree planting; Edy’s Fruit Bars sampling; strawberry plant give-away

The orchard is being planted through a grant from Edy’s Fruit Bars, in partnership with the Fruit Tree Planting Foundation, to provide an ongoing source of fresh fruit to the Town of Waitsfield.  Members of the Town of Waitsfield, the Fruit Tree Planting Foundation and Edy’s will be on hand to plant the trees, with Edy’s providing refreshing Edy’s Fruit Bars to members of the community.

RSVP to Melanie Fitzgerald, Zenzi Communications at 858-523-9020; or email Melanie.fitzgerald@zenzi.com or call Kim Goeller-Johnson, Edy’s,  510-601-4211; or email kim.goeller-johnson@edys.com.

OK, you can’t get to the Rochester Grange Fair on August 21, but you have a second chance to experience a classic piece of Americana.  The South Middleborough Grange Annual Agricultural Fair will be held on Saturday, August 28, at the SMG Hall, 570 Wareham Street in South Middleborough.  The Fair opens to the public at 1:30 pm, and there will be prize exhibits, a baked goods table, grocery basket, traveling bazaar, and cold drinks for sale all afternoon. Admission to the Fair is free, and there is ample parking.  At 6 pm, a chicken pie dinner will be served, with juice, chicken pie, mashed potatoes, green beans, another fresh vegetable, locally grown tomatoes, rolls and butter, gravy, coffee, punch, and – you’ll love this flash from the past – jello with whipped cream.  Adults may feast for a modest charge of $8, and children will be charged $4.  The Fair auction begins at 7:15, and all are welcome.

How do you avoid flea beetles on your arugula or tomato horn worms on your tomatoes? Wondering when to harvest garlic or how to hard-off winter squash? If these are questions you’re asking then this class at The Berkshire Botanical Garden on Saturday, August 28, from 10 – 12,  is for you. This demonstration will cover how to care for vegetables once the garden is already planted and growing. The focus will be on specific vegetables with detailed information on cultivation, pests problems/control, planting companions, weed control, moisture requirements and how and when to harvest. Take a walk through the vegetable garden for new ideas on what to grow. Tips for preserving the harvest will be included.  $18 for BBG members, $24 for non members.  Register on line at www.berkshirebotanical.org, or call 413- 298-3926.

Pat Parkins owns Gardens of the Goddess, an organic gardening business, focused on enhancing nature’s beauty through landscape design, installation and maintenance. She incorporates her interest in ecology into her landscaping practices. She tends a large home vegetable garden in Becket.

World’s End, a 275-acre peninsula owned by The Trustees of Reservation, is well known for the beauty of its landscape and its views of Boston Harbor. The property, which was farmed for several hundred years, was slated in the late 19th century to be subdivided under a plan (later abandoned) designed by Frederick Law Olmsted. It has a remarkable variety of naturalized as well as native flora. Its woodlands include communities dominated by Norway maple and English oak as well as an impressive stand of native red oak and hop hornbeam. Its old fields and thickets contain an exceptional diversity of herbaceous plants, including the rare showy goldenrod, and its lowland habitats have both freshwater wetlands and salt marshes. This New England Wild Flower Society walk led by Jessica Korecki on Saturday, August 28, from 10 – 1 will cover a variety of communities from the high points of the property’s open drumlins to rocky coves and shaded overlooks. We will look at both native and naturalized flora, and at the dynamics of their coexistence in this unique environment. World’s End is also a great place for birding, and binoculars are recommended. Bring a bag lunch and a hand lens if you have one. Fee: $24 (Member) / $27 (Nonmember).  To sign up, log on to www.newfs.org, or call 508-877-7630.

Three beautiful gardens will be open for viewing in Little Compton, Rhode Island on Saturday, September 11, from 10:00 am until 4:00 pm.  For more information, log on to www.gardenconservancy.org.

The Atwater Garden (pictured below) is a country garden with the ocean glimmering in the distance, displaying the unique horticultural skills and knowledge of its owners.  Nate Atwater tends the vegetable garden and Berta Atwater, a judge of rhododendrons and Garden Club of America judge of horticulture, has designed and executed the other gardens, which are notable for their carefully pruned trees and shrubs.  Two rock gardens by Lloyd Lawton are surrounded by a collection of rhododendrons, azaleas, ilex, hostas, dwarf conifers, grasses and Japanese maples.  The garden also contains rare plants not yet on the market.

Gioia Browne and Jim Marsh’s Garden, at 79 Peckham Road in Little Compton, features towering American elms and stonewalls framing the 17th century farmhouse on three acres.  The owners have enhanced the mature landscape by adding gardens and planting more than 150 trees and shrubs.  The woodland garden surrounding the 19th century barn is planted with ferns, jack-in-the-pulpits and hostas.  The enchanting summer house, used for tools and casual dining, overlooks the dianthus, gentians, ferns and dwarf conifers in the rock garden.  In the 75 foot perennial border, foxgloves, phlox, old roses, clematis, daylilies, dahlias, anemones, asters, and others bloom from May through November in shades of pink, purple, and blue.  Nearby are the shrub walk, hydrangea bed, and the geometric, cutting, and white gardens.

Sakonnet is an exotic cottage garden imbedded within a native coastal fields landscape. It is a long-term project of John Gwynne and Mikel Folcarelli, abetted by Addie Kurz (energetic sister), and Ed Bowen of nearby Opus Nursery. All are Rhode Islanders, with John (trained as a landscape architect and involved with the Wildlife Conservation Society in New York), and Mikel with Façonnable in Nice. This garden began in the mid 1970s as a small clearing deep within a naturally grown tangle of local arrowwood and autumn olives. Now slightly larger than an acre, it is a whimsical series of spaces organically shaped within the thickets. Paths and walls were designed and thousands of rarely grown plants were added. Divided into a series of outdoor rooms, each space reflects ongoing experiments with lighting, space, color mixing, and growing rarely seen plants—many semi-hardy. High stone walls and hedges have enabled microclimate modifications that help exclude cold winds and create warm or cool pockets for growing Himalayan plants or southern plants like palmettos. One space, planted with soft yellows often seems to catch the sunlight on a gray, coastal Rhode Island day. A new Mughal treehouse is a centerpiece of “the tropics”. Sakonnet is an experiment in process to see what can be grown in coastal Rhode Island.  For a sneak peek, see www.Sakonnetgarden.com).

Admission to each participating private garden is $5 per person; children 12 and under are admitted free. Admission may be paid in cash or check. Tickets are not required to attend Open Days.

Invasive plants are an increasing threat to the environment as bittersweet, Japanese barberry, garlic mustard, and multiflora rose (below)  sweep rampant through the landscape. This discussion centers on what homeowners can do to eliminate or control these pest plants. Learn to identify these rogue plants, and the mechanical, chemical, and biological techniques available for controlling and eliminating them. Consider how to evaluate potential invasive plant problems and how and when to effectively control their spread in this Berkshire Botanical Garden workshop, to be held Saturday, September 4, from 10 – 12, at the Garden at 5 West Stockbridge Road in Stockbridge.

Jack Sprano is a Western Massachusetts Master Gardener and long-time garden enthusiast. He has cleared a six-acre property full of invasives and has developed multiple strategies for controlling these plants. He is currently a board member of the Berkshire Botanical Garden.  $18 for members of BBG, $24 for non members.  Register online at www.berkshirebotanical.org.

East Mountain is part of a long trap rock (basalt) ridge that extends from central Connecticut just west of Hartford to Mt. Tom in Holyoke, Massachusetts. Many sections of this ridge support a rich and diverse flora, with a high number of uncommon or rare plant species. New England Wild Flower Society invites you to explore one section of this ridge — the beautiful, upland oak-hickory forest along the Westfield/West Springfield town line, on Sunday, August 29, from 10 – 3. Among the many species we hope to find are Aureolaria pedicularia, A. virginica, Viola pedata, both species of Chimaphila, Asplenium platyneuron, numerous different Desmodiums (below), and a wide variety of Asteraceae. Though the ascent is somewhat strenuous, the pace will be leisurely. Wear sturdy hiking boots. Bring bag lunch, water, field guides, insect repellent. $40 for NEWFS members, $45 for nonmembers.  Arieh Tal and Nancy Goodman will lead, and you may register at www.newfs.org.

Field trips are a long standing tradition of the Connecticut Botanical Society.  They provide an opportunity to learn about plants and habitats from some the area’s most knowledgeable botanists, and an opportunity to share your own knowledge with others.  The trips also add to the bank of knowledge of New England flora.  On each field trip, a list is made of all plant species identified, and this list becomes part of the Society’s records.  The Connecticut Botanical Society encourages the gardening public to participate in this Fern Identification Workshop at 55 Harvest Lane in Glastonbury, Connecticut, led by Casper Ultee, Past President of CBS.  Although many ferns are readily identified, some are easily confused with similar species.  This workshop will focus on those and others that are less common.  You may bring your own problem specimens (fronds only, no complete plants, please).   This workshop is limited to ten participants, and pre-registration is required by contacting the leader in advance at 860-633-7557. For field trips, wear sturdy footwear and bring a lunch.  Sunscreen and insect repellant are also recommended.  For plant identification, you may wish to bring a field guide(s), a hand lens, and a small notebook.  Familiarity with plant taxonomy is helpful, but not required.    Free to CBS members.  Non-members must pay a $15 fee, which includes a one-year membership in CBS, and entitles you to join future trips this season at no additional cost.  For more information and directions, call Casper Ultee at the number above, or log on to www.ct-botanical-society.org.

Growing, Giving, Growing, An Evening to Support Tower Hill, will take place Saturday, September 11, from 6 – 9 at Tower Hill Botanic Garden, 11 French Drive, Boylston, Massachusetts.  Enjoy the open bar, hors d’oeuvre, summer buffet, and take an active role in the success of Tower Hill by underwriting daily operations, tasks and programs at the Garden.  Steve Fletcher, famed auctioneer and Vice President of Skinner Auctioneers and Appraisers in Marlborough, Massachusetts will be Master of Ceremonies.  He will invite sponsors to keep “Bambi at Bay” with deer repellent, help a child attend the Youth Gardening Program, forge new trails on the garden grounds, move the Camellia collection outdoors, or prune 100 ornamental trees, to mention just a few sponsor opportunities.  Individual tickets are $90 per person, sponsor tickets are $125 per person, and you are asked to respond by September 3, 2010 to Wendy Cehon at 508-869-6111, x 136.  You may also pay securely online at www.towerhillbg.org.

What do you do with summer bulbs? Learn how to keep patio plants, summer bulbs and tender perennials happy during the winter months in this Berkshire Botanical Garden Workshop, to be held Saturday, September 11, from 10 – 12, at the Garden at 5 West Stockbridge Road in Stockbridge. Discuss the tricks of the trade for bringing plants indoors and encouraging them to thrive for the winter months. Topics will cover cultivation, fertilization, watering, and health care. Participants will learn basic propagation techniques and take home a variety of cuttings. These simple, cost saving methods will help homeowners multiply their plant supply for next season’s garden.

Jenna O’Brien owns Viridissima,  a garden design and maintenance business. Her specialties include perennial gardening & design, container culture & design, and indoor gardening/houseplants. She teaches for area horticultural organizations and has completed the Horticulture Certificate Program at Berkshire Botanical Garden. Class is $20 for BBG members, $25 for nonmembers, and you may register on line at www.berkshirebotanical.org.

The 100th annual agricultural fair of Rochester Grange will be held on Saturday, August 21 at the Rochester Grange Hall, 200 Hartley Road in Rochester (about 50 minutes south of Boston – see map below). Exhibits will be open to the public beginning at 1:30 pm.  The Grange will conduct various raffles, and there are baked goods, handiwork, and cold beverages for sale.  Special musical entertainment will feature Celtic fiddler Tiffany Rozenas.  The traditional ham and bean supper will be served at 6 pm, and will include ham, kidney beans, baked beans, rolls and butter, coffee, punch, potato salad, corn on the cob, and dessert.  The super cost is $7 for adults and $3 for children under 10.  Following the supper, the fair auction will begin at 7:15, and you will have the opportunity to bid on and purchase the prize winning fruits, vegetables, flowers, and baked goods from the fair.

In the fall of 1905 Mr. Allen made rounds of the homes in Rochester with the hope of interesting people in founding a local Grange. He was successful. On February 12th, 1906, the first meeting of Rochester Grange was held in the North Rochester Social Union Hall on Snipatuit Road in North Rochester. The hall was small, lit by oil lamps, with a kitchen and dining hall on the second floor and no running water. Subsequently the Grange Hall on Hartley Road was built. The Grange Fair and the auction are free and open to the public – if you haven’t experienced a Grange Fair, you should try to get to this one, since the Grange members will be pulling out all the stops for the 100th!

Go on a journey through the growing season with past Garden Club of the Back Bay speaker Suzanne Mahler as she talks on Perennial Color, Spring Through Fall. It’s not just a dazzling photographic display of the hottest new perennials and the tried and true favorites for both sunny and shady sites; it’s also what-you-can-do-now advice for making next spring your best gardening season ever. Suzanne’s talks are noted for their detailed handouts and sound horticultural practices. The event will take place at Elm Bank, 900 Washington Street in Wellesley, on Wednesday, August 18, from 6:30 – 8, and refreshments will be offered. $8 for Mass Hort members, and $10 for non-members. Please bring cash or check. For directions and more information, log on to www.masshort.org.  Gaillardia grandiflora ‘Fanfare’ is pictured below.