MHS Leaflet, January 2024 by Massachusetts Horticultural Society

Leaflet A MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY PUBLICATION

JANUARY 2024

TABLE OF CONTENTS 3 4 5 6 7 8 18 22 26 30 34

From the President's Desk James Hearsum 2024 Classes New Year, New Workshops! New Member Benefit: Boston Magazine Adrian Bloom Lecture February 2024 In First Person: Russ Cohen A Seasonal Sampling of Garden Books Reviewed by Patrice Todisco Armchair Gardening By Catherine Cooper From the Stacks By Maureen T. O'Brien Over-Wintering By John Lee Be a Better Gardener: Voles By Thomas Christopher

Illustrations by Marianne Orlando

CONTACT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Wayne Mezitt

waynem@westonnurseries.com

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MANAGING EDITOR Meghan Connolly

mconnolly@masshort.org

FROM THE PRESIDENT'S DESK On the last day of 2023, it is with real joy and gratitude that I look back at the year past. Massachusetts Horticultural Society has thrived and grown. Our guest numbers have swelled, our gardens have bloomed and our communities have been strengthened through our work. Thank you for joining with us in our mission to help people live better lives through plants, gardens and growing. We have done this in many ways.

Increasing Guests: In 2023 we welcomed over 45,000 guests to the Garden at Elm Bank, a 20% (7,500) increase from 2022 and an important milestone in garden strength and sustainability. Expanding Programs: In addition to growth in our general educational offerings, we successfully welcomed and integrated the Massachusetts Horticultural Society Botanical Art and Illustration program, including the nationally recognized certificate course. Infrastructure Investment: Work has started in the Manor House for asbestos removal and to secure a water-tight building envelope again. A partnership with the Massachusetts Historic Preservation Corps has a small number of main façade windows undergoing total restoration.

Garden Development: Extensive planting of tens of thousands of plants has occurred this year, replenishing and enhancing all garden areas, especially the Bressingham Garden. Our most recent installation is a wonderful labyrinth in the lower garden, a lovely mindful enhancement to the Garden.

Outreach and Community: Work on the historic Olmsted Garden area and the removal of invasive non-natives continued in partnership with PowerCorps Boston. Over 30 team members spent significant time in the Garden over a 6 month period, learning essential work and professional skills and preparing themselves for re-entry to the permanent workforce. We are delighted to be a part of this and look forward to another year of partnership in 2024. We were also delighted to bring the Seed to Table garden back to full operation in 2023, with a wonderful display for at-home gardeners and over 825lbs of fresh vegetables donated to a local food pantry.

As we reflect on these accomplishments, we look forward to a New Year of wonderful opportunity for growth and inspiration in the Garden and our community. On their way are new programs focused on food resilience, ecological and climate education and sustainability. Garden developments will focus on pollinators and invasive/native plants and land management. Join with us as we grow together for the public good. James Hearsum President & Executive Director

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2024

CLASSES

JANUARY 5 Graphite Studies: Form, Pattern, and Texture 9:30 AM - 3:30 PM JANUARY 8 Drawing the Wonders of Natural Forms in Graphite 9:30 AM - 3:30 PM Introduction to Gardening, Six Session Course 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM JANUARY 16 Principles of Native Gardening Certificate Course 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM JANUARY 23 Winter Garden Design, Three Session Workshop 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM JANUARY 25 Guided Winter Garden Tours 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM JANUARY 29 Foundations of Botanical Drawing & Painting 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM Virtual OR Hybrid JANUARY 30 Techniques of Botanical Drawing and Painting 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM Hybrid, Virtual & In-Person FEBRUARY 3 Shadow Play: The Drama of a Botanical Still Life on Vellum 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM

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FEBRUARY 3 Guided Winter Garden Tours 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM FEBRUARY 7 Guided Winter Garden Tours 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM MARCH 5 Creating a Succession of Bloom in the Native Garden 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM Virtual MARCH 11 Color Mixing for Artists 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM MARCH 12 Planting The Year-Round Pollinator Garden 6:30 PM - 7:30 PM Virtual MARCH 26 Achieving Luminosity with Color Pencils 9:30 AM - 3:30 PM APRIL 16 The Edible/Ornamental Garden 6:30 PM - 7:30 PM Virtual MAY 14 Herb Liberation 6:30 PM - 7:30 PM Virtual

VIEW FULL CALENDAR

NEW YEAR, NEW WORKSHOPS!

Introduction to Gardening Six-Session Virtual Course Mondays January 8-February 12 6:30-8:30pm

Principles of Native Gardening Certificate Course Tuesdays, January 16- February 6 6:30-8:30pm

We will cover the basics of starting your space from scratch and how to start and care for your new plants in New England. Topics include soil and amendments; seed starting, planting, maintenance, and operation techniques; plant selection and planning guidelines; and pest and disease control.

Learn the principles of native gardening and how to choose the best native plants for your region and landscape conditions. Whether you have a yard, a rooftop, a terrace or simply participate in a community garden – you can become a skilled native gardener and improve the environment around you.

Winter Garden Design Three-Session Hybrid Workshop January 24, 25, and 31 10am-2pm

Introduction to Horticulture 10-Week Certificate Course Thursdays, February 1-April 4 6:30-8:30pm

Learn how to use drifts, masses, and individual plants to create garden layouts. Discover how to use shrubs and trees scaled to the home landscape. You’ll discover the role the Winter Garden plays throughout the seasons. And, how to create a garden color palette that will apply to later seasons.

Learn the basics of plant knowledge and care in New England and provides students with the knowledge to solve many of the problems commonly faced in keeping plants healthy. Topics include plant physiology and identification; planting, pruning, propagation and operation techniques; plant selection and planning guidelines; and taxonomy.

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NEW MEMBER BENEFIT:

Complimentary Subscription to Boston Magazine and Boston Home! We've partnered with Boston Magazine and Boston Home to offer MHS Members a free subscription to their magazines. Boston Magazine is a monthly issue, and the complimentary subscription is valid for one year (12 issues)*. Boston Home is a quarterly issue, and the complimentary subscription is valid for three years (12 issues)*.

*Once the complimentary subscription period is up, Boston Magazine will solicit you directly for renewal.

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Adrian Bloom Plantsman, author and designer of Bressingham Garden

IN CONVERSATION WITH JAMES HEARSUM, MHS PRESIDENT & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Saturday, February 3, 2024 10am Lecture | 11am Book Signing MHS Members $35 | Non-members $40 COFFEE & PASTRIES INCLUDED

Adrian’s NEW BOOK Foggy Bottom will be available for purchase and signing.

In First Person Russ Cohen

For more than 50 years Russell Cohen has been involved in numerous environmental communities and endeavors, uniquely bestowing his energy and personal resources to help people understand and appreciate the value of nature. Russ has pioneered “re-indigenizing” the plant life in public gardens, landscapes, and environmental sites in this region, specifically applying his knowledge on more than 190 species of edible native plants. Here’s Russ’ story, outlining his passion and why it has become such a driving force in his life. I grew up in Weston, MA (where my mom still resides), spending lots of time in the woods, cultivating a strong spiritual connection to nature. As a sophomore at Weston High School, I enrolled in a biology department mini-course called "Edible Botany“: my first formal exposure to edible wild plants. We learned about two dozen edible species that grew around the high school grounds, and the class finished with a "big feed": a communal meal prepared from these plants. Inspired by this experience, I took out every book I could find on the topic from the Town library, taught myself about dozens of additional species, and, then, as a high school senior in 1974, I taught the same Edible Botany class I had taken as a sophomore.

While in college, between my sophomore and junior years, I spent a summer at the Harvard Forest in Petersham, MA, enrolled in an intensive course called “Plants in Relationship to Their Environment”. It was in the midst of that course, when I was asked to come up with a topic for a term paper, that I had an epiphany of sorts: not only did I know what that term paper would be about, I saw my whole career path in front of me, like Moses looking into the Promised Land. That career would be the conservation of land in its natural state: not just for its intrinsic value, but for also its value to humans. Basically, I was motivated to preserve open space so it would be available to people to be in: to experience the restorative and recuperative power of nature as I have. Continuing my undergraduate education, at the University of Michigan and Vassar, all of my elective course work and writing was focused on

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some aspect of land conservation. For example: the subject of my senior thesis at Vassar was on Vassar Farm: a 500+acre parcel of mostly wild land that the College was contemplating divesting itself of at the time. I have been told that my thesis helped persuade the College to keep the Farm, and it eventually became an ecological preserve. My focus on land conservation continued in graduate school at Ohio State, where I received degrees in law and natural resources, while in the intervening summers worked for nonprofits engaged in land conservation, such as The Nature Conservancy, Mass Audubon and the Land Trust Alliance. My first full-time job was running The Hillside Trust: a land trust focusing on conserving the undeveloped hillsides surrounding the City of Cincinnati, OH. While there, I enjoyed encountering and nibbling on the wild edible flora of that region, which included some more southerly species I had heretofore not encountered, like Persimmons, Pawpaws and Passionfruits. After eight years in Ohio, I longed to return to my “home” landscape of New England, so I moved back here in the late 80’s. I eventually filled the position of Rivers Advocate with the Mass. Department of Fish and Game, working on river and stream conservation, with a focus on riparian land protection. One of the outreach materials I produced there was a list of native species suitable for planting in riparian areas, all of which were suitable as food for wildlife and humans. My proudest achievement in that role was the drafting and passage of the MA Rivers Protection Act in 1996, which Tupelo (aka Black Gum, Nyssa sylvatica), a native established a 200-foot-wide species suitable for planting in riparian areas. The berries’ tart flesh can be used for sauces, jelly or jam.

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protected area of natural vegetation along all perennially-flowing rivers and streams in the Commonwealth. It is among the strongest laws of its kind in the U.S., and seems especially prescient now, as our understanding of the importance of naturally-vegetated riparian areas for habitat connectivity, and the need for our waterways to be resilient to the effects of climate change, continues to grow. (The August 6th bill-signing ceremony in Allston is remembered by many living in Massachusetts at the time; not for the substance of the legislation, but for what Governor Bill Weld did afterward: he dove into the Charles River, a stunt that made the national news). In the meantime: while fully engaged in this work, I continued pursuing my passionate avocation: connecting to Nature by respectfully and gratefully partaking of its edible gifts. (It’s my form of Communion: not wine and wafers, but the consecration of Nature via nibbling on wild berries, nuts, etc. and/or the things made from them; it’s basically the same concept.) In fact, there was often good synergy between my job and my foraging hobby, as my work often took me out into the field, and before or after my official work was done, I’d be out with my foraging basket, collecting whatever happened to be in season at the time. And, in addition to this, each year I would lead dozens of wild edibles walks and talks for a variety of sponsors throughout New England and

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◁ Russ leading a wild edibles walk along the Housatonic River, Great Barrington, in May of 2006. The Housatonic is one of the waterways covered under the Rivers Protection Act of 1996. photo by Rachel Fletcher

eastern New York State. In the meantime, my foraging book, entitled Wild Plants I Have Known...and Eaten, published by the Essex County Greenbelt Association, came out in June of 2004, will soon be reprinted for the ninth time.

It was in the fall of 2013, well into my third decade as the state’s Rivers Advocate, and looking ahead to my eventual retirement, that I had the first glimpse of what would eventually evolve into another epiphanic vision of what I could do next. It was triggered by the Shagbark Hickory, my #1 favorite wild edible: a species whose delicious nuts I love to gather and share with others, in the form of delectable baked goods, or simply toasted a few minutes in a toaster oven. I gather thousands of hickory nuts every fall, and have, by keeping track of where they are in the landscape, located enough shagbark hickory trees that, even if some are taking a year off from nut production, I will know of others that aren’t, and so am always able to have a successful harvest. So, that fall, brimming with gratitude for another fruitful (or should I say “nutfull”) season, as I perused the dozens of bags of foraged hickory nuts I had collected, it occurred to me that I should be returning Mother Nature’s generosity in the form of setting aside some of my harvest: not for eating, but for propagating into new trees, by myself and others. So I gave away many of the nuts I had collected for that purpose, ranging from organized groups with deep experience in growing native plants from seed, like the New England Wild Flower Society (now the Native Plant Trust), to novices just learning the basics of plant propagation, like members of the recently-formed (in 2010) nonprofit Grow Native Massachusetts.

By the spring of 2015, a clearer and broader vision of what I would take on as my “next act” began to emerge. While continuing to carry on my usual load of several dozen wild edibles-themed walks and talks, I could also play the role of a modern-day “Johnny Appleseed”; not for apples (which, as you probably know, are not native to the Western Hemisphere); and not just for Shagbark Hickory; but for all the plant species deemed native to Northeast ecoregions that are edible by people. So, on my collecting trips that year (and every year thereafter), in addition to gathering wild edibles for eating, I would gather the seeds of native edible plants, for propagating myself, or sharing with others for growing on their own.

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“Why confine yourself to just native edible species?”, you might ask. Of course, horticulturalists and other “plant buffs” have developed countless varieties of cultivated edible plants, seeking to improve (in terms of size, yield, etc.,) beyond what is already available, and are avidly adding these plants to home and other landscapes, like permaculture plots and “food forests”. I am generally supportive of this trend, and happy that the idea of edible landscaping is gaining acceptance in communities that heretofore looked at fruit- or nut-bearing plants in public spaces as a nuisance. And, on the other end of the spectrum: while many of our weeds and invasive species are quite tasty, and I happily extol their comestible virtues during my walks and talks, these species are doing well enough (perhaps too well, in many cases) in proliferating on their own to need any help from me.

What I see my niche to be is to confine my seed collection, propagating and planting to straight-species native to Northeast ecoregion plants that are edible by people, and to especially look for opportunities to return these species to landscapes where they once were present, but were extirpated in the course of the European settlement of New England in past centuries, and the conversion of natural plant communities to farms, pastures, tree plantations, etc. As it turns out, there are over 190 species of plants that meet these criteria (see the list I have compiled at this link), so it’s a pretty big palette to work from. So this role: the “Johnny Appleseed” of edible native species, is what I am now doing as my primary post-retirement pursuit. It is an expression of gratitude on my part: a way to give back to Mother Nature in thanks for all the gifts of wild edibles she has generously provided me over a lifetime of foraging. I have set up a nursery in Weston, near where I grew up, where I am growing over 1,000 plants, consisting of a subset of the 190+ native edible species from my compiled list. In case you’re wondering, I do not operate this nursery as a business; I give away all the plants I am growing there. That said: my primary intention for these plants is for them to be planted in publicly-accessible locations, where the public can see and interact with (including, if the rules governing that site permit, harvesting to eat) them. While I am not intending my plants to end up in private yards, I might consider a barter in exchange for some help at my nursery. 12 | January 2024

So here’s how I do it: First there is the matter of seed collection, so I can have sufficient raw material to grow plants from. (FYI: most of plant propagating I do is from seed, to maintain genetic diversity in the plants I am growing, versus creating plants from divisions or cuttings, where the “offspring” plants are genetically identical to their source plants.) My 5+ decades of being out in nature, searching for things to nibble on, helps inform me where to look for seed. In many cases, the same wild edibles I was already foraging for (Beach Plums, for instance) contain the seeds I could grow plants from, so one collecting trip brings in the edibles plus the seed. In other cases, where the ripe seed is not the part of the plant I would collect for eating (Sassafras, e.g.), I would need to keep track of seed ripening dates as a separate activity. And, for the species I want to grow but have not been able to gather seed for myself, I will obtain from other sources, such as the Maine-based Wild Seed Project.

this, depending on the species. Some seed is easy to germinate and grow out into plants; others are very challenging. Take the genus Viburnum, for example, which has at least six species native to the Northeast that are edible by people. I have found Highbush Cranberry to be exceedingly easy to grow; the seeds sprout in the fridge, in their little storage bags, and grow well once they are sown, indoors or out. Wild Raisin is very similar. Nannyberry also grows fairly readily from seed. At the other end of the difficulty scale is Hobblebush, which, despite my prolonged efforts, and trying to sow many seeds, under a variety of conditions, I have gotten very little positive results from. (It is a great species, though, so I will keep trying.)

Next is the challenge of seed storage. I purchased a small refrigerator, which I keep in my basement, and that is where I store most of the seed I have collected myself, or get from other sources. This is where the seed stays, until I sow it myself or pass along to others. As you (probably) know, the seed of most native species need to be subjected to an extended period of cold temperature in order to remain viable and break dormancy. The technical term for this is “stratification”. Some people (including me) skip this step entirely, and just sow some seed outside, and let Mother Nature provide the cold temperatures the seeds need. The next step is to try to grow plants from the seed I have. I have found a tremendous range of difficulty in doing

Wild Raisin (Viburnum nudum), one of the Viburnum species with edible fruits, is relatively easy to grow from seed.

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Flats of sown seed and seedlings, insulated under a blanket of snow. This is an ideal situation, which is unfortunately less reliable with our changing climate.

My last step, before the plants get planted in their permanent locations, is to grow them out in my nursery to a size where they are suitable for planting. Once again, this is greatly variable depending on the species. Some plants, like Wild Strawberry, can be started indoors in the winter, and grow big enough so that by May they can be planted out. Other species, Juneberry and Hackberry for example, need to be kept in the nursery for several years until they are big enough to survive on their own. In the meantime, you need to keep your nursery plants alive, with sufficient moisture, especially in the warmer months (a challenge in 2022 but not in 2023) and insulation in the colder months (natural snow cover is ideal, but barring that, covering them with an insulating layer of leaves, wood chips and/or fabric, or to be extra protective, bring them indoors; even an unheated garage should be sufficient). Last but not least; you may need to defend your plants against ravenous rodents, rabbits and deer; I deploy a lot of ½ ” mesh metal hardware cloth in my nursery for that purpose. 14 | January 2024

Once the plants in my nursery are ready to be planted out, then it is time to find good homes for them. Fortunately, my many years of work to protect open space and riparian areas have firmly established my “conservation cred”, and many of the land trusts, watershed associations, state agencies and other groups I interacted with while working are open to the idea of collaborating with me in incorporating edible native plantings on their lands or as part of other projects they are working on. Furthermore, many of these and other groups interested in my leading wild edibles walks on their properties are amenable to my suggestions for additional edible native species that, while not currently present on the properties, could do well if planted there. Then, if some of those plants are planted there, and I then led a wild edibles walk there, I would have more to talk about. Among the most edifying and gratifying experiences I have had since taking on the “Johnny Appleseed for edible natives” role eight years ago has been listening to and learning from indigenous people, and my ongoing efforts to initiate and nurture respectful and reciprocal

relationships with local tribes and tribal members. I have had the great honor and privilege to be invited to walk tribal lands with tribal people, to share what I know about the edible plants already growing there. I freely acknowledge that much of what I have learned about which plants are edible, and when, where and how to harvest them sustainably, and how to tend the landscapes where they grow, originated with indigenous people. I view sharing what I know as an opportunity to restore right relationship with the land and its gifts, and welcome the opportunity to return the knowledge to its original source: the descendants of the people who figured it all out in the first place. I am also extremely grateful to have been able to give plants from my nursery directly to tribal members, which I hope will help repair and revive landscapes with native species and enable a rekindling of the long heritage of respectful and reciprocal plant-people relationships.

So, once a land trust, town or other landowner or manager agrees to collaborate with me on a project, here’s the methodology I typically follow:

First, I walk the site with a clipboard, taking note of the edible wild plants (non-natives as well as natives) already present on the site, as well as make observations of the plant community type(s) present. I then consult my compilation of the edible native species of this region, and make up a list of suggestions for native edible species to plant at the site, i.e., recommendations for further diversification of the site with species that, while I did not observe them on my reconnaissance site walk, I think could do well at the site were they to be planted there. To do this I draw upon my 5+ decades of being out in nature and noticing which plant species

like to grow in association with each other. For example; most of the time I spot Pokeweed in the landscape, I see Black Raspberry growing next to it. So I am confident that if I saw one but not the other, I could plant the other nearby and it would do well. The same goes for wintergreen and partridgeberry.

Once the site manager has reviewed the list and accepted (some or all of) my recommendations, then we figure out when and where to source the plants (if I don’t have everything already in my nursery), when and where to plant them, and lining up staff and/or volunteers to help plant the plants, and what additional measures may be needed to help ensure the success of the plantings (e.g., fencing to deter herbivory, postplanting watering until the plants are established, etc.). We also determine the cost of any additional plant purchases (i.e., in addition to plants I’d donate from my nursery) as well as the cost (if any) and sourcing of related materials such as mulch, compost, fencing, etc., and how this might correspond to the availability of funds (if any) to cover these costs.

As part of this process, I walk the site again to identify planting locations for the new plants, and mark those locations with stakes or flags. That way I know just how many plants of which species I will need for that site. In determining those locations, I usually pick spots along trails and pathways, and in/adjacent to entrance parking lots, where site visitors are likely to encounter them. This also makes sense for practicality’s sake, as the plants can usually be easily transported to these relatively accessible locations (by wheelbarrow, e.g.), and it is easier for staff/volunteers to periodically monitor their condition and take remedial action if necessary. I am usually looking for opportunities to judiciously insert a

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plant or two here and there, within the existing matrix of plants, so that, once the new plants are established, they fit/ blend right into the landscape, and (more or less) appear as if they have always been there. I also look for opportunities, where they exist, to do strategic “one for one” swaps, where an invasive plant (such as a buckthorn, multifloral rose, or

Prior to the planting date, I and/or the site owner/manager and its staff/volunteers, will undertake site prep as necessary to facilitate planting on the planting day. This may include pre-digging some or all of the holes into which the plants will be planted, and removing invasive species and/or other competing vegetation. Then, on the pre-arranged date(s),

honeysuckle) can be popped out and a native plant inserted in its place. So I am usually not designing and planting whole landscapes from scratch, but merely adding a few plants here and there to an existing already-vegetated site.

usually scheduled in early-to-mid spring or mid-to-late fall (the optimal seasonal windows for planting), I show up with plants from my nursery, and additional plants procured from elsewhere, and we plant them that day, or the site owner/ manager plants them with their staff and/or volunteers shortly thereafter.

△ Russ, with a wheelbarrow-full of plants from his nursery, ready to plant them at a paddler access campsite along the Connecticut River in Montague, MA, jointly developed by the MA Department of Conservation and Recreation and the Appalachian Mountain Club. Photo by Bridget MacDonald.

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So I have followed this process, or something like it, for diversifying properties with native edible plants, for over two dozen sites in the last eight years. These include (in Massachusetts): the Essex County Greenbelt Association’s Cox Reservation in Essex; the Town of Lexington’s Willard’s Woods conservation land; the former lighthouse station on Bakers Island in Salem, maintained by Essex Heritage; Crowninshield Island Russ, with a Black Birch (Betula lenta) from his nursery, ready to plant it as part of the Miyawaki Forest Project, in Marblehead, maintained by Cambridge, MA, September, 2021. Photo by Maya Dutta. The Trustees of Reservations: Holly Hill Organic Farm in Cohasset; Wheaton College, in Norton; River Walk in Great Barrington; and the Acton Arboretum. How have my plantings done, at these and other sites? Well, it’s been a mixed bag, ranging from complete failure (none of the plants I put in are still there) to 70% or more survivability, which is a very satisfactory outcome indeed. I set a low bar for success on my projects, though; if even a relative few of the many plants I brought to a site do well, that’s nevertheless very gratifying. One of the most pleasing aspects of this work is encountering a plant on a site where I have planted it that is thriving. I feel like I can read that plant’s mind, and it is sending me a message: “Thank you, Russ, for planting me here; I am very happy here.”

If you find any of this appealing, please view my online biography for more information, or contact me at eatwild@rcn.com or 781-646-7489. For ‘In First Person,’ Leaflet Editor-in-Chief Wayne Mezitt interviews people in horticulture and adjacent fields by asking a standard set of questions about their work. The column offers an opportunity for people in these fields to share their passions with readers; what motivates them, and how they define and measure success. Based on the idea that we’re often reluctant to talk openly about ourselves because of the potential for miscommunication or misinterpretation, Wayne works with the interviewee to transform their conversation with interviewees into a personal story from the interviewee’s first-person perspective.

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A Seasonal Sampling of Garden Books REVIEWED BY PATRICE TODISCO

hould the onslaught of social media overwhelm at this time of year, where even gardens that have been put to bed look perfect, find respite in the printed page. Here you can proceed at your own pace and curate your own adventure, allowing for a bit of space and grace as you consider the garden journey ahead.

Garden designer Jinny Blom loves her job and is not shy about letting the world know. She’s also not shy about sharing her opinions, which sometimes get her into a bit of hot water. Recent posts questioning the current rage in the gardening world for rewilding caused outrage—so much so that she removed them.

It should be no surprise then that What Makes a Garden: A Considered Approach to Garden Design (Frances Lincoln, 248pp, $50.00) is a thought-provoking book. Within Blom expounds on a wide range of topics, traces the arc of her professional evolution, and shares selected projects. As noted in British architect and television presenter Ptolemy Dean OBE’s forward, the book isn’t really about the gardens Blom has made, but instead about the “various threads, references, ideas, watching, readings and experiences” that inform her work as one of Great Britain’s leading landscape designers. Do you have a favorite plant? Or, like Mark Rowe, assistant manager at Regent’s Park in London, are you unable to choose just one? If so, you are in good company. In What Gardeners Grow: 600 Plants Chosen by the World’s Greatest Plantspeople (A Bloom Book by Frances 18 | January 2024

Lincoln, 335pp, $35.00), 250 specialty nursery owners, plant explorers, award winning garden designers, edibles experts, biodynamic practitioners, and broadcasters share their favorite plants.

Each entry contains a brief biography of the contributor with a link to their website and/ or place of work, a description of the plant, information about how it is grown and often a story detailing why it was chosen. With colorful illustrations by freelance illustrator Melanie Gandyra, What Gardeners Grow is, according to ‘the People’s Gardener’ Matthew Biggs in the forward, like a “glorious chocolate box full of treats and surprises.” You never know what you are going to get.

You’ll also never know, at least until the end of the story, what you’re going to get in a good mystery as Marta McDowell reminds us in Gardening Can Be Murder: How Poisonous Poppies, Sinister Shovels, and Grim Gardens Have Inspired Mystery Writers (Timber Press, 214pp, $29.00). A survey of the mystery genre and its horticultural connections, the book introduces detectives who garden, explores motives linked to gardening obsessions and ponders poisons of the horticultural variety. On a lighter note, a chapter is devoted to mystery writers and their gardens subtitled ‘The Poisoned Pen – and Trowel’. The first book to explore the mystery genre’s link to horticulture, Gardening Can Be Murder concludes with an extensive list of literary whodunits to keep you guessing. Gardener and author Matthew Biggs, who must be very busy indeed, provides the introduction to Garden: Exploring the Horticultural World (Phaidon Press, 352pp, $64.95) part of the publisher’s three volume flora-explorer series. Lavishly illustrated, this coffee table

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tome is a survey collection of more than three hundred images of varied styles and media depicting the ways artists, gardeners, landscape designers, and image makers have been inspired by gardens and gardening. Chosen by an advisory panel of international experts, each entry merits a full-page spread, with a three-quarter page full-color image accompanied by a brief description.

Gardens and garden iconography are explored throughout time and across regions, with some images juxtaposed for comparative purposes, while others are placed solely for visual impact. There’s a lot to unpack within and it is recommended that the reader dip in and out at will, carefully observing the detail of individual entries and using them as inspiration to reconnect with the natural world. It’s an ambitious undertaking. In The Milkweed Lands: An Epic Story of One Plant: Its Nature and Ecology (Storey Publishing, 114 pp, $20.00) by Eric LeeMäder with illustrations by Beverly Duncan, the natural world is viewed through a close examination of just one humble, yet critically important plant – the milkweed. Described by Lee-Mäder, Pollinator and Agricultural Biodiversity Co-Director of the Xerces Society, as “a displaced citizen in its own land most often found in a messy natural state alongside other fugitive plants,” milkweed supports a rich diversity of life both above and below ground. Ubiquitous throughout the landscape, it is one of those plants that is often overlooked, despite its importance in the ecosystem. Lee-Mäder and Duncan implore us to pay closer attention.

Set within a seasonal framework, The Milkweed Lands is both a natural and social history celebrating the resilience and significance of the species, native to North America. It is artfully narrated, beautifully illustrated and reminds the reader that they do not need to travel far to find inspiration in the natural world. Similarly, Moon Garden: A Guide to Creating an Evening Oasis (Chronicle Books, 160pp, $19.95) by

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Jarema Osofsky provides inspiration for observing the seasonal rhythms of nature, albeit more formally, through the creation of a moon garden. Dating to fifteenth-century Japan, the moon has played a central role in gardening, both as an aesthetic feature and a scientific element. One of the earliest moon gardens in the United States was designed by Benjamin Poole at Indian Hill, in West Newbury, Massachusetts during the 1830s.

A Brooklyn, NY-based landscape designer and author who believes in the healing power of gardens and good design, Osofsky shares practical information about how to get started and what to plant as well as suggestions on how to enjoy your moon garden once it is completed. Whatever your motivation may be, Moon Garden is a delightful entrée into a facet of gardening that is often overlooked. Should you be planning to augment your inner garden journeys with travel, consider Botanic Gardens of the World: Tales of Extraordinary Plants, Botanical History and Scientific Discovery (Greenfinch, 256pp, $35.00) by garden historian Deborah Trentham. Featuring profiles of 40 of the most important botanic gardens in the world, it places each within its historical context and provides an overview of key features including design, individual garden spaces, and structures. A brief introduction reminds us of the key role botanic gardens play as sites of study and research that have evolved over time to embrace conservation in the complex world of climate change, underscoring their value as civic sanctuaries and centers of botanical science. Full color photographs illustrate each entry. According to Botanic Gardens Conservation International, there are more than 3,000 botanic gardens and arboreta in the world, leaving room for future exploration of this important topic. And that’s the beauty of being transported to places you haven’t been or want to go—there is always more to learn.

Patrice Todisco writes about parks and gardens at the award-winning blog, Landscape Notes.

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ARMCHAIR GARDENING

By Catherine Cooper Illustration by Marianne Orlando 22 | January 2024

Amaryllis

It’s the start of a new year and in the heart of a New England winter, there is not much that can or needs to be done gardeningwise. In my yard leaves and pine needles have been cleared, thanks to my hardworking husband, who in retirement has discovered that there are often plenty of gardening chores to be done. This year I have surprised myself and I have already managed to cut back all the dead perennial stems, and with hubby’s help, dispose of them. This was no mean feat, as many of the plants relished the wet summer and grew to be the biggest I have ever seen them— anyone else had 6.5’ tall Canadian golden rod? In past years I have left some stems under the excuse that the seed heads are there for the birds, but I have come to realize that the finches eat the coneflower seeds in late summer and by winter any wind borne seeds have long since blown away. Any seeds that remain have already fallen to the ground where they will feed sparrows and juncos who forage on the ground. Even then they do not remove all seeds and I will see coneflowers and various other perennials pop up in a variety of places, both welcome and unwelcome.

am not trying to play catch-up in the garden whenever the weather is mild enough. Much as I enjoy being outside and gardening it is also pleasant to take a break, indulge in other hobbies and generally take life at a slower pace. However, this doesn’t mean I forget about gardening altogether. I will quite happily browse online plant catalogs and nurseries, although given how full my flower beds are it is really window shopping as I have no room for new things. Still that doesn’t stop me looking and feeling quite tempted by certain flower seeds. I currently have a hankering to try some prickly poppy seeds polyanthemos). So this winter feeding the birds (Argemone might take on greater importance Native to the plains states, this but I have the satisfaction that I is a beautiful annual with large

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was given over to seedlings of columbines and penstemon grown from seed I bought in Colorado eighteen months ago, and with luck I might see them flower this year, which will appease my desire for something different (for a while!). So while I am resisting the urge to plan additions to my garden, it leads me to while away time just browsing plants. For example, in looking up the prickly poppy, I landed on a website for xeric planting in Colorado Springs. Understandably things are

△ Zygopetalum Orchid ▽ Clivia minata

papery white flowers and dramatically spiny leaves and stems, and I’m hopeful the sun-baked, sandy soil flower beds on the south side of my home would feel like home from home for this plant. The only thing holding me back is space - these poppies naturally grow in sun-baked soil, surrounded by parched scrappy grass: they are not found crammed into flower beds stuffed with other sun lovers, even if one or two of them also hail from a similar part of the country! Plus what little space I created this year

24 | January 2024

Prickly Poppy ▽

blooming plants. Those such as cyclamen, amaryllis and narcissus are obvious examples, being produced to brighten the holiday season. However if I’m lucky my holiday cacti will continue to bloom over an extended period, along with my clivia and xygopetalum orchid, the last of which has the Being indoors more frequently added bonus of scented flowers. means I also pay more attention This orchid is supposedly not the to my houseplants. On the whole easiest, but where it resides it’s the plants I grow have to be happy and it will bloom once or relatively easy care as I haven’t twice a year for me. got time to accommodate those whose temperature and humidity All of this keeps me in touch with needs are far removed from the the natural world, even if I don’t environment of a normal house. put one foot outside. And yes, However, I do have some more there will still be some chores to demanding plants: sometimes do on mild days, but on the whole these plants grow but are difficult this is a time of year to take things to bring into flower under regular at a slower pace, and look forward circumstances, so I always find it to the return of spring while welcome when the outside world relishing the beauty of a winter is more monochrome to bring landscape. color into my rooms from winter normally a little bit more parched there than here in Massachusetts, but it was fascinating to see what plants overlap these two ecosystems, whether native or cultivated, and what plants are unfamiliar to me (as were the poppies until I visited Colorado).

Born in England, Catherine learned to garden from her parents and from that developed a passion for plants. Catherine is in charge of the greenhouse at Weston Nurseries in Chelmsford. When not at Weston Nurseries, she can often be found in her flower beds or tending to an ever-increasing collection of houseplants.

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Nothing has such power to broaden the mind as the ability to investigate systematically and truly all that comes under thy observation in life. Marcus Aurelius (121-180)

Their discoveries may reveal the truth or details about the past. The Library has tools to help researchers in their task. Finding aids are the research tool used for its Vertical Files.

Featured Collection: Elm Bank Vertical Files: Parks, Gardens & Landscapes In 2001, file cabinets, filled with all sorts of paper, were moved from Horticultural Hall in Boston to the Library at Elm Bank. Over the years, these cabinets were seldom accessed. Since the files were considered important enough to move, we explored their contents. Primarily ephemera, but also photographs, letters and clipped articles. Ephemera is intended to be temporary but it is those bits and pieces of everyday life that can reveal facts and clues and add color to a story from the past. Some files have a single item, while others have many and varied items.

There are hundreds of files that need to be sorted into general categories and subcategories for easy access by staff and discovery by patrons. Our volunteers have started to rehouse, organize and consolidate the files so they can be revealed to our patrons. Given the large volume of items, extensive staff time is needed to organize what is a huge and messy job. The first finding aid, “Parks, Gardens and Landscapes,” is published on the Library web page and is found here. The aid has only general geographical information, so feel free to contact the Library if you wish additional information on the file contents. Special thanks to volunteer Linda Mariani for her diligence, accuracy and efficiency in tackling this project.

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Here are a few samples of what is in the Parks, Garden & Landscapes files…

A few of the historic postcards in the Hunnewell Estate file. Society Collections.

General Plan for the Longfellow Garden at Portland Maine by E. Lolita Eveleth and Doris L. Glover. Longfellow Garden Club, The Planting Plan of the Longfellow Garden, Portland: Marks Printing House, 1927. In addition to the Plan this charming booklet contains lists of plants, other plans and photographs. Society Collections.

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This 1938 illustrated booklet of The University of British Columbia gives the history and purpose of its Botanical Gardens. Society Collections.

This 1964 booklet is autographed by Princess Grace of Monaco as President of the Garden Club of Monaco. This garden on a cliff has breathtaking views but is temporarily closed during 2023 for renovation. Society Collections.

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Factoid: Did you know that the first Arbor Day was celebrated in the state of Nebraska on April 10, 1872? Over one million trees were planted across Nebraska on that day! Arbor Day was founded by Julius Sterling Morton, a journalist and avid horticulturist. In 1923, his summer home was donated to Nebraska and is now known as Arbor Lodge State Historical Park. The Library has brochures of the park in its vertical files and Morton’s biography on its shelves. MHS Book Club

The next meeting of the Book Club is on Tuesday, January 16th at 1:30 pm. in the Education Building. The club will be discussing Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer. All are welcome to attend.

This is the schedule for the Club’s upcoming book discussions: » February 20, 2024: Brave the Wild River: The Untold Story of Two Women Who Mapped the Botany of the Grand Canyon by Melissa Sevigny » March 19, 2024: The Seed Keeper by Diane Wilson » April 16, 2024: Wild by Design: The Rise of Ecological Restoration by Laura J. Martin » May 14, 2023: The Orchard: A Memoir by Adele Crockett Robertson

Help Grow our Collections

Thank you to Diane Bullock for her generous contribution to the Library. Consider making a donation to the Library’s Collections from the Society’s Amazon Smile Wishlist. It is just a click away!

Come Visit

During the winter months, the Library is open by appointment. Please email Library & Archives Manager Maureen O’Brien for an appointment if you want to schedule a visit. MHS Leaflet | 29

Over-Wintering

By John Lee John shares stories of Bert and Brenda and their gardening wisdom. These chronicles feature recipes, tried-and-true gardening practices, and seasonal struggles and successes. Bert and Brenda were first introduced in the March 2022 issue of Leaflet.

Sometimes, when idling in the old glider on the front porch, Bert might wax poetic. In school (lo, these many years ago) reading and writing poetry was a rudimentary requirement. Occasionally, he would find his mind stuck on a particular rhythm and lapse into a moment of ‘creative’ versifying while trying to recollect a particular stanza or couplet that was stuck in the back of his head at that moment. In a lighter moment, he would forget himself and just prattle on for a minute or two. Brenda, oh Brenda, how lucky are we, That actually want for nought; We’ve plenty of honey and just enough money. So, look and see what I’ve bought Come look and see what I’ve bought. Oh Bert, my precious, my still ardent man This looks like a wonderful plan. I’ve always wanted to sail away For a week (or a day!) On an ocean-going boat, said sheOn a cruise with no one but thee!

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Oh, Brenda, my sweet, no one can compete For the love you have shared with me But it is never enough just to sit in the rough ‘Neath our favourite old apple tree said he The one that’s no sweeter than thee.

So, off we must go; let’s hither away Before a new season holds sway; Before the strawberries to set flower; Or there’s shade ‘neath the bower. Cuz what we pass up now will taste sour – We must not cower while we still have the power. (And the more so hour by hour!).

So giddy was she and delighted that he Had so thoughtfully considered her dreams. She packed just enough in her hurry – Forgetting the curry Boiling away on the stove….

So much for Edward Lear’s ‘The Owl and The Pussy-Cat’. Bert’s occasionally idle mind would occasionally spin off the tracks if left alone for very long at the end of the growing season.

Come January, thoughts of the year-to-come are already starting to manifest, if only in the pre-dawn hours. Depending on whose restless mind was beset by such thoughts, their imaginings were not so very different. While Bert’s tended toward what was to be planted, Brenda’s were more in line with ‘is there anything new under the sun’ that can be thought of when there are too many carrots: roasted, glazed, cheesy, salad, gingered, garlicky…. She had tried about every recipe that she thought might please her ‘farmer’ who, it may be said, could be a mite persnickety about what he found on his plate. If, by some quirk of fate, their dreams were synchronous, he dreamed of a new kind of carrot that grew ramrod straight in his bony soils yet were tender enough so as not to break their aging teeth. Bert remembered as a child that his dad had grown several hundred feet of carrots for their horses and that it took quite a while for the old mare to choke one down These were two- or three-to-a-pound carrots unlike anything you’d see these

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days! So much for the halcyon before the dawn of F-1 hybrids. For all the fuss over OP (open pollinated) crops, Bert was often rather impressed with certain aspects of modernity were he to be asked.

Were there to have been a crowning glory to Bert’s incessant search for a new veggie every year, he hit a homer this past summer. His patient perusal of odd-vegetable catalogues showed him a Black Futsu, a Japanese heirloom that was not remarkably ugly and did not overproduce (only two or three fruits/plant). He figured if he didn’t like it, it was in the nothing-ventured, nothing-gained department. Both he and Brenda liked winter squashes like Acorn. Bert erroneously thought that because they were in the Cucurbita family the skins were quite edible - “clean-plate-club squashes”. But his wife pointed out that this was not true because most melons are also cucurbits and no-one eats their rinds (watermelon being the one exception she could think of!).

Despite the fact that catalogue writers often wax overly poetic in their efforts to create market and drum up sales, both Bert and Brenda were quite pleased with what seemed initially to be unsupportable claims. These little squashes were pretty homely but possessed of remarkably good (nutty-tasting) flavor and excellent storage potential. He would plant more of them this year and maybe lay off the Rouge Vif d’Etampes which were just too much pumpkin for the two of them to eat. They did, however, make wonderful (if untraditional) seasonal decorations inside or out. So maybe a hill; he had saved some seed. On the table, Bert like his Futsu stuffed with sausage, cranberries and pecans. Brenda preferred hers simply with a little butter, maple syrup and a bit of granola for texture. Either way, she baked the squashes at 350 degrees until fork-soft. Over suppers, they pore over the seemingly endless library of seed and plant catalogues that arrived nearly every day. (Brenda had already decoupaged the best of the 2022 library.) Unlike Bert, she was less

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interested in novelty than then raw, stand-out elegance of certain traditional varieties She liked the up-right, forthright prominence of ‘glads’, especially when bunched in mixed colours. To her, glads symbolized strength and permanence. In the old days, Bert had to soak the bulbs in creosote to kill the thrips that gladiola bulbs are prone to. Nowadays, he stored the dug bulbs between 35-40 degrees and before planting shook them with diatomaceous earth. He also tried mixing 1 tablespoon of Lysol in a gallon of water and soaking the bulbs. He found that planting them while still wet also helped. But lacewings and lady bugs also helped deter any thrips that were not adequately deterred. Luckily, Bert also liked glads but thought them a lot of work if perfection was to be the standard.

Brenda could not have a summer without a big bed of dahlias. Bert saw this as another over-wintering problem. But considering the pleasure they bought his wife during the dog days of summer, he indulged her.

Luckily, they had a neighbor friend who was exceptionally good at harvesting, dividing and over-wintering dahlia tubers because, frankly, Bert was not very good at it. Pretty much every year he suffered significant and depressing losses no matter the medium he used or where he stored them. Simply put, he didn’t have the knack. So he was happy to trade anything for fresh tubers to brighten the garden. Of course, she had to have zinnias. Bert loved them – they nearly grew themselves and the cut-and-come-again varieties were unstoppable. What’s not to love for a busy fella?

John Lee is the recently retired manager of MHS Gold Medal winner Allandale Farm, Cognoscenti contributor and president of MA Society for Promoting Agriculture. He sits on the Governor's Food Policy Council and UMASS Board of Public Overseers and is a longtime op-ed contributor to Edible Boston and other publications.

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Be A Better Gardener: Voles

By Thomas Christopher

Okay, I admit it, voles are cute. With their small pudgy bodies and short tails, they look like undersized, feral hamsters, to whom they are in fact related. But whereas hamsters are house pets, voles roam free in your garden. Voles are vegetarian, too, which can spell trouble for your plants. Their most heinous habit is that they like to chew the bark off the base of young trees and shrubs, with fruit trees being a favorite. That’s why voles are on my mind. I planted several plums, a couple of bush cherries, and two honeyberries in my food garden last spring, and I know that winter is a hungry season for voles. They clear a network of runways under the snow or fallen leaves, so that they can remain unseen while they forage, and I am afraid they’ll find the additions to my garden. I’ve wrapped the base of these trees and shrubs with spiralcut, cylindrical plastic tree guards, but even those aren’t fail-safe. One winter a couple of decades ago, a three-foot-deep snowfall allowed the voles to tunnel upward and over the tree guards I had installed around 50 little apple trees I had grafted myself. When the snow melted, I was confronted by the sight of fifty little trunks that were bone-white and bark-less from the top of the tree guards upward. Two species of voles are common in the Northeast, the meadow vole

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(Microtus pennsylvanicus) and the woodland vole (Microtus pinetorum). The common names indicate the sort of habitat each species prefers, but in our patchwork of field and forest, you may find yourself encountering either one. The woodland and the meadow vole also differ in their dining habits. Both are active burrowers, making nests underground, but woodland voles also rely on burrowing to eat tubers, bulbs, and roots, especially those of young fruit trees although they will also attack other woody plants and perennials. The meadow voles commonly forage above ground, eating fresh grass, sedges, flowers, and tree bark. However, meadow voles are also known to eat roots, tubers, and bulbs.

Vole populations typically rise and fall in cycles of 4 years or so, with booms at times of food abundance, followed by crashes as populations of predators such as hawks, owls, and foxes increase locally in response to the greater availability of prey – voles are a favorite food source for them. Weasels, shrews, bobcats, and even coyotes also depend on voles as a source of protein. In fact, voles are an important element of the wildlife food chain in our region. Voles have adapted to this by becoming hugely prolific. The females mature sexually at the age of 25 days on average, and thereafter they can reproduce

roughly every three weeks, giving birth to litters of 1-10 young, often bearing young from more than one father in a single litter. It’s a brief if fertile existence: although voles have lived to two and a half years in captivity, the typical lifespan in the wild is two to three months.

This emphasis on rapid reproduction makes it difficult to eliminate voles when they invade your garden. A mouse trap baited with peanut butter or an apple slice and placed near and perpendicular to one of their runs or an entrance to their burrow will dispose of an occasional individual, but that won’t have a significant impact on the population size. Various poison baits are recommended for reducing vole populations, but they pose an unacceptable risk to other wildlife and pets. Repellents based on castor oil are supposed to make the plants in your garden unappetizing to voles and many customers report success with them, although there is little reliable research to support this claim. Likewise, there is little proof that ultrasonic repellers, devices you

place in the garden to deter voles with high-pitched sounds that humans cannot hear, are effective at all.

I prefer the option of making my landscape unwelcoming to voles. That includes eliminating wood and brush piles that can provide them with retreats, and mowing the lawn short around the garden, so that the voles have to expose themselves to predators when they want to forage there. Voles are reluctant to take that chance, and if they do, they are much more likely to end up as prey. In times of infestation, you should also avoid dressing the landscape up with mulch, as the voles can use that as cover under which to excavate their runs. In sum, if I want a cute rodent, I’ll adopt a hamster.

Be-a-Better-Gardener is a community service of Berkshire Botanical Garden, located in Stockbridge, MA. Its mission, to provide knowledge of gardening and the environment through a diverse range of classes and programs, informs and inspires thousands of students and visitors each year. Thomas Christopher is a volunteer at Berkshire Botanical Garden and is the author or co-author of more than a dozen books, including Nature into Art and The Gardens of Wave Hill (Timber Press, 2019). He is the 2021 Garden Club of America's National Medalist for Literature, a distinction reserved to recognize those who have left a profound and lasting impact on issues that are most important to the GCA. Christopher’s companion broadcast to this column, Growing Greener, streams on WESUFM.org, Pacifica Radio and NPR and is available at berkshirebotanical.org/growinggreener.

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The Garden at Elm Bank Open April 1-November 26 Classes, Programs Year-round www.masshort.org

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