Calendar of Events
Evenings with Experts Climate Change, Conservation, and the Role of Native Plant HorticultureJesse Bellemare, Associate Professor of Biological Sciences, Smith College When:
Where: Cambridge Public Library, 449 Broadway CEUs Available: APLD (1.5 credits); LA CES (1.5 credits); NOFA-AOLCP (1.5 credits) Free and open to all. As our climate changes rapidly, the distributions of many native plant species must shift to keep pace. This poses a dilemma— what role should we take in helping native plant populations migrate? Jesse Bellemare will explore the ecological complexities of this question, including the important insights we can gain from native plant horticulture. |
Workshop Reading the Winter Landscape Meredith Gallogly, Manager of Programs, Grow Native Massachusetts When:
Where: Prospect Hill Park, Waltham, MA CEUs Available: CEU details to come. Member $28/ Non-member $38/ Workshop Sponsor $100 A woodland in winter may appear empty and inscrutable, but once you know what to look for a dormant landscape will seem to burst with life. Join Meredith to practice reading the winter landscape, with a focus on trees and shrubs, and to find lessons from this natural community to help us bring full-season ecological functionality to our designed landscapes and gardens. |
Traveling Talk Why Native Plant Landscapes Matter to You Claudia Thompson, Founder, Grow Native Massachusetts When:
Where: Trinitarian Congregational Church, 53 Cochituate Road, Wayland, MA Free and open to all. Native plants are increasingly recognized as important to gardens and landscapes, but why? Claudia will give us an overview of their essential role in ecosystem health. Then she takes us on a tour of her garden as a case study, showing how it supports life for more than 80 species of birds and promotes biodiversity overall. |
Evenings with Experts Designing with Plant CommunitiesDan Jaffe, Horticulturist, Norcross Wildlife Sanctuary When:
Where: Cambridge Public Library, 449 Broadway CEUs Available: APLD (1.5 credits); LA CES (1.5 credits); NOFA-AOLCP (1.5 credits) Free and open to all. All too often, during the design process, we think of plants on an individual or species basis, not considering the intricate ways that plants in the landscape interact with one another. Learn how to create planting plans based on systems more than individuals, with a focus on resilient plant communities appropriate to site conditions, and resulting in landscapes that are ecologically vibrant. |
Traveling Talk The Power of Native Plants and Ecological Gardening Claudia Thompson, Founder, Grow Native Massachusetts When:
Where: Holliston Senior Center, 150 Goulding Street, Holliston, MA Free and open to all. Join Claudia Thompson, the Founder of Grow Native Massachusetts, to learn why native plants are so valuable to ecosystem health on all landscapes, large and small. Claudia will explain the incredible food web that links plants to insects, birds, and other wildlife, and discuss the principles for stewarding landscapes that are places of beauty and biodiversity. This is a must-see program for gardeners, land managers, and nature-lovers alike! |
Traveling Talk Native Trees: The Heart of Your Landscape Claudia Thompson, Founder, Grow Native Massachusetts When:
Where: 1714 Meeting House, 617 Main Street, Lynnfield Free and open to all. Native trees are essential first ingredients in creating healthy landscapes. This program will focus on why they deserve to be widely planted and explore more than a dozen native tree species in detail — all of which are excellent choices for a variety of conditions. Come learn about their unique ecological contributions and adaptations, as well as their varying soil, moisture and horticultural requirements. Leave equipped and excited to add more of these essential plants to your gardens and streetscapes! |
Traveling Talk Why Native Plant Landscapes Matter Claudia Thompson, Founder, Grow Native Massachusetts When:
Where: 64 Middlesex Avenue, Reading, MA Free and open to all. Come learn more about why native plants are so important and how each of us can create healthy landscapes that are places of both beauty and biodiversity. After giving us a thorough introduction to this issue, Claudia will present a case study of her urban garden. Her beautiful photographs show us how she steadily transformed a conventional yard into habitat that supports life for more than 80 species of birds. The program includes many tips for working with and sourcing native plants, and will equip us with plenty of resources for continued learning. |
Evenings with Experts Native Bees: Our Pollination PowerhousesHeather Holm, Author, Bees: An Identification and Native Plant Forage Guide When:
Where: Cambridge Public Library, 449 Broadway CEUs Available: APLD (1.5 credits); LA CES (1.5 credits); NOFA-AOLCP (1.5 credits) Free and open to all. Native bees are the most important pollinators for our flowering plants, but are under threat from human activity. Heather Holm will teach us about the lives of common bee genera, and the vital relationships that they have with native plants— a powerful reminder that the salvation of one is inextricably linked to the proper stewardship of the other. |
Special Event Our 2020 Native Plant Sale Join Us For Festivities and a Great Selection of Plants! When:
Where: Waltham Field Station, 240 Beaver Street, Waltham Free and open to all. We run one of the very best native plant sales in New England. We will have more than 120 species for sale, and thousands of plants available. Members can pre-order plants in advance of the sale. At the sale, we offer expert advice on plant selection. |