2012 marks the 100th Anniversary of the original gift of cherry trees from Japan to the United States in 1912. Planted at the Tidal Basin of the Potomac River in the nation’s capital and supplemented with more cherry trees over the years, the blossoming cherry trees of Washington DC have become a national treasure and attract hundreds of thousands of viewers to the “Cherry Blossom Festival” along the Potomac each spring. Japan will mark this Centennial with new gifts of cherry trees to Washington and to a number of other American cities, Boston among them. The Consulate General of Japan in Boston will arrange ceremonial cherry tree plantings in many Boston parks and public places. To accompany the new cherry trees, planning is now underway for a rich festival of Japanese cultural events in Boston, beginning in March 2012 and spanning more than three springtime months. Highlights of this festival include the events listed below. Many, many more festival events will be added during the coming weeks and months. For detailed information, schedules, details, and ticketing, please keep checking this website: www.japansocietyboston.org.

An Evening of Kabuki Dance
March 27: Paramount Theater, Boston
A spectacular presentation of classic dance pieces from the
Kabuki repertory, featuring Kabuki star performer Kotoji Bando.
(Presented by The Japan Society of Boston)

Anime Boston
April 6-8, Hines Convention Center, Boston
New England’s Largest Annual Celebration of
Japanese animation, comics and pop culture.
A not-to-be-missed festival and trade show of Anime art and publications.
Thousands attend, many in incredible anime costumes!

Boston Gagaku Concert
“From Centennial to Millennial Spring”
April 9, Boston Symphony Hall, Boston
The Kitanodai Gagaku Ensemble and
Members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra
will perform music by Tchaikovsky, and Gagaku
traditional Japanese Court Music.

Japan Society Annual Dinner
April 18, Westin Boston Waterfront Hotel, Boston
The Japan Society of Boston’s single largest annual gala event.
Keynote Speaker: Mr. Kazuo Inamori (Chairman of Japan Airlines and Founder/Honorary Chairman of Kyocera Corporation). Other guests of honor will include Japan’s internationally acclaimed wheelchair marathoner Ms. Wakako Tsuchida.

The Kioi Sinfonietta
May 1, Sanders Theater, Cambridge
Japan’s celebrated chamber orchestra will present a single concert appearance at Harvard’s beautiful Sanders Theater
(Presented by The Reischauer Institute of Japanese Studies, Harvard, & The Japan Society of Boston).

The Beauty & Mystery of Japanese Textiles
May 2, Remis Auditorium, The Boston Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Reiko Sudo, Japan’s brilliant textile designer and founder
of the world famous NUNO textile shop will speak on the transformation of traditional Japanese textiles into
contemporary works of art.
(Presented by the MFA and The Japan Society of Boston as the 2012 Rad Smith Program in Japanese Art)
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Many other “Sakura Festival” events in Spring 2012 will include exhibits, performances, demonstrations, receptions, concerts, film programs, and symposia.

Join the Philadelphia Horticultural Society at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, 12th and Arch Streets in Philadelphia, for the 2012 Philadelphia International Flower Show.  This year, the theme is Hawaii: Islands of Aloha.  Complete information and ticket purchase capabilities may be found at www.theflowershow.com. The 2012 Philadelphia International Flower Show will introduce visitors to a tropical experience that blends next-stage digital technology with the natural beauty and rich culture of the Hawaiian Islands. Guests will have fun, learn, and be wowed by real-time floral competitions, the world’s largest lettuce wall, internationally renowned speakers, and a new layout of displays.

Guests will enter the Show beneath dynamic projections of crashing waves and one of the most exciting displays of white orchids ever assembled. Towering palms, bamboo, green walls, and a plant canopy will immerse visitors in the Hawaiian rainforest.

A 25-foot-high waterfall will splash down into Pele’s Garden, an island of exotic flowers and plants where performers will conjure volcanic flames and the Fire Goddess. The islands will be celebrated in showcase gardens that highlight their culture through flowers and landscapes, performances and art.

Gardeners of all skill levels will find an ocean of ideas in the 150 free presentations held throughout the week, as well as dozens of educational displays that explore the latest gardening techniques and trends.

Shoppers will find an array of take-home products to get the garden started and wonderful gifts in the Marketplace, Meadowbrook Farm Store and Flower Show Shoppe. A Hawaiian Village will offer authentic crafts and products from the islands.

You are cordially invited to an elegant dinner to benefit Historic New England, with guest of honor Arie L. Kopelman, Vice Chairman of Chanel, Inc, and Event Chair Nina Longtine, on Friday, February 24, beginning at 7 pm (cocktails) and8:30 (dinner.)  The black tie event will be held at Roughwood, 400 Heath Street in Chestnut Hill, a grand chateau-styled shingle and stone house which now serves as the administration building of Pine Manor College. Ticket prices begin at $1,000, $775 of which is tax deductible.  To respond, call the Development Office at 617-994-5951, or email ProgramInfo@HistoricNewEngland.org.

The 2012 Boston Flower & Garden Show will kick off with an elegant fundraising Preview Party at The Seaport World Trade Center chaired by Fox 25′s Maria Stephanos and hosted by Mayor and Mrs. Thomas Menino. Proceeds from the Preview Party will help restore Boston Parks Department’s Greenhouses, where plants are propagated for the Public Garden, Boston Common, and dozens of neighborhood parks. Special guests, entertainment, delightful food and beverage and a silent auction make this an exclusive and enjoyable opportunity to view the show’s gardens and exhibits before the show opens to the general public the following day. Tickets are $100 each before February 14, $125 per person thereafter.  You may also purchase a $500 Friend ticket, and your company name or patron name will be displayed in the program.  Ticket includes admission to the private party, exclusive viewing of the Flower Show’s gardens and the chance to meet the designers, open bar, complimentary hor d’oeuvres reception, live music, and one ticket to return to the Flower Show later in the week.  You may download a ticket order form by visiting www.bostonflowershow.com/preview-party/.  Pictured below is the original Olmsted greenhouse in Franklin Park.

A public showing of local area artists with complimentary appetizers & beverages to benefit the Greater Boston Food Bank will take place Wednesday, February 1 from 4:30 – 7 pm.  The Blue Glass Cafe at 200 Clarendon Street in Boston (John Hancock Tower)  has teamed up with Smile Boston Artist Bren Bataclan, Daruma, the Factory Inc. artists Minatsu Ariga (picture below) & Kotaro Morita, Faith Hyde & Marjorie Montemayor to support the Greater Boston Food Bank with The Smile Project. The Cafe is collaborating with the Greater Boston Food Bank to hold a can drive, as well as to provide donations on a weekly Smile Project item. The event is free – call 617-275-0250 for more information.

Be Healthy Boston is a two day urban wellness retreat, right in the heart of Boston, at The Westin Boston Waterfront, 425 Summer Street.  Meant to educate, inspire and empower members of the Boston and surrounding communities to live and maintain healthy lifestyles, Be Healthy Boston promises to be a unique experience in a unique environment, like no other.

There’s lots to look forward to! Just a few things include:

Learning how to adopt a healthy lifestyle holistically
Sampling new and exciting fitness classes from local studios
Trying acupuncture, reiki, and other integrative therapies
Enjoying mini-massages and other spa-therapies
Speaking with local health and wellness experts and business owners (Siena Farms owner Chris Kurth and his fabulous chef wife Ana Sortun will be among them)
Be Healthy Boston will be more than just an event; it will be an experience like no other. Nowhere else can you meet face to face with local wellness providers, services, and businesses, all of which can help you create the healthy lifestyle you want, all under one roof.

Your Two-Day Pass includes:

15 Workshops on innovative topics, including nutrition, stress management, and green living
Sample fitness classes in Gyrotonics, Yoga, Kettlebells, Zumba and more
Mini spa treatments and integrative therapies from Aveda, Chuan Body + Soul, Spa Intercontinental, Massage Envy and others
Coaching and wellness consultations with leading wellness coaches
Cooking demonstrations with award-winning chefs, such as Oleana’s Ana Sortun
Book signings with best-selling authors, great take home gifts and plentiful samples
Healthy and delicious lunches and Saturday early evening reception
Silent auction to benefit Dana Farber’s Zakim Center for Integrative Therapies
and more!

Be Healthy Boston is a two day urban wellness retreat, right in the heart of Boston! Meant to educate, inspire and empower members of the Boston and surrounding communities to live and maintain healthy lifestyles, Be Healthy Boston promises to be a unique experience in a unique environment, like no other.

There’s lots to look forward to! Just a few things include:

• Learning how to adopt a healthy lifestyle holistically
• Sampling new and exciting fitness classes from local studios
• Trying acupuncture, reiki, and other integrative therapies
• Enjoying mini-massages and other spa-therapies
• Speaking with local health and wellness experts and business owners
• Attending innovative workshops
• Participating in cooking demonstrations with local restaurants and chefs
• Meeting like minded Bostonians interested in their health and wellbeing
• And more!

Come to Be Healthy Boston and be inspired to create the healthy life you deserve!
Attending innovative workshops
Participating in cooking demonstrations with local restaurants and chefs
Meeting like minded Bostonians interested in their health and wellbeing
And more!

Come to Be Healthy Boston and be inspired to create the healthy life you deserve! For complete information, log on to www.behealthyboston.com.  Register by January 8 for the best price ($79 – $159).

The Friends of Copley Square, a non-profit organization that provides funding to assist the City of Boston with the preservation, maintenance, and beautification of the Copley Square, will host its second annual Mardi Gras Celebration on Friday, February 17, 2012 at 7:30 p.m. The event will be held at The Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel.

The evening will bring the feeling of the French Quarter into the heart of Boston’s Back Bay. The event will include a New Orleans dinner buffet, live music and dancing, and auction prizes. Guests are encouraged to come in festive Mardi Gras attire, including masks if desired.

Tickets are $300 per couple, which includes two tickets to the event, as well as accommodations on February 17 donated by The Copley Square Hotel, The Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel and The Lenox Hotel. Hotel availability is limited so guests are encouraged to make their reservations early. Individual tickets are available for $175 per person.

To purchase tickets, please visit www.friendsofcopleysquare.org. All of the proceeds from the event benefit The Friends of Copley Square. The organization’s activity includes maintenance of the fountain, care of the trees and the development of programming to create a vibrant park for all to enjoy.

For more information on The Friends of Copley Square  email friendsofcopleysquare@gmail.com. The Friends of Copley Square is a registered 501(c)3 not for profit corporation.  Photo by Courtney Sacco from www.backbay.patch.com.

Welcome new members and greet old friends at The Neighborhood Association of the Back Bay’s 2012 Member Reception, to be held this year at towne stove and spirits, 900 Boylston Street, on Sunday, January 15, from 4:30 – 6:30.  This event is free to members.  Enjoy complimentary hors d’oeuvres, with a cash bar.  An rsvp is requested by January 6.  Email names to info@nabbonline.com, or call 617-247-3961.

Our final wreath of the day for this season is one of the volunteers’ favorites.  The mosaic mirror “disco ball” ribbon was the inspiration for a wild, Saturday Night Fever design which sparkles on a door between Fairfield and Gloucester on Marlborough Street, should you be walking by.  We wish you all a very happy New Year, filled with joy, and look for more “wreath talk” next autumn.

]]> http://www.gardenclubbackbay.org/2012/01/01/wreath-of-the-day-2011-happy-new-year/feed/ 0 http://www.gardenclubbackbay.org/2011/12/31/wreath-of-the-day-2011-billing-and-accounting/ http://www.gardenclubbackbay.org/2011/12/31/wreath-of-the-day-2011-billing-and-accounting/#comments Sat, 31 Dec 2011 13:00:33 +0000 Garden Club http://www.gardenclubbackbay.org/?p=9481 As December progresses, The Garden Club of the Back Bay wreath project wraps up with the final submission of expenses to our intrepid Treasurer, and a final mailing of bills to last minute wreath buyers who didn’t get their payments in with their orders.  We rarely have had any collection problems, but sometimes we do [...]]]>

As December progresses, The Garden Club of the Back Bay wreath project wraps up with the final submission of expenses to our intrepid Treasurer, and a final mailing of bills to last minute wreath buyers who didn’t get their payments in with their orders.  We rarely have had any collection problems, but sometimes we do have to send out gentle reminders once or twice – December and January can be hectic, we know.  Once we reconcile the accounts, we’re on to our next projects – this year the Twilight Garden Party, which will raise funds for our 50 for 50 Magnolia planting celebrating our fifty year history with the planting of fifty magnolia trees throughout Back Bay.  We’ll be reporting on this in the coming months, but right now our focus remains tying up all loose ends to finish our 2011 wreath project with a healthy profit.   Every cent of net revenue goes right back into the community, so we like to know how much we have to spend.  Below is a pretty wreath with a burgundy bow that looks ready to go out for New Year’s Eve.

Wreath week is a highlight of the Garden Club of the Back Bay’s program year, for many of our members.  The companionship, added to the warm and welcoming atmosphere and the ability to create works of art, has brought back former and far-flung members each season.  Members who have moved away plan around their schedules to be able to attend.  One member, now living in Manhattan, comes up to work the front desk.  Another, from Martha’s Vineyard, booked into The College Club for the week in order to decorate.  A member from Cape Cod, unable to be here due to conflicting concert schedules with her singing group, drove up Sunday with materials from her garden.  We’ve already mentioned our Las Vegas member who mails baked goods for the volunteers.  We’ve had, in prior years, friends from Texas and California stay to help. We emphasize that volunteers need not be members of the Club – they just need to be willing workers with a good attitude and a smile.  Below is a picture of a matched pair with gold bows and gold and copper accents made for a member’s Commonwealth Avenue windows.

In addition to wreaths, The Garden Club of the Back Bay sells incredibly full poinsettia plants in three colors, red, white, and pink.  The pink color has varied from year to year, since so many new varieties are introduced to the trade each season, but we’ve tried, for the past few years, to obtain a pastel, rather than a hot, pink hue.  The plants have four major stems and are wrapped in paper for ease of transport.  Once unwrapped at home, buyers are delighted by the size and fullness of the display.  Delivering the plants when the weather is very cold is always a challenge, since these tropicals are quite sensitive to cold.  We were fortunate to experience such mild weather this December, but naturally that isn’t always the case, so we’ve become adept at dashing the plants into heated cars so they will arrive happy and healthy.  Speaking of pink, the lovely wreath below was created by one of our decorators to celebrate the birth of her first grandchild Abigail, who was born on Day Two of wreath week.

Garden Club of the Back Bay representative to The Friends of Copley Square, Bev Christians, has reminded us to remind all our readers of the tree situation at Copley Square.  She and fellow Club member and representative Rita Christensen have been working hard with the Friends group to find a solution to the dead and dying trees.  Bev writes:

A number of Garden Club members who are concerned about the diseased trees in Copley Square have asked about joining the Friends of Copley Square at this time of year when charitable contributions are made.  Please note that the Friends have set up a designated account to receive monies for tree care and replacement.  When you join, mark the check memo “Tree Fund.” Thus far, Garden Club memberships in FOCS have paid for fertilizer and biotic stress treatment to fortify blighted trees.Your memberships truly count, especially right now.  Mail your check for $50 for individual membership or $500 Singleton Society (special events) to Friends of Copley Square,  P.O Box 170124, Boston, MA 02117-0084.  

Visit www.friendsofcopleysquare.org to join or donate on line with PayPal, if you prefer.  Copley Square has, in the past, been a site for First Night ice sculptures, and in the dead of winter, the tree damage goes unnoticed.  When spring arrives, however, the extent of the problem will be readily apparent.  Please give generously.

The Garden Club of the Back Bay wishes to thank the many wreath buyers who, in addition to their orders, made a general donation to the Club.  This money is especially valuable to us because it represents a vote of confidence in all our projects.  We are a not for profit Massachusetts corporation and a 501c(3) corporation registered with the Internal Revenue Service, so contributions are tax deductible.  The price of a wreath, however, is not deductible, since one receives something of value in exchange for payment.  All donors receive a written thank you and acknowledgement of their gifts.  The wreath below, with a gold bow and red apples, symbolizes our buyers’ generosity of spirit.

The Garden Club of the Back Bay’s wreath project is one of two fundraising activities we plan each year, the other being our early summer Twilight Garden Party.  The net proceeds from wreath week are used to plant, prune, and care for the street trees of the Back Bay.  Therefore, since we wish to maximize our profits, we encourage walk in orders for wreaths with bows, or just plain wreaths.  Unfortunately, we cannot sell fully decorated wreaths during wreath week – these must be ordered in advance.  Our time at the Church is limited, and the number of fully decorated wreath orders we accept is also limited.  Many who come by are so impressed by our output that they want to buy a decorated wreath on the spot, and are disappointed.  We put names on our mailing list and those who are interested will receive an order form next fall.  If anyone reading this post wishes to be put on the mailing list, simply email info@gardenclubbackbay.org with your name and address.  The wreath below, a fantasy of copper and gold, received much attention from members and customers this year, and probably will be a much requested “look” next season.

We’ll take a one day hiatus from our breakdown of The Garden Club of the Back Bay’s holiday wreath project to wish you all a Merry Christmas.  The cheerful wreath below was delivered to a customer who asked for a bright red bow, lotus pods, and cardinals.  She received exactly what she asked for.

The Garden Club of the Back Bay’s wreath week isn’t all about decorating and delivering – we also eat well.  Early on we decided never to lose the services of a loyal volunteer because he or she needed to have lunch.  We begin each morning with coffee and tea, and a variety of muffins, scones, and coffee cakes.  Clementines and cider are available as well.  Lunch is catered in each day from a different provider, so no one is bored, and there are always vegetarian options.  Seltzers, sodas, chips (need that salt!) and snacks are plentiful.  Afternoon brings tea and cookies.  One loyal member who winters in Nevada sends homemade biscotti in a variety of flavors.  This year we even had some leftover Halloween candy bars.  No one admitted to wanting them, but they were all gone by the end of the week.  We also bring in paper goods, band aids, tissues, and Crisco for cleaning hands (rub hands stained with pine tar and sap well with the Crisco, wash with soap, and you’re good to go.)  As evening progresses, we dive back into the sandwiches or pizza, to keep up our energy levels, since our days are long.  Below is a wreath with an artichoke accent, one we dried rather than ate.

We make beautiful bows for the Garden Club of the Back Bay holiday wreaths.  We don’t skimp on the quality of ribbon, either.  All our ribbon is, at a minimum, 2 1/2 inches wide, sometimes wider, and is wired on the edges.  The cost of each roll varies, and we do try to buy on sale, often at the end of the season, but in order to keep our customers happy and our decorators intrigued, we purchase a variety of colors and patterns.  Sometimes, on the roll, our members wonder what we were thinking when we bought the ribbon.  Black and gold?  Buffalo checks?  Purple?  Polka dots?  Yet, once made up, these ribbons sparkle with life.  To see them being made, visit :  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Od4RWBu6sw.     Below is a close up of one of this year’s new patterns, a sparkly red brocade over a bronze/green background.  Unfortunately, we can’t guarantee any specific design from year to year, since often the manufacturers don’t keep the same stock in production.  We do promise that all the bows will be beautiful.

The Garden Club of the Back Bay’s wreaths are known for  beautiful natural accents, but sometimes these accent items can look pretty dull in their natural state.  Too much brown, too much gray, and suddenly a wreath looks somewhat dark and dirty.  The obvious solution is to add just a bit of spray paint for brightening.  Gold has gilded appeal, and gold can be a rich, burnished amber or bright yellow, depending on the brand of paint.  Silver can look like platinum, or can look like battleship gray if we’re not careful.  No one wants a wreath that looks like a radiator.  Copper is especially effective with some of our plaid bows, and even a clear glaze can make a dull cone look shiny and iced.  Sometimes we roll a pine cone in a puddle of white paint for a snow tipped look, or put a bit of glitter spray on a branch.  We hope our customers don’t shy away from these effects, since we very carefully control how much we add to each wreath.  Unless a customer asked for a treasure from a pirate’s hoard, we use paint with discretion.  In order to add these colors, we set up a portable tent on a parking space at the rear of the Church, covering the ground with plastic tarps.  Boxes and aluminum disposable tins are placed there, and our decorators aren’t allowed to bring items back to the decorating room until they are thoroughly dry.  We can’t have everyone woozy from inhaling fumes.  The silver wreath below is accented with pearls and cardinals – truly a winter wonderland.

The Garden Club of the Back Bay’s wreath project heartbeat is the Assignment Desk, where decorators receive instructions enabling them to create the beautiful wreaths we sell.  The ladies at the desk must control a number of matters – they decide which wreaths are done in what order, give out the precious assignment tags and record who is doing each wreath, coordinate the bow selection if a client has chosen a specific ribbon, take in new orders, collect late payments, and oversee quality control.  There is rarely a lull.  Periodically they update the room on the number of wreaths completed, and most importantly, the number of wreaths still to be done.  When delivery deadlines approach, they make sure the wreaths are upstairs for loading or pick up. Pictured below is member Judith Fleming holding a special order (extra large) wreath destined for the lobby at 180 Beacon Street while the desk determines if the wreath is ready for its close-up.

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