The North Quabbin Garlic and Arts Festival at Forsters Farm,  60 Chestnut Hill Road in Orange, Massachusetts, to be held this year on Saturday and Sunday, October 2 – 3,  is a celebration of the artistic, agricultural and cultural bounty of the region. The purpose of the festival is to unite North Quabbin people whose livelihoods are connected to the land and the arts, and to invite both local residents and those who do not live in the region to experience the richness of an area that is often overlooked. The festival emphasizes what is homegrown and high quality, as well as what helps preserve and support the environment. The festival is an engaging, fun and educational celebration for all ages. Everyone involved-organizers, vendors, volunteers, performers, attendees, a supportive community-makes the festival what it is and we are grateful and look forward to celebrating the richness of our communities for many years to come.

The Agricultural Vendors at the Festival offer amazing, locally grown and produced products that celebrate the bounty of the North Quabbin and surrounding regions. Through on-going demonstrations and workshops you’ll learn to grow your own garlic, experience live honeybees, make an herbal tincture, or delight in a flower garland or wheat weaving. Celebrate this feast of the land, honor the good work of farmers, and rejoice in the harvest season. Don’t forget your shopping bag!

The food vendors at the festival celebrate the bounty of the harvest through their delicious garlic infused creations. Individuals and restaurants that sell food at the festival are committed to culinary creativity and local agriculture. Some vendors are community organizations that raise funds through this event. Many vendors use organic and local ingredients. There is a ‘no polystyrene’ policy, and highlight biodegradable utensils and plates which are composted after the festival. Compostables from past festivals are now fertile soil rather than filling landfills!

The wood fired oven at the Garlic and Arts Festival was built 3 years ago for use at the festival and for the local community. It is used for baking loaf and flat breads like foccacia and pizza and for preparation of many other types of dishes. It can roast and even grill using the coals from the fire in the oven.

The oven is built to an ancient Italian design fundamentally the same as larger ovens that still exist in the Pompei archeological site. There are many thousands of similar ovens in Italy today where backyard cooking and roasting is very popular. There have been similar ovens in many parts of the world for millenia along with other forms such as the pit and open topped ovens in Central and South Asia.  There will be music on two solar powered stages.

A complete list of demonstrations, games, activities, chef demonstrations, family stage productions, and workshops, along with directions, can be found at www.garlicandarts.org. You may also email deb@seedsofsolidarity.org.

Epicurious, the food website we rely upon to find the Gourmet Magazine recipe we remember we used in 1971  when we hosted our first dinner party, or to look up the timing of a fully stuffed 22 pound turkey, is coming to town this Friday, to the Copley Square Farmer’s Market.  Stop by the Epicurious booth, where you can search for recipes on their new iPad app, sample chocolates, and pick up a free eco-friendly tote, perfect for shopping the market.  And if you can’t make it on Friday, you’ll have a second chance to meet the Epicurious folks on Monday, August 9, at City Hall Farmer’s Market. Check out all the new website features at www.epicurious.com.

We’re getting pretty tech savvy here, or at least we think we are.  The Garden Club of the Back Bay now has a Facebook page, and all you have to do to access it is log on to www.facebook.com, and search “Garden Club of the Back Bay.”  This is just another way we’ll try to communicate, not just with our members but with the community at large.  We can promote our events, meetings, wreath sales, grants, plantings and prunings, and our accomplishments in general.  If you are already on Facebook, do become a fan.  If you’re not, it’s easy (and free) to join.

The following  letter has been received by The Garden Club of the Back Bay from Michele Hanss, Chairman of The Boston Committee:

It has come to our attention that the Mounted Unit of the Park Rangers for the City of Boston may be eliminated later this month on June 30th due to cuts in the Parks and Recreation budget. This poses serious consequences primarily affecting the safety of the parks by sharply decreasing the efficiency and effectiveness of the Park Rangers. A number of park related non-profits such as the Friends of Jamaica Pond, Franklin Park Coalition, and the Emerald Necklace Conservancy are working hard to influence the outcome of this and our support is needed right now.

Monies are being raised privately through several sources and you can help by sending contributions to:

The Emerald Necklace Conservancy
891 Centre Street
Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts 02130

Please include in the memo section of your check: horses. If, despite all this effort, the unit does not survive these tough financial times, the checks will be returned. If you have any questions concerning this please e-mail Julia Owens at jowens@ridgewayadvisors.com since she is handling all requests for information.

Thank you for your consideration in supporting our park lands.

Faith Crawford, photographer and designer of this web site, posted some peony pictures on her own website, www.faithcrawford.com, which are quite luscious, and we think you will enjoy them.  A sample is shown below.

All Garden Club of the Back Bay members take note:  our own Susan Juretschke is featured today (May 24) at www.BostonZest.com. Susan is the Club’s Horticulture Chair, and recognition for all the work she does for the neighborhood and our Club is long overdue.   She will also talk about urban gardening in tomorrow’s BostonZest post, so be sure to log on!

Agriculture Deputy Secretary Merrigan has launched a website – “Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food,” and plans a Facebook chat to expand the conversation on local food systems.  The new web pages and on-line tools will help consumers make healthier food choices.  There is a lot on this website to explore. This is a USDA effort to create new economic opportunities by better connecting consumers with local producers. It is also the start of a national conversation about the importance of understanding where your food comes from and how it gets to your plate. Today, there is too much distance between the average American and the farmer, and the USDA hopes to create links. To log on, click on to www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/knowyourfarmer?navid=KNOWYOURFARMER (I know, could they possibly have made that address a little shorter?)

Join The Friends of Titus Sparrow Park for an all day Victorian Spring Jubilee on Saturday, May 22. In honor of Randolph Fuller, whose generous donation made the new fence around Titus Sparrow Fence and the Union United Methodist Church possible, The Friends of Titus Sparrow Park is hosting its grandest event ever!

Inspired by Boston’s 1872 World Peace Jubilee, you will travel back in time and celebrate the official unveiling of the fence with a Victorian festival. Come and learn how to dance to a Johann Strauss, Jr. waltz and be awed by magic tricks from this era. Sensational live music and dance groups will delight the audience  throughout the day while The Wheelmen dazzle you with their historic bicycles. Mayor Menino will make a special appearance to honor Randolph Fuller and his continued dedication to the preservation of Boston’s arts and historic beauty.

10:30-11:00 – Union United Methodist Church Choir
10:30-1:30 – Pony Rides
11:00-12:00 – Period Games
11:00-1:00 – Richard Potter Victorian Magic Act
11:00-1:00 – Wheelmen Association on Vintage Bicycles
11:00-1:00 – Face Painting
11:00-1:00 – Horse Drawn Carriage Rides
11:00-2:30 – Victorian Society Members in Costume
12:00-1:00 – Waltz Lessons & Demonstration
1:00-1:30 – Official Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
1:00-2:30 – The Orchestra of Opera Boston, conducted by Gil Rose, Music Director

The Park is located on 1.5 acres on West Newton Street in the South End, was reopened in 2005.  For a fascinating history of the Park, and its saving, log on to www.titussparrowpark.org.

In connection with the previously reported Nantucket Daffodil Festival, the Nantucket Garden Club, Inc. (member of The Garden Club of America), in conjunction with The American Daffodil Society, Inc., will host the 36th Annual Daffodil Flower Show on Saturday, April 24, from 2 – 5, and on Sunday, April 25, from 10 – 4:30.  The title of this year’s event is Island Lights, and the show organizers encourage entries in horticulture, arrangement and photography.  All entrants are encouraged to use www.daffodilusa.org for assistance in identifying specimens.  For more information, contact Sally Nash at 508-228-4912, or email sally@Polpis.com, or Mary Malavase at 508-221-2093, email mmalavase@comcast.net.  No admission charge.

Gore Place, 52 Gore Street in Waltham, hosts the 23rd Annual Sheepshearing Festival on Saturday, April 24, from 10 – 5.  There will be demonstrations of sheep-shearing, herding dogs, spinning, weaving, and more.  Also enjoy a large crafts fair, live entertainment, wagon rides, historic demonstrators, games and farm animals.  Food vendors will be on site, there is free parking, but unfortunately no dogs are allowed.  The cost is $10 adults, children free.  For more information call 781-894-2798, or email events@goreplace.org.  Directions may be found at www.goreplace.org.  If you’re exceptionally lucky, you may see Kate Pokorny hugging a sheep or two – don’t forget to visit www.yurtalert.com for updates on her crochet dwelling project.

National Park sites across the nation will be open free of charge Saturday, April 17 – Sunday, April 25, celebrating National Park Week.  Fitness is the theme for this year’s event.

There will be hundreds of family friendly events on Saturday, April 24, for National Junior Ranger Day. Each child participating in Junior Ranger activities will receive a certificate, patch, or pin. Other National Park Week highlights include the 40th anniversary of Earth Day and the 75th anniversary of the nation’s most visited national park,  the Blue Ridge Parkway. Normally, 146 of 392 national parks charge entrance fees ranging from $3 to $25. The other 246 do not charge for admission.

The fee free waiver for National Park Week does not include other fees such as fees charged for camping, and concessions. For more information, log on to www.nps.gov.

On Tuesday April 6th, please join the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics for a free book club Webinar featuring the “fascinating and frightening,” “cheeky” and “hard-hitting” new book, Slow Death By Rubber Duck.  RSVP now for this free Webinar (which, by the way, is an interactive presentation over the phone and online) on Tuesday, April 6 at 5 p.m. Pacific/8 p.m. Eastern.

Studies show that harmful toxic chemicals are common in household items, including rubber ducks and bubble bath, and that many of these chemicals are also found inside of our bodies. Over a four-day period, Slow Death By Rubber Duck authors Rick Smith and Bruce Lourie used every day household products suspected of causing harm to our ecosystem and to human health. By revealing the pollution load in their bodies before and after the experiment, Rick and Bruce tell a unique inside story of common toxins and body burden.

On the April 6 Webinar, author and Executive Director of Environmental Defense Canada Rick Smith will read from Slow Death By Rubber Duck, and together we’ll discuss toxic chemicals found in products as common as hand soap and what you can do to protect your family and the planet.

All you need to join is a phone, a computer with Internet access and an interest in making the world less toxic. Simply RSVP online, an the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics will e-mail you the call-in info and the Web address so you can see the slides during the reading and discussion.

Can’t make the Webinar on April 6? No worries – the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics is going to record it and make it available through a link on its web site later on. See what Oprah.com and The Washington Post had to say about Slow Death By Rubber Duck.

Yes, you read that right – Garden & Gun.  At first  we thought “Joke”, but in fact the editors say Garden & Gun is a Southern lifestyle magazine that’s all about the magic of the new South – sporting culture, food, music, art, literature, and naturally, gardens.  You can read all about it at www.gardenandgun.com.  A number of Southern landscape designers are profiled in back issues.  We wonder what a New England equivalent publication could be named?  Suggestions welcome at info@gardenclubbackbay.org.

Focusing on the Flower Show theme of A Feast for the Senses, Hilda Morrill, founder of bostongardens.com, will share some of the special gardens she has enjoyed in her world travels in a talk to be held in the Lecture Hall of the Seaport World Trade Center, 200 Seaport Boulevard, at 5 pm on Wednesday, March 24.  The lecture is free with admission to the Boston Flower & Garden Show.  For more information on the show, log on to www.TheBostonFlowerShow.com.

The second annual awards program sponsored by Garden Design magazine reveals the exciting moment when great design meets ecological responsibility.  Smart water and energy use, repurposing, recyclables, natives and organics, and other earth friendly innovations will be recognized.  Designers and companies owning designs are eligible to enter.  Entries must highlight key “green” components and should not have previously appeared in national publication.  Your entry should include a completed entry form (print at www.gdgreenawards.com), ten uploaded images with captions showing all parts of the completed project, and a single paragraph summary of the project.  There is a $50 fee per entry.  Winners will be published in the January/February 2011 issue of Garden Design.  Deadline for entry is May 1, 2010.

On Saturday, March 27, at 8:30 pm Eastern Time, plan to participate in Earth Hour. On Earth Hour, hundreds of millions of people around the world will come together to call for action on climate change by doing something quite simple – turning off their lights for one hour.  The movement symbolizes that by working together, each of us can make a positive impact in this fight, protecting our future and that of future generations.   Since its inception three years ago, Earth Hour’s non-partisan approach has captured the world’s imagination and become a global phenomenon.  Nearly one billion people turned out their lights for Earth Hour 2009, involving 4,100 cities in 87 countries on seven continents.  Earth Hour will once again cascade around the globe, from New Zealand to Hawaii. To learn more, and to see videos of what Earth Hour looks like, log on to www.myearthhour.org.  The Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway will participate, as well as over 300 US cities.

Sentinel and specimen trees, allees and boulevards, hedgerows and urban forests – they surround us and are living reminders of our heritage.  In order to honor and help preserve our country’s heritage of trees, The Cultural Landscape Foundation and Garden Design Magazine are teaming up with The Davey Tree Expert Company for the 2010 Landslide: Every Tree Tells a Story.

Since its inception in 2003, the landslide initiative has spotlighted more than 150 significant at-risk parks, gardens, horticultural features, and working landscapes.  The goal of Landslide is to draw immediate and lasting attention to these threatened landscapes and unique features, revealing the value of everyday places and encouraging informed community-based stewardship decisions. Through web features, traveling exhibits, and print publications, Landslide reveals the value of these forgotten places.

An example of an at- risk garden selected by Landslide is The Italian Garden designed by Winthrop Ames at Queset, in North Easton, Massachusetts (pictured below circa 1920). Abandoned for generations, this ruined garden is a silent testament to Edwardian era bon vivants and the Golden Age of American gardens,   This year’s theme calls attention to the places that embody our shared landscape heritage.  Nominate or learn more by visiting www.tclf.org/landslide.  Deadline for nominations is March 31, 2010.

Planning is a critical component of getting a good yield from your garden.  Which varieties should you choose?  Which seeds do you start indoors and which do you sow directly?  What is organic seed?  What is open pollination?  Join the folks at Allandale Farm, 259 Allandale Road, Brookline, on Saturday, February 27 from 10:30 – 11:30 am for coffee and an in-depth discussion of seeding for your home garden.  You’ll hear about what to start when, successive planting strategies, good container vegetable varieties (especially important for city dwellers), and more.  The experts will share some of their favorite resources for seeds and talk about equipment, from bare bones to more involved set-ups.  Bring your questions and comments, and get started on your 2010 garden!  Free.  Email allandale@allandalefarm.com to sign up.  Thank you to www.bostonzest.com for the tip on the Allandale Farm website, www.allandalefarm.com.  Photo of John Lee  below courtesy of Boston.com.

The 13th annual Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) will be held from February 12 – 15th, 2010. The GBBC is an annual four-day event that engages bird watchers of all ages in counting birds to create a real-time snapshot of where the birds are across the continent and in Hawaii.

Each checklist submitted by these “citizen scientists” helps researchers at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society learn more about how the birds are doing—and how to protect them and the environment we share. Last year, participants turned in more than 93,600 checklists online, creating the continent’s largest instantaneous snapshot of bird populations ever recorded.

Anyone can take part in the Great Backyard Bird Count, from novice bird watchers to experts. Participants count birds for as little as 15 minutes (or as long as they wish) on one or more days of the event and report their sightings online at www.birdcount.org.

Bird populations are always shifting and changing. For example, 2009 GBBC data highlighted a huge southern invasion of Pine Siskins across much of the eastern United States. Participants counted 279,469 Pine Siskins on 18,528 checklists, as compared to the previous high of 38,977 birds on 4,069 checklists in 2005. Failure of seed crops farther north caused the siskins to move south to find their favorite food.

On the www.birdcount.org website, participants can explore real-time maps and charts that show what others are reporting during the count. The site has tips to help identify birds and special materials for educators. Participants may also enter the GBBC photo contest by uploading images taken during the count. Many images will be featured in the GBBC website’s photo gallery. All participants are entered in a drawing for prizes that include bird feeders, binoculars, books, CDs, and many other great birding products.

For more information about the GBBC, visit www.birdcount.org. Or contact the Cornell Lab of Ornithology at (800) 843-2473 or (outside the U.S., call (607) 254-2473) or GBBC at Cornell University, or Audubon at Citizen Science at the Audubon Society or (202) 861-2242 ext 3050.

The Great Backyard Bird Count is made possible, in part, by generous support from Wild Birds Unlimited.

You will see a new link on the right hand side of our home page, directing you to www.bostonparks.org, a just launched web site which is part of a strategy to formalize the connections among park volunteers and advocates across Boston, and will provide tools and resources for helping members connect with one another.  Website resources will include an online discussion board that makes it easy to have conversations about topics of interest to park volunteers and advocates, a calendar, and soon, a member directory.

Boston Park Advocates (BPA) is a growing, volunteer-based, citywide network of active park stakeholders who are the champions for Boston’s parks and open spaces.  It is a diverse and broad based constituency of individuals and organizations that collectively use and care about Boston’s open spaces because green spaces enrich our lives immeasurably, with both their beauty and functionality. These places are our parks, playgrounds and athletic fields, our streets, sidewalks and bikeways, our community gardens, and our beaches, greenways, urban wilds and reservations.

The goal of the network is to connect and unify Boston’s diverse park and community stakeholders. BPA aims to build  capacity, share resources and information, raise public awareness, and strengthen the collective impact of its network members to influence public park policy and increase support for the range of urban parks and open spaces.  Membership is free – register on the web site for notification of future meetings and events.