Monthly Archives: January 2012

High Line: The Inside Story of New York City’s Park in the Sky

Posted on January 28, 2012 | Leave a comment

High Line: The Inside Story of New York City’s Park in the Sky
Wednesday, March 14, 7:00 pm
Museum of Fine Arts
Remis Auditorium, Boston
Tickets: $15 members, $18 non-members

I just signed up for this lecture. It will be fascinating to hear how they reclaimed these derelict rail structures and created a park. Come join me!

Robert Hammond, co-founder and executive director, Friends of the High Line, will share the story of how the High Line, a new public park atop an elevated freight rail structure in Manhattan, became an innovative urban reclamation project.

Hammond and his co-founder collaborated with neighbors, elected officials, artists, local business owners, and leaders in horticulture and landscape architecture, to create a park celebrated as a model for creatively designed, socially vibrant, ecologically sound public space. A book signing follows.

This is a ticketed event – $15 MFA members, $18 others. Tickets may be reserved by calling 1-800-440-6975, going in person to the Remis Auditorium box office at the Museum, or visiting www.mfa.org.

Brainstorm the Future of Agriculture in Boston – Jan. 30th

Posted on January 27, 2012 | Leave a comment

Here’s an interesting opportunity for Boston urban gardeners raising food crops…
On Monday, Jan. 30th, you can give your opinion and help envision the future of Boston’s urban agriculture by attending a Kickoff and Visioning meeting from 6 – 8:30pm at Suffolk University.
The Mayor’s Office of Food Initiatives is launching a new project to update the Boston Zoning Code to support Urban Agriculture (UA) city wide. UA is small scale farming that makes healthy, fresh food more accessible and empowers Bostonians by creating economic opportunity.
Urban farming includes:

rooftop greenhouse agriculture
aquaponics (fish farming)
community farms
farm stands (LOVE THESE!)
composting
and other fresh food-producing endeavors.

Keynote Speaker:
Will Allen holding a fish Will Allen, Founder and CEO of Growing Power Inc., former pro athlete, and 2008 McArthur Foundation “Genius Grant” recipient for his work on urban farming and sustainable food production.

Meeting Specifics:
Monday, January 30, 2012 6-8:30PM
Suffolk University, Downtown Boston, 73 Tremont Street, 9th Floor*
* Must bring I.D. (Drivers license, credit card) to clear security.

To learn more about the BRA’s Rezoning for Urban Agriculture Initiative , go to: http://tinyURL.com/BRARezoneUrbanAgriculture

Happy 2012 and Flower Sculptures by Will Ryman

Posted on January 16, 2012 | 2 comments

Hello and Happy 2012!
It’s been a busy first two weeks of the year! I moved into a bright, new office on Marlborough Street and just couldn’t get my act together until now to blog… Consider me back in action!
Here’s a good story…
Just before the holidays, I visited my dear friend Joy near Miami, Florida. As a special treat, she took me to the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Gardens. What a wonderful place! Gorgeous, leafy trees and delicate flowers in bloom. Wide lawns, curvy paths and a lovely lake. There are plinking waterfalls found off spongy paths filled with shadows and earthy smells. Amid all this beauty, there were odd, curvy shapes of red on the land and floating in the lake. It wasn’t until we came upon a very tall (30 feet) and willowy sculpture of red roses by Will Ryman, that we realized that the red bits were petals “blown off” the enormous roses. Delightful! I’d never heard of Will Ryman before but I have become such a fan! Take a look at this CBS Sunday Morning segment on Ryman’s installation in New York City’s Park Ave.
I’m going to advocate with the good people at the Rose Kennedy Greenway to see if a Ryman installation is possible here in Boston next winter. What a boost to the spirit these roses would bring to Boston during its darkest and dreariest days. Pictures of the Icon 2011 Yellow Roses by Ryman are below. The red roses are called Origin 2011. FYI: All the roses are shaped from fiberglass, stainless steel and marine paint. Enjoy!