Here are some classes and field trips sponsored by the New England Wild Flower Society that may be of interest:
Mondays, November 2, 9, 16, (no class Nov 23) 30, December 7, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
A Garden in Your Mind’s Eye, at Arnold Arboretum, Jamaica Plain, MA. Garden design incorporates philosophy, aesthetics, economics, and theories as well as practicalities. In this class, designer Tony Bernstein teaches about core design principles, but will also coach you to clarify what you desire of a garden. Through exercises and discussions, he encourages you to be introspective to develop design concepts that are reflective of your personality and lifestyle. He’ll also train your eye to consider the architecture and land that will surround your garden. Melding your inner visions with external factors, you will begin to develop a satisfying and cohesive garden design. In this class explore: foundations, philosophies and aesthetics of design, sensibilities and practicalities and finish with rough sketches and plenty of ideas to develop during the winter. Fee: $140 (Member) / $168 (Nonmember). Co-sponsored by New England Wild Flower Society and Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University. Pre-registration is necessary, contact the registrar at 508-877-7630, ext. 3303.
Sunday, November 8, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Natural History & Ethnobotany of Medicinal Plants, at Garden in the Woods, Framingham, MA.
Instructor Judith Sumner will track the knowledge of medicinal plants from prehistory through the spectacular work of the Renaissance herbalists, the “Doctrine of Signatures,” and the development of the European medical tradition to the New World where European medical knowledge commingled with Native American lore. We consider the contributions of the Shakers as herb growers and purveyors and the context of herbal medicine in nineteenth century America. The new field of zoopharmacognosy and the current ethnobotanical approach to new drug discovery brings us full circle to a complete understanding of human-plant interactions and botanical cures for human disease. In closing, we consider new plant-derived medicines, their future in human medicine, and the importance of preserving the diversity of medicinal plants. Fee: $77 (Member) / $91 (Nonmember). Co-sponsored by New England Wild Flower Society and Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University. . Pre-registration is necessary, contact the registrar at 508-877-7630, ext. 3303.
Saturday, November 14, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Bare Trees and Naked Shrubs, class at Audubon Habitat, Belmont, MA.
No leaves, no problem! Learn how to use a combination of branching patterns, bark and bud characteristics, habitat, persistent fruits, galls, and marcescent (withered) leaves to identify woody plants in winter. Instructor Roland “Boot” Boutwell begins indoors then head out into Habitat’s beautiful 86 acres to take a close-up look at several trees and shrubs. The program concludes indoors with a short twig quiz and some warming white pine tea. Fee: $18 (Member) / $22 (Nonmember). Cosponsored by New England Wild Flower Society and MA Audubon Habitat. Pre-registration is necessary, contact the registrar at 508-877-7630, ext. 3303.
Saturday, November 14, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Pruning Fundamentals at Garden in the Woods, Framingham, MA.
Proper pruning improves both the health and structure of woody plants, and allows the gardener to influence the aesthetic qualities of trees and shrubs. Instructor Dave Ropes covers pruning methods for established plantings in the home landscape. Learn how to select basic tools, make a proper cut, determine which branches to cut, and the correct time to prune for different species. Bring hand pruners to try various cuts. Fee: $33 (Member) / $39 (Nonmember). Pre-registration is necessary, contact the registrar at 508-877-7630, ext. 3303.
Wednesday, November 18, 12-1:30 p.m. Asian Longhorned Beetle, free lecture at Garden in the Woods, Framingham, MA.
Learn how to identify the Asian Longhorned Beetle and what is being done to control it. Bring a brown-bag lunch. Pre-registration is necessary, contact the registrar at 508-877-7630, ext. 3303.
Saturday, November 21, 1-4 p.m. Plant Systematics Module 4 at Garden in the Woods, Framingham, MA.
This fourth of five Plant Systematics modules will examine advanced tricolpate families often referred to as Euasterids (e.g., Lamiaceae, Plantaginaceae, Campanulaceae, Asteraceae). The lecture will use text and images to describe critical characters for family level identification and representative genera in New England. Instructor Arthur Haines will focus on modern taxonomy and family arrangements, as set forth in Judd et al. (Plant Systematics: A Phylogenetic Approach) and later publications. Fee: $40 (Member) / $48 (Nonmember). Pre-registration is necessary, contact the registrar at 508-877-7630, ext. 3303.