Cuttings - Winter 2012 Spring preview by Brian Cruey

cuttings and

cl a sses

Winter/Spring 2013

Back to the Future: The Garden at Hidcote Page 3

RENEWABLE INTEREST A practically perfect, family-sized vegetable garden

Page 5

Unexpected Houseplants Page 9

Brush Strokes painting at the Botanical Garden

Page 10

Winter/Spring 2013

Director’s Corner by Molly Boxer, Executive Director

Board of Trustees Matthew Larkin, Chairman Madeline Hooper, Vice-Chairman Gloria McMahon, Secretary Ellen Greendale, Treasurer Michael Beck Jeannene Booher David Carls Mary Copeland Jeanine Coyne Mary Harrison Ian Hooper Janet Johnson Janet Laudenslager Wendy Linscott Jo Dare Mitchell Skippy Nixon Linda O’Connell Judie Owens Martha Piper Jack Sprano Ingrid Taylor Cynthia Valles Mark Walker Rob Williams

STAFF Molly Boxer, Executive Director

Sometimes I think there are really only two seasons: with leaves and without leaves. Or at least that can be a clearer distinction when we have summer days that feel like fall, spring days that feel like winter, and some days that seem to run the full gamut within 24 hours.

As we are now into the season without leaves, it is a great time to reflect on gardening, to make adjustments – whether it be to simplify or extend. With most gardening tools put away until the leaves come back one has time to ponder, plan, and prevaricate as to what the next season might bring. It is a perfect time to invest in yourself and enhance your repertoire by taking classes at the Garden. In fact, this is our busiest time in the classroom, when we offer the meatiest classes because this is when you, our favorite students, have time to join us. This semester is filled to the brim with must-take topics. Our Winter lecture (see page 3) is sure to entertain as well as educate as Glyn Jones regales us with tales from across the pond. Word to the wise – buy your ticket early to avoid disappointment! We have classes for gardeners, artists, plant collectors and homesteaders. I will highlight just a few – the full listing is inside this very issue of Cuttings for you to peruse at your leisure. Barbara Pierson, nursery manager at White Flower Farm, is back by popular demand talking about “Perennial Combinations That Work,” from old favorites to ones you may never have heard of – and she does

it in January when we need that inspiration the most! Have you caught the bee fever, yet? Dan Conlon teaches the first of several classes to help the beginning beekeeper take the plunge. “Beginning with Bees” will be held January 19 and Jan Johnson joins us on April 27 to teach you all you need to know about “Setting up a Beehive.” “Houseplant Smackdown” takes place on February 2 with local plant celebs Tovah Martin, Rob Gennari and David Burdick. You will need to bring a cardboard box with you to take home some transplants and cuttings. If you are considering turning your backyard into a thriving homestead then come on March 23 to learn about keeping chickens, sheep, cows, goats and fowl. Meg Taylor and Dominic Palumbo will give you the skinny on how to join the backyard farm movement! There is not a class that doesn’t deserve special mention, so pull up a chair, put your feet up, and mull over all our offerings. Let us help you make the most of this leaf-free season! See you in the Garden,

Molly Boxer, Executive Director

Christine Caccamo, Senior Gardener Elisabeth Cary, Director of Education Allison Crane, Gift Shop Manager Silka Glanzman, Communications Manager Dorthe Hviid, Director of Horticulture Will Maston, Buildings and Grounds Manager Lynne Perry-Urbain, Office Manager Jamie Samowitz, Youth Education Coordinator Bill Cummings, Buildings and Grounds Assistant Richard Demick, Margo Sharp, Seasonal Gardeners Editor Silka Glanzman Associate Editor Molly Boxer Design, imaging studiotwo.com

Cover photo by Kindra Clineff

SEED -A-THON Come share a winter afternoon with fellow gardeners over a hot cup of tea. Contribute your extra seeds to swap with other gardeners or bring along your favorite seed catalogs, and browse through ours.

2 – 3:30 PM ON FEBRUARY 13, 2013 Free for members

special events and programs

Back

to the

FUTURE

The Garden at Hidcote Photo courtesy of Glyn Jones

by Glyn Jones, Head Gardener at Hidcote and 2013 Winter Lecturer 2013 Winter Lecturer and Hidcote Head Gardener Glyn Jones lays the historical groundwork for his upcoming February presentation, “Back to the Future: The Garden at Hidcote.” For an in-depth look at the renowned National Trust site and it’s inspiring 10-year renovation, join us at Monument Mountain Regional High School on February 23 at 2pm. Tickets are available online at www.berkshirebotanical.org or by calling 413-298-3926. “He found a field, some beech trees and a cedar and left a garden as intricately conceived as any house, a garden of corridors and rooms furnished in every detail. For inspiration he borrowed from Italy, from France, from the cottage gardens around him in Gloucestershire, and from the gardens of his friends. Then he fused these disparate elements into a creation that was uniquely his own.” Anna Pavord, garden correspondent for The Independant, on Lawrence Johnston Located in a traditional English Cotswold hamlet, Hidcote garden set the style for the English garden in the 20th century. It is a series of contrasting gardens which unfold cleverly against a bold architectural framework, belying its small scale. The rooms range from small, intimate, and ‘cottagey’- to grand and severely architectural; from formal patterns to naturalistic swathes of plants. Lawrence Johnston, the garden’s creator, demanded the best in design and plants and was prepared to go to endless trouble and expense to achieve this. Hidcote is the coherent execution of one man’s vision and genius, achieved and perfected over a relatively short period of time.

The site–high and exposed on the Cotswold scarp–did not lend itself to gardening. Johnston managed to transcend this. His great innovation was to integrate small and large-scale garden rooms by setting them within a strong architectural framework. The rooms are built around two main axes, which give extended views into the surrounding countryside. Design elements culled from varied sources were melded into a harmonious whole, largely independent of the house. In Johnston’s time the approach to the garden was from the house and it is thus the layout is calculated to unfold, but with the circuit changing with the seasons and each room possessing its own character and floral peak. Johnston’s passions for plants led him to sponsor plant-hunters and make expeditions himself to claim new discoveries, many of which now bear the Hidcote name, as well as to create a Mediterranean sister garden at Serre de la Madone on the French Riviera. Extensive plant houses, numerous frames and large-scale soil conditioning and irrigation projects enabled him to grow a huge range of plants, demonstrating the highest degree of horticultural practice including quantities of alpines and tender subjects, collections of old roses and peonies, and acid lovers. Much of this planting has been lost. It is the planting at Hidcote, which fundamentally elevates and differentiates it from other contemporary ‘architectural gardens’. E.g. Harold Peto’s creations and his assertion of ‘the entirely subordinate place’ that flowers should hold in any garden scheme. Hidcote was not only a celebration of the beauty and diversity of the plant kingdom, but a working laboratory expanding that beauty and diversity through active breeding and plant selection. continued on the next page

Special events and programs continued from the previous page Johnston, a naturalized American, was a passionate and committed man, with an easy understanding of the arts. He moved in a very restricted wealthy circle, which included other garden owners/makers and plantsmen as well as members of the Arts and Crafts set based at nearby Broadway. He was a very competent amateur artist and a good tennis player. He published nothing about his garden at Hidcote and the archive is fairly limited. Hidcote was generally known only to ‘garden connoisseurs’, prior to 1948 but spread its lessons to Kiftsgate, Sissinghurst and beyond and ultimately has become highly influential in the horticultural world. Today, a visit to Hidcote is considered essential by all garden-lovers. Harold Nicolson pronounced Hidcote “the loveliest small garden in Britain” and so it should remain, allowing us all to learn the lessons made available through Lawrence Johnston’s generosity. Despite some reversible modifications to the planting and design the National Trust has ensured that the garden has survived relatively unchanged and has continued to manage the garden to the highest standards possible. “A garden where the brilliance of the design is matched by the richness and diversity of the planting within it.” Anna Pavord O

Photo courtesy of Glyn Jones

WINTER LECTURE 2013

Back to the Future: The Garden at Hidcote Monument Mountain Regional High School, Route 7, Great Barrington, MA Members: $35; Nonmembers: $42

Saturday, February 23 at 2pm Head Gardener Glyn Jones describes the formation and development of this renowned 10.5 acre National Trust site under founder Lawrence Johnston. Jones will review Johnston’s biography as well as his connection to the American Arts and Crafts design movement. This inspiring lecture will also include anecdotes and case studies from the last 10 years of Hidcote restoration as well as research insights made on Jones’ recent botanizing trips to South Africa, Lesotho and Yunnan Provence in China. Tickets may be purchased online at www.berkshirebotanical.org or by calling 413-298-3926.

Education

RENEWABLE INTEREST: A practically perfect, family-sized vegetable garden

The Children's Production Vegetable Garden by Elisabeth Cary, BBG Director of Education and avid home gardener The BBG’s Children’s Production Vegetable Garden has become a favorite garden of mine. It is small, symmetrical, compact, and has a beautiful design that creates a garden room feeling and fits into a tight space on a slope. All these elements make an appealing and versatile design for the family vegetable garden. Best of all, this garden is easy and cheap to construct. It took us just one full day to put the beds together, with the generous help of Great Barrington’s Greenagers, and another day to fill with soil. Then it was ready to plant. Below you'll find plans and costs for building this simple design. Fun and easy, this garden is a great family activity for a cool autumn weekend or the April school vacation. We started our garden the first weekend of November and finished in two weekends time.

Construction - We used 12” wide, locally harvested hemlock boards (untreated boards are essential) fastened together with 3” screws. We chose hemlock because it is local, will last longer than pine and is affordable. Soil - Now this is the tricky part. You can say you’re going to purchase garden soil to fill your raised beds but honestly you can only buy the components of soil. A nice mix of soil and compost with a pH of 6.5 would be perfect. Test for heavy metals, and insure that N-P-K, the major elements that plants rely on, are all present in correct amounts. You can’t buy perfect garden soil. It takes time to develop the full biotic element that makes for a great garden soil. But you have to start somewhere. continued on the next page

Let’s get started. Site - We were limited for location - not ideal, on a slope. Luckily the slope faced east which was in our favor and given the slope, at least it would have good drainage. It was important to level the garden beds as we built them to insure they retained soil, and looked level to the eye. We tucked this garden next to a building to the north and a stockade fence to the west. We were hoping for a minimum of eight hours of direct sunlight but in fact due to some tall trees to the south only realize six hours of direct sun on the garden. It seems to be working fine with six. Design - The best part! This raised bed garden creates approximately 270 square feet of growing space in a square parterre design with four L-shaped corner beds creating the perimeter, and four smaller rectangular beds located symmetrically within. (See figure A.) Pathways are 4 feet wide (enough for the all important wheelbarrow) and no raised bed is wider than 4 feet so you can access from either side and still reach comfortably into the middle without stepping in the bed.

The Children's Production Vegetable Garden , before planting 5

Education Fig. A Plant – We completed building the garden in late November, and although we could have planted cool season crops right away (i.e. mache and claytonia) we chose to mulch the bed with leaf mold for the winter months and then anticipated spring. We did plant our garlic, a bit late, but fall is the only time to plant garlic.

23' 3' 17' 7.5' 4.5'

This summer, visitors admired this garden for its wonderful mix of vegetables, herbs and cut flowers. Throughout the season I noticed many people scribbling notes on dimensions and sketching the design... I guess I’m not the only one inspired by this manageable, efficient and cute garden! O

11' 8'

3' 2.5' 2.5'

THE COSTS 10 yards of garden/compost soil

7.5'

$360

5.5'

Soil delivery $50 Hemlock boards (12” hand milled, untreated) 310 boardfeet at .75 cents/boardfoot $232.50 1 box 3” screws Sweat equity, 2 weekends of family time

4.25'

4' 4'

$649.50

7' 6.5'

6.5'

$7 $0

3' 9.5'

9.5'

1 inch = 1 foot total square footage = 278.5

Enjoy our Vegetable gardening classes! The Minimal Vegetable Garden With Garden Rant Blogger Michele Owens Saturday, February 16, 1 – 3 pm

The Home Vegetable Garden

HERE ARE A FEW ITEMS on OUR WISH LIST:

Thursdays, February 28, March 7, 14, and 21, 9:30 – 11:30 am

Weeding Tool Kits for Hort Volunteers Bucket, soil knife, gloves, etc - $80 each

From Garden to Plate — Nutritional Value of GardenGrown Vegetables

Rolling Carts To be used in our greenhouses - $200 each

Saturday, March 9, 10 am – noon

Malus 'Prarifire' For Crabapple Collection - $200

Fruit-Growing Seminar With Lee Reich and Steve McKay

Collection of Dwarf Conifers For our display beds - $500

Saturday, April 20, 9:30 am – 3:30 pm

Propagation Light Table For the Education Annex - $900

A description of these, and all our wonderful class offerings, can be found on page 16. For more information, visit www.berkshirebotanical.org or call 413-298-3926. 6

THE GARDEN COULD NOT SUCCEED WITHOUT THE GENEROSITY OF OUR SUPPORTERS.

If you are interested in donating any of these items, please contact Lynne Perry-Urbain at 413-298-3926.

Around the Garden

garden triviA You know when to stop by the Garden for the best in summer blooms, and that the Plant Sale happens every year. But do you know how many volunteers support our growth every year? Or which is the oldest hemerocallis in our Daylily Border? Test your knowledge and enter for a chance to win a FREE Family Membership good for one year! Email your answers to info@berkshirebotanical.org before April 1. The winner will be announced in our next issue of Cuttings! 1. The daylilies in our Daylily Borders are organized chronologically based on when each daylily was first registered with the American Hemerocallis Society. What year does our oldest daylily date back to?

a. 1893 c. 1924

b. 1905 d. 1743

2. The Pond Garden has no permanent spring feeding it. It was moved to its current location in 1968, and in 2008 we installed a full liner in the pond. Where does the water in the pond originate?

4. Our historic Herb Garden was created in 1937. The plantings were re-designed in 2009 by gardener extraordinaire and author Page Dickey. Dickey continued the idea of dividing the garden into theme beds, such as Bug Repellent Garden, Culinary Garden and Potpourri Garden. Which plant does not belong in the “Bug Repellent Garden”? a. Tanacetum vulgare var. crispum b. Dianthus gratianopolitanus c. Lavendula angustifolia ‘Munstead’ d. Tagetes patula

3. The Tatkon Garden was inaugurated in the year 2002 and named for Carol Clark Tatkon, a great benefactor of the Garden. It is a mixed border garden, containing woody plants and perennials, as well as annuals/tropicals. How many annuals/tropicals do we plant here yearly?

5. Volunteers are the mortar that holds the bricks together at the BBG. They work at our special event fundraisers and contribute to our exhibits; garden with our professional gardeners and grounds keepers; greet visitors in the Gift Shop and cook with the Herb Associates; assist with the education programs and office work; serve on our Board of Trustees and advisory committees; and much more. How many individual volunteers assist at the Garden each year?

a. rain fall c. water harvester

a. 1,000 c. 2,000

b. seepage from a nearby hillside d. all of the above

b. 1,500 d. 2,500

a. 75 c. 250

b. 150 d. 400

Try a bonus Question! In 1941, while identifying fossils of Sequoia (redwood) and Taxodium (bald cypress) the Japanese paleo-botanist, Dr. Shigeru Miki, discovered fossils which showed opposite and longer leaves than the typical alternate and shorter leaves of the two genera he was researching. Realizing that he had discovered a new genus he named it Metasequoia, meaning “similar to” Sequoia. As the fossils Dr. Miki was studying were 1.5 million years old, and no younger fossils had been found, Metasequoia was believed to be extinct. By coincidence, that same year a forester named Mr. Kan came across a gigantic tree in a village in a remote province of China. The tree was unlike anything he had ever seen before. The locals called the tree Shui-sa, or water fir, and it was part of a local shrine. The tree was estimated to be 400-500 years old. After WWII, in 1946, samples of the unknown tree finally reached Professor Hu at the Bejing Botanical Institute. Professor Hu had read Dr. Miki’s 1941 article about the extinct genus and he

realized that he was looking at was Metasequoia foliage, and that the tree must still be alive although probably endangered. Professor Hu added the species name of glyptostroboides to the tree’s genus, after Glyptostrobus, the Chinese swamp cypress that it resembles. At the time of discovery there were only about 1,000 trees left and so the rediscovery of Metasequoia glyptostroboides caused quite the stir in the botanical community. Plant explorers flocked to China to collect seed, and today Metasequoia has become a popular ornamental for it’s lovely deciduous and bright green needles, which turn a beautiful bronze color before dropping in the fall. Preservation efforts have now created Metasequoia preserves to encourage dawn redwood to naturalize and repopulate itself across the Northern Hemisphere. If you would like to have a closer look at Metasequoia glyptostrobides three of them are growing happily here at the Berkshire Botanical Garden. Where are they planted? O

Around the Garden

SIGNAGE AT BBG Display labels line the Garden beds by Jack Trowill and Silka Glanzman Education is at the core of the Garden’s mission and so, in addition to distinctive and distinquished educational programming, we work hard to include thorough signage in 26 display gardens. In an effort to accommodate a full range of guests, from the casual garden visitor to avid professional gardeners, we approach signage from three angles: interpretive signs, woody and perennial plant display labels, and annual plant labels. INTERPRETIVE SIGNS Interpretive signs are the welcome party of the Garden. These large, green-framed signs sit on pedestals at the entrance to each major garden area. Easy to update with changes to the beds' contents and theme, these signs describe the Gardens' history and growing conditions. There are nearly 19 interpretive signs around the grounds. DISPLAY LABELS A plant display label identifies each type of perennial, biannual, and woody plant throughout the Garden – that’s over 1,000 labels! These 2½ by 4 inch laminated black signs are power houses – they have to withstand the year-round elements and are packed to the brim with information, including botanical names, common names, and family names. In the case of trees, the information also includes country or area of native origin and the Berkshire Botanical Garden accession number. Alas, thanks to on-going research into plant taxonomy and DNA studies, some species are moved between families with little world-wide publicity. So, we rely on the latest issue of the Royal Horticultural Society’s “RHS Plant Finder” for the latest nomenclature. Michael Dirr’s “Manual of Woody Landscape Plants” is another mandatory resource for tree and shrub origins and common names, and we use the “A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants” (The American Horticultural Society) for perennial common names. Each display label is “set” by hand and engraved right here at the Garden. Over the past 15 years, we have produced over 2,000 labels! 8

ANNUAL PLANT LABELS On top of the thousands of labels engraved for our perrenial plants, we also introduce many new varieties of annuals every year in our annual gardens. Rather than prepare expensive laminated labels for these single-season specimens, we create less permanent labels on the computer. Botanical and common names go on to sticky-back labels and are attached to re-useable stakes. These labels do a great job through their one growing season, and are disposed of at the end of the summer. Since 1966, in addition to other assignments at the Garden, long-time volunteer Jack Trowill has built and maintained every interpretive sign and has researched and engraved virtually every display label seen at the garden. Thanks to his efforts, our labels have been lauded by amateur and professional gardeners from many locations. As the Garden grows, we would like to replace the wooden Interpretive Signs with low-maintenance, endurable signs that use photo-engraved text on metal plates as well as replace our labor-intensive engraving practices with a computer-driven model that would easily cut production time in half. The cost of such a device is about $10,000, not including the cost of a used computer required to drive it. If you or anyone you know might be interested in donating to the Garden, our signage is a worthy cause in dire need of updating. O

Need Gardening Advice? The Master Gardeners are here to help! Call the Western Massachusetts Horticultural Hotline to answer all your plant questions year-round. 413-298-5355

Around the Garden

THE UNEXPECTED

HOUSEPLANT Photo courtesy of Kindra Clineff

An excerpt from The Unexpected Houseplant: 220 Extraordinary Choices for Every Spot in Your Home. Copyright 2012 by Tovah Martin, with photographs by Kindra Clineff. Published by Timber Press, Inc. Used by permission of the publisher. All rights reserved. Other people rend their clothes and mourn the loss of summer. But not me. I’ll miss the outdoor garden and fresh air just as much as the next guy, so I’m not actually dancing a jig. Still, there’s a quiet comfort that comes in autumn because it really is the beginning of the indoor gardening season. Autumn is all about gathering. It’s the time when all my green buddies are herded indoors. All are safe. All are warm. But even more to the point, all are close. I’ve got to say --- indoors is a great place to be in autumn. Spaces in my home that seemed dull and lacking are suddenly overflowing with robust growing things. Those few summer months of increased light, open windows, and/or a porch sojourn do a world of good for plants. But the hunkered sense of intimacy in autumn is everything. By autumn, plants have added girth. The individuals that have become too bulky get trimmed. But I keep pruning to a minimum because there’s something truly sensual about brushing past branches and stems as I move around the house. It’s like all my botanical brethren are giving me the glad hand. It’s like we’re a team and this is the victory lap.

home, countless amaryllis (Hippeastrum) trumpet their wares. The leaves of a Kalanchoe are buried in clouds of sizzling orange blossoms at the same split second that a citrus sends its perfume roaming around my office. This is why I garden indoors. Tovah Martin is a horticulturist, writer and garden personality living in northwestern Connecticut. She writes for many horticultural publications and has authored several books. Her popular book on terrarium gardens, The New Terrarium, was published in 2009, and Unexpected Houseplants was published this summer. Tovah is also a regular class instructor at the Berkshire Botanical Garden. Don't miss Tovah, along with Glendale Botanicals' Rob Gennari and Daffodils and More's David Burdick, at Houseplant Smackdown, Saturday February 2, 10 am - 2 pm. For more information visit www.berkshirebotanical.org. O

There is a lot going on in autumn. Fall is no slouch. In the houseplant calendar, it really is a season worth looking forward to. Some plants missed the summer boat and need a longer season to swing into flowering mode --- calla lilies come to mind immediately. Other plants, such as Plectranthus, receive a signal from the shortening days to set buds. Even the citrus starts its winter performance with a dribble of precocious blossoms. But flowers aren’t the only game in town, by a long shot. In autumn, the foliage on houseplants glows and the autumn sunbeams coming through the windowpanes train a spotlight on the glory. I don’t mean to be smug. But I’ve got to say --- autumn is my proudest moment. Later, the wind will gust, the snow will pile, and the highways will close. But while all those histrionics are happening outdoors, the thunbergia will be bouncing with baby blue blossoms. In my

Photo courtesy of Kindra Clineff 9

Around the Garden

BRUSH

STROKES:

PAINTING AT THE BERKSHIRE BOTANICAL GARDEN Photo courtesy of John MacDonald Donna Levinson enjoys a painting class at BBG by John MacDonald For landscape artists, Berkshire County offers a surfeit of spectacular locations. But among the many stunning places to paint or sketch, few offer the rich display of color, pattern, and texture to be found at the Berkshire Botanical Garden. With its white paths winding among patches of vivid green grass, dark enclosures of trees, and a seemingly endless varieties of flowers and foliage, it’s a visual feast. Non-artists often assume that the point of painting is to create a beautiful image. It’s taken for granted that artist focuses solely on the product: the canvas or sketch that results from a few hours of work. But for many plein air artists like myself, there’s another reason to work on location, one that has nothing to do with artistic skill or talent. It’s the actual process of painting rather than the finished product of the canvas or sketch, in the activity of seeing rather than the activity of making art. As we paint or sketch, we come to see the landscape freshly, vividly, and intimately. We focus on a single scene, perhaps a single flower, and it becomes our entire world. We notice colors and details that are entirely missed by our everyday, distracted minds. As we work the internal chatter falls silent. We become entirely present to what is in front of us. In the seeing that accompanies the activity the sense of self fades away and merges with the beauty of the world. Our eyes open to the stunning interplay of color and light and texture as every flower, leaf, or vista reveals itself to us 10

in the fullness of its perfection and aliveness. What a parade of miracles lies before us! This state of being, often called “flow”, has been written about and studied extensively. It’s neither magic nor an escape from reality. On the contrary, it allows our awareness to move from the confines of our little mental worlds into the vast core of reality itself. And it’s available to everyone. Creating a beautiful, well-crafted painting and seeing the world freshly and intimately are two different activities. Drawing or painting skills are not necessary to open one’s eyes to see the beauty in a landscape. The next time you visit the Garden, why not carry a sketchbook with you? Choose a flower, a tree, or a scene that attracts you. Let go of old and stale preconceptions about your art talents, or the lack thereof, and simply draw. Don’t judge the results. Get lost in the seeing. Use the activity of drawing as a doorway through which you can deepen your awareness of the beauty of the world, a beauty that is amply on display at the Berkshire Botanical Garden. O John MacDonald has worked for 30 years as both a full-time freelance illustrator and landscape painter. He has won awards from Print magazine and his work has appeared in the Society of Illustrators annual show. His paintings can be found in private, corporate and museum collections throughout North America. He is now concentrating solely on painting and teaching, which he does regularly at the Berkshire Botanical Garden.

the Garden A recipe from ourAround friends at Guido’s Fresh Marketplace

Vegetable Curry with Coconut Milk A SIMPLE INDIAN CURRY WITH VEGETABLES GALORE A Guido’s Kitchen Recipe Serves: 6

Photo courtesy of Guidos

Instructions INGREDIENTS 2 tbs. canola oil 1 large yellow onion,

finely diced medium cloves garlic, minced 1 tbs. fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated 1 tbs. ground coriander 1 tsp. ground cumin 1 tsp. ground turmeric ½ tsp. cayenne 1 tbs. tomato paste 2 c. vegetable broth 1 c. Thai Kitchen Organic Coconut Milk 1 cinnamon stick 1 small head cauliflower, broken into small florets 1 lb. sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes 4

28 oz. can Muir Glen diced tomatoes 2 large carrots, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes 1 15 ½ oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed 3 c. baby spinach 2 tbs. fresh lime juice 1 tsp. finely grated lime zest 2 tbs. chopped fresh cilantro 1

• In a 5 to 6 quart Dutch oven, warm the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, coriander, cumin, turmeric, and cayenne; stir until well combined. Add the tomato paste and stir until well blended. Add the vegetable broth, coconut milk, and cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes. • Add the cauliflower, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, and carrots. Raise the heat to medium and return to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, until the vegetables are tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the cinnamon stick. • Stir in the chickpeas, spinach, lime juice, and zest; cook until the spinach has wilted, about 2 minutes more.

pittsfield and great barrington guidosfreshmarketplace.com

• Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with cilantro. Enjoy! O

Connect with your food! Sign up for

Making a Farmstead Saturday, March 23, 9:30 am – 3:30 pm

Join educator Meg Taylor and farmer Dominic Palumbo for one or more lectures on keeping farm animals in the backyard.

Chickens in the Backyard, Taught by Meg Taylor

This beginners’ workshop will inspire you and give you the skills to start a backyard flock of your own.

The Family Flock of Sheep, Taught by Meg Taylor

Tired of spending your weekend morning mowing the back acre? There is a quieter and more attractive solution—sheep!

Fowl A Field: Turkeys, Ducks and Geese, Taught by Dominic Palumbo Consider a range of fowl that can be successfully raised in a backyard setting.

The Family Cow or Goat, Taught by Dominic Palumbo

This talk will introduce you to the basic information needed to consider one of these four-legged friends on the farm. For more information, flip to page 22 of this issue or visit www.berkshirebotanical.org. 11

Around the Garden Education

Farm in the GARDEN CAMP Magic Happens everyday

Campers sell thier harvest at the weekly Farmers Market by Jamie Samowitz, Youth Education Coordinator and Director of Farm in the Garden Camp The Berkshire Botanical Garden community welcomed some new feathered and fluffy friends this past summer. A flock of hens made their home in the Children’s Garden, charming visitors who discovered their coop behind the willow hut. A spirited Angora rabbit named Edith lived under the juniper tree outside the Education Center. Alongside the School House was a rotating cast of lambs, goats, and three-week old piglets. If this sounds more like a farm than a garden—you’re right! The animals were largely behind the delighted smiles exhibited by the eighty children who participated in the first annual Farm in the Garden Camp at the Berkshire Botanical Garden! Farm in the Garden Camp is a day camp for children ages 5-10; campers care for farm animals, harvest food they grow themselves, and discover the magic, fun, and satisfaction of making things with their own hands. From bottle-feeding lambs to learning to run their own farm stand, Farm in the Garden Camp offers children the opportunity to work, create, and play amidst the beautiful grounds of the Berkshire Botanical Garden, all under the guidance of our caring and experienced staff members. A typical day at Farm in the Garden Camp starts with a morning circle, where we greet the day and our farm animals with song, games, and laughter. Then it is time for farm chores. One group heads over to the chicken coop to measure out feed, collect eggs, and perhaps sneak in a treat or two from the garden. Another group heads over to care for Edith the rabbit, changing her water and tucking fresh Timothy grass into her hutch. After chores come activity time. Campers card and felt sheep wool, walk goats in the woods and make their own goat cheese, grind wheat berries into flour and make pizzas to bake in the cob oven, learn to hold a piglet so it doesn’t squeal, observe our beehive and harvest honey for the farm stand, and so much more! After that comes ‘circle of thanks’, where campers express gratitude for the trees for giving us 12

shade, the chickens for giving us eggs, or perhaps a fellow camper for sharing their snack that day. Lunch is eaten in our outdoor pavilion, and storytime is held nestled under a tree. Finally it is time for the highly anticipated ‘choice activity’! Campers choose between a variety of activities, including building fairy houses in the woods, water play, baking treats with ingredients from the garden, or simply spending more time with the animals. Finally we join hands in a closing circle to reflect on our day and all that we have seen, experienced, and learned. All in all, time spent at Farm in the Garden Camp is both joyful and enriching. By participating in the life cycle of plants and animals, campers learn about the origins of their food and fiber, as well as important life skills such as empathy, responsibility, patience, and teamwork. Most importantly, spending all day outside and in contact with living things instills in children a sense of wonder and delight in the natural world. These experiences are gifts that can last a lifetime, and we hope your child or grandchild will join us when the magic of Farm in the Garden Camp returns in 2013! O Camp sells out early. To get in on all the fun, be sure to call the Garden or visit our website to register!

Daily farm chores include feeding piglets

Education

TEENS IN THE GARDEN!

A New CIT Program at Farm in the Garden Camp

by Jamie Samowitz If you stopped by the Garden this past July, you might have noticed some remarkable sights—a young girl holding a chicken in her lap, with a teenage helper offering encouragement nearby. Or a high schooler showing a ten-year-old boy the correct way to bottle feed a lamb. These are just a few of the everyday achievements made by our team of Counselors in Training (CITs) who helped make this summer’s Farm in the Garden Camp a rousing success. The mission of the CIT program is to give teens an opportunity to learn educational, agricultural, and horticultural skills in a supportive setting. CITs work side by side with camp staff to assist in all daily activities: in the morning they might lead a small group of students to gather herbs for their freshly-made goat cheese; in the afternoon they might be demonstrating the correct way to harvest fiber and spin wool from our resident angora rabbit. Weekly goal setting and reflection meetings insure that the CIT program nurtures each teen’s particular interests in gardening, farming, and working with children. Most importantly, CITs become core members of the Farm Camp community: they are role models to our young campers and valued and trusted assistants to our counselors. Reflecting on her experience as a CIT, fourteen-year-old Zoe Chevalier from Paris, France said, “Working at Farm in the Garden

Camp was an unforgettable experience. I learned a lot of things, like how to run a farm and how to take care of children and animals. We were doing a lot of different activities like making pizzas and lip balm and discovering new herbs and plants. Everyone trusted me and I felt really responsible.” Fourteen-yearold Julien “Trip” McKee III from Great Barrington, MA said, “As I awaited my first day as a CIT, I was nervous and wasn’t sure what it would be like. It was my first job and turned out to be a wonderful experience. I especially enjoyed playing soccer with the kids at lunchtime and going ponding and helping the campers catch frogs. I gained experience working with kids and being in a leadership role. When my time at the BBG was almost finished, I realized that I was going to miss it and would like to work at the Farm Camp again next year.” The CIT program is a fun and meaningful way to participate in all of the daily small wonders and big adventures that make up Farm in the Garden Camp. In addition, successful participants gain work references and a foundation for potential future work as a paid camp staff member. Contact Youth Education Coordinator Jamie Samowitz at jsamowitz@berkshirebotanical.org if you know a teen who wants to participate! O

FARM IN THE GARDEN CAMP Have fun with us at Berkshire Botanical Garden’s Farm in the Garden Camp, where children ages 5 to 10 are immersed in a full week of playing and working together at the Garden. • Daily hands-on care of resident farm animals • Growing, cooking, and eating food that we grow • Fiber crafts and nature art • Weekly child run farm stand for families • Sharing and celebrating together at the Friday Farm Feast Join a caring garden and farm community brimming with expertise and a low staff-to-camper ratio. Located on the beautiful and diverse 15-acre Berkshire Botanical Garden, Farm in the Garden Camp is a unique and memorable experience for children and their families. Five 1–week Sessions; 9am - 3pm July 1 – 5 July 8 – 12 July 15 – 19 July 22 – 26 July 29 – August 2 Cost: $350 Members, $375 Nonmembers Sibling or multiple-week discount. Register by calling 413-298-3926 or online at berkshirebotanical.org 13

Membership Membership

new members! Berkshire Botanical Garden is honored to welcome the following new Garden Members who joined between July 5 and November 1, 2012. We welcome you to our Garden Community and thank you for your support. Alisa and Richard Altabef, Great Neck, NY Mike Bolduc, Tariffville, CT Blair Brown and Dwight Lee, West Cornwall, CT Mary and Mike Bufis, Pittsfield, MA Kathleen and Daniel Cain, West Cornwall, CT Tim Carlson and Brian Wagner, Ghent, NY Elise and John Carlson, Sharon, CT Marsha Cohen, Lee, MA Katie Connolly and Edward Stein, West Stockbridge, MA Anne and Michael Cronin, East Greenbush, NY Susan Darrin, Hague, NY Judith and Robert Delasi, New York, NY Catherine Delphia and Aaron Dunn, Dalton, MA Cherie, Kiki, Pier and Raymond DeMarco, New York, NY Barbara and Jack Devore, Delmar, NY Bud Deyo, West Stockbridge, MA Sophie and Lee Dichter, New York, NY Marilyn Elie and Roger Witherspoon, Cortlandt Manor, NY Rita Foley, Canaan, NY

Jeannie Fransen and David Youngerman, Tucson, AZ Carolyn Fulton, Baltimore, MD Donna Gamble, Blandford, MA Sara Garinther, Pittsfield, MA Nina and Peter Garlington, Pittsfield, MA Melanie Gillmeister, Pittsfield, MA Matthew Goodrich, Seattle,WA Diana Greene, West Cornwall, CT Linda Greenhouse and Eugene Fidell, New Haven, CT Carol Heimann, Monterey, MA Marianne Hinton, Petersham, MA Linda Hoddy, Great Barrington, MA Paul Iappini, New York, NY Patricia and Allen Jenkins, Braintree, MA Charles Jones, New Marlborough, MA Rachel Kadish, Newtonville, MA Sandra and Gerald Ketcham, Pittsfield, MA Rona and Michael Knight, Otis, MA Ann Kremers, Bennington,VT Ella and Michael Lapointe, Philmont, NY Camille Mastropolo and Gary Ackerman, Jr., Ancramdale, NY Olga Milligan, Great Barrington, MA Katherine Montague, Athens, NY

Regina Mullen, Yarmouth Pool, MA Diana Norton, Lanesboro, MA Catherine and Stuart Nutting, Greenwich, CT Susan Obel, South Egremont, MA Jaylyn Olivo and Dale Flecker, Brookline, MA Laurie and Chris Papas, Valatie, NY Chaba and Shawn Paunchai-Green, Great Barrington, MA Barbara Pierson, Litchfield, CT Jessica Prince and Peter Pouridas, West Stockbridge, MA Jane and Barry Schulman, Longmeadow, MA Peri Sossaman, Huntington, MA Donna Starito and Jonathan Lewit, Kingston, NY Lois Stracuzzi, Pittsfield, MA Eleanor Thomas, New York, NY Thomas Tyning, Pittsfield, MA Daniel Vincent and Stephen Borboroglu, Sheffield, MA Anne White, Pittsfield, MA Pamela Wilson and George Mason, Lakeville, CT Mary Jo Wood, Loudonville, NY Amy Zuckerman, Tuscon, AZ

Membership

benefits FOR WINTER 2012 The Berkshire Botanical Garden stays strong and true to its mission dedicated to the art and science of gardening….and provides information and opportunity to people of all ages! From our wee pre-school visitors, our summer Farm in the Garden Camp campers to youth of all ages from regional schools, from our summer college interns to new and established gardeners and even some non-gardener members, your membership support to Berkshire Botanical Garden delivers our very important mission in providing inspiration and education. Membership offers the following basic benefits at the Garden, about the region and even in different time zones! • All members receive free admission to visit our 21 distinct display gardens, two vegetable gardens and a fruit production garden, three greenhouses, one shady woodland trail and one amazing 103 year old Ash tree growing from the crevice of a rock! Become inspired by the works of various guest gardeners and artists who build special installations including container gardens and special exhibits about our 15 acres. • Members receive 10% discount at our Garden Shop. • Members receive 10% discount from a growing list of regional nurseries and businesses. See our website for more details. • Mark your calendar for May 10 and 11, 2013 for the annual Plant Sale! Members receive early admission and early buying privileges on Friday, May 10, from 8 to 11am, and receive a 10% discount on all BBG plant purchases throughout the Plant Sale! • Members receive discounted prices on most education classes, lectures, workshops, trips and Farm in the Garden Camp. • Members receive discounted ticket prices for our annual Winter Lecture, Fete de Fleurs Gala, and Holiday Marketplace preview party, Cocktails in the Garden and Special Exhibit Opening Reception events. Get outta here! Your membership at Berkshire Botanical Garden, through the American Horticultural Society Reciprocal Admissions Program, is your garden passport to over 250 other botanical gardens, arboretum and conservatories throughout North America!

Take advantage of free admission (and often many other privileges, too) while traveling. Here are a few suggestions: • Escape the Berkshires, go to the ocean and visit Coastal Maine Botanical Garden. • Break up your business trip to New York City with a tour of Wave Hill, New York Botanical Garden or Brooklyn Botanical Garden. Maybe Boston is your destination- stop in the Arnold Arboretum of Tower Hill. • Go west to Seattle and visit Washington Park Arboretum, Desert Botanic Garden in Phoenix, Arizona or the Japanese Friendship Garden in in San Diego and The Gardens at Heather Farm in Walnut Creek, California. There are hundreds of gardens to visit north, east, south and west of the Berkshires. For an up to date listing please visit www.ahs.org and experience the gardens through your membership at BBG. Join or renew anytime on-line at berkshirebotanical.org or by calling 413-298-3926. O

Give the gift of

Membership! A Berkshire Botanical Garden membership offers fabulous benefits suited to all the gardeners in your life!

To purchase a membership in a recipient's name, call 413-298-3926.

Members enjoy early buying privileges at our annual Plant Sale 15

Classes

5 West Stockbridge Road Stockbridge, MA 01262 413-298-3926

berkshirebotanical.org

at The Berkshire Botanical Garden from January to May 2013

Winter/spring Classes Botanical Painting with Watercolor

Perennial Combinations That Work

Thursday & Friday, January 10 & 11 10 am – 4 pm

Saturday, January 12

Workshop

Lecture

Members $260; Nonmembers $290 All levels Bring a bag lunch. Materials list available online at www.berkshirebotancial.org Gain confidence and comfort in this class devoted to techniques of botanical painting in watercolor. Using anemones as subjects, students will learn to capture the vitality and drama of these flowers, first in a compositional drawing. After creating a base watercolor layer for guidance, artists will add a series of dry-brush layers, gradually increasing color intensity and form. Through demonstration and individualized attention, the instructor will guide students through mixing believable greens and maintaining color clarity. By the end of the class, each student will have a painting either finished or nearly so. Carol Woodin has been painting botanicals in watercolor for over 20 years. Her focus is orchids, rare plants and heirlooms. Her work is included in collections around the world, including those of the Smithsonian Institution, Shirley Sherwood Collection and Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK. Director of Exhibitions for the American Society of Botanical Artists, she has organized exhibitions of botanical art throughout the US.

Beginning With Bees: Getting Started in Backyard Beekeeping Saturday, January 19, 9 am – noon

Lecture Members $40; Nonmembers $50 Beginner/novice A beekeeping start-up kit and bees can be pre-ordered from Dan so that participants can start a hive in the spring. For more information on ordering supplies and bees, visit www.berkshirebotanical.org. This workshop is for everyone with an interest in honeybees and beekeeping. Learn how to start a honeybee colony, the seasonal 16

Lectures, Workshops 10 am – noon Members $25; Nonmembers $30 All levels

The secret to a successful perennial garden often hinges on understanding how perennials complement each other. Understanding bloom times, in concert with size, foliage, color and growth habit often make perennial plant selection a real challenge. Join Barbara Pierson, horticultural “guru” at White Flower Farm, for an in-depth exploration of perennial plant combinations, featuring plants that “play nicely” together—they either look good when blooming together or they bloom in tandem. Her plant combinations take into account all-important cultural requirements, including soil, light, disease resistance and maintenance, and include the very best combinations that can be discovered only through trial and error. This lecture will be based on Barb’s lifetime of experience in horticulture and will be illustrated by exceptional photos. Barbara Pierson is the nursery manager for the prestigious White Flower Farm Nursery in Litchfield, CT. She holds a degree in horticulture from Cornell University and has worked at WFF since 1998. She is a popular speaker at horticultural conferences and has appeared as a guest on TV and radio. She is quoted widely in the print media and was the lead horticultural resource for a 2010 New York Times garden series.

management required to keep a healthy hive of bees and the role of pollinators and their relationship to flowering plants. New beekeepers, or those who are considering becoming beekeepers, will get an overview of the beekeeper’s job and learn to make the correct choices when starting a backyard apiary. Equipment and tools used by the beekeeper will be discussed, and step-by-step instructions for starting a new colony of bees will be covered. At the end of the workshop participants should have a solid understanding of how to successfully begin as a new beekeeper. Dan Conlon owns Warm Colors Apiary in South Deerfield, MA. Warm Colors maintains bee yards in western Massachusetts for honey production and pollination services on area farms. Dan is a full-time beekeeper and President of the Massachusetts Beekeepers Association. He was recognized as the Eastern Apicultural Society's 2004 Beekeeper of the Year and the Massachusetts 2005 Beekeeper of the Year.

413-298-3926 berkshirebotanical.org

Winter/spring Classes Passion for plants: Study Group

Thursdays, January 17, 24 & 31 10 am – noon

Lecture series Members $60; Nonmembers $70 Individual classes $25 All Levels Join a study group taught by staff at the Berkshire Botanical Garden to consider plant groups of particular interest. Look first at the stars of the garden, small ornamental trees. The following week will investigate the humble, but all-important, ground cover. The final class will focus on new and hot annuals that brighten the late summer garden.

Stars of the Garden: Small Flowering Trees January 17 Consider the show girl of the garden, the small flowering tree. Elisabeth Cary will take students on a comprehensive tour of hardy trees under 30 feet tall. Each selection will be discussed for garden-worthiness, growth habit, aesthetic consideration, siting, planting, cultivation and maintenance. Tips on how to integrate these beauties into the mixed border, woodland setting and as a focal point will be covered. Elisabeth Cary is the Director of Education at the Berkshire Botanical Garden and has been gardening for over 25 years. She specializes in perennial, vegetable and mixed-border gardens.

Designing “New Wave” Gardens in the Piet Oudolf Style Saturday, January 26, 10 am – noon

Lecture Members $25; Nonmembers $30 All levels Consider growing perennials from a designer’s point of view. This class teaches gardeners about design concepts needed to make a ‘new wave’ garden. Featuring perennials, this garden style has been made popular by Dutch garden designer Piet Oudolf. Plants are considered for their

The Gardener’s Friend: Ground Covers January 24 Although a modest group of plants, ground covers are becoming increasing more valuable to gardeners for their versatility and the role they play in lowering garden maintenance. Selecting the right ground cover can be tricky. Some are too aggressive while others mope in the garden. Consider an excellent selection of ground covers for all growing conditions. Elisabeth Cary is the Director of Education at the Berkshire Botanical Garden and has been gardening for over 25 years. She specializes in perennial, vegetable and mixed-border gardens.

Hot and Showy Annuals January 31 Of special interest to Director of Horticulture, Dorthe Hviid, are annuals, the backbone of the late summer garden. She is constantly researching annuals, and she features this group of plants prominently in several BBG gardens. Join Dorthe on her quest to identify outstanding annuals. She will share those that really work, what’s new and give you tips on great annual combinations. Dorthe Hviid has been the Director of Horticulture at the Berkshire Botanical Garden for 20 years. She has developed an encyclopedic horticultural knowledge with a special interest in annuals.

robust, low maintenance characteristics and then grouped according to their ideal growing situations. Join David Dew Bruner for an exploration of the amazing gardens of Piet Oudolf and learn tips and techniques for making a ‘new wave’ garden at home. Perennial types and varieties will be covered, with a focus on hardy perennial beauties. David Dew Bruner is an award-winning landscape architect and fine artist with over 35 years of experience, ranging from Deputy Administrator of Riverside Park in New York City to amusement park design, historical restoration and all scales of residential design. Originally from New Orleans, he has a BLA and a BFA from Louisiana State University, as well as a MLA form the University of Massachusetts.

413-298-3926 berkshirebotanical.org

Winter/spring Classes Hydrangeas in the North: Varieties and Techniques for Improving Flower Bloom Saturday, January 26, 1 – 3 pm

Lecture Members $25; Nonmembers $30 All levels Hydrangeas are easily grown in northern climates, but they seldom produce abundant blooms during the summer season. This class will focus on growing both macrophylla and serrata hydrangeas and understanding simple techniques that promote good flower bloom during the summer months. Horticulturist Tim Boebel has spent many years refining techniques needed to insure great summer blooms in gardening zones 5 and colder, even for the mophead hydrangea, macrophylla. Tim Boebel has worked in the horticultural industry for over 20 years in the Rochester, NY area. He specializes in hydrangeas and has grown and experimented with 300 hydrangea cultivars.

Construct a Fairy House or Gnome Home! Saturday, February 9, 10 am – noon

Workshop Members $50; Nonmembers $60 All levels All materials included in cost of workshop. Bring a plug-in hot glue gun with glue sticks (instructor will provide if needed). Join floral artist and perennial-garden guru Barb May to learn how she creates charmingly wonderful, magical fairy houses and gnome homes. Designed for permanence, these tiny constructions appeal to old and young alike. This workshop will acquaint participants with ways to collect and prepare natural material from fields and forests and then demonstrate how to manipulate these found objects to create unique and charming structures. Participants will build a structure to take home using found natural material collected at the Berkshire Botanical Garden. Barbara May is a professional gardener, prize-winning floral arranger, past president of the Lenox Garden Club and an accomplished teacher.

Houseplant Smackdown Saturday, February 2, 10 am – 2 pm

Lecture, workshop, plant sale Members $75; Nonmembers $85 All levels Materials included in the cost of workshop. Bring a bag lunch, hand pruners, a special plant from home to repot or for evaluation and a cardboard box to transport plants home. Seduced by begonias? Join the crowd. Are you crazy about cacti, spines and all? How about orchids? You must have killed at least one. Have a thing for air plants? There is always room for one in the bathroom. Join three mad gardeners—Tovah Martin, Rob Genneri and David Burdick—and learn how to successfully cram more plants into your house in a hands-on session with houseplants. Bring a plant to repot or be evaluated. Consider the different growing mixes and learn how to take cuttings and divisions and, finally, how to keep them all happy inside your house until spring. Join the fun with our favorite plant experts for a houseplant smackdown and learn their secrets. You’re guaranteed to go home with more than you came with. Tovah Martin is a horticulturist, writer and garden personality living in northwestern Connecticut. She writes for many horticultural publications and has authored several books. Her popular book on terrarium gardens, The New Terrarium, was published in 2009, and The Unexpected Houseplant was published in August of 2012. Rob Gennari is a garden designer and owner of Glendale Botanicals, a specialty tropical nursery located in Berkshire County. He uses tropical plants in his design work and has in-depth experience with propagating, growing and maintaining them. David Burdick is owner of Daffodils and More, a retail bulb and plant nursery located in Dalton, MA. He is a plants man extraordinaire and is well versed in a diverse range of plant groups. He has instructed for the Berkshire Botanical Garden for many years.

413-298-3926 berkshirebotanical.org

Winter/spring Classes The Minimal Vegetable Garden With Garden Rant Blogger Michele Owens Saturday, February 16, 1 – 3 pm

Lecture Members $25; Nonmembers $35 All levels Join radical vegetable gardener and Garden Rant blogger Michele Owens for a lecture on the joys of vegetable gardening in the minimalist style. Since World War II, most Americans have seen supermarkets and processed foods as the height of convenience. But nothing is more convenient than ending a workday by wandering into the backyard and picking something delicious for dinner. In fact, tending a vegetable garden can take much less time every week than getting into a car, driving to a supermarket and pushing a cart around its miles of aisles. Learn why the most beautiful and ecologically sound gardens nearly take care of themselves and prove that you don't have to quit the day job in order to have a steady source of gorgeous food outside the back door. Michele Owens is a joyful vegetable gardener of two decades. Her book, Grow the Good Life: Why a Vegetable Garden Will Make You Happy, Healthy, Wealthy and Wise, was published by Rodale in 2011. The New York Times called it “the best” of a “bumper crop of books about vegetable gardening,” “breezy, cantankerous and funny.” Michele is a founding partner of Garden Rant, one of the most popular and influential gardening blogs, and writes about gardening for publications that include O, The Oprah Magazine, Garden Design and Organic Gardening.

Making Goat Cheese Saturday, March 9, 1 – 4 pm

Demonstration/tasting Members $45; Nonmembers $50 All levels Offsite-location directions available at www.berkshirebotanical.org Join Hawthorne Valley Farm’s cheese maker, Peter Kindel, for a cheese-making workshop using goat’s milk. He will demonstrate how to make a fresh chevre and a hard tome and will share tips and techniques for making fresh and aged goat cheeses from start to finish. The demonstration will be followed by a tasting and discussion of different goat cheeses. Peter Kindel has been making, selling, tasting and teaching about cheese for 18 years. It began as a hobby, but after studying cheese-making in France, England and Scotland, he worked in such highly acclaimed cheese outlets in NYC as Picholine, Artisanal and Murray’s Cheese. He has made cheese in Vermont, Colorado and California, and currently leads the Hawthorne Valley farm creamery in New York’s Hudson Valley.

Two Lives, Two Books And some common themes With Katrina Kenison and Margaret Roach

Saturday, March 2, 1 – 3 pm

Lecture, reading, book signing Members $15; Nonmembers $20 All levels Join two beloved authors, Katrina Kenison and Margaret Roach, for readings and conversation inspired by their much-anticipated new books, Magical Journey: an Apprenticeship in Contentment and The Backyard Parables: a Meditation on Gardening, and Life. Katrina has spent 25 years nurturing a marriage, raising two sons to adulthood and tending to the myriad demands of home and family life. Margaret has spent precisely the same amount of time nurturing countless plants in the garden—a generous plot that has proven to be as worthy and complicated a life partner as any human mate. Now, despite different paths and charges, they find themselves in much the same spot, asking “What next?”—even as they learn to let go of what was, clearing space for new growth. Come connect with two authors, two friends, two lives, two books—and some common themes for discussion by all. Margaret Roach is the author of A Way to Garden and the memoir, And I Shall Have Some Peace There. She has been an editor at The New York Times, fashion editor and garden editor at Newsday, the first garden editor for Martha Stewart Living and the editorial director of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. Margaret is now a consultant and avid gardener, keeping fans up to date on her website, awaytogarden.com. Katrina Kenison is the author of The Gift of an Ordinary Day and Mitten Strings for God: Reflections for Mothers in a Hurry, and, with Rolf Gates, Meditations from the Mat: Daily Reflections on the Path of Yoga. Her writing has appeared in O: the Oprah Magazine, Real Simple, Family Circle, Redbook, Woman’s Day and Health. From 1990 until 2006, Kenison was the series editor of The Best American Short Stories, published annually by Houghton Mifflin. She co-edited, with John Updike, The Best American Short Stories of the Century. A certified Reiki master and Kripalu yoga teacher, Katrina lives with her family in rural New Hampshire. http://www.katrinakenison.com

413-298-3926 berkshirebotanical.org

Winter/spring Classes The Home Vegetable Garden Thursdays, February 28, March 7, 14, & 21, 9:30 – 11:30 am

Lecture, discussion Members $65; Nonmembers $75 Individual classes $25 Beginners/novices Designed for those starting or caring for a vegetable garden, this course will include discussion of soil and nutrient management, seed selection, crop rotation schemes, seeding and planting, pest management and specific plant cultivation, all in the context of the different vegetable groups. Each week, students will investigate a different vegetable family to insure all questions are answered about cultivation of these important food groups. Feb 28 Fabaceae (peas/beans/other legumes) Greens (lettuce/mustards/arugula/mache and more) Herbs (perennial and annual)

Friday, March 8, 9 am – 4 pm

Lecture Cost: $150 (co-registered with Horticulture Certificate Program) All levels Morning seminar at BBG; afternoon demonstration at offsite location The morning program with orchard health expert Michael Phillips will have participants embracing a whole new way of thinking about growing fruit holistically, as well as understanding the principles and practices for growing healthy fruit. The afternoon session will be an offsite field study in a home orchard, where the instructor will conduct an orchard evaluation and discuss how major insect challenges can be resolved safely and organically. He will discuss how to deal with disease from a holistic perspective, so that challenges faced at your locale will become far more manageable. Pruning for fruit production will be demonstrated.

March 7 Assorted Perennial Vegetables (asparagus/rhubarb/horseradish) Chenopodiaceae (beet/chard family) Brassicaceae (cabbage/cauliflower/kale/brussels sprout family)

Michael Phillips is known across the country for helping people grow healthy apples and understand the healing virtues of plant medicines. He helped found a “community orchard movement” that provides a full immersion into the holistic approach to orcharding (www.GrowOrganicApples.com). His Lost Nation Orchard has two acres of trees and supplies local families with many varieties of organic apples.

March 14 Cucurbitaceae (squash/pumpkin/cucumber/melon family) Poeaceae (corn family)

From Garden to Plate— Nutritional Value of Garden-Grown Vegetables

March 21 Allioideae (onion/garlic/leek/shallot family) Solanaceae (tomato/potato/eggplant/pepper family) Peter and Jennifer Salinetti own Woven Roots Farm, a small family farm and CSA that grows vegetables and culinary herbs using traditional farming practices. For over ten years they have grown local produce for Berkshire County families. Their vegetables are grown using environmentally sustainable gardening practices, and they produce amazingly top-quality, delicious produce. Both Jen and Peter are committed to raising awareness about the importance of the local food supply, along with teaching technical information on how to do so. They have lectured on growing food for both NOFA and other regional organizations.

Growing Fruit in a Healthy Orchard Ecosystem

Saturday, March 9, 10 am – noon

Lecture Members $22; Nonmembers $27 All levels Learn about nutrition, the cornerstone of health, and how the vegetable garden can provide the six categories of nutrients the body needs. Growing a garden and harvesting and cooking with garden-fresh vegetables, herbs and flowers moves us toward a healthy body and develops an awareness of the role that food plays in preventing disease and promoting health. Consider the six categories of nutrients that the body needs and learn what vegetables make the most sense to grow in family vegetable plot. Dr. Marie Mammone graduated from the National College of Naturopathic Medicine in Portland, OR, with a doctoral degree in Naturopathic Medicine. She teaches adult education classes in nutrition, homeopathy and culinary herbs at Manchester Community College, Manchester, CT. Her interests include making naturopathy relevant to modern living and working toward integrating naturopathic medicine into Connecticut's medical world.

413-298-3926 berkshirebotanical.org

Winter/spring Classes Gardening Is for the Birds Saturday, March 16, 10 am – noon

Lecture Members $25; Nonmembers $30 All levels This class is for the gardener/ naturalist and bird lover. Understand the unique relationship of our avian friends with plants, and how to provide birds with all they need to make the garden a welcoming home. Learn about the variety of song birds, their requirements for survival and the plants that attract them to the landscape, as well as the importance of structural elements in the garden to attract these welcomed guests. Drew Monthie is a horticulturalist, garden designer and ecologist working in upstate New York. He is committed to teaching about the importance of using native plants to provide beauty and preserve biodiversity in yards and gardens.

Ethnobotany How People Use Plants Saturday, March 16, 12:30 – 2:30 pm

Lecture Members $25; Nonmember $30 All levels Learn about the many uses of plants growing in the fields and forests of New England. This lecture will look at the fascinating history of plants in North America from a human perspective and explore their role in the survival and development of society, as well as their importance today. The instructor will discuss some of the major figures in plant discovery and how plants were used for food, shelter, medicine, clothing, hunting and religious ceremonies. Drew Monthie is a horticulturalist, garden designer and ecologist working in upper New York State. He has a Master degree in ethnobotany and is committed to teaching about the importance of using native plants to provide beauty and preserve biodiversity in yards and gardens.

Enroll in both classes on March 16 and receive 20% discount.

Botanical Illustration with Graphite Pencil Focus on Fruits and Seeds Wednesday, Thursday & Friday, March 20, 21 & 22 10 am – 4 pm Members $260; Nonmembers $290 All levels Bring a bag lunch; materials list available at www.berkshirebotanical.org Draw the beauty of seeds, including pods, nuts, fruits and cones, and investigate the amazing variety of nature’s bounty. Discover the features and texture of these objects while building your drawing skills. This is a great class for beginners or more advanced students who get ‘stuck’ drawing. Learn to solve this problem and develop your drawing step by step, from sketch to finished nature drawing. There will be exercises in: training the eye through quick sketching; drawing plants in proportion; the essentials of perspective; and applying tonal values for visual depth. Whether your love is quick field sketching or rendering plant portraits, this class will give you confidence and train you to look at nature more closely. Carol Ann Morley is a professional illustrator and dedicated teacher of botanical illustration working in Dover, NH. She founded and coordinated the Botanical Art Illustration Certificate Program at the New York Botanical Garden. She teaches illustration at the New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, NY and Wellesley College, and the University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH.

GIVE THE GIFT OF EDUCATION! BBG offers classes for all ages, interests and levels of experience. Your creative nephew will love Botanical Painting with Watercolor! Send your recent graduate to Building a Stone Wall! Those newlyweds will love taking The Perennial Gardener! Register a class in a recipient’s name by calling: 413-298-3926 21

413-298-3926 berkshirebotanical.org

Winter/spring Classes Making a Farmstead Saturday, March 23, 9:30 am – 3:30 pm

Lecture Members $75; Nonmembers $90 Individual sessions $25 All levels, beginners encouraged Bring a bag lunch. Spend a day considering the possibilities of adding a backyard chicken coop, a flock of sheep, a milking goat or cow or a flock of fowl. Join educator Meg Taylor and farmer Dominic Palumbo for one or more lectures on keeping farm animals in the backyard. Learn about the advantages of taking control of your food supply (milk, eggs and meat) managing your own manure pile and adding a four-legged lawn mower. Each program will cover topics including nutrition, shelter/coops, health, egg/meat/wool production, breeds, predators, regulations, general care and helpful resources. Attend one or more lecture and join the backyard farming movement. Meg Taylor is the Founder and Co-Director of The Farm Education Collaborative, an organization that designs and delivers farm-based education programs for all ages in the Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts. Meg has worked in the fields of environmental and agricultural education since 1994 and has worked as a farm educator for Mass Audubon’s Drumlin Farm and at Shelburne Farms in Vermont. Meg and her family garden and raise fancy chickens, Shetland sheep and dairy goats at their home, North Wind Farm, in Williamsburg, MA. Dominic Palumbo is a farmer and owner of Moon In The Pond, a small farm in Sheffield, MA. Moon In The Pond maintains a strong focus on the elegant integration of history (raising heritage breed livestock and heirloom vegetables, using select traditional farming methods) and contemporary ‘technology.’

Chickens in the Backyard – Meg Taylor 9:30 am Calling all gardeners to join the backyard chicken movement! Backyard chickens are now pecking around in every neighborhood, town and city. This beginner’s workshop will inspire and give you the skills to start a backyard flock of your own. Topics covered include: nutrition, shelter/coops, health, egg production, breeds, predators, regulations, general care, helpful resources, and more. Inspect a few hens and admire some freshly laid eggs. There will be plenty of time for questions and answers .

The Family Flock of Sheep – Meg Taylor 11 am Tired of spending your weekend morning mowing the back acre? There is a quieter and more attractive solution—sheep! Sheep are low maintenance, live on grass, can be surprisingly hardy and produce meat, milk and fiber. We'll discuss important considerations before acquiring sheep, such as basic care, best breeds for the small farm, predator control, seasonal tasks, uses for wool and pasture management.

Fowl A Field: Turkeys, Ducks and Geese – Dominic Palumbo 12:30 pm Consider a range of fowl that can be successfully raised in a backyard setting. Used for their eggs, meat or simply for insect control, these entertaining creatures add a lively atmosphere to the backyard farmstead.

The Family Cow or Goat – Dominic Palumbo 2 pm Possibly the most rewarding farm animal is the dairy animal (cow or goat). These animals provide organic, pasture-grown dairy for your family in addition to meat, great manure and some pasture control. This talk will introduce you to the basic information needed to consider one of these four-legged friends on the farm.

413-298-3926 berkshirebotanical.org

Winter/spring Classes The Perennial Gardener Thursdays, April 4, 11 & 18 10 am – noon

Lecture series Series: Members $50 Non-members $60 Individual classes $20 Beginners/novice This course is designed for both first time and intermediate gardeners and will cover all aspects of gardening necessary to create a beautiful and satisfying perennial border. Beginning with site selection, soil and bed preparation she will then explore a selection of perennials that are suitable for a variety of gardening situations. Participants will have time to discuss both sun and shade settings and plant combinations that excel in each situation. The final lecture covers the ever-important garden maintenance issue with a focus on low maintenance techniques that increase soil fertility. All questions will be answered and participants will take home the knowledge to create a new or renovate an old perennial border this spring.

From the Ground Up

Pruning for Fruit Production Pome and Stone Fruit Trees Saturday, April 6 (snow date April 7) 10 am – 3 pm

Demonstration/workshop Members $60; Nonmembers $75 All levels Offsite workshop. Directions available at www.berkshirebotanical.org. Participants should dress warmly and bring pruners and a bagged lunch. This demonstration/workshop will focus on the specifics of pruning stone and pome fruit trees and some small fruits, including cane fruits and ribes. Unlike ornamental woody plants, pruning for fruit is a special science that is designed to maximize fruit production. Learn the principles of pruning for shape, size and, most importantly, fruit production. Watch a structural pruning demonstration on newly planted fruit trees. Semi-dwarf orchard trees, including mature and newly planted trees, will be available for pruning. Steve McKay is the former Grape and Small Fruit Specialist for Cornell Cooperative Extension in eastern New York State. He has a B.S. in entomology from U.C. Davis and a M.S. in pomology. He owns Micosta, a fruit nursery located in Hudson, NY.

April 4

This workshop will cover basic soil and bed preparation for establishing a new perennial border or refurbishing an existing one. Developing a healthy soil and enriching garden spaces for optimum plant growth will be the focus of this class.

Selecting and Designing with Perennials April 11

Look at garden-worthy, easy-to-grow plants for herbaceous border plantings. Learn about the vast array of perennials available, including old favorites and exciting new varieties. Plant considerations will be discussed with a focus on creating successful plant combinations for three-season interest. Learn how to select, buy and plant perennials.

Tending the Perennial Border April 18

Learn how to keep the herbaceous border looking its best all season long. All aspects of maintenance will be covered, including edging, weeding, mulching, fertilizing, watering and dividing. Pruning, pinching, shearing, cutting back and staking will be discussed, and specific plant requirements will be covered.

Rejuvenating Shrubs—Lilacs, Weigela, Forsythia and More Saturday, April 13, 10 am – noon

Hands-on workshop Members $35; Nonmembers $42 Beginners Participants should bring hand pruners and work gloves and dress for the weather. Is that old lilac refusing to flower? Spring is a great time to assess your woody shrubs for shape and structure. This hands-on workshop will focus on when, why and how to renovate or rejuvenate your woody plants. Learn about tools, timing and specific techniques available to the home gardener. Following a lecture and several pruning demonstrations, participants will learn by doing. Ken Gooch is the Forest Health Specialist for Berkshire County. Additionally he is a Massachusetts Certified Arborist and teaches arboriculture at the Garden.

Elisabeth Cary is the Director of Education at the Berkshire Botanical Garden and has been gardening for over 25 years. She specializes in perennial, vegetable and mixed-border gardens.

413-298-3926 berkshirebotanical.org

Winter/spring Classes Fruit-Growing Seminar

with lee reich and Steve McKay Saturday, April 20, 9:30 am – 3:30 pm

4 Lectures Members $75; Nonmembers $85 Individual classes $30 All levels Bring a bag lunch. Fruit plants will be available for sale. This seminar is devoted to growing fruit simply, with lectures devoted to specific fruit groups. The morning will begin with Lee Reich’s comprehensive overview of selection and management of fruit in the backyard. Following the lead lecture, Lee Reich and Steve McKay will give lectures on fruits they consider important to grow. Although designed as a seminar, participants may attend individual classes.

Fruit-Growing Simplified 9:30 am Want to grow delicious, healthy fruit without chemical sprays, "organic" sprays and other intensive management strategies? Examine the pest triangle, showing what brings on pest problems and strategies for avoiding or controlling them. Simplified fruit growing emphasizes a number of straightforward practices, including plant selection, pruning, soil, site selection and natural pest management. The key ingredients to successful growing of pear, pawpaw, raspberry and other easy-to-grow fruits will be highlighted. The result: abundant fruit without having to resort to extreme efforts.

Growing Blueberries: Reliable, Healthful and Delicious 11 am Lee Reich will cover the different plant types, varieties of blueberries and where to source them. He will cover in detail all-important soil preparation, ongoing soil care, planting, pruning and harvest. A foray into bird issues ensures that you get to reap your harvest. The end result may be an overabundance, so he will conclude with ways in which this problem is easily and happily confronted. Leave this lecture with everything you need to know to be picking an abundance of blueberries within just a few years. Noon – LUNCH (beverage will be provided) 24

Growing Grapes: Cultivated for the New England Garden 1 pm Growing grapes in New England is easier than you think, as new varieties are being developed for our northern climates. Whether grown for fresh fruit, preserves or wine-making, this class provides an overview of this vining group of plants. Grape specialist Steve McKay will cover varieties suitable to zone 5, siting, cultivation and, most importantly, pruning.

Growing Gooseberries, Currants and Elderberries 2:30 pm Learn about the fruit group Ribes, including red, white and black currants and gooseberries, along with delicious elderberries. Most popular in European countries, these easy-to-grow plants provide an important source of vitamins, are high in antioxidants and can be used fresh, for baking and as juices, drinks and preserves. Small-fruit specialist Steve McKay will discuss all aspects of cultivation of these northern-hardy plants, including best varieties, maintenance, pruning, harvesting and sourcing. Lee Reich, Ph.D. is an avid farmdener (more than a garden, less than a farm) who turned from plant and soil research with the USDA and Cornell University to writing, lecturing and consulting. His books include A Northeast Gardener’s Year, The Pruning Book, Weedless Gardening, Uncommon Fruits for Every Garden, Landscaping with Fruit and Grow Fruit Naturally. He writes regularly for the Associated Press and Fine Gardening and Horticulture. His garden has been featured in The New York Times and Martha Stewart Living, has won awards from National Gardening and Organic Gardening and has been included in "Open Days" tours of the Garden Conservancy. Steve McKay is the former Grape and Small Fruit Specialist for Cornell Cooperative Extension in eastern New York State. He has a B.S. in entomology from U.C. Davis and a M.S. in pomology. He owns Micosta, a fruit nursery located in Hudson, NY. He specializes in traditional and unusual fruit tree and small fruits.

413-298-3926 berkshirebotanical.org

Winter/spring Classes Building a Dry Stone Wall Saturday, April 27 (rain date April 28) 9 am – 3 pm

Annual Garden Tour Brooklyn Botanic Garden

Demonstration, hands-on workshop

Thursday, May 23, 7:30 am – 6:30 pm (bus leaves promptly)

Members $85; Non-members $95 All levels

Members $99; Nonmembers $120

Dress for outdoor work and bring safety glasses, heavy gloves, sturdy, waterproof footwear and a bag lunch. This hands-on program will cover the basics of dry stone wall building, including planning and layout and demonstrations on cutting and fitting. The morning will consist of a lecture, a walk through the garden to view a variety of stone walls and site preparation. Students will learn how to set up a batter frame and cut stone, and will practice laying stones to create structural integrity through interlocking placement. Following the demonstrations, students will work on a dry stone wall and practice wall-building. The workshop will pay special attention to building a freestanding wall using field stone. Mark Mendel started Monterey masonry in 1982. He apprenticed with Maine stonemasons in the 1960’s and taught at the Haystack School of Crafts in Deer Isle, ME. He has built scores of walls, arches, terraces and walks and hundreds of fireplaces in both brick and stone. Locally, his work includes the stone walls in front of Guido’s Marketplace, the fireplace at the Route 7 Grill and the stone walls at the new entrance to Berkshire School. He designed, built and donated the stone spinning fan at the new Berkshire Botanical Garden rose garden. As a stone consultant for Cuningham Group Architects of Minneapolis, Mendel was part of the design team that received the 2012 Tucker design Award, the most prestigious national award given in the stone industry.

Transplanting Shrubs and Planting Small Ornamental Trees Saturday, April 27, 10 am – 1 pm

Hands-on workshop Members $35; Nonmembers $42 Bring work gloves and dress for the weather. Learn by doing in this hands-on shrub and tree planting/transplanting workshop. All aspects of successful planting will be demonstrated, and participants will assist in transplanting a multi-stem shrub and planting a small tree. Learn how to successfully transplant shrubs by correct timing and placement and techniques designed to create minimal disturbance and ensure smooth transition to a new site. Consider the differences between bare-root, container-grown or balled-and-burlapped trees and understand the importance of siting. Ken Gooch is the Forest Health Program Director for the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation. Additionally he is a Massachusetts Certified Arborist and teaches arboriculture at the Garden.

Field Study Dress for the weather, bring a bag lunch and wear comfortable sturdy footwear. Join the Berkshire Botanical Garden staff for a day-long adventure to the other BBG: Brooklyn Botanic Garden. This 100-year-old garden in the heart of Brooklyn is dedicated to displaying plants and practicing the high art of horticulture to provide a beautiful and hospitable setting for the delight and inspiration of the public. The horticulture staff at Brooklyn Botanic Garden will lead a personal tour of the gardens including the restored Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden, new mixed perennial border at the Lily Pool Terrace, Alice Recknagel Ireys Fragrance Garden, Starr Bonsai Museum, Steinhardt Conservatory Gallery and many more horticultural wonders at this 36-acre botanical garden. Not to be missed is the Osborne Garden, a semi-formal garden with ten wisteria-draped pergolas framing an emerald lawn, large plantings of varied colors and textures and several stone features. Wander the grounds with Brooklyn Botanic Garden staff and consider the wonderful plant collections, including tree peonies, lilacs, cherries, orchids, roses and magnolias. These annual field trips have become a favorite spring tradition for a wonderful group of garden members. Join the fun and meet a great group of plant nuts! A morning snack and late-afternoon refreshments will be provided, compliments of the staff at Berkshire Botanical Garden.

Registration Information Advance registration is required for all classes, workshops and field trips. We recommend registering early to ensure a place in the desired class. You may register: Online: berkshirebotanical.org By phone: call 413-298-3926 By fax: at 413-298-4897 In person: at our office in the Euston Visitor‘s Center Monday through Friday, 9am to 4:30pm. Confirmation and Cancellation policies can be found online at berkshirebotanical.org 25

413-298-3926 berkshirebotanical.org

Winter/spring Classes Horticulture Certificate Program Spring Semester 2013 Swing into Spring Join the Spring Semester of the Horticulture Certificate Program. Use the winter months to prepare for the gardening season by gaining the knowledge to grow the best garden you can! Designed for both professional and serious home gardeners, the Horticulture Certificate Program is a fun, informative and rewarding way to learn about gardening with an amazing group of like minded people. This popular program offered by the Berkshire Botanical Garden covers all aspects of gardening needed to be a great gardener. Enroll in a single course of interest or work toward a Certificate of Horticulture by successfully completing seven core courses and a twelve-hour garden practicum. This popular program is held in Stockbridge, MA at the Berkshire Botanical Garden. Courses meet on weekday evenings with an occasional Saturday workshop. For more information concerning this popular horticultural program call Elisabeth Cary, Director of Education, Berkshire Botanical Garden, 413-298-3926.

Botany for Gardeners (core) Tuesdays, January 8 – 29, 6 – 9 pm This is a beginning course in plant anatomy and physiology that covers a wide range of topics. An understanding of how plants grow and respond to their environment is fundamental to the successful planting and cultivation of this enormous class of organisms. Instructor: Joyce Hemingson, Ph.D. Cost $145

Sustainable Landscape Care and Garden Maintenance (core) Tuesdays, February 5 – 26, 6 – 9 pm Learn about the maintenance considerations that should be integrated into the design process. Students’ horticultural knowledge will expand to factor sustainable maintenance concerns with cost effectiveness into plant selection. Instructor: Brad Roeller, B.S. Cost $145

Landscape Design I (core) Tuesdays, March 5 – April 2, 6 – 9 pm Focus on the “big picture” and learn the principles of design and importance of drainage. View slides of both successful and troubled landscapes. Site selection, design concepts and client presentations will be addressed. Instructor: Craig Okerstrom-Lang, RLA, ASLA . Cost $185 REGISTER FOR 3 SPRING LEVEL I COURSES FOR THE DISCOUNTED PRICE OF: $430

Level III

Level II

Rendering

Landscape Design Clinic (core Level II)

Mondays, January 7 – 30, 6 – 9 pm

Wednesdays, January 16 – April 3, 6 – 9 pm and Saturday, April 6, 10 am – 3 pm Learn skills essential for effective functional garden design that honors the site and meets client needs. Each week will cover a different topic or technique, focusing on the importance of getting to know the client and site as a basis of effective and appealing design. Essential and easy-to-grasp design principles for those who design or install gardens will be introduced throughout the course, with the goal of practicing a formfinding approach to garden design. Fences, decks, terraces, garden furnishings, containers and ornaments will be covered with a focus on expanding the designer’s vocabulary and palette. Students will select a project and take it from creative concept to completed design plan, including schematic drawings and planting plans. Instructor: Chuck Schnell, M.A. Guest Instructor: Walt Cudnohufsky, RLA, MLA. Cost $775 26

Level I

Rendering is a drawing skill necessary for communicating garden designs to clients. This course is the next step for garden designers following drafting. Structured as a studio class, students will learn the softer side of drawing for design using the B-range pencils. Practice illustrative rendering, including sections, elevations and plan obliques. This course will enable designers to better communicate their designs to clients. Instructor: David Dew Bruner, ASLA. Cost $185

Plant Propagation Mondays, February 4 – 25 and Field Trip Date TBD, 6 – 9 pm Learn the art and science of plant propagation to successfully increase or add to your plant collection. The course will focus on asexual propagation methods, including cuttings, grafting, layering and division. The course will include two lectures, a hands-on lab and a field trip to a production nursery. $35 material fee. Instructor: Adam Wheeler, B.S. Cost $185

Who’s Who at the Garden

Bill Cummings,

Seasonal Gardener and Buildings and Grounds Assistant I started landscaping right out of high school - I guess I always knew I’d work outside and soon it was how I fed my babies. I worked for a few different companies and at the tender age of 30, started my own business.Twenty years of that seemed to be enough, so we chucked what I call “the fat life” and moved to the woods here in the Berkshires.We built a tiny house deep in the forest and are now living happily ever after. I thought it would be nice to find a large estate that I could work at and sink my teeth into, but even better, I found the Berkshire Botanical Garden! It just doesn't get any better than that! It used to be that I supplied the energy for my company. It was up to me to rev up my employees each spring…heck, I mean each morning! It gets tiring. Here at the Garden there is so much energy coming from everyone, it’s just a blast to work here. Horticulture was never my strong suit and it’s great to round out my education with such wonderful and knowledgeable people. Not a single day goes by that I don't learn something new.

Mark Walker, Trustee I have been captivated by the Berkshires since childhood. I had the good fortune to attend summer camp in Cheshire and on Stockbridge Bowl from a young age and to be a music student at Tanglewood after my first year in college. I began my professional career in Paris and when my wife Tania and I returned to the United States in 1970, we spent many weekends at my parents home in Norfolk CT until we bought our own home in Colebrook, just south of Sandisfield.We enjoyed Litchfield County, but we always looked north. Seven years ago we purchased a wonderful piece of land in New Marlborough. It had neither basic infrastructure nor plantings. We built a house and began what will be a lifetime project of landscaping. In the process we were fortunate to have met Matt Larkin and Molly Boxer who kindled our interest in BBG and we became frequent visitors and admirers of the Gardens and its programs. I am honored to have been invited to become a trustee and look forward to contributing to the growth and strengthening of this wonderful institution.

I used to feel pretty stagnant but thanks to the BBG every day is challenging, enlightening, engrossing and dynamic…pinch me I’m dreaming!

Michael Beck, Trustee I'm a city boy who always wanted to have a garden of his own. But growing up in the concrete jungle of Tokyo, I had to satisfy my green thumb urges by digging for radishes in a window box and growing impatiens as houseplants. As a child, my favorite vacations were visits to my grandparents' countryside home, where I would eagerly spend weeks on end harvesting raspberries, pruning roses, and building compost piles. It was heaven.

Michael Beck stands third from the left, with Stefanie Lew, Beau Buffier, & Joseph Cho at our 2011 Fête des Fleurs

Nearly nine years ago, Beau and I bought a house in Richmond. I finally had my garden, and I have been enthusiastically digging beds, planting trees and coaxing vegetables from the soil ever since. Of course, there was a lot to learn. But early on in my gardening education, I stumbled upon the Berkshire Botanical Garden.There I spent a lovely Spring afternoon wandering the flower displays, making mental notes of the many stunning specimens and design elements I wanted to add to my own garden…eventually! And so it has been since that initial visit: the BBG continues to educate and inspire me.That is why I am so happy to have joined the Garden's Board of Trustees. As a member of this group of enthusiastic Garden supporters, I hope to help many more visitors discover and nurture their love of gardening…especially those city slickers! 27

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF YOUR MEMBER BENEFITS

Ward’s Where Gardeners Grow

Ward’s Nursery & Garden Center 600 S. Main Street - Gt. Barrington Open Daily 8 AM - 5:30 PM 413-528-0166 www.wardsnursery.com

The Tatkon Entry Garden at it’s peak, Summer 2012 28

A N D R E W Z E M A’ S

LANDSCAPING Andrew’s works have been praised for their high quality and artistry. Visit web page for a complete list of services and pictures.

www.andrewzema.com azemaslandscaping@yahoo.com WORK 518 359 6002 CELL 413 329 5207 ■

Share your passion for gardening with others –become a Berkshire Botanical Garden facebook friend! www.facebook.com/BerkshireBotanical

Environmental Permits  Lake, Pond, and Fisheries Management  Invasive Plant Control 

We BUILD THe BASe

design landscape horticulture 413-229-8124

Sheffield, MA

Thomas Coote, Director tcoote@simons-rock.edu 413-644-4509 berkshireecology.org

websterlandscapes.com 29

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Gardens of the Goddess Fine Gardens that honor the Earth ~Always Organic~ 20 Years of Service in the Berkshires design • installation • maintenance ornamentals • pond gardens edibles • containers native plants • orchards stone work • consultations

Pat Parkins

413 623-6495 gardensofthegoddess@gmail.com 30

Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute Williamstown Massachusetts

clarkart.edu

1815 N. Main St., Rte. 7, Sheffield, MA 413-528-1857 Shop and garden open daily Shop online at campodefiori.com

Special Garden Dates and Events 2013 Events Winter Lecture Back to the Future: The Garden at Hidcote Presented by Glyn Jones

Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Permit #36 Pittsfield, MA 01201

berkshirebotanical.org 5 West Stockbridge Road Stockbridge, MA 01262 413-298-3926

Change Service Requested

February 23 (Snow date February 24)

Roy Boutard Day May 5

Plant Sale May 10 and 11

Cocktails in Great Gardens June 21, July 19, August 16

Fête des Fleurs July 20

Grow Show August 10 and 11

Harvest Festival December 7 and 8

berkshirebotanical.org 413-298-3926

Mark your calendars for the

36th Annual Berkshire Botanical Garden

plant sale Saturday and Sunday, May 10 and 11 Friday 8am – 11am: Members Only, early buying privileges 11am – 5pm: Open to the General Public Saturday 9am – 5pm: Open to the General Public

Our famous Plant Sale offers over 5,000 plants perfect for growing in the north east – many of which are propagated right here at the Berkshire Botanical Garden!

This year enjoy: A huge selection of plants organized by habitat and into categories including perennials and annuals, shrubs and trees, wildflowers and grasses, natives and exotics • Expert plant advisors on hand to answer all your gardening questions • Porch-perfect hanging baskets in two sizes • Unique living wall hanging tiles • Mixed succulent containers expertly designed by BBG staff • Free Container Design Station • And the ever-popular “Not Your Mother’s Tag Sale!”