Contact
Katie FoltsMassachusetts Horticultural Society
617-933-4973
registrations@masshort.org
Northeast Region
Perennial Plant Symposium
Northeast Region Perennial Plant Association Symposium
September 8, 2017
Mass Hort’s The Gardens at Elm Bank
Wellesley, Massachusetts
Presented by the Massachusetts Horticultural Society &
the Perennial Plant Association
If you are unable to complete your registration, please contact Katie Folts at 617-933-4973.
10:00 am to 10:30 am Break
There is a growing awareness that pollinators are important, and that they’re in trouble. We know that pollinators need flowers and that they are responsible for much of the food we eat, but we’re maybe a little vague on the details. Pollinators, particularly insect pollinators, do need flowers – lots of flowers, and the right kinds of flowers – so diversity and quantity are big factors. But let’s back up a bit. Why are there flowers in the first place? And for that matter, why are there fruits and berries? Surely they didn’t evolve just for human pleasure and sustenance. There’s more to it, and it’s a fascinating story of interrelationships.
Some pollinators are better at the job than others, just as some flowers are more valuable food sources. Bees and other insects are key – they give a snapshot of the health of the entire ecosystem. Like all living things, they need good habitat – nesting places, resting places, hibernation sites, mating opportunities, and food and water, all in a non-toxic environment.
This is not a bee i.d. presentation, its about best plants and practices. Gardeners are uniquely able to support the entire life cycle of beneficial insects and other pollinators. Good plant choices and land care, coupled with simple awareness of the living world buzzing all around us make all the difference. After all, we’re not just cultivating flowers, we’re cultivating habitat.
Succulent LovePresented by Katherine Tracey, Avant GardensPractically carefree, with low water needs and available in amazing forms in nuanced colors which mix and match beautifully… that’s why succulents have been the rage in horticulture in recent years. Katherine will share some of her favorite ways of using both hardy and tender succulents in northeastern gardens, including using them as ingredients in mixed planters, vertical gardens and lately as the subject of long lasting cut material for floral arrangements.
Designing a Meadow Garden with New England Native Plants
Presented by Rebecca Lindenmeyr, Linden L.A.N.D. Group
Join Rebecca as she walks through the process of designing, installing and maintaining meadow gardens that serve as an interface between the built and natural, are modeled on regional native plant communities, are rich in biodiversity, low in maintenance, and still legible as intentional designs. She will discuss two different meadows that Linden L.A.N.D. Group designed and installed in Vermont: one 12,500 square feet, and one 2,800 square feet. You'll have access to plant lists, designs and inside knowledge of lessons learned.
Perennial Herbs and Vegetables to Inspire 5 SensesPresented by Hannah Traggis, Massachusetts Horticultural SocietyVegetable Gardening is experiencing a renaissance not paralleled since the Victory Gardens of World War II in America. Perennial herbs and vegetables have a long history in New England. For centuries, they helped to provide home gardeners and farmers with healthy food, beverage and income throughout the year and today we are seeing a resurgence in a local foods movement. As gardeners look for sustainable lawn alternatives and drought tolerant plants, perennial herbs and vegetables provide meaningful connections to history and ecology. By selling and planting them today, perennials create a living legacy of heirloom and native plants that can endure for generations. They also provide hardy plants that beckon to look, taste, touch, smell and listen to the landscape!