The Garden Club of the Back Bay

The long, warm days of midsummer are perfect for enjoying the beautiful natural landscape and unpretentious gardens of Sweden.  American Horticultural Society host John Floyd, along with Tour Escort Antonia Lloyd Owen of Specialtours, will take you on a journey from Uppsala – home of botanist Carl Linneaus – to Stockholm, Gothenburg, and Lund, taking in the formal gardens of historic castles as well as a variety of contemporary gardens.  For complete itinerary and information, call 866-627-6621, or visit www.ahs.org.  Picture below of Uppsala University Botanical Garden.

For the past few years, Wellesley College Friends of Horticulture docent Vivi Leavy has recorded the blooming of greenhouse flowers—showstoppers as well as those easily overlooked, in her task of updating the “What’s in Bloom” board in the Visitor Center. Come for a great photo tour of the greenhouses in bloom on Monday, February 27 and to hear Vivi’s stories of her favorites from the collection. Tea will be served at 2 pm, followed by the tour and talk. WCFH members $10, non-members $15. Register at www.wellesley.edu/WCFH.

Join Charley Eiseman from Northern Naturalists for an afternoon of tracking at Rocky Woods in Medfield, Massachusetts on Saturday, January 14 from 12 – 3. Participants will search for signs of local mammal species, from mink to moose. Immersion in the tracking experience will allow both beginners and experienced trackers to expand their skills. By looking at the footprints and other traces that animals leave behind, we will investigate the interactions taking place across the landscape. This will be an excellent opportunity to learn from each other about mammals, insects, winter plant identification, bird vocalizations, and other natural history tidbits.  Pre-registration required – call 508-785-0339, or email charlesrivervalley@ttor.org. Photo from www.myworldwithaview@blogspot.com.

A trip to the Mediterranean is planned by the Pacific Horticulture Society and the Northwest Horticultural Society April 14 – 24, led by Sofia Barroso, and escorted by Katherine Greenberg. Join them for a spring tour of Mallorca, where you have invitations to visit spectacular private gardens and art collections.
The tour will take you from the lovely patios of Palma to elegant country estates and charming seaside villages. You will also explore the island of Menorca, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve with fascinating archaeological sites and distinctive architecture. Along the way, experience the generous hospitality, regional cuisine, and scenic beauty of the Balearic Islands.

Tour escort Katherine Greenberg is a garden designer with a special interest in Mediterranean gardens. She is a past president of Pacific Horticulture Society and the Mediterranean Garden Society (MGS). Katherine studied at the University of Madrid, and she has led a number of tours to Spain with a focus on gardens, culture, and cuisine. During her term as president of the MGS, she started a branch of the Society in Mallorca.  This tour is planned for a small group. Early reservations are encouraged.  Image of a garden in Palma shown below is from the excellent website www.onbotanicalphotography.blogspot.com. The complete trip itinerary is available online: http://www.sterlingtoursltd.com/Mallorca2012.html.

Step back in time to a world of colonial mansions, antebellum homes, and peaceful public squares shaded by ancient live oaks. Experience the beauty and charm of America’s only tea garden and taste freshly-brewed American Classic Tea. This Pacific Horticulture Tour escorted by Greg Graves, President of the Pacific Horticulture Society, is timed for peak bloom of magnolias, daffodils, iris, camellias, early azaleas, and roses…and so much more. The Savannah walking tour features the home and garden featured in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.  You will have exclusive access to many private gardens not open to the public in both Charleston and Savannah.  For a complete brochure, call Sterling Tours at 800-976-9497, or visit www.sterlingtoursltd.com/Charleston2012.html.  Image below by Gina from www.antique-art-garden.blogspot.com.

Peggy Coonley invites you to join her annual tour of  The Gardens of England and the Chelsea Flower Show 2012, a thoughtful itinerary  created for savvy women travelers who appreciate the culture of classic Britain.  You will visit notable beloved English gardens and The Royal Horticultural Society’s famous Chelsea Flower Show on RHS Member’s only day.  The itinerary is artfully arranged to include Sissinghurst in Kent and Hidcote in The Cotswolds, two of the world’s beloved gardens.  You will visit The Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art at Kew, take a docent led tour at Wisley, and relish your visit to Scotney Castle and Great Dixter.  We take Tea at The Ritz in London and attend the theatre.  Women who love to garden will be inspired by England’s pastoral beauty, history and the pure pleasure of taking time for tea.  Whether yours is a secret garden behind a wall, a wildflower meadow open to the sea or a courtyard plot in the urban landscape, you will be enchanted.  Serendipity Traveler takes time to savour classic British country living, the history and diverse landscapes of London, Kent, Bath and The Cotswolds. This trip is for women who appreciate the fine art of traveling well with a smaller group. For complete details please call Serendipity Traveler’s President, Peggy Coonley in Rockport, Mass. 978 879 7464 or reserve easily online at  www.serendipitytraveler.com.

Garden Club of the Back Bay featured speaker Rich Pomerantz is teaming up with past Garden Club of the Back Bay member Peggy Connors for a trip to Costa Rica February 18 – 26, with an optional extension February 26 – 29 to Tortuguero.  See and photograph rainforests, cloud forests, beaches, the central market in San Jose, tropical gardens at Dota, the Wilson Botanical Gardens in San Vito, pictured below, and you’ll take a motorboat ride in Golfito.

Rich lectures about photography and teaches photography workshops at the NY Botanical Gardens, the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, and at Botanical Gardens around the country for trade organizations and private groups, and at his studio.  His photography has appeared in many books and gardening, travel and shelter magazines, including National Geographic for Kids, Traditional Home, Horticulture, Organic Gardening, Travel Holiday, and White Flower Farm catalogues.  His blog on richpomerantz.com was named by Horticulture Magazine as one of 2011′s best gardening blogs.

Peggy Connors has been leading groups to Costa Rica since 1994 when she founded Costa Rica Naturally!  She is the co-founder and past president of the Association of Professional Landscape Designers and founder of Connors Landscape Design, Inc.. a landscape consulting and design firm.

The price per person starts at $2,190, and if you book before December 18 you will receive $100 off – call 800-230-3826, or visit www.costaricanaturally.com for more information.

Join the American Horticultural Society, with host Evelyn Alemanni, on Wednesday, March 21 through Sunday, March 25 for a tour of exciting public landscapes and spectacular private gradens during one of the most colorful months in southern coastal California.  You will stay at the  historic Inn at Rancho Santa Fe in the foothills of Northern San Diego County, pictured below.  Trip highlights include a sneak preview of new plants being introduced to the horticultural trade at the California Spring Trials, a stop at the world-famous Flower Fields to view a stunning display of ranunculus, and a private tour of both the San Diego Zoo Safari Park and the San Diego Botanic Garden.  For more information, contact MacNair Travel by emailing ahs@macnairtravel.com, or call 866-627-6621.

Every year, Beacon Hill attracts the likes of many with its rich history, beauty and culture. As winter fast approaches, the “Hill” will transform into a winter wonderland, with a fresh layer of snow to overlay and brighten the cobblestone sidewalks and antique lamps. On Thursday, December 8th, 2011, the Boston Center for Adult Education (BCAE) is offering guests an intimate look into the exclusive neighborhood with a tour of the historic Nichols House, followed by appetizers and wine at 75 Chestnut.

The Nichols House is a perfect replica of what domestic life would have looked like in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century in this historic neighborhood. It was constructed in 1804 and is one of the earliest structures on Beacon Hill. As one of the most monumental homes in the area, The Nichols House is filled with precious items, accumulated over generations, and on this particular night, it will be beautifully adorned for the holidays!

Following the tour, students will head over to 75 Chestnut, a premier restaurant in Beacon Hill, where they will enjoy the warm and inviting ambiance along with appetizers and paired wine from executive chef Marcus Ripperger. For more information please visit www.BCAE.org, or call 617-267-4430. Tickets are $55 each, and registration is necessary.

The Community Garden Club of Cohasset invites you to its Yuletide 2011 House Tour on Thursday, December 8, from 10 – 4.  Five fully decorated homes will be on display, with a holiday marketplace, complimentary refreshments, celebrations of Christmases past, and new holiday ideas.  Advance tickets $30, day of tour $35.  To reserve, visit www.communitygardenclubofcohasset.org.

Pilgrim Hall Museum’s fifth annual Holiday House Tour on December 3rd and 4th will share some of Plymouth’s finest – and sometimes hidden – architectural gems all dressed up for the holidays. Your tour ranges from private residences in North Plymouth, to the center of town, to wonderful homes down in South Plymouth. Feel the warmth of the holiday season while helping preserve the museum’s superb collection of 17th century artifacts and support its educational programs. Your ticket includes a light lunch at Plymouth Country Club.

Exact locations of houses on the tour are kept confidential until the day of the tour. You MUST pick up the booklet and map that will serve as your ticket (and which reveal the locations of the houses) AT PILGRIM HALL MUSEUM (75 Court Street, Plymouth, MA). The books may be picked up after 9:30 am on the days of the tour. (The houses themselves will NOT open before 10:00 am).  Tickets will NOT be sold at the houses or at Plymouth Country Club.

Lunch at Plymouth Country Club is included with the ticket. Lunch will be served between 11:00 and 2:00 each day (ticket holders are entitled to ONE lunch).  Space is limited, so purchase your tickets early! A discount is also available with advance purchases. Advance ticket orders must arrive at Pilgrim Hall Museum by 3:00 pm Friday, November 19.  Tickets are $40 in advance (November 19 or before) and $45 if purchased after November 19. Tickets are nonrefundable.

Tickets to the House Tour may be purchased by mail. An order form may be printed at www.pilgrimhall.org/HolidayouseTour.htm.

OR
Stop by Pilgrim Hall Museum and pick up a Holiday House Tour brochure!
Pilgrim Hall Museum, 75 Court Street, Plymouth, MA 02360.

This Saturday, November 12, join Polly Hill Arboretum Executive Director Tim Boland for a guided walk through the grounds.  Right now there is much to see, including witch-hazel (Hamamelis virginiana), pictured below, which has begun to bloom.  This Martha’s Vineyard native plant has spidery flowers and a soft fragrance.  The walk begins at 10 am.  This is the first of a winter walk series, which will be held the second Saturday of the month, through March.  Tours run about an hour and begin at the Visitor Center.  Tours are free, although a donation is always appreciated.  For more information, visit www.pollyhillarboretum.org.

The glitter of gold and the sparkle of silver will dazzle you as you tour three magnificent mansions decked out in Yuletide finery. Music, tours, and spectacular decorations highlight the celebration of Christmas at the Newport Mansions. The Preservation Society of Newport County invites you to make holiday memories with your family by visiting The Breakers, The Elms and Marble House this holiday season. For complete information, call 401-847-1000, email info@newportmansions.org, or visit www.newportmansions.org.

Take a guided tour of the state-of-the-art Weld Hill Science and Administration Building at the Arnold Arboretum with Julie Warsowe, Manager of Visitor Education, on either of two dates, Friday October 21 from 1 – 2, or Wednesday, October 26, from 4:30 – 5:30. Learn about some of the cutting edge plant research and explore the “green” building and landscape design. Limit 10 people. Free, but please register at www.arboretum.harvard.edu.

Celebrate the New England harvest with apple cider, a special harvest menu in Twigs Cafe, and locally made products for sale at the Shades of Autumn Arts & Crafts Fair: The Family Celebration of the Fall Harvest Season, at Tower Hill Botanic Garden, 11 French Drive in Boylston, Massachusetts.  The Fair will take place on Columbus Day Weekend, October 8 – 10, from 9 – 5.  Farm animals, displays of garden produce, an arts and crafts market, and taste-testing tours of the heirloom apple orchard will round out the weekend.  Visit www.towerhillbg.org, or call 508-869-6111 for more information.  Photo by Susan Herrmann Lewis, author of Nuts in the Kitchen.

Maples are a great group of plants when it comes to brilliant fall color in shades from gold to orange to fiery red. The Arnold Arboretum is a treasure trove of maples, from common North American species to rare and endangered Asian types. On this walking tour with Nancy Rose, editor of Arnoldia, on Thursday, October 20 from 1 – 2:30, we’ll look at a number of the Arboretum’s special maple accessions in all of their autumn glory.In case of inclement weather, contact 617.384.5209. Meet at the Hunnewell Building. This activity is free, but please sign up at www.arboretum.harvard.edu.

Explore one of Boston’s hidden treasures: a 250 acre Victorian cemetery and arboretum listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and dedicated to nature, art and remembrance.  Every Sunday in October, tour Forest Hills (95 Forest Hills Avenue in Boston) with an expert guide.  On October 2, historian Elise Ciregna will present A Library of Life Stories.  There are more than 100,000 people buried at Forest Hills.  Hear some of their stories and view their monuments – some lavish and dramatic, and others modest or mysterious.  On October 9, social historian Dee Morris explores some fascinating families and their Neighbors.  Forest Hills is made up of many family lots, with entire families laid to rest next to one another.  These lots are next to other ones, creating a neighborhood of Victorian families.  October 16 brings A Visit With E.E. Cummings.  Tour guide Jonathan Clark explores the work and themes of innovative poet E.E. Cummings, whose playful style and daring typography (ee cummings, anyone?) made him one of the most influential poets of the 20th century.  The Women of Forest Hills will be the topic on October 23.  Dee Morris leads visitors through the stories of some of the most celebrated and fascinating women of 19th and 290th century Boston.  A hotbed of feminism and firsts in the Victorian era, Boston gave rise to such pioneers as suffragette and abolitionist Lucy Stone, historian-author Annie Haven Thwing, and others both notable and notorious.  Visit the graves of artists, politicians, School Board activists, even spirit mediums.  Finally, on October 30, there will be the Victorian Spiritualism Tour, just in time for All Hallows’ Eve.  Spiritualists believed that death was a transition to a new form of existence.  People who had “crossed over” could be contacted through seances and spirit guides.  Visit some of the religious leaders and practitioners, as well as skeptics, of this controversial 19th century movement.  Each program is $9, and Forest Hills has free parking and is accessible by T.  For directions and more information, visit www.foresthillstrust.org.

The South End Historical Society will hold the forty-third annual South End House Tour, Private Homes and Public Spaces, on Saturday, October 15th from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. First organized in 1967, the South End House Tour enjoys the distinction of being the oldest continually offered tour of its kind in Boston and features an inside look at restored and renovated townhouses in the largest Victorian row house district in the United States.

The Tour is a perennial favorite of architecture buffs, history enthusiasts, and anyone interested in preservation, restoration and home design. Participants are given a guidebook that includes descriptions of the private homes and a map so that they can design a tour at their own pace. From a sleek and contemporary reinterpretation of a row house to a family-friendly, traditional Victorian home, each of the featured spaces presents a different South End story. “We are particularly excited about this year’s House Tour,” said Hope Shannon, Executive Director. “Whether you are looking for fine historic architectural details, seeking design inspiration, or simply want to get a glimpse of the view from one of the South End’s best located roof decks—there is something for everyone on this tour.”

The Tour was first organized by the South End Historical Society (SEHS) in 1967 to draw attention to the architectural significance of the neighborhood and to inspire others to take on the difficult task of restoring row houses and to advocate for the preservation of this unique urban area.

The SEHS was founded in 1966 to preserve the unique architectural fabric of this unique urban neighborhood. In 1972 their efforts resulted in the South End being placed on the National Register of Historic Places and ultimately its designation as a Boston Landmark District in 1983. Today, the annual House Tour is just one of the ways the SEHS raises funds to continue to encourage and compile research, and to advocate for preservation of these historic buildings, monuments, and public spaces.

Tickets for the Tour are $25 in advance and are available at www.southendhistoricalsociety.org or by calling 617-536-4445. Tickets will also be available on the day of the Tour for $30 each at the Boston Center for the Arts, 539 Tremont Street and at Rondeau-Tierney Real Estate, 69 Appleton Street.

For more information, please contact Hope Shannon at admin@southendhistoricalsociety.org or 617-536-4445.

Tour six barns this Saturday dating from 1790 to 2009 in Weathersfield, Vermont, with local experts Steven Melanson and Willis Wood. Learn about barn history, timber framing, and other construction techniques. Melanson is an architectural historian, preservation consultant, and preservation carpenter. Wood is a longtime member and past president of the Weathersfield Historical Society. During lunch, join Historic New England’s Preservation Stewardship Manager and Vermont native Caitlin Corkins for a discussion about the state Barn Census and the unique grant program that works with private owners to preserve area barns. Co-sponsored by the Weathersfield Historical Society.

Tour begins at 12:15 p.m.  The fee to attend is $10 for Historic New England and Weathersfield Historical Society members, $15 for non-members. For an additional $10 per person, an optional box lunch is available at 11:15 a.m. Lunch will be held across from parking lot on Center Church Road. Bring chair or blanket for seating. Transportation between barns is by bus. Light refreshments follow the tour.

Despite the damage caused in parts of Vermont by Hurricane Irene, our local partner has confirmed that this program can still take place. Registration is required. Please call 978-744-0440 for more information. Purchase tickets now on line at https://shop.historicnewengland.org/p-7321-anatomy-of-a-vermont-barn.aspx.  Photo by Nanci Nutile-McMenemy.

Located five miles from downtown Boston, Fresh Pond Reservation is a green oasis, an urban wild and protective watershed land covering 363 acres.  Designed by the Olmsted Brothers and Charles Eliot, over the past decade this premier open space has undergone major renovation focused upon water quality protection, habitat enhancement, and aesthetic improvement.  The Northeast Sector Project focused on improving a 30 acre section of the Reservation by closely integrating woodland and edge zone management with innovatively designed features such as a two acre constructed stormwater treatment wetland, butterfly meadow, community garden, soccer field, and new and improved walking paths.  The project received an Honor Award for Reclamation and Restoration from the Boston Society of Landscape Architects.  On Thursday, October 13, from 3 – 5, join project designer and tour guide Thomas Benjamin for an insider tour of the project’s planning and installation.  The tour is sponsored by the Ecological Landscaping Association, and you may register ($20 ELA members, $25 non members) on line at www.ecolandscaping.com, or by calling 617-436-5838.