October Classes at Garden in the Woods

The October course, class and workshop schedule is out for the New England Wild Flower Society in Framingham.  Three opportunities caught my eye… See below.  For more information, visit http://www.newenglandwild.org/learn.

Tuesday, October 4, 2011, 7-9 p.m., Design a Native Mixed Border Garden in the Fall, Beverly, MA. Your border garden can have four-seasons of beauty! Take advantage of ideal fall planting conditions to establish borders filled with native perennials, shrubs, vines, and small trees. Fall bargains abound in nurseries, and this is an ideal opportunity to begin fresh or redesign existing border areas in your garden. Fee: $26 (Member) / $32 (Nonmember). Pre-registration is necessary, contact the registrar at 508-877-7630, ext. 3303.

 Wednesday, October 12, 2011, 7-8:30 p.m., Fall Full Moon Hike, Garden in the Woods, Framingham, MA. Gain a new perspective on our beloved Garden in the Woods with a moonlit walk with Dan Jaffe, the Garden’s sole human full-time resident. Focus your senses on the diversity of smells, tastes, textures and sounds to be found along the pathways into the woods, around the pond, along the brook and back again. Experience the “muscle” of the musclewood tree, snack on a wintergreen snack while feeling the “fur” of the hairy sumac. Gain a unique nighttime appreciation of the plants and terrain on this night of the “Hunter’s Moon.” Fee: $20 (Member) / $24 (Nonmember). Pre-registration is necessary, contact the registrar at 508-877-7630, ext. 3303.

 Saturday, October 15, 2011, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., An Autumn Walk Through Forest and Bog, Grassy Pond Conservation Land, Acton, MA. Grassy Pond Conservation Land is a 96-acre sanctuary that includes Grassy Pond, associated wetlands, a small meadow, two small streams and a forest of oak, hickory, white pine and hemlock. Join instructor Roland “Boot” Boutwell to explore Grassy Pond, a kettle pond formed during the retreat of the glaciers. It exhibits bog characteristics (very wet/highly acidic) around the perimeter, with leatherleaf, highbush blueberry, red maple and tamarack moving in and shrinking the pond. The surrounding forest is filled with witch hazel and should be at or near full bloom by mid-October. Bring lunch, a favorite field guide and a hand lens if you have one. Fee: $36 (Member) / $44 (Nonmember). Pre-registration is necessary, contact the registrar at 508-877-7630, ext. 3303.