April, 2010 Listings – Adult Classes, Gardening, Horticulture, Field Trips at Garden in the Woods and Eastern MA Locations
Thursday, April 8, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Garden Plants Great or Small. Arnold Arboretum, Jamaica Plain, MA. Low-growing and ground-covering woody plants can add texture, unity, and dimension to even the smallest of gardens. In fact, these can be the perfect solution for the city gardener–small, low-maintenance plants that help to shade out weeds while adding interest. They can be used to accentuate pathways or control erosion, as dwarf hedging, as a surround for spring bulbs, and even to distract from the “bare ankles” of taller shrubs. Horticulturist Jen Kettell shows some of her favorites, appropriate for a variety of site conditions and design uses. Fee: $20 (Member) / $25 (Nonmember). Cosponsored 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.
Thursday, April 8, 7-9 p.m. Nibbling on Natives in Your Backyard and Beyond. Garden in the Woods, Framingham, MA. Instructor Russ Cohen features at least three dozen species of native edible wild plants suitable for your home landscape, or nibbling on as you encounter them in other locales. Keys to the identification of each species are provided, along with edible portions, seasons of availability and preparation methods, along with guidelines for safe and environmentally responsible foraging. Following the lecture, sample some foraged goodies made from edible native species. Fee: $22 (Member) / $26 (Nonmember). Cosponsor by New England Wild Flower Society and MA Audubon Drumlin Farm. Pre-registration is necessary, contact the registrar at 508-877-7630, ext. 3303.
Saturday, April 10, 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Planting Design in Multiple Dimensions. Arnold Arboretum, Jamaica Plain, MA. Low-growing and ground-covering woody plants add texture, unity, and dimension to even the smallest of gardens. In fact, these can be the perfect solution for the city gardener–small, low-maintenance plants that help to shade out weeds while adding interest. They can be used to accentuate pathways or control erosion, as dwarf hedging, as a surround for spring bulbs, and even to distract from the “bare ankles” of taller shrubs. Instructor Warren Leach shows some of her favorites, appropriate for a variety of site conditions and design uses. Fee: $65 (Member) / $78 (Nonmember). Cosponsored 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, April 10, 1:30-4:30 p.m. Pruning Shrubs with the Pros. Garden in the Woods, Framingham, MA. Early spring is an excellent time to prune many woody plants. In this hands-on workshop, participants work in small groups for guided practice by instructor Deborah Howe on woody members of the Garden’s shrub collection. Discover ways to enhance a plant’s vigor, health, and appearance and learn which tools to use, when to prune, and how the plant responds. Fee: $33 (Member) / $40 (Nonmember). Pre-registration is necessary, contact the registrar at 508-877-7630, ext. 3303.
Thursday, April 15, 7-8:30 p.m. Certificate Program Orientation. Garden in the Woods, Framingham, MA. Join Bonnie Drexler, Education Director, and certificate program graduates for an illustrated talk that includes some of the fascinating stories that native plants have to tell, along with a look at the Society’s efforts to conserve native flora, and why it is important to “learn the wildflowers.” Hear about the structure of the Society’s Certificate in Native Plant Studies program and how it can guide your learning. Everyone is welcome at this free presentation. Preregistration is requested, but not required, contact the registrar at 508-877-7630, ext. 3303. Fee: $free (Member) / $free program (Nonmember)
Saturday, April 17, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Invasives: ID, Ecology, and Control. Garden in the Woods, Framingham. This course provides an introduction to about 40 of the most common invasive non-native plants in our local landscapes. Through lecture, discussion, power-point presentation, herbarium specimens, and a walk outside, become familiar with identification clues as well as the habits of a number of these plants that are so disruptive of natural ecosytems. Instructor Ted Elliman discusses management techniques for many of these species, on both a home and a landscape scale. The “Invaders” issue of the Society’s magazine, as well as the MA Field Guide to Invasives, will be available for purchase at a discount. Fee: $44 (Member) / $52 (Nonmember). Cosponsored 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.
Tuesdays, April 27, May 4, 11, 18, 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (also offered Tuesdays, April 27, May 4, 11, 18, 6:30-9 p.m.) Wildflowers of New England. Garden in the Woods, Framingham, MA. A great way to begin the study of native plants, this course focuses on learning to identify wild plants and provides field experience across the spectrum of New England flora. Instructor Frances Clark covers plant identification using Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide. Students will become familiar with the family characteristics, growth patterns, habitats, and pollination mechanisms of many of our native wild flowers. Practice plant identification and study plant habitats in the field. Fee: $130 (Member) / $150 (Nonmember). Pre-registration is necessary, contact the registrar at 508-877-7630, ext. 3303.
Wednesday, April 28, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Slow Landscaping. Garden in the Woods, Framingham, MA. Taking their inspiration from the Slow Food movement, Instructors Hasso Ewing Robin Wilkerson seek to counteract fast or instant landscaping, by showing the way to more fulfilling, equitable, and sustainable landscape practices. This approach to landscaping human settlements mimics the relationships found in natural ecologies. It seeks to preserve native plants, associated ecosystems and wildlife within an ecoregion. It also supports the use of local materials, reducing waste and carbon outputs and education about plants and their importance in the larger environment. Join two veteran garden designers to explore this novel concept and then walk the Garden to see how these practices can play out on the landscape. Fee: $33 (Member) / $39 (Nonmember). Pre-registration is necessary, contact the registrar at 508-877-7630, ext. 3303.
Friday & Saturday, April 30, May 1, 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Native Plant Materials for Professionals. Garden in the Woods, Framingham, MA. Join nationally-known native plant propagator and plant wiz Bill Cullina for an intensive two-day seminar on the best native plant materials available today. This course will cover a variety of herbaceous and woody temperate North American plants that are becoming important for use in the design and landscape trades. Plants with extraordinary hardiness, pest resistance, flowering characteristics, texture, and habitat value will be featured. Emphasis will be on identifying plants that reflect the ambient native plant communities, and which lend well to ecologically-informed designs. Both native wild-type and some cultivars will be examined, and information on growing and maintaining plants in the landscape will be presented. Amateur horticulturists are welcome. Fee: $225 (includes lunch & snack) (Member) / $270 (includes lunch & snack) (Nonmember). Pre-registration is necessary, contact the registrar at 508-877-7630, ext. 3303.
April, 2010 Listings – Children’s Class at Garden in the Woods
Thursday, April 1, 6:30-8 p.m. Frog Moon Night Hike. Garden in the Woods, Framingham, MA.
Near the night of the “Beaver Moon”, instructor Bonnie Drexler leads us into the dark forest to enjoy the nighttime sights, smells, and sounds. Who is still awake? What stars or planets can we spot? What tricks can we use to find our way? After our walk, enjoy hot cocoa and make a booklet of full-moon activities for months of full moons to come. Family Program: Children with Adult Companion. Fee: $8 (Member) / $10 (Nonmember). ). Pre-registration is necessary, contact the registrar at 508-877-7630, ext. 3303.