The Garden Club of the Back Bay

On Sunday, September 19, from 1:30 pm – 4:00 pm, Wellesley College Visiting Scholar Katie Griffith will lead a hike part way around Lake Waban to look at different species of trees and shrubs co-existing.  Meet for this free program at the Wellesley College Botanic Garden.  Pre-registration is required (781-283-3094, or email horticulture@wellesley.edu), and please dress appropriately for going outdoors.

Learn all about fungi with a focus on those commonly called mushrooms on Saturday, September 18, from 1 – 3, at Berkshire Botanical Garden in Stockbridge, MA. This enormous and diverse group of plants is found in the wild during the fall months. The most common poisonous and edible mushrooms will be illustrated and described. A variety of fungi will be on display supplemented with slides of other commonly found mushrooms. Participants will explore a nearby wood and hunt for mushrooms. This Berkshire Botanical Garden class is not sufficient for learning how to identify wild edible mushrooms. John Wheeler is current president of the Berkshire Mycological Society. He has taught mycology at Simons Rock College of Bard. He has been an avid amateur for over twenty years. Dress for outdoors – participants car pool to a short walk. $18 BBG members, $24 non-members. Call 413-298-3926, or register on line at www.berkshirebotanical.org.

Tower Hill Botanic Garden, 11 French Drive, Boylston, Massachusetts, will present instructor Betsy Williams of The Proper Season on Saturday, September 25, from 10 – 1, for a class entitled Herbs for the Kitchen: Preserving Summer’s Herbs.  Now, while gardens and farm stands are brimming with fresh herbs, is the time to prepare for winter cooking and holiday gift giving.  Imagine lining your cupboard shelves with jewel toned bottles of herb vinegars, golden brown herb mustard and sparkling jars of herb jellies.  Picture containers of herb butters, bags of rosemary walnuts and jars of herb pesto filling a corner of your freezer.  Not enough time?  Too much work?  Not true!  These delicious enhancements to daily meals are quickly and easily made.  Learn how to dry or freeze herbs and how to make mustard, butters, vinegars, jellies, flavored nuts and pesto with fresh herbs.  Students will sample each recipe demonstrated and then make an herb vinegar, herb mustard and herb butter to take home.  Fee of $54 for Tower Hill members, $60 for non members includes the cost of food, supplies and a copy of Betsy’s book, Mrs. Thrift’s Cupboard, a collection of tried and true herbal recipes for the time-challenged cook.  To register, log on to www.towerhillbg.org.

Glenbrook Garden is holding an Herban (get it?) Learning Adventures Workshop on Saturday, September 18, beginning at 9:30 am at 56 Glenbrook Drive, Greenfield, Massachusetts .  You may choose four workshops out of eight offerings.  During the first hour, pick “Corn Cob Wreaths” or “Aroma Tamer.”  Next, classes will be held to teach “Herbal Angels” or “Italian Kitchen.”  Third up is “Hydrangea Wreath” or “Secret Boxes.” The session ends with “Grass Swag” or “Herb & Flower Weaving.”  $70.00 fee, which includes the costs of materials used in instruction.  You will take home what you have made as part of the workshop. Each participant will be given written information about what they have learned, and you will enjoy an herbal lunch. Send a check made out to Stockbridge Farm to Stockbridge Farm, 18 Stockbridge Road, South Deerfield, MA 01373, and be sure to include your telephone number and email address.  You will receive an email or phone confirmation upon receipt.  You may learn more by calling 413-665-6918, by emailing info@stockbridgeherbs.com, or by logging on to  www.stockbridgeherbs.com.

In this four day seminar taught on location at the Natick Community Organic Farm, 117 Eliot Street, Natick, and in the studio in nearby South Natick, learn to paint economic plants grown locally.  Take your observations from the farm’s fields back to the studio to portray the plants in drybrush watercolor.  Sarah Roche’s expert instruction will fine tune your drawings to be botanically accurate and expand your watercolor skills to capture textures and tones and the vibrant colors of fruits, vegetables, and foliage. Your paintings will look good enough to eat.  See her painting of hops, below, courtesy of The Copley Society. Watercolor and drawing experience required. Foundations or equivalent course required. Work at your own skill level in this class for advanced beginners to experienced watercolor artists, sponsored by the Wellesley College Friends of Horticulture.  $250/$300 – to register, log on to www.wellesley.edu/WCFH.

On Wednesday, September 22, MassHort and the Perennial Plant Association are teaming up to offer a day-long seminar titled, Exploring Design, Plant Selection, and Maintenance of the Mixed Border. Some of the best writers and creative plantsmen in the business will be here, and you’re invited to listen, learn and ask questions.

The speakers include Adrian Bloom (of Blooms of Bressingham); Kirk Brown, national director for the Garden Writers Association; Kerry Mendez, author of The Ultimate Gardener’s Top Ten Lists; Laura Deeter, professor at the Agricultural Technical Institute (ATI), The Ohio State University; Roy Diblik, co-owner of Northwind Perennial Farm located in Burlington, Wisconsin; and Brent Heath, co-owner with his wife, Becky, of Brent and Becky’s Bulbs.

The Program Schedule:

8:00 am – 8:45 am – Registration

9:00 am – 10:00 am – Sustainability and the American Dream, Kirk Brown, Joanne Kostecky Garden Design of Allentown, Pennsylvania

The United States is currently the single largest user of energy on the planet. Since GIs returned from WWII, we have been a nation of extremely successful consumers. When the oil spigots run dry, the bright lights of retailing dim, and the bank account’s empty, will we be able to adapt our search for the biggest and best? Kirk Brownwill disucss how we can we prepare our children and grandchildren for a world that should leave us naturally richer and ecologically healthier.

10:00 am – 10:30 am -  Break and Visit to the Elm Bank Gardens

10:30 am – 11:30 am – Designing for Four Seasons of Color – Hit the Easy Button,  Kerry Mendez, Perennially Yours, Ballston Spa, New York

Kerry Mendez will show you the tricks of the trade for having the WOW factor in your garden month after month with smart plant selection, design tips, and surefire maintenance shortcuts. And because it will be low maintenance, you will finally be able to ‘ease’ back in the ‘easy’ chair. Kerry is a “passionate perennialist” with more than 20 years of hands-on experience. As a garden consultant, designer, writer, teacher and lecturer, Kerry specializes in low-maintenance garden and landscape design that includes perennials, ornamental grasses, flowering shrubs, bulbs, and no-fuss annuals.

11:30 am – 12:30 pm – Bulbs as Companion Plants,  Brent Heath, Brent & Becky’s Bulbs, Gloucester, Virginia

Brent Heath will illustrate the best of the best – the right bulbs for the right spots. He will show how to combine bulbs, perennials, annuals, ground covers and flowering shrubs to create just the feeling you want to generate four seasons of color in your garden.

12:30 pm – 1:30 pm – Lunch

1:30 pm – 2:30 pm – Bloom’s Best Perennials and Grasses: Expert Plant Choices and Dramatic Combinations for Year-Round Gardens
Adrian Bloom, Bloom’s Nurseries Ltd,  Norfolk, England

From his long experience on both sides of the Atlantic in using hardy perennials and grasses together and with other plants for year round effect, Adrian Bloom will highlight some plants of great value for gardeners. He particularly believes there is much in the phrase less is more which can apply to the early or beginner gardener, and will develop his theme through 12 specially selected perennials and grasses for year-round interest.

2:30 pm – 3:00 pm – Break and Visit to the Elm Bank Gardens

3:00 pm – 4:00 pm – Perennial Plant Communities: The Know Maintenance Approach™,  Roy Diblik, Northwind Perennial Farm, Burlington, Wisconsin

Roy Diblik’s thoughtful way to design perennial plantings welcomes fresh contemporary styles and plant diversity integrated with responsible maintenance concerns. Using a selection of regionally dependable perennials, endless natural plant patterns can be constructed, each relating to time and cost to maintain. Roy has been growing plants for more than 25 years. Recently, Roy was the plant purchasing coordinator for the Lurie Garden in Chicago’s Millenium Park, growing 11,000 of the plants at Northwind. He was also very involved in the installation of the garden. He also installed the Sullivan Arch Garden for the modern wing of the Art Institute in Chicago.

4:00 pm – 5:00 pm – Bringing Your Perennials Up Right,  Dr. Laura Deeter, ATI Ohio State University, Wooster, Ohio

The day’s final speaker will be Dr. Laura Deeter,  whose lecture is entitled Bringing Your Perennials Up Right. Are you the parents of unruly toddlers, aggressive or lazy teenagers, or are your babies closer to middle age and just aren’t the same anymore? Perhaps they simply aren’t living up to their full potential. Learn how to make your perennial babies work for you! Laura will provide a fun and lively romp through perennial maintenance!

Registration Fee: $95/person before September 14. $110/person after September 14.  This price includes lunch.  You may register on line at www.masshort.org, or call 614-771-8431.

In these 3 workshops at the Boston Center for Adult Education that can be taken individually or as a group on Saturday, September 25, students will learn how to select and design fresh flowers for a wedding. This will help save money, add a personal touch, and provide a creative unique experience on your wedding day.

Whether a centerpiece or a full wedding: wearable flowers, church or ceremony flowers, table flowers, bridal bouquets, you will cover all basic techniques. Instructor Laurie Marino will also provide complimentary phone support for questions after class.

Planning for your wedding? Your choice of flowers will enhance the uniqueness of the day. This workshop will cover seasonal considerations, themes, colors, and styles.

Hand-tied bouquets are one of the most popular and modern styles today. Using fresh flowers, ribbon, and embellishments to construct a unique bridal bouquet. This design is also used for bride’s maids and maid of honor bouquets. Step by step instructions will assist you in taking home a beautiful and fragrant bouquet.

This workshop will also discuss cascades and traditional bouquets. Pictures, recipes and secrets of a pro’s will be shared. Each workshop is priced at $38 plus $20 materials fee ($33 if a BCAE member). For complete descriptions of each workshop, log on to www.bcae.org.

Explore the different habitats of Plum Island with the New England Wild Flower Society and Instructor Frances Marsh on Sunday, September 19, from 9:30 am – 2:00 pm, and learn what grows where and why. We will investigate the salt marsh, dune, and beach communities, concentrating on forty to fifty distinctive (to the botanist’s eye) plant species. And if we see a bird or two, we will look at them as well. Bring a 10x hand lens, Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide, lunch, water, and if you have them, binoculars.  $36 for NEWFS members, $41 for non members.  Register at www.newfs.org – class limited to 15.

As a follow up to The New England Wild Flower Society’s spring course, “Wildflowers of New England,” this class highlights flora in the last stages of the growing season.

What fruits have been produced by spring wildflowers and how are they dispersed? What flowers are blooming in the fall and why? Which pollinators are active? The program includes a walk in the Garden, a power-point presentation to further illustrate the key points, and samples for dissection and close observation. References for fruits and winter ID provided. Bring Newcomb’s Wild Flower Guide and a 10x hand lens. $36 NEWFS member/$42 nonmember.  For more information, log on to www.newfs.org.

Trees are the dominant plant type of New England, with forests covering most of the land area. This six session New England Wild Flower Society and Arnold Arboretum survey course beginning Tuesday, September 28, taught by Karen Sebastian, addresses identification and natural history of individual species as well as forest ecology. Since understanding today’s forests requires familiarity with their history, we will review the changing landscape from the Ice Age through European settlement. Students learn to identify native New England trees and their habitats, to recognize different aged stands (pioneer, second growth, and other growth) and become familiar with forest communities of the northeastern temperate region. We’ll consider the natural conditions and human disturbance factors that produce different forest associations. Weekend field trips take us to a variety of forest types off-site. Bring a bag lunch and water for the field trips.  The fee is $176 for members of NEWFS or the Arboretum, and $204 for nonmembers.  For the complete schedule, log on to www.newfs.org.

Learn the art and craft of mosaics using natural colored pebbles. This Berkshire Botanical Garden two day workshop on Saturday and Sunday, September 11 and 12, will cover mosaic techniques on a 3 dimensional object. Consider materials, including adhesives, grout, mosaic materials and base surface. Participants will explore various design concepts for producing both abstract and patterned designs. Following a demonstration, complete a flower pot mosaic using techniques learned. (Students will let projects set overnight and complete them the following day. For those unable to attend the follow up session, instructions and material will be provided to finish at home.)

Judy Boschetti is an Educator at Berkshire Botanical Garden. She instructs youth activities at the Garden and is a serious home gardener. She is experienced in a wide range of garden crafts including mosaic making.  The cost ($40 for BBG members, $45 for non members) includes materials.  Bring heavy rubber gloves.  This workshop is suitable for beginners.  To register, log on to www.berkshirebotanical.org.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 Arnold Arboretum, in collaboration with the Wellesley College Friends of Horticulture, offers a two day workshop on Saturday, August 21 and Sunday, August 22, from 9:30 to 3:30 each day at the Wellesley College Botanic Garden in Wellesley, Massachusetts. Focus in on a flower blossom and record your observations as an attention grabbing enlargement. Under the guidance of Jeanne Kunze, draw the blossom magnified to show shape and form. See flowers in a new way and record detail not possible not possible at a smaller scale. Increase your ability to infuse subtle nuances and detail into your drawing. For beginners as well as more advanced artists. Develop confidence in your observation and illustration skills through Jeanne’s class demonstrations, individual teaching moments and directed practice. For beginners as well as more advanced artists. Bring your own lunch or walk to local shops.

Fee $150 member, $190 nonmember of either the Arboretum or WCBG.  To register online, log on to www.arboretum.harvard.edu.

Noted horticulturalist and all-around great speaker Laura Eisner offers terrific advice about Gardening in the Shade, tonight at Elm Bank, 900 Washington Street in Wellesley. According to Yankee Magazine, there are 25 billion trees in New England, and at any given time, some of them are shading your garden. Laura will shed some light, so to speak, on how to achieve great color, texture and form in a shaded environment. Shade gardening isn’t limited to hosta: she’ll discuss specific cultivars and techniques that will allow you to achieve a dazzling multi-season display. $8 for Mass Hort members, $10 for non members, and please bring cash or a check. Refreshments will be offered. For more information log on to www.masshort.org.

Learn the basics of harvesting, processing, cleaning, and storing a wide spectrum of native plant seeds in this hands-on workshop on Saturday, August 28, from 9 – 1 at The New England Wild Flower Society’s Nasami Farm in Whately, Massachusetts. Start with a discussion about the timing of collection, plant identification, determining ripeness, harvesting methods, processing techniques, and proper storage to maintain seed viability. Then venture out into the Nasami Farm Sanctuary for some botanizing and seed collection. Return indoors where we try our hands at cleaning and processing various types of seeds. Bring home the seeds that you clean, and learn first hand the tremendous benefits that seed-saving brings to the willing gardener.  Fee is $49 for NEWFS members and $57 for nonmembers.  Register for Kate Pawling’s class at www.newfs.org.