The Garden Club of the Back Bay

Is your bookshelf overloaded with gardening books? Does it include books you haven’t looked at in years, or maybe ever? Are there other titles you wish you had, or are you thinking of trying something new in your garden and would like to read up on it? Come to the 2nd annual Tower Hill Library Gardening Book Swap on Saturday, March 24, from 10 – 4, at 11 French Drive in Boylston.

How does it work? Very informally! You cull gardening books and journals in good condition from your collection and bring them to the Tower Hill Library; then you look through the materials others have brought and choose a few you can use. You get to clear out things you no longer need and get something new (to you at least)! What could be better?

Please contact the Library (508-869-6111 x116) if you have any questions or wish to arrange drop offs before Saturday, March 24th. Free with admission ($12 adults, $9 seniors, $7 youth). For directions, visit www.towerhillbg.org.

Beautify your home and your neighborhood. The Garden Club of the Back Bay is celebrating its 50th anniversary by planting 50 magnolia trees in the Back Bay. We’re calling the project “50 for 50.”

The Garden Club of the Back Bay has been helping our neighbors plant magnolia trees for almost our entire history. In 1963, Laura Dwight led the first magnolia planting along Commonwealth Avenue, creating the spectacular display of pink blossoms we still enjoy today. In 1995, we oversaw a second planting of more than 40 young ‘Leonard Messel’ magnolias, augmenting Back Bay’s spring display of flowering trees.

In 2012-2013, we will celebrate our 50th anniversary by sponsoring the sale and planting of 50 ‘Moon Glow’ white magnolia trees. These specially grown nursery trees will be about 7′ tall when they arrive. Because these trees were purchased in bulk, they are available at a special, discounted price of $500 per tree, which includes planting by an arborist. The actual retail value is nearly double that price. The trees will be planted in the spring of 2013.

Just 50 trees will be available for sale. The club will arrange for an arborist to plant the trees in front gardens with an open site. The club will also subsidize the planting of magnolias in other open sites in the neighborhood.  To view our brochure and print an order form, click here.

The Middlesex Conservation District, a not for profit environmental and conservation group in Westford, MA, will be holding their annual Spring Plant Sale on April 27 (3-6 pm) and 28 (8am – noon) at the 4H Fairgrounds in Westford. All items may be ordered in advance through March 30 and picked up on the two sale days. The complete catalog may be accessed at www.middlesexconservation.org. The sale includes tree and shrub seedlings, perennials, fruits, groundcovers, and garden supplies. Proceeds help protect soils and waters in Middlesex County.

Join The Society of Arts and Crafts this year for a special Steampunk focus, at Craftboston Spring 2012.  Steampunk is the fusion of Victorian era aesthetics mixed with modern day technology, incorporating elements of either science fiction or fantasy. Want to learn more about this new craze? Arrive for Steampunk Sunday, featuring demos and a lecture. Make sure to wear your best steampunk outfit (see below)  to get $5 off at the door.

Spring Dates and Hours
Friday March 23, 2012 10am -6pm
Saturday March 24, 2012 10am -6pm
Sunday March 25, 2012 11am -5pm

Spring Location
Seaport World Trade Center
200 Seaport Blvd
Boston, Massachusetts 02210

General Admission is $15, Seniors $13, SAC members $12, and children under 12 free. For more information, visit www.societyofcrafts.org.

AD 20/21: Art & Design of the 20th & 21st Centuries, featuring 50 Select Exhibitors offering modern to contemporary fine art, photography, jewelry, vintage and contemporary studio furniture, decorative arts, sculpture, fine prints, drawings and more at the only show and sale of its kind in New England, takes place at The Cyclorama, Boston Center for the Arts, 539 Tremont Street in Boston, beginning with a gala preview party Thursday, March 15 to benefit Boston Architectural College. Weekend hours are Friday, 1 – 8, Saturday, 11 – 8, and Sunday, 11 – 5. Standard admission $15, children under 12 free.

On Friday, special guest speaker Vicente Wolf will present a talk on the infusion of global design and style into his work, and will sign copies of his books Lifting the Curtain on Design and Crossing Boundaries: A Global Vision of Design. The talk begins at 1:30. On Saturday at 3, join panelists Richard Baiano, President of Childs Gallery, Judith Bookbinder, author of Boston Modern: Figurative Abstraction as Alternative Modernism, and Katherine French, Executive Director of the Danforth Museum and School of Art, for a lively exchange moderated by Judith Tolnick Champa, Editor of Art New England. Immediately following the Boston Expressionism panel, Martha Richardson of Martha Richardson Fine Art, and James Stroud of Center Street Studio will offer informal talks in their exhibition booths, which will both feature works by African American Boston artist John Wilson. Finally, on Sunday at 2, Katherine Mierzwa of the Friends of Modern Architecture/Lincoln offers a fascinating presentation on architect Charles M. Goodman, the 1957 Alcoa Care-Free House in Lincoln, Massachusetts, and the history of aluminum and its important role in mid-20th century modern architecture. For complete information visit www.AD2021.com.

When Donovan Hohn heard of the mysterious loss of thousands of bath toys at sea, he figured he would interview a few oceanographers, talk to a few beachcombers, and read up on Arctic science and geography. Hohn’s accidental odyssey pulls him into the secretive arena of shipping conglomerates, the daring work of Arctic researchers, the lunatic risks of maverick sailors, and the shadowy world of Chinese toy factories. Moby-Duck is a journey into the heart of the sea and an adventure through science, myth, the global economy, and some of the worst weather imaginable.

Donovan Hohn is the recipient of the Whiting Writers’ Award, a 2010 NEA Creative Writing Fellowship, Hopwood Awards in essay and poetry, and a Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Ocean Science Journalism Fellowship. His work has appeared in Harper’s Magazine, The New York Times Magazine, and Outside, among other publications. His January 2007 cover story for Harper’s was included in The Best Creative Nonfiction, Vol. 2, and received honorable mention in The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2008. A former English teacher, and a former senior editor of Harper’s, he is now the features editor of GQ. He lives in New York with his wife and sons. Moby-Duck is his first book. Meet him Thursday, March 8, beginning at 7 pm at Porter Square Books, 25 White Street in Cambridge. For more information, visit www.portersquarebooks.com, or call 617-491-2220.

Join Porter Square Books, 25 White Street in Cambridge, for an author signing and meet and greet with Tamar Adler, author of An Everlasting Meal, this Saturday, March 3, beginning at 4 pm.

“An Everlasting Meal is beautifully intimate, approaching cooking as a narrative that begins not with a list of ingredients or a tutorial on cutting an onion, but with a way of thinking…. Tamar is one of the great writers I know—her prose is exquisitely crafted, beautiful and clear-eyed and open, in the thoughtful spirit of M.F.K. Fisher. This is a book to sink into and read deeply.”
Alice Waters, from the Foreword

“In this beautiful book, Tamar Adler explores the difference between frugal and resourceful cooking. Few people can turn the act of boiling water into poetry. Adler does. By the time you savor the last page, your kitchen will have transformed into a playground, a boudoir and a wide open field. An Everlasting Meal deserves to be an instant and everlasting culinary classic.”
Raj Patel, author of The Value of Nothing

Tamar Adler is a former editor of Harper’s Magazine, the founding head chef of Farm 255 in Athens, Georgia, and cooked at Chez Panisse from 2007-2009. Her book has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, New York Magazine, the Irish Times, the San Francisco Examiner, among other publications. Her writing has appeared in Harper’s Magazine, The New York Times, The New Leader, Mother Jones, Huffington Post, Fine Cooking, Salon.com, Gilt Taste, the Atlantic.com, and more. Tamar lives in Brooklyn, NY.

The event is free. For more information, telephone 617-491-2220, or email ellen@portersquarebooks.com.

The Boston Flower & Garden Show returns to the Seaport World Trade Center Wednesday, March 14 – Sunday, March 18.  Show times each day are 9:00 am – 9:00 pm, with the exception of Sunday, March 18, when the hours are 9:00 am – 6:00 pm.  This year’s theme is “First Impressions” and will feature 25 show gardens, 240 vendors selling plants and garden-related merchandise, free lectures and demonstrations, and a lively amateur competition area.  John Gidding, below, host of HGTV’s hugely popular “Curb Appeal: The Block” will lecture on Friday, March 16, at 11:30 am and again at 2:30 pm.  Learn more at www.TheBostonFlowerShow.com, or telephone 781-237-5533.

Investigate the trend of gardening with plants from around the world, in a demonstration/workshop to be held at Berkshire Botanical Garden on Saturday, February 25, from 1 – 3.  Consider agaves and other succulents as low maintenance patio plants that double as houseplants for the winter months. Learn about orchids and how to care for these exotic beauties. Practical information on selection, cultivation, maintenance and overwintering will be covered, with a focus on keeping plants beautiful and healthy. Students will practice dividing and repotting a variety of specimen plants and take home divisions to grow on. Materials are included in the cost of the workshop (BBG members $37, non-members $45), but please bring gloves, pruners, and a cardboard box to transport your plants home.  Additional plants will be for sale following the class.  To register, visit www.berkshirebotanical.org.

Rob Gennari is a garden designer and owner of Glendale Botanicals, a specialty tropical nursery located in Berkshire County. He uses tropical plants in his design work and has in-depth experience with propagating, growing, and maintaining these plants.

Noanett Garden Club invites you to participate in its annual sale of Noanett “Gold.”

Noanett Garden Club has become well known for the wonderful bright red bags of organic manure that come from a dairy farm in Western Massachusetts. When you purchase bags, you support the club and you also support the farm it buys them from. If you want to “buy local,” Noanett Gold is the way to go! And since many of you and your fellow gardeners have ordered before, you know how good this stuff is. The bags are only $7.00 each, the same price as last year – a true bargain.

This year the order form is available via email only. Email Elaine Fiske at EWF49@comcast.net, or Lin Murray at murrlin@aol.com, for a copy.

For those who need assistance loading their cars, helpers will be available Saturday, April 21st from 10:00am to 12:00pm at the pickup location, 74 Farm Street in Dover. Orders are due by April 1st, and bags will be available for honor system pickup Friday, April 20th – Monday, April 23th.

The Trustees of Reservations (The Trustees) announced that sales of Crane Beach Parking Permits are beginning for the 2012-13 season. This is the second year of the Crane Beach Parking Permit Sticker program, which is designed to offer visitors significant savings on beach parking. Trustees members can purchase a parking sticker for just $50, now through March 16, 2012. After March 16, members can purchase stickers for $75. A 2012–2013 Crane Beach Parking Permit sticker will allow members (and everyone in their vehicle) to park at Crane Beach for no additional charge from May 1, 2012–April 30, 2013, offering a significant savings for frequent beach visitors. Members who purchase their parking permit stickers before March 16th will receive them in the mail in April. Parking permit stickers purchased after March 16 can be picked up at the beach in May. The parking sticker is available exclusively to Trustees members. Membership in The Trustees starts at just $47 per year for individuals ($37 for students and seniors). Individual members may purchase one sticker. Family members ($67 annual contribution) and Contributing members ($125 annual contribution) may purchase up to two stickers. Supporting-level members ($165 annual contribution) and above may request up to two stickers at no additional cost with their membership. Contact The Trustees at www.thetrustees.org/cranebeach.

The Third Rhode Island Compost Conference and Trade Show, organized by the Environment Council of Rhode Island’s Compost Initiative and the Greater Providence Urban Agriculture Task Force, will take place Monday, February 27, from 9 – 3 at Hope Artiste Village on Main Street in Pawtucket, Rhode Island.  For more information visit www.ECORI.org.

The 2012 New England Rose Society Convention will take place Friday, March 23 through Sunday, March 25 at the Best Western Mainstay Inn in Newport, Rhode Island.  This year’s convention will be hosted by the Rhode Island Rose Society.  Enjoy workshops, a rose show, educational programs, and receptions.  For complete information, visit www.arsyankee.org.  Ruby Celebration rose from Apuldram Roses (www.apuldramroses.co.uk)

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.

For complete information, visit www.ecolandscaping.org.

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).

Chinatown Main Street presents a Chinese New Year Flower Market in Chinatown Park (between Beech Street and Essex Avenue) January 19 – 22. During the New Year, flowers are among gifts said to bring good luck. Take a stroll through Chinatown park and pick up some good fortune for yourself or a loved one this year! For the duration of the flower market three large fish Lumieres, by artist William Turville, will be showcased as a symbol of prosperity for the New Year. The light up sculptures are part of FIGMENT lights and the Winter Lights series on the Rose Kennedy Greenway.

What will you find at the indoor farmers’ market? Local farmers grow root crops during the summer, and these can be stored and sold during the winter months. High tunnels and greenhouses make it possible for farmers to provide greens and herbs year round. Additional farm items include meat (beef, chicken, pork & lamb), mushrooms, cheese, eggs, maple products, honey, cornmeal, yarn and other farm fiber goods. The market will also host specialty food vendors selling locally produced pasta, jams, salsa, pickles, granola, gelato, hummus, coffee, hot cocoa, baked goods, root beer, salts & sugars, nuts, sauces & marinades, all-natural dog treats. Seating is available in our lush greenhouse to enjoy gourmet breakfast and lunch. Special events this year include Farm Fiber Days (formerly known as Wool Days) on Saturday 21, and on Saturday, January 28 the second annual Massachusetts Farm Wineries Day, with eight wineries offering samples of their wine. For a complete list of participating farms, visit http://www.russellsgardencenter.com/wayland_winter_mkt.html.

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.

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.