As Berkshire Botanical Garden continues to celebrate our 90th anniversary year, we will trace the Garden’s growth and evolution through historical photos, film and other artifacts.
OCTOBER 12–13
Annual Harvest Festival
An iconic regional event dating back to our founding, this family fun festival will include a botanical bakery, a beer garden, food trucks, games, 80-plus craft vendors, an obstacle course, a huge plant sale, live music performances, and more.
NOVEMBER 10
Rooted in Place
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
STAFF
Co-Executive Directors
Mike
Assistant Manager, Volunteers and Operations
River Begas
Buildings Supervisor
Austen Dupont
Camp Director
Margaret Leahy
Director of Education
Jennifer Patton
Director of Horticulture
Eric Ruquist
Director of Marketing Communications
Felix Carroll
Director of Special Events
Rachel Durgin
Facilities Assistant
Sean McKenney
Garden Educator
Liz Sayre
Horticulturist
Kessa McEwen
Manager of Buildings and Grounds
Kurt Dietrich
Manager of School Programs
Arielle Coon
Marketing and Communications
Assistant
Ruth Hanavan
Operations Manager
Amy Butterworth
Seasonal Gardeners
Kevin Johnson
CUTTINGS
Felix
Ecological Gardening Symposium
In collaboration with Berkshire Environmental Action Team (BEAT), Berkshire Botanical Garden and our panel of speakers will explore our ecological past, present and future. Among the topics: the impact of pollutants on land, air and water; plants as medicine; native plant ecological horticulture; light pollution; and more.
Claire
Shannon Welch
Visitor Center Manager
Kristine Romano
DECEMBER 6–8 Holiday Marketplace
Our festive tradition continues with the Gallery of Wreaths, artisan gifts, holiday blooming plants, live music, and merriment!
On the cover: It’s autumn in the Garden! A favorite spot to take a seat is here, at the Littleleaf Linden, located in the Arboretum.
This page: Pumpkin-palooza! Oh yes, there will be plenty of gorgeous gourds at our annual Harvest Festival on Oct. 12-13.
DIRECTOR’S CORNER MIKE BECK
Back to School
Summer is always fleeting around these parts. But for us gardeners, moving from muggy August nights to crisp September weather is not necessarily a bad thing.
That uphill battle against foot-high weeds and hungry critters devouring our fruit and veggies? It is almost over (though never won). We can all look forward to an annual winter reset, where we rest, regroup, and then start getting excited about the next growing season ahead. What to do with all that extra time? Why, flock to those literal or figurative classrooms to hone our horticultural skills and garden knowledge, of course! Here at the Garden, we are ready for you with a smorgasbord of classes, workshops, and lectures in the coming months, and I hope this issue of Cuttings will whet your appetite for what is to come.
Speaking of class, I am thrilled to report that BBG’s youth educators are heading off to more local schools than ever in the fall. This comes on the heels of a very busy field trip season where we welcomed hundreds of students to our gardens and built some lasting friendships along the way. And of course the Farm in the Garden Camp program, now fully ensconced in our whimsical new Mother Earth Lodge, has brought many more young gardeners to us all summer long.
Learning at BBG is not confined to a classroom. If you came to visit us this past season, you probably saw several new garden areas, including a diverse collection of ferns and woodland gems and an expanded maze sheltering our animal topiary menagerie. Maybe you strolled through our native plant meadow, where we have been conducting an informal bird audit (we have counted 50 species visiting since March!). Other creatures seem to be moving in: our Caterpillar Lab experts recently encountered a rare campion coronet (Hadena ectypa) in the meadow. Oh, and did you see our Tree of Forty Fruit, a survivor of significant vole damage, prolifically fruiting for the first time this past season? Naturally, our Herb Associates were ready to turn the harvest into tasty “multi-fruit” chutney and jam. And perhaps you took in our “Contained Exuberance” exhibition of designers’ takes on our theme of “Lost and Found,” working with unusual plants, artistic containers and some surprising “found” decorative elements. For those of us with wanderlust, BBG has even more opportunities to learn. You can join us on day trips through the region this fall, or perhaps on a transatlantic jaunt to the historic homes and gardens of southern Ireland next June.
Whether near or far, we are excited to share knowledge and inspiration about the natural world, and look forward to learning with you soon!
HARVEST FESTIVAL!
SATURDAY AND SUNDAY, OCT. 12-13, 10 A.M. TO 5 P.M.
Berkshire Botanical Garden’s annual Harvest Festival, an iconic regional event dating back to our founding, will take place Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 12-13, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day.
The Harvest Festival will include continuous family entertainment; a botanical bakery serving sweets, treats, chili, and bisque; a beer garden; food trucks; games; 80-plus craft vendors; an obstacle course; a huge plant sale; live music performances; and more.
Visit BerkshireBotanical.org to buy tickets.
Adults $10, Children under 12 FREE. Harvest Festival takes place rain or shine, and advance tickets are non-refundable. Same-day tickets available at the gate (adults $15, children under 12 FREE).
From The Berkshire Eagle, Sept. 30, 1935 — an article announcing our very first Harvest Festival.
At BBG, Class Is (Always) in Session
Meet Some of Our Graduates
On this, the 90th anniversary of the founding of Berkshire Botanical Garden, we have another historic achievement to announce: Seventeen people graduated in May from our Horticulture Certificate Program. That’s one of our largest graduating classes ever.
Designed for the professional, aspiring professional or serious home gardener, the Horticulture Certificate Program includes thorough instruction in topics that include herbaceous and woody plants, soil science, plant health care, plant propagation, sustainable garden care and maintenance, and landscape design. Certificate requirements include 90 hours of classroom work plus 15 practicum hours.
Coming from many backgrounds and an age range expanding from teens to retirees, the class of 2023/2024 graduates are: Britney Danials, Carolyn Guenther King, Christian Branley, Fred Perkins, Hannah Moran, Julie Levy, Marina Bayeva, Matthew Acciani, Paul Madore, Pia Whyte, Sam Trelawny-Cassity, Thaddeus Thompson, Victoria Martins, Gretchen Winterkorn, Marla Tolz, Noah LaPointe, and Elisabeth Bellows.
In a speech to his fellow graduates, Thaddeus Thompson, BBG’s co-executive director, referred to gardening as “a form of activism. It challenges the dominant paradigm of our fastpaced, commercially driven, technologically mediated world. The act of gardening is itself an advocacy for a more harmonious relationship between humans and the rest of the natural world. By tending to our gardens (or the gardens of others, as the case may be), we are reclaiming our place as stewards of the earth and guardians of its beauty.”
We’d like to introduce you to a few students who earned their Level 1 Certificate in Horticulture last spring:
Berkshire Botanical Garden’s Mission
We provide information, education and inspiration concerning the science, art and joy of gardening and its role in preserving the environment.
“The
act of gardening is itself an advocacy for a more harmonious relationship between humans and the rest of the natural world. By tending to our gardens (or the gardens of others, as the case may be), we are reclaiming our place as stewards of the earth and guardians of its beauty.”
—THADDEUS THOMPSON
Field trip! Elisabeth Cary (foreground), BBG’s former education director, led a tour this summer through her commercial flower farm, Cooper Hill Farm, in Sheffield, Mass.
Ecology Meets Artistry
Marla Tolz, 37, Philmont, N.Y.
Meet Marla Tolz, a front yard conservationist and backyard alchemist whose multitude of interests merged a few years ago when she Googled “composting class” and landed on Berkshire Botanical Garden’s website.
“When it comes to plants, it’s something I just naturally geek out on,” said Marla, the owner of Sun Drawn, a natural dye studio and garden that she runs from her home. Her dye garden out back includes more than 30 species of plants that she uses to dye textiles that she sells. Her front yard garden, a work in progress, includes a dozen or more native perennials that she has planted to help save populations of declining native pollinators.
Her love for gardening began when she was a child and would help her grandfather with his beloved tomatoes. As she got older, she worked on several vegetable and flower farms. She studied photography and worked as a floral designer. She eventually took that composting class and loved it. “I felt really
inspired to take another class, which was seed starting, and then after that I went down a rabbit hole on BBG’s website and saw there was the horticulture program. I knew that was something I had to do.”
Earning her certificate last spring, she said, “was just the most tremendous experience for me. The combination of the amazing teachers and the wealth of knowledge that they provided, and then the people who also were drawn to the classes — I was just so inspired.”
Marla’s experience at BBG introduced her to the books by the great native plant advocate Doug Tallamy. As a result, with each passing year, she digs up more of her front lawn and replaces it with native perennials to support our region’s dwindling species of pollinating insects and birds.
“I think it’s really important for human beings to have a connection to the land. It helps to feed us if we feed it,” she said. “Plus, for me, I find it to be very centering to be outside with my hands in the dirt. It helps me to slow down a bit and just
gain some perspective, just sitting in the garden and being able to experience the smells and the colors and all the little pollinators buzzing around. I mean, it just forces you to be present.”
Marla said she’s now interested in eventually enrolling in BBG’s Advanced Certificate in Horticulture and Design program, possibly with the goal to incorporate garden design into her business. Until then, it’s ecology, artistry and love all around. And when she gets frustrated with the world?
“Digging a good hole in the garden is just, like, top notch if you’re feeling frustrated,” she said with a laugh.
At the Root: Land Connection
Matthew Acciani, 32, Ghent, N.Y.
Growing up in the suburbs of North Carolina, Matthew Acciani saw his outdoor surroundings as more of an afterthought than an inspiration. Yes, he mowed the lawn, weeded and whatnot. But back then these chores hardly were transformative. As to the source of the food on his plate? He had no clue and no interest.
That’s hardly the same Matthew Acciani we see today who just began classes this September to earn his Advanced Certificate in Horticulture and Design at BBG. What happened? It’s the ancient story that never gets old: Person meets garden, person falls in love with gardening.
In his case, in 2016, he had begun working at an outdoor survival school in Utah. The school had a little food garden, “and that was the closest thing I had to a formal introduction to the routine of planting seeds and seeing what actually happened. We would figure out as a group why something was working or wasn’t working. It was a crash course for growing things.”
He started reading everything he could about agriculture. He would eventually spend three years working on a farm. That work led to an even deeper interest in horticulture in general, which led to a job at Nature Works, an ecological landscape company in Lee, Mass. That job led him to classes at BBG, which have provided him with “a very strong, orienting foundation in terms of horticulture at large and all the options ahead of me,” he said.
“I’m continually fascinated by everything from food gardening to ecological restoration, to native plant rehabilitation,” he said. “At the root, my main motivation has been land connection. I think there are a lot of different buzzwords around this, and I hesitate to use any of them because I don’t feel like they really encapsulate what I’m really about or interested in.
But I just feel that having a working relationship with a healthy landscape is really essential to just kind of being human in a healthy way.”
OK, last question: If he were sent off to a deserted island, what plant or seeds would he bring?
“Oh, my goodness,” he said. “A piece of heirloom corn, because then there would be no genetic drift from GMO corn, and I could actually grow my own very specifically selected maize. That would be really fun.”
From ‘Seedling’ to Scholar
Samuel Trelawny-Cassity, 18, Monterey, Mass.
Samuel Trelawny-Cassity gladly will tell you what he did this past summer.
“Garden maintenance, garden care, plant care, general landscaping, as well as planting a few new gardens for several people,” said Samuel, whose horticulture graduation coincided with his high school graduation (he graduated with honors). Samuel is the youngest person ever to receive BBG’s certificate, and a hopeful sign of success for BBG’s increased outreach to youth.
He was drawn to take the series of BBG classes as a next step in a horticulture journey that began three years ago with an elective at Monument Mountain Regional High School, in Great Barrington, Mass. Why horticulture? He loves the hands-on connection with nature and witnessing the growth and transformation of plants.
“It’s creative and can provide a sense of accomplishment,” he said. Additionally, he said, he’s learned the valuable skills of patience, environmental stewardship, entrepreneurship, and problem-solving. This past summer’s biggest problem?
“Bishop’s weed, oh man,” he said, referring to the invasive perennial garden squatter.
His annoyance with bishop’s weed, he said, has found balance with his newfound love for the stately ornamental flower foxglove. He’s an ornamental garden lover at heart. “Nothing against vegetable gardens,” he said. “I love those, too, but —”
He expects gardening will always be a part of his life, whether professionally or as a hobby. For now, this fall, he has begun studies at Vassar College. In August, at home in the Berkshires, he was packing his things. Among the essentials, he said, would be a geranium — or two.
“Scented geraniums,” he said. “I’ve always liked them.”
BY THE NUMBERS
We serve more than 1,500 adult learners annually through more than 100 classes and special programs.
‘This Isn’t a Hobby, It’s a Lifestyle’
Britney Danials, 38, Pittsfield, Mass.
As an environmental planner and avid gardener, Britney Danials has pursued classes at Berkshire Botanical Garden to expand her knowledge of plants and their vital role in a changing climate.
“It’s really given me the confidence and more technical knowledge to speak to people when I talk about climate resiliency through plants and nature-based solutions,” said Britney, who works for the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission. Her home sits on about a third of an acre that she and her family have utilized for gardening, including more than 200 square feet of vegetable boxes. “We have a joke at my home. ‘This isn’t a hobby, it’s a lifestyle,’ we say as we’re shoveling seven cubic yards of soil.”
Her professional work includes helping towns with streambed restoration, wetlands health, invasive plant removal, and tree plantings to help offset the region’s increasing seasonal temperatures.
“I grew up with plants my whole life,” said Britney, who was raised in rural Texas. “As a millennial, we didn’t have devices and phones, so we were told to go outside. Trees and rocks, those were my playground, and I kind of carried that sense of awe and wonderment of the natural world into my adult life and into my studies.”
She has also carried memories of her grandparents, who were survivors of the Great Depression. “I remember planting alongside my grandfather in the very hot summer heat,” she said. “But you know, even at that young age, I understood that we depend on plants to give us food and provide us with shade. That’s still really where I’m at, having this deep appreciation for — and almost spiritual connection to — everything that I garden with, whether it’s food or ornamental plants.”
Among the great benefits of her BBG education has been forging relationships and professional connections with fellow gardeners and environmentalists. “One of the technical skills was learning to properly prune,” she said. “In the past, probably I had killed a few things because of bad pruning. And now I’m really happy with this hydrangea bush that we’ve had for seven years when we bought this house. The hydrangea leafed but never bloomed.”
She’s pleased to report that this past summer, following some proper pruning, her hydrangea produced 30 huge blue flower blooms. “We just can’t believe it’s now this beautiful blue gem in our yard,” she said.
Instructor Lee Buttala leads the Herbaceous Plants class that began Sept. 3, part of BBG’s Level 1 Certificate in Horticulture program.
Foraging and Forging a Future Career Path
Victoria Martins’ favorite plant at the moment in early August? Well, sure she’s loving the patch of sunflowers she planted this past season, but her favorite?
“OK, this is controversial,” she said. “I have really been loving blackberries right now. They are weedy, and they are a pest. And right now, I’m also trying to establish a native meadow, and I know blackberries are going to be moving in, and they’re prickly and they’re everywhere in the woods, and they can overrun native plants. Still, I kind of appreciate the thorniness of them. You know, they have some boundaries.”
Victoria, a forager of food she finds in the forest — “gifts from nature” — was first drawn to gardening through her Portuguese grandparents who would turn nearly every inch of their tiny yard in New Bedford, Mass., into a feast of fresh produce.
“That’s what a lot of our families did back in the old country in the Azores,” she said. “We always had tomatoes and potatoes and strawberries growing.”
In her late teens and early 20s her concern for environmental degradation led her to farm work and back to her family roots of self-sufficiency. “I really just became entranced with the idea that, from a small seed, you can grow food to
feed a household,” she said.
She worked as an estate gardener on the North Shore of Massachusetts, an experience that gave her an appreciation for native plants and their role in a healthy ecosystem. She eventually left gardening as a career and now works for a nonprofit in the climate and technology field. At the same time, this fall she is furthering her horticulture studies at BBG through BBG’s Advanced Certificate in Horticulture and Design program.
“My goal, my ultimate dream, is to be a garden designer, and just use all the skills that I’ve learned over the past decade,” she said. “For now at BBG, I get to be with established people in the trade — just being in classes with a bunch of amazing other gardeners and teachers and classmates. Everyone has a great story.”
One of her great stories is that her grandfather would purposefully leave his fingernails long on one of his hands in order to pinch and clip his garden vegetables. “He had this, like, thumb claw,” she said with a laugh. “It was very effective.”
She added, “It all started for me from that small seed of growing up, that wonder, that awe, and I still feel a wonder and awe today.”
Grounded in Growth, a Rocket Scientist Journeys into Horticulture
Fred Perkins, 72, Becket, Mass.
You’d think that Fred Perkins, a semiretired former rocket scientist, would be weary of people telling him that such and such a thing “isn’t rocket science.”
“No, I get a kick out of it. It’s still funny,” said the lifelong learner who retired from the Department of Defense and now works remotely as a consultant for the Center for Auto Safety, based in Washington, D.C.
Fred has kept a garden off and on “for the last, oh, I don’t know, 125 years or so,” he joked. Enrolling in BBG’s Horticulture Certificate Program a year ago enabled him to scratch a certain itch. Namely, horticulture has offered a new, yet scientifically rich, endeavor to engage his analytical skills and curiosity about all matters pertaining to life and the universe.
“I thought that it would probably be a good idea to at least boost my ignorance to a higher level,” he joked. “But really,
Victoria Martins, 31, New Braintree, Mass.
all these years, I had never gotten into any details about the horticultural aspects of science, and I thought it would be a great way to expand my horizon some, which it has.”
Regarding his urge for more horticultural knowledge, he could place the blame on crocosmia, a flower with bright, rocket-plume-like foliage that he first spied at a shaded little storefront several years ago in Shelburne Falls, Mass. “I just thought, ‘Man, these things just really look great,’” he recalled. “After three or four years now of growing them, I finally got them to the point where they’re reliably flowering. They’re a little difficult, but I like them a lot.”
He’s since enhanced his garden with summer phlox, brown-eyed Susans and echinacea. In addition, he said he took what he learned from BBG regarding seed stratification — the process of coaxing seeds out of dormancy — to grow about a dozen milkweed plants from seeds he found along the street.
“They’re coming along,” he said. “They’re about, oh, anywhere from three inches to six inches tall in their first year. So, I’ll try to plant those this fall and see if they make it through the winter.”
Like most property in the hill town of Becket, Fred’s has the telltale marks of till from which all of the nutrients were scoured some 13,000 years ago by a retreating glacier. That is to say, a lot of rocks and sand, and not a whole lot in the way of humus. It’s difficult to grow things. A lot of plants struggle. Fred does what he can to build his soil. If one gardening experiment doesn’t work — like the milkweed — he’ll try another. In the meantime, in mid-August, he was relishing a great gardening year.
“There was enough rain and enough sunshine,” he said. It ain’t rocket science. WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO KNOW?
We’ve got a great line-up of classes this fall — in horticulture, cooking, the arts, and more. See page 27 for our schedule of classes and registration information.
FARMING, FOOD, FUN
Our Education Staff Points Young Students Toward a Healthy Future
BY ARIELLE COON
Berkshire Botanical Garden’s education staff is excited to begin this new school year, which includes more partnerships within the Berkshire Hills Regional School District, Richmond Consolidated School and Pittsfield Public Schools.
Our goal is to enrich children’s education by blending learning with fun. We provide interactive, hands-on programs all year round, all with the intention of sparking curiosity and fostering a deeper connection to the plant world while encouraging environmental stewardship.
I’d like to tell you a little bit about our work in recent months.
We had a fun few weeks finishing out our school programs last spring with activities such as “Dress-a-Worm,” where students learned all about earthworms and how beneficial some can be for our soil. Students also worked to plan and then plant a garden full of veggies, flowers and herbs that they tended to daily. Richmond students planted and harvested many handfuls of spinach and kale, which was then turned into delicious kale salad by their school cafeteria. Berkshire Hills students made and served fresh salsa to represent what was planted in their gardens.
We welcomed lots of young children to the garden through field trips this spring and summer. Children of all ages toured the
Carol Lew, who has two beehives onsite, teaches students on a BBG field trip about the lives and good works of honey bees.
Each Thursday this past summer, our Farm in the Garden campers sold baked goods, vegetables they harvested, and natural crafts. Proceeds from the weekly farm stand benefit camp scholarships or “camperships.”
Our Farm in the Garden Campers enjoyed Joy Marzolf’s presentation on Friday, Aug. 16. Joy brought some of her scaly friends and reptile special guests to teach our campers how we may better protect these important creatures.
gardens, sat under the grandfather tree and planted a pea seed to take home. Some students even learned all about honeybees from our own beekeeper, Carol Lew, or learned how easy it is to make pickles. Field trips are a great way for us to welcome students year-round with tours and a variation of hands-on workshops and activities.
Our Children’s Garden got a fun refresh with many new and fun things: a natural scale, a water station, fairy garden and music wall. Children now can spend time digging in the rockbox or pretend to cook up some garden deliciousness in the purple playhouse. It’s a space where a child’s imagination can run wild while the chickens observe.
Our 2024 Farm in the Garden Camp — which runs during school vacations and summer months from June 24 through Aug. 23 — welcomed lots of campers, about 40 kids a week ranging from ages 4 through 12.
a Farm Stand, where they sold baked goods, vegetables they harvested and natural crafts to benefit scholarships for camp, or ‘camperships.’”
BY THE NUMBERS
We educate nearly 1,000 children annually through
“Our camp kiddos practiced stewardship by maintaining the children’s production garden, caring for our sheep (Buddy, Happy and Tiny) and chickens, and completing daily cleanup chores around the BBG grounds,” reports Camp Director Margaret Leahy. “They also learned more about the necessary pollinators in our Meadow and from our beekeeper, Carol Lew, who has two hives onsite. On Thursdays, the children put together
The height of summer also brought our annual Family Fridays series where families met native Berkshire County reptiles, sang about visiting the library and even raced Larry the box turtle. We love the experiences that Family Fridays offer our visitors and are so thankful for our presenters for sharing their animals and knowledge with us each week.
As September comes to a close, we’re still in the garden with our students, prepping the gardens for winter.
Arielle Coon is Berkshire Botanical Garden’s school programs manager.
our school programs, Farm in the Garden Camp and on-site field trips.
At Herberg Middle School in Pittsfield, Mass., Arielle Coon, BBG’s school programs manager, helps students learn the joys — and conquer the chores — of gardening and growing their own food.
Farm in the Garden campers tend our Children’s Vegetable Garden where many young ones get their first taste of gardening, including planting, watering, weeding, harvesting — and eating!
What’s New? What’s Improved?
of our
As Berkshire Botanical Garden grows in size and in vision, our gardens inevitably change. Sometimes this is a simple process of planting new or different species within an existing garden, and sometimes it entails large-scale reorganization of an area.
This year, when Director of Horticulture Eric Ruquist designed a European Hornbeam labyrinthine hedge to expand the copper beach hedges that encircle Lucy’s Garden, the plans called for the Martha Stewart Cottage to be relocated. But where?
The answer was a simple one: Move the cottage slightly up the hill and nestle it into a grove of shady crabapples, just down the path from the Rose Garden. But with the cottage moved, the area around it now needed a design overhaul. That’s when Eric designed BBG’s new fernery, to cultivate and display both
Garden’s
native and nonnative species of ferns. Eric and the horticulture team, including our summer interns, planted more than 100 ferns, representing 17 varieties, with more to come in the future on both sides of the garden path.
Ferns are very simple to maintain once they are established. They don’t require trimming, except for aesthetic reasons or tidiness. The newly planted fern garden is intersected by a stone walkway leading to the door of the cottage, where we will set up a simple library containing books about ferns. While the ferns continue to fill out the planted area, the work continues this fall, as the team adds a row of ostrich ferns to act as a backdrop along the border of the garden, as well as the planting of minor bulbs that will bloom in the spring. Eric’s team is also planting bulbs in the expanded Woodland Garden, to go along with the herbaceous layer that was added
this spring and summer under the trees and shrubs.
As for the labyrinthine hedge, it certainly has several more years to go before the more than 500 hornbeams and new copper beeches reach optimal height, but our visitors — both young and old — are loving it all the same. This new feature is Eric’s unique twist on a hybrid between a traditional labyrinth — which has a single, continuous path that leads to the center — and a maze with multiple paths that branch off in different directions. Thus the “labyrinthine” descriptor and why different visitors may enjoy it as a meditative walk or a discovery journey. Either way, the whimsical topiary is the cherry in the center. We thank Estanne Fawer for her generosity and dedication for funding the hedge. She did so in memory of her sister, Jeri Lynn Oestreicher.
Members
horticulture staff installed Berkshire Botanical
newest garden addition in June: a fernery.
A birds-eye view of the labyrinthine hedge that encircles Lucy’s Garden.
MEADOW UPDATE: Considered year three of the 2.5-acre Wildflower Meadow, it has become apparent that the seeded flowers and grasses are flourishing. Several perennial species that were not seen in 2023 have become dominant this season, including Purple Giant Hyssop (Agastache scrophulariifolia); Calico Aster (Aster lateriflorus); Downy Wood Mint (Blephilia ciliata); Great Blue Lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica); Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium); and Ohio Spiderwort (Tradescantia ohiensis).
On the other hand, the pasture thistle (Cirsium discolor), a native biennial that dominated the meadow in 2023, is not as prevalent this year.
The entrance to the meadow now includes a newly constructed “What’s in Bloom” kiosk giving visitors an idea of what they should be looking for as they meander the mowed paths.
According to meadow curator Larry Weaner, the most important task at hand is to manage the weeds growing up around the flowers and grasses. At their most recent visit, in June, Weaner’s team noticed aggressive nonnative plants that have grown alongside the desired plants and recommended that an early start to eliminating these plants is the best way to keep these populations at a minimum. As BBG has elected not to use herbicides in the meadow, selected, repeated cutting at both the beginning and end of the growing season is the next step in this meadow’s growth.
Arborist Day Takes on April Hill
Berkshire Botanical Garden’s annual Arborist Day will be held on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., at April Hill Farm in South Egremont, Mass.
For over 19 years arborists from around the region come together annually to provide a day of professional service to care for a host location’s trees. April Hill is the home of Greenagers, a nonprofit whose mission is to connect young people with their environment and community.
The co-founder of Arborist Day, BBG Trustee Tom Ingersoll of Ingersoll Land Care, describes this annual event as “a great opportunity for different teams of professional arborists to mix it up, collaborate and give back to our community.”
Over the years, Arborist Day has visited — and provided free tree service to — The Mount, Construct’s Pine Woods Condominiums, The Bidwell House, Monument Mountain High School, Gould Farm, Brookside Manor, Hebert Arboretum, and Norman Rockwell Museum.
Melissa LeVangie Ingersoll, who teaches chainsaw workshops at BBG, was among the tree care experts who dedicated their time at last year’s Arborist Day, held at the Norman Rockwell Museum, in Stockbridge.
It’s year three of our Wildflower Meadow, a vibrant, 2.5-acre native-dominated ecological gem.
It Bloomed! It Bloomed!
Maybe you know of it, our Tree of Forty Fruit, framed within a circular rock wall beside the Visitor Center, part art piece, part conservation project.
In a riot of pink, white and crimson, it bloomed heavily this spring and summer to become what it was created to be: a fruity little Frankenstein, a Swiss Army Knife for stone fruit enthusiasts.
This of course is excellent news, considering the efforts behind its creation and its near-death experience two years ago from subterranean, barknibbling voles.
Planted in 2018, the tree is one of a dozen or so around the country. Their mastermind, Sam Van Aken, an arts professor at Syracuse University, hatched the idea about 15 years ago, beginning with a tree he planted on the Syracuse campus. A fan of goodnatured hoaxes and hijinks, Van Aken had originally intended merely to engage in a bit of play and mischief: to create, through grafting, a tree that would appear normal most of the year until its multicolored blossoms heralded
something more unusual: a fruit tree that bore various fruits, including varieties of apricots, cherries, nectarines, peaches, and plums.
Along the way, he realized his project held greater significance. Reading “The Plums of New York,” first published in 1911, he was inspired to include rare fruits strikingly distinct from the few mainstays found in modern supermarkets. Working with farmers mostly in the Northeast, along with the United States Department of Agriculture, he has stockpiled antique and heirloom varieties to reintroduce species of fruit where they once were grown. His stockpile comes in the form of scion wood, branches from a parent tree that are then used to graft onto another tree in order to propagate that variety.
How did he settle on the number 40?
“It’s a number used throughout Western religion — you know, 40 days and 40 nights — to represent something that’s not infinite but that means a multitude,” he explained.
Plus, 40 is “manageable,” he said.
Theresa Terry and Nora Burch, members of the Herb Associates, pick from our Tree of Forty Fruit to make batches of jam and chutney.
Pulling a tear-drop travel trailer and hauling the tools of his singular trade, he makes routine visits to his many trees to prune and add grafts. After several years, a tree could hold up to 55 to 60 grafts, he explained. “Then, depending on how they grow, I’ll prune it out until we get 40 solid grafts.”
Raised on a farm in Pennsylvania, Van Aken said the first time he witnessed grafting, he was amazed. Turns out, his great grandfather, a German immigrant by the name of Irving Delp, had made a name for himself as a grafting expert who worked in orchards across Pennsylvania.
“In farming communities, there weren’t many things that impressed people, because, you know, farmers are kind of like jacks of all trades,” said Van Aken, 52. “But whenever people mentioned my great grandfather’s name, they talked about him as if he had this mystical capability, which I always thought was amazing.”
Planted in 2018, the tree is one of a dozen or so around the country.
Berkshire Botanical Garden’s tree was funded by Trustee Joanne Cassullo, who was inspired when she learned of one such tree Van Aken had planted at her alma mater, Roanoke College, in Salem, Va. Our tree, like the others, was planted with about 20 fruit varieties grafted to it. As the tree matures, Van Aken continues to graft more varieties each year, though that process was interrupted for one year on account of the vole colony that had caused deep damage to the tree’s trunk. After Van Aken made an emergency visit in the spring of 2023 to
apply some creative triage in the form of grafting root sprouts back into its trunk, the tree spent a year in intensive care mode — meaning, no grafting — to see if it would survive.
When notified this spring that not only had the tree survived the winter but that it had blossomed for the first time, Van Aken said, “Well, this is fantastic. It’s working!”
The tree now supports about 36 varieties of stone fruit — that is, fruit with pits — including yellow and white peaches, European and Asian plums,
and several apricot and cherry varieties, each representing a rich and vast piece of the region’s agricultural history.
The tree includes a variety of plum, the Damson plum, that dates back 2,000 years, Van Aken said. “It originated in Damascus,” he said. “It was brought into Europe during the Crusades and naturalized. Due to its hardiness, it was one of the first European plums grown in the Americas.”
When word got out in late spring about the fruit taking form on this veritable arboreal amusement park, the intrepid
kitchen crew of our Herb Associates, which oversees our display garden and production garden, made a beeline. They harvested some of its fruits over the span of several weeks to make tasty chutney and jam (sold in jars in the Visitor Center’s Gift Shop).
“Taste this,” said Theresa Terry of the Herb Associates on a beautiful July day, holding out a mixing bowl with the remnants of fresh Tree of Forty Fruit plum chutney in the Center House kitchen. “You’ve got to taste this. Yum!”
Blue Q’s in its fabulous third season of collaborating with the Berkshire Botanical Garden’s incredible Education Department (hi Carolyn, hi Jen!)
Every week, they gather with our Arts and Assembly Team and tend to the company’s dozen raised beds, harvest their bounty, and cook up something great in the kitchen.
WE JUST WANT YOU TO BE HAPPY
A Meadow Marvel: Rare Caterpillar Crashes the Party
In a season themed “Lost and Found,” it was fitting that Berkshire Botanical Garden was the site of an exciting discovery this summer. Among a patch of flowering campion in the Wildflower Meadow, the naturalist and educator Samuel Jaffe discovered several pudgy native caterpillars rarely seen in New England.
Jaffe, the founder and director of the Marlborough, N.H., based Caterpillar Lab, was at the Garden with his crew for a three-day stay in August. In between workshops and live demonstrations in the Education Center, he took time to mosey around the 24 acres to take an informal survey of the Garden’s caterpillar and moth population.
“I was just checking stuff out,” he said. “There’s no reason to have thought that the campion was going to have this caterpillar, but I’m a little stubborn.”
Indeed, among a non-native patch of campion, this one known as bladder campion (Silene vulgaris), he discovered five smooth bodied caterpillars commonly known as the campion coronet (Hadena ectypa), a species of cutworm or dart moth. Two of his finds were larger in size; the three others were hatchlings.
“It’s not the most glamorous caterpillar we found here,” he said, “but it’s definitely the least likely — the surprising story.”
In a scientific paper published in 2012, Michael W. Nelson, an invertebrate zoologist at MassWildlife, described the campion coronet as “a rarely encountered moth of conservation concern.”
Nelson noted that the first record of the species in New England was
in September 2002 in the town of Huntington, on a steep slope beside the Westfield River, within the Knightville State Wildlife Management Area. Researchers caught it by means of a blacklight trap. Nelson wrote that in subsequent visits to Knightville, researchers were disappointed not to find the caterpillars’ native host plant, Starry Campion (Silene stellata), but they did find patches of the alternate host plant, bladder campion, an introduced species from Europe. They also found eight more campion coronet larvae.
Jaffe described the discovery at BBG as “a rare record for Massachusetts, and it just shows that maybe this unusual caterpillar will get to use a non-native plant to its benefit and expand its range into our area.”
The Caterpillar Lab staff kept one of its campion coronet finds for display in BBG’s Education Center on Aug. 11. Through the Caterpillar Lab’s digital microscope, connected to a large screen, Jaffe gave a close-up view at real-time footage.
“They’re difficult to spot,” Jaffe said, “but here it is. It’s in the pre-shed stage, so it’s not doing much.”
With a rounded, short head and spittle dripping from its mouth, the campion coronet blended in well with its nonnative host plant. Jaffe said the campion coronet is a highly specialized seed-eating caterpillar typically found in remote locations in the Appalachian Mountains.
This discovery is good news, right?
“Well,” Jaffe said, “it’s interesting news. Anything expanding its range could be good or bad. This could be another food source for birds or parasitic wasps. It could also be disruptive. A new species showing up in an area could push something else out. Likely, this is just a species that’s pretty uncommon that will now be a little bit more common and have a little bit more of a population base to avoid the risk of extinction.
“To me,” he continued, “any insect out there that’s native and doing well is a good thing.”
Samuel Jaffe, the founder and director of the Marlborough, N.H., based Caterpillar Lab, displays real-time footage of a campion coronet caterpillar he found in BBG’s Wildflower Meadow.
We Call It Delmolino
May the Native Meadow and Prairie Plants Flourish!
Berkshire Botanical Garden owns one of the cherished green gateways to the town of Stockbridge, five-plus acres, mostly meadow, that we purchased — with deed restrictions — in 2012 from the Stockbridge Land Trust.
We call the meadow Delmolino, as it was once part of a larger, 58-acre property owned by the Delmolino family. Back in the 1970s and 1980s, the Delmolinos had considered subdividing the property for new housing. That was before Stockbridge Land Trust purchased the property in 2010.
We are pleased to keep our portion of the property, this meadow at the corner of Routes 183 and 102, forever green.
For more than 12 years, BBG has used the field for limited overflow parking during especially busy times. Our plan going forward is to continue such limited parking use, but in a clearly defined rectangular area that will accommodate approximately 100 vehicles.
And here’s the kicker: Inspired by the success of our new 2.5-acre Wildflower Meadow that opened to the public last
We recently unearthed this photo from our archives. And we have a whole lot more. This one dates back to Aug. 26, 1939. The back of the photo is labeled in handwriting “Junior Activities.” The photo was taken by David Milton Jones. That’s clearly the present-day Center House, as vibrant now as it was then.
year, we now will endeavor to manage the surrounding area of this field through selective mowing. This will encourage the proliferation of native warm season grasses and sedges. Specifically, by mowing early in the season (from April through early June), we hope to keep non-native cool season grasses from growing and setting seed. Those plants complete their annual life cycle by the time temperatures rise in summer, and give way to native species such as little bluestem grass (Schizachyrium scoparium). Annual mowing of the whole field will continue late in the season, to knock back any invasive shrubby plants that might otherwise take hold.
We hope that this simple mowing plan can serve as an inspiration to others who are looking for a way to encourage native meadow and prairie plants in their own backyards.
IN THE LEONHARDT GALLERIES
90 Years Young: Berkshire Botanical Garden through the Decades
Ever since our founding in 1934, Berkshire Botanical Garden (first known as the “Berkshire Garden Center”) has been a fixture in the community, providing an inspiring destination for gardening enthusiasts, both young and old, and a center for learning and community engagement.
As we continue to celebrate our 90th anniversary year, we invite you to come and trace the Garden’s evolution over the years through historical photos, film and other artifacts. The exhibition, “90 Years Young: Berkshire Botanical Garden through the Decades,” opens in mid-October and runs through Dec. 2. Please visit BerkshireBotanical.org for updates.
They Both Said ‘Yes’!
Berkshire Botanical Garden was the setting of two (that we know of) marriage proposals this year. Yep, that’s Lev Campbell proposing to Allie Klemansky on May 21. And that’s Robert Loughrey proposing to Amanda Clark on June 29.
Here is what we know about Alexis and Lev: They first met on Sept. 2, 2023, through mutual friends on a trip to Foxwoods. Lev swears that he fell in love after he watched Alexis ride a bull that night (a mechanical bull, we assume?). Alexis swears she fell in love when Lev gave her his sweatpants and tucked her into his couch, with a kiss on the forehead.
What we know of Robert and Amanda is that BBG is one of their favorite places on the planet. When Amanda got out of the car in the empty BBG parking lot at around 6 p.m. on June 29, she asked him, “Are you going to propose to me?”
“Nooooo,” Robert said.
But of course he was going to propose. He had his nice shirt on and everything.
“I chose the Botanical Garden because I love it, and I know you love it. You love plants, you love flowers, and you love me,” he said as he popped the cork on a bottle of champagne that he had planted there in the Rose Garden.
“How long have you been planning this?” Amanda asked.
“Three months,” he said. “When I asked your parents for their permission, we cried together outside of Guido’s.”
The Garden Conservancy O pen Days 2024
Visit America’s most interesting, creative, and inspiring private gardens through Garden Conservancy Open Days!
Our 2024 season includes many exciting garden-visiting opportunities, Digging Deeper programs, and extensive educational offerings in Connecticut, New York, and Massachusetts.
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CHESTERWOOD STOCKBRIDGE, MA
Lev Campbell proposes to Allie Klemansky on May 21.
Photo: Sam Backhaus of Sam Backhaus Photography
Robert Loughrey proposes to Amanda Clark on June 29.
Be an Angel – Volunteer!
It’s no exaggeration to say Volunteers are the angels of our garden. BBG truly runs on Volunteer power. And not only do our angels give, they get. They get the joy of doing important work in a vital Berkshires cultural center.
Volunteers work with our terrific staff in every area, from hands-on gardening to assisting as Docents in the galleries, Tour Guides on the grounds, Welcomers at the Visitor Center, behind-the-scenes helpers with administrative tasks ... and in many roles at major events such as Spring Hoppening, our famous Plant Sale and our legendary Harvest Festival.
Why not come see what all the fun is about? You can volunteer once a week, or once in a while. We’ll be delighted to help you find the spot that’s right for your interests and schedule. Whatever you choose to do, you’ll be supporting our mission to create a place of beauty and education for all.
To get started, go to the Volunteer page on our website at BerkshireBotanical.org. You’ll find the correct tab under the “Join” heading at the top of the page. Click to volunteer, fill out the registration form, and hit submit. You will start to receive our emails about upcoming Volunteer opportunities. And our Volunteer Coordinator will reach out to you personally.
Lauretta Harris President, BBG Volunteer Association
Meet Janet Laudenslager: The Cake Crusader
Janet Laudenslager has a parrot named Mandy, whom she inherited upon the death in 2011 of fellow BBG Trustee MaryJane “Googie” Emmet. From behind the bars of her birdcage, Mandy can be lavish with praise.
“You look wonderful,” she will interject, sometimes exactly when Janet needs to hear it.
From Janet’s kitchen in Monterey, Mass., Mandy has a front-row seat on a nearly daily routine that long has been a defining — and astonishing — feature of life at Berkshire Botanical Garden.
Janet bakes cakes.
Many of those cakes — an artful, confection collection, an abundant assemblage of sweetness — make their way to our most important seasonal events. The cakes are created here in this kitchen, by this longtime BBG volunteer and trustee who cannot bear the thought of loved ones going without sweet treats, including gluten-free varieties.
Janet has been baking since she was in grade school. Peanut butter fudge was her first signature specialty. She would wrap the fudge in cellophane and give them as Christmas gifts. By age 11 her portfolio had expanded. She would return home from a babysitting gig in the wee hours of a Sunday morning in her hometown of Jamestown, N.Y., and instead of going to bed, she would bake a Swedish coffee cake for her grandfather. He’d awaken, carve out a slice, and have it with his coffee before heading to church.
Janet still has recipes from her childhood written in notebooks. She is the keeper of countless careworn notebooks whose lined pages are filled with cursive. Her ornamental H’s and B’s have made their way onto countless Happy Birthday cakes. She deals exclusively in metrics. No
quarts, ounces and teaspoons for her. “We would have never made it to the moon if we weren’t for metric,” she says.
She has shelves of bundt pans. One is shaped like a giant butterfly. A few could be mistaken for medieval-torture devices if not for their history of pound cake batter impoundment. Among her tools is a hair dryer that she wields like Rosie the Riveter to coax a stubborn cake from its sticky pan.
She has commandeered an upstairs bedroom for use as storage for the dozens of cake plates and display stands she needs for larger BBG events.
She lives by the maxim that “you can cover a multitude of sins with powdered sugar.”
She insists all of this is “just a hobby, a little hobby —.” She pauses, “— that
got a little out of control.”
She has a total of three freezers for her cakes. The freezer in the basement is the size of a coffin.
Speaking of the basement, she keeps a working oven down there, too — just in case. And speaking of coffins, Janet and her partner in life — and in cake logistics — Max Aflalo, have agreed that upon Janet’s death, she will be buried with one of her many, many cooking timers. She keeps timers everywhere, including her bedroom.
And speaking of Max, one day when the couple was still working and living in New York City, Janet had three cakes in the oven for an office party. While the cakes were baking, she had to step out from her apartment for a moment, but the door closed and locked behind her. She didn’t have the key. She called Max. He was in a
At her home kitchen, Janet Laudenslager bakes nearly every day. From her collection that she freezes, she chooses the best ones for BBG events. Some of the failures get turned into dog treats (provided they don’t have chocolate).
business meeting out in Queens.
“Oh, dear,” he said over the phone. He hailed a cab. He arrived home in time for Janet to save the cakes.
For health reasons, Janet can no longer taste the cakes she makes. When she’s experimenting with cake recipes, for quality control reasons she has pressed into service as tasters her dear neighbors, Joe and Sue Knoll. If they tell her it’s good, Janet will bake another one. To thank them for their service, she recently baked a babka for Sue’s 96-year-old father in New Hampshire.
“He can eat anything he wants,” Janet says, “and I love to make babka.”
Janet also gives baked goods to the staff of her local library, “because they don’t charge me late fees.” And to her eye doctor in Manhattan, “because he fits me into the schedule whenever we go down to the city.” And to the veterinarian who cares for her three Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, “because he’s my dogs’ best friend.” And to her friend in Southfield, Mass., who provides her with coveted rhubarb.
“It’s her birthday on the sixteenth, so she’s getting this,” Janet says one afternoon in August as she prepares a rhubarb cake with batter that’s flavored with a bit of lemon peel and vanilla. Sweet, but not too sweet.
But the biggest beneficiary of Janet’s baking benevolence is BBG, an organization she got involved with beginning about 20 years ago upon her retirement “because I like to serve, in some capacity.” She bakes dozens upon dozens of cakes beginning sometimes months in advance. She freezes them, later to be thawed, assembled and decorated in time for the Harvest Festival, or Holiday Marketplace, or the Volunteer Appreciation Party.
Mandy had watched all summer long, beginning in June, as Janet prepared the 30 or so cakes and pies she would contribute for BBG’s annual Volunteer Appreciation Party, held this year on Thursday, Aug. 22. In addition, Janet baked nearly 100 cupcakes, large and
Here’s what we’re talking about. Cakes! A table full of Janet Laudenslager creations for the annual Volunteer Appreciation Party.
small, for the party. The cupcakes would later be arranged in the Leonhardt Galleries in the shape of two large 90s to mark BBG’s 90th anniversary this year. Each cupcake was colored — and flavored — with icing that reflected the colors of a rainbow.
Mandy watches Janet enter the kitchen. She sees the sleeves get rolled up, the apron get tied on, the scale get pulled out, and the oven preheated. Mandy watches Janet as she organizes herself — her eggs, her butter, her measuring bowls, the shelled Sicilian pistachios she buys in bulk from a vendor in New York.
She hears the clatter of baking pans, the sifting of flour, the hum of the mixer as the room fills with the odor of ingredients. Mandy sees the latest masterpieces cooling on the counter in the kitchen, a carrot cake with walnuts, a layered walnut torte with mocha icing, an almond tart, a chocolate pecan truffle tart, a Swedish saffron cake, a peanut butter tart.
“You look wonderful,” Mandy says. “I’ll take anything I can get,” Janet says. Mandy watches in the days leading up to the Volunteer Appreciation Party as Janet and Max haul cakes and plates out the door to load into the car for delivery to BBG’s cold storage room. The day before the party, Janet began her tasks at
5:30 a.m. and worked until midnight. The only time she sat down was when she was in the car driving up to BBG.
“This is ridiculous, yes,” Janet admits. “But the good news is, I can still do it.” She works out in her home gym two hours a day. She still moves fast.
Mandy watches them load up their cake repair kit to deal with any mishaps. The kit includes palette knives, a flour sifter, extra frosting, whipped cream, powdered sugar, and the hairdryer.
“You never know,” Janet says. Janet and Max white-knuckle it to BBG. Delivering precious cakes that are intricately piped with icing is a vocation better suited to the flatlands of Nebraska than the hilly, twisty byways of the Berkshires. Icing succumbs to the laws of physics. Janet drives slowly. This load includes a decorative carrot made of marzipan and some pies, too.
In retrospect, she never would have bought her Acura RDX, a sport crossover SUV, had she realized the degree to which its back cargo area tilts on level ground.
“Oh, it drives me mad,” she says.
Down in the basement of BBG’s Center House, Janet and Max put the final touches on the cakes and pies. Upstairs the party has begun. At one point there’s a banging on the floor above. It’s Lauretta Harris, president of BBG’s Volunteer Association, during her remarks to the 100 or so volunteers in attendance. She bangs on the floor to pay tribute to Janet down below.
Stomp-stomp-stomp. “Janet, can you hear us?” Lauretta calls out. “Thank you!”
“Janet doesn’t like to be the center of attention,” says Lauretta. “She does everything for love and not the thanks, but we, of course, thank her from the bottom of our hearts.”
Soon the volunteers will be invited to dig in. But not before Janet has to hurry back home. She had forgotten the ice cream. Pies need ice cream, don’t you know.
Back in Monterey, she rushes through the door. From her cage, Mandy would like a word.
“You look wonderful,” the bird says.
ROOTED IN PLACE
10TH ANNUAL ECOLOGICAL GARDENING SYMPOSIUM
Pollutants Impacting the Berkshires and Beyond
Sunday, November 10 | 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Members: $85/Non-Members: $100/Students: $20
“We need acts of restoration, not only for polluted waters and degraded lands, but also for our relationship to the world. We need to restore honor to the way we live, so that when we walk through the world we don’t have to avert our eyes with shame, so that we can hold our heads up high and receive the respectful acknowledgment of the rest of the earth’s beings.”
— ROBIN WALL KIMMERER
“Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants”
In collaboration with Berkshire Environmental Action Team (BEAT), Berkshire Botanical Garden presents Rooted in Place, our annual ecological symposium. This year we will inspire participants with insights into our ecological past, present and future. We will explore the impact of pollutants in the Berkshires and beyond and reflect on what are classically known as the Four Elements of Nature: earth, water, air, and fire. The event will take place on Sunday, Nov. 10, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., here at BBG.
SCHEDULE
9 to 10 a.m. Mohican herbalist and author Misty Cook of the StockbridgeMunsee Community on plants as medicine: the use of land when there were only indigenous in the region.
10 to 10:15 a.m. Break
10:15 to 11:30 a.m.
Eloise Gayer of the Morris Arboretum will speak on her practice of integrating native plant ecological horticulture into the land and how this practice reverses some of the destruction caused by both invasive plants and herbicides. Brittany Ebeling of BEAT will go further into herbicides and how the composition of this pollutant affects our plants, ground and surface water, earth, and more.
11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
As the interconnectedness of nature reveals, light pollution is also ecologically destructive. Tim Brothers, an MIT astronomer and manager of the Wallace Astrophysical Observatory, will discuss the unexpected loss in plant life resulting from light pollution. Some examples of lights and guidance on lighting for a better future will be included in the presentation.
12:30 to 1:15 p.m. Lunch provided
1:15 to 2:15 p.m.
Wilding the land and restoring natural processes has potential in the management of extreme fires and the smoke pollution that goes along with them, something that will be further considered by Sam Gilvarg,
PhD candidate at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, using the “One-Health” approach: human, animal and environmental systems all working together for a more just and free ecology.
2:15 to 3:15 p.m.
As land, air and fire all end up in water, the reciprocity of the elemental interconnectedness calls for a review of water pollutants. We’ll discuss the clean up of our region’s freshwater resources and how that impacts the Berkshire ecology.
3:15 to 3:30 p.m.
The symposium will end with a guided meditation, led by Sandrine Harris
BBG provides information, education and inspiration concerning the science, art and joy of gardening and its role in preserving the environment. BEAT envisions a world where all people recognize their interconnectedness to, and dependence on, the natural world.
Contributors
The following constituents made contributions of $150 or more during Berkshire Botanical Garden’s 2023 fiscal year from Jan. 1, 2023 to Dec. 31, 2023. Contributions include membership dues, unrestricted contributions to the Annual Fund, donations to designated funds, and grants and sponsorships.
$50,000-plus
Joanne Leonhardt Cassullo
Communities Foundation of Texas
Marian Godfrey and Thomas Gardner
The Dorothea L. Leonhardt Foundation
New York Community Trust
The Non Nobis Solum Foundation
Carol and Robert Williams
$25,000-$49,999
Estanne Fawer
$10,000-$24,999
Blue Q
Maria and David Carls
Adaline Frelinghuysen
Lauretta Harris
Madeline and Ian Hooper
Caitlin and Mitchell Nash
Tania and Mark Walker
Kathleen and John Zutter
$2,500-$9,999
Anonymous
Kathi Cafiero
Patricia and John Chory
Carol and Paul Collins
Mary Copeland and Jose Gonzalez, Jr.
Christina and Paul Del Balso
The Dobbins Foundation
Lynn and Stewart Edelstein
The Frelinghuysen Foundation
Elise and Carl Hartman
Nancy Hickey
Jane Iredale and Robert Montgomery
Kelly and William Kaiser
Sherry and Daniel Kasper
The Ruth Krauss Foundation
Cindy McCollum and John Spellman
Joanna and Warren Miller
Linda O’Connell
Governor and Mrs. Deval Patrick
Donna Raftery and Vincent Inconiglios
Patrick Riordan
The Estate of Elizabeth Ford Sayman
Cathy and Gregg Schnopp
A.J. Schnopp Jr Construction, Inc.
Anna and Starbuck Smith
Lillian and Gregory Whitehead
Matthew Wolf
Suzanne Yale
$1,000-$2,499
Anonymous
Francine and Nicholas Arienti
Michael Beck and Beau Buffier
Candace and Frederick Beinecke
Stephanie and Carl Bradford
Michele Dodge and Holly Dobbins
Elizabeth and Buzz Doherty
Susan and JW Dunlaevy
Thomas Evans and Dean Ebben
Nancy and Fred Fagelman
Lainie Grant and Matt Larkin
Maura Griffin and Joseph Carry
Diane and Harold Grinspoon
Melissa LeVangie Ingersoll and Tom Ingersoll
Laura and Eric Jordahl
Jeanie and Gary Knisely
Scott Lambert
Jorie and Steve Latham
Janet Laudenslager and Maxime Aflalo
Jennifer Lee and Adegboyega Adefope
Mary and Gregor Leinsdorf
Barbara Leonhardt Buffoni and Mark Buffoni
The Marcia Brady Tucker Foundation
Lyn and Ron Mason
Joan and Martin Messinger
Jo Dare and Bob Mitchell
Kate and Hans Morris
Pamela Pescosolido
Lauren and Scott Pinkus
Rodney Pleasants and Steve Godwin
Barbara and Michael Polemis
Ramelle and Michael Pulitzer
Mary Ann and Bruno Quinson
Charles Rosenblum
Georgeanne and Jean Rousseau
Allison Salke
Gay Tucker
Harriet Wetstone
Cynthia Wick and R. Channing Gibson
Susan Wolf and Vickie Holt
Rosina Yue
$250-$999
Margaret Abbott and Theresa Johnson
Emily Aber and Rob Wechsler
Susan Abramowitz and Aaron Gurwitz
Mary M. Ackerly and Michael Sconyers
Laura and Richard Allen
Jane and John Angelini
Morgan Balentine and Alexander Zeek
Maureen and Michael Banner
Rebecca Benson and Art Kreiger
Tracy and Charles Bird
Laura Blank
Jacqueline Blombach and Michael Duca
Sarah and Bronly Boyd
Jytte and John Brooks
Cipora Brown and Steven Feiner
Rebecca and Hanan Caine
Lynn Campana and R. Paul Hirt
Catherine Cave and Peter Rothstein
Diana Chamberlain and Jeffrey Bearce
Terri Chegwidden and Nathan Casto
Anthony Chojnowski
Catherine Clark and Edward Ivas
Mary and James Cooper
Ellen Cooper Klyce
Stephanie Corrigan
Anne Covell and William Higgins
Becky Cushing Gop and William Gop
Leslie Davidson and Rob Gennari
Helen and John Davies
Carol Davis and Joel Marcus
Nathaniel Day
Marilyn Dee
Susan Dempsey
Page Dickey and Bosco Schell
Constance Eagan
Carol and James Edelman
Sarah and Tim Eustis
Wendy and Eric Federer
Eileen Feldman
Judith Fetterley
Susan and Henry Flint
Claire Fraser
Diana French
Gary Frenkel and John Sloman
Leslie and John Garwood
Donald Gelston
Michele Gilligan and Lester Ettlinger
Barbara and Steven J Glicksman
Linda Goff
Susan and Marc Goldman
Jennifer and Rob Goldwasser
Sandy Goodenough and Richard Schulhof
Linda Greenhouse and Eugene Fidell
Carol and Patrick Hackett
Kerry Hamilton
Ellen and Scott Hand
Zoe and Dan Harden
Donna Harris
Sarah Hatch
Robin and Kenneth Heim
Anita Heller
Callie Herzog and Frank Walton
Hope Holiner and Michael Wolkowitz
Sarah Horowitz and David Venarde
Mary Ann House and Dominick Pierro
Ellen House
Janet and John Hutchison
Lydia Irwin
Marianne and Richard Jaffe
Stephanie Johnson and Charles Bonenti
Jane Johnson
Richard Kalb and Karl Laird
Anita and John Killea
Daniel Kimberley
Steve and Trent Kinney
Patti Klein
Nicole and Amy Klug
Thomas Koelle
Sara and Martin Koffman
Kenneth Koval
Jane Kresch
Andrea Kust and Stephen Shapiro
Taylor Lamme
Barbara Lane
Pam Lassiter and Bic Stevens
Kendra and Rich Lassor
Lee Bank
The Lenox Garden Club
Louise and Jay Levy
Amey and Tony Lewis
Geri and Roy Liemer
Benjamin Liptzin
Katinka and Susanna Locascio
Ellen and Andy Lowitt
Tara Mathews and Abraham Greenstein
Judith and Kim Maxwell
Carol and Thomas McCann
Hugh McFadden
Brian Mikesell and John Weinstein
Barbara Kahn Moller
Susan Morris
Peter Most
Mary Mott and Francis Gordon Simmering
Deborah and Brian Munson
Elizabeth and James Murray
Anjani and Barbara Nelson
Dana Niedzielska and Lukasz Niedzielski
Jackeline Okimi Atencio and Kevin Okimi
Cindy and Bruce Packard
Gale Page
Jim Panichella
Fred Perkins
Cecelia Primero and Elidoro Primero
Molly and Benjamin Rivest
LaVonne Roberts
Eleanor Rochman
Eileen and Marc Rosenthal
Lynn Rubin and Ira Mehlman
Debra and Eric Ruder
Carol Saginaw and Joachim Frank
Bonnie Saks and Bradley Minnen
Linda Saul-Sena and Mark Sena
Justine and Harvey Schussler
Erik Sebesta
Terrence Shea
Maryam Sibony and Brett Schmulian
Mark Smith and John O’Keefe
Amy and David Sorkin
Jayde Steckowych
Katie and James Stewart
Appy and John Stookey
Mark Strieter and Anthony Machado
Vasanthi and Muthiah Sukumaran
Suzanne Taylor and Caleb Chao
Sheila and Randy Thunfors
Robin Tost
Margot and Kip Towl
Lisa Townson
Shari and Jonathan Turell
Kathy Valko and Alexander Cook
Cynthia Valles and George Hebard
William Van Alstine
Suzannah and Pieter Van Schaick
Western Massachusetts Master Gardener Association
Jane White
Jane and Christopher White
Sandra Wijnberg and Hugh Freund
Marianne and Howard Zimberg
$150-$249
The Academy Garden Club of Lenox
Mary Ann Aiello and Raymond Lammens
Marcia and Peter Alcorn
Kris and Michael Aliperti
Paul Allen and Kevin Carmody
Naomi Alson
Kathleen Alves and Phyllis King
David Anderson
Elizabeth Anema and Betsy Johnson
Paula Angerstein and Paul Grosso
Michele Archambeault
Pauline and Anthony Archer-Wills
Ronni Aronow
Anne Auberjonois and Sebastian Bonner
Susan and Peter Aziz
Victoria Bailey
William Baker and Bayard Gordon
Christine Baldridge
Leah Barber
Jan Bartelli
Maureen Barton
Lisa and Chris Beede
Charlotte Fairweather and Steven Bellofatto
Elizabeth and Vince Bellows
Cindy and David Berger
Pamela and Philippe Besnard
Caitlin Blasdell
Laura and James Blodgett
Sara and Les Bluestone
Jared Boesse and Colin Levy
Anselm Bradford
Christine and Keith Brisebois
David Buehl
Susan Bues
Carolyn Butler
Patricia Callahan and David Dee
Samantha Cardone and Amar Batra
Karen Carmean and Thomas Doane Perry III
Virginia Carrington
Lisa Carullo and Eric Bachman
Elisabeth Cary and Ricky Bernstein
Linda and David Cass
Claudine Chavanne and Harry Stuart
Rachel Childers
Julie Clancy
Elaine R. and Rabbi Ayelet Cohen
Licia and Michael Conforti
Florence Cooper and Nathan Kurz
Terry Cruikshank and Keith Bader
Marta Cutter
Susan and Edmund Dana
Christine and Robert Davis
Hilary and Philip Deely
Eliza Dewey and Ricky Stephens
Judith and Barry Dichter
Kathy and David Dickinson
Sarah DiLeo
Anita and Nicholas Diller
Erica DiPonzio
Elizabeth Dister and Colin Wilson
John Donald
Philip and Jill Dore
Susan and Alan Dorrell
Linda Edmunds and Jaf Chiang
Marilyn Elie and Roger Witherspoon
Jo and Dan England
Hallie Evans
Denis Farina
Judith and Michael Fedo
Jan Feinman
Deborah Fenster and Edward Seliga
Maureen Ferguson Steiner and Thomas Steiner
Mary Ann Fernandez and Richard Pierce
Anne Ferril and Phillip McCaffery
Elizabeth and Peter Finn
Ken Fishman
Terry and Bonnie Flynn
Claudia Fogelin and Paul Rosenthal
Christine Fontana
Fort Orange Garden Club
Liz Foulser and Richard Svoboda
Mayhill and James Fowler
Crispina ffrench and Chris Swindlehurst
MaryJane and M. Gerard Fromm
Chelsea Gaia
Beth and Bruce Gamble
Debbie Gangemi and Caroline Forsman
Ronnie Gardstein and Barry Greenberg
Holle and Philip Garvey
Ellen Gendler and James Salik
Sharon Gilbert and Mark Gilbert
Patricia Gilhooly and B.W. Duffy
Susan Ginns
Elizabeth Gioia and John Stepney
Rebecca Giraldez
Pamela Goguen and Peter Conzett
Rebecca Gold and James Wood
Joan and Jay Gold
Ilene Goldstein and Bruce Hart
Janet Greenlee
Lael Greenstein
Susan and Carl Gutman
Catherine and Peter Hagen
Catherine and Eric Haines
Regina and Don Halsted
Phyllis Hammer
Jen Harvey
Marilyn and Nathan Hayward
Cheryl Heller and Gary Scheft
Bette Cerf Hill and Bruce Sagan
Dale and Timothy Hoctor
Lisa Holmes and Amelia Wood
Nancy and John Howell
Gloria and Stanley Hurwitz
Sandra and Albert Hutzler
Jennie and David Jadow
Holly Jansson and Jesse Frayne
Claudia Jasinski and Tom Jasinski
Natalie Jensen
Susan and Michael Johnson
David Johnson
Ansy Jumpau and Mr. Raymari Rodriguez
Elizabeth Juviler and Tim Williams
Julia and Robin Kaplan
Julie Kay
Paula Kelley and Alfred Bingham
Pamela and Daniel Kelly
Kathleen Keresey and Randy Paul
Nancy A. Killeen
Karin and Jeff Koff
Iris and Louis Korman
Susan and William Kormanik
Karen Kowgios and Robert Fried
Valerie Krall and Ralph Lieberman
Carla Krasnick
Robert Kraus
Ilana Krishnamurti
Jan and Barbara Kuniholm
Melba Kurman and Hod Lipson
Kelly Kynion
Sherilyn LaCerra
Gail Landsman
Vasiliki Latsis and Jedidah Shields
Robert and Matthew Lee
Hanna Lentz
Sally and Stuart Lesser
Dana and Michael Levin
Ellen Levy and Stephen Weiser
Judy and Russell Liddle
Jane Liddle
Beoleong and SweeCheng Lim
Kelly Lorraine and Derek Brashears
Nancy and Joanne Lukitsh
Amy and Jon Lyons
Marsha Maurer and Ruth Heiden
Diane McAveeney and Candace Palangi
Colleen McGuinness-Clarke and Charles Clarke
Margaret McLallen and Patrick Hollenback
Donna and Peter Meixner
Denny Meneghelli
Andrea and Fred Mensch
Deborah Model and Joe Falkowski
Charnell and John Moore
Ann and Donald Morrison
Leslie and Robert Murray
Giuliana Musilli and Fern Barrasso
Linda and Robert Noonan
Sandra Northrup and Dean Walton
Pat and Daniel O’Dell
Caitlin Oelrich and Conor Rieker
Roman Palleschi
Steve Pattyson
Tom and Chris Pepper
BJ Pheiffer and Jeffrey Birnbaum
Mary Jane Piazza
Frieda Pilson
Becky and Daniel Pincus
Bonnie Podolsky and Douglas Rich
Marc and Christine Poirier
Wendy and Richard Polins
Anne and John Pope
Kaitlin Pulice and John Loercher
Cindy and Joseph Pulito
Joanne and Jack Quattrochi
Ingrid and Jonathan Raab
Bonnie and Edward Regendahl
Janine and William Reid
Marie and Andrew Reilly
Camille and Seth Reinhardt
Janet and Dorothy Rickus
Austen Riggs Center
Anne Rocheleau and Chris Holmes
Eileen and Robert Rominger
Susan Rothschild and Don Freedman
Georgia Russo
Barbara Salonich
Anita and Sanjay Sathe
Dale Saul and Joseph Schiffer
Dale Scalise-Smith and Christopher Smith
Janice and John Schott
Carol and Richard Seltzer
Eileen Shapiro and Raymond Levin
Susan and David Shapiro
Lucy Sheridan
Arlene and Michael Shreefter
Elizabeth and John Siedhoff
Amanda Sierau
Roberta and Miriam Silman
Nancy Simmons
Doris and Michael Simon
Mary Skorupa and Ruth Heffner
Licia Sky and Bessel van der Kolk
Deborah Skydell and Gregg Pasternack
Rachel Smith
Kathy and Frederick Smith
Alison Sneider
Cynthia Sommer and Andrew Balder
Laura and Fritz Sonnichsen
Ilene Spiewak and Brenda Butler
Jean Marie and Kerry Stein
Linda Stillman and Steven Finley
Walter Tarr
Janice Tassinari and Don Fries
Susan Tercek
Theresa Terry Michney and Gerard Michney
Dan Thal
Mary Trev Thomas and Richard Matturro
Angela and Keith Thomas
Ann Trudnak and John Ackerson
Ruth Tucker
Judith Uman and I. Michael Goodman
Jennifer VanAmburgh and David Burgess
Joyce Vandemark and Alan Zablonski
Reinout VanWagtendonk and Kristine Huffman
Mandy Victor-Pieczarka and Raymond Pieczarka
Patricia and Joseph Vitacco
Theresa Vitucci
Mary Vogatzis and Frederick Frelinghuysen
Mary Jo and Gary von Bieberstein
Ellen and Wade Walbrun
Sam Watson and Nora Watson
Judy Wein and Gerald Sussman
Penny Wein
Judeth Wesley
Anne Wild-Rocheleau and Stratford Wild Rocheleau
Gretchen Winterkorn and Doro Klusmann
Betsy Winters-Russell and Joel Russell
Mary and Henry Wladkowski
Karl Woodall
Katherine Woodhouse and Binney Meigs
Victoria and Eugene Zacharewicz
Honorary and Memorial Contributions
In Memory of Louis Cohen
Lauretta Harris
In Memory of Vaughn Nixon
Mary Copeland and Jose Gonzalez, Jr.
In Honor of Janet Laudenslager
Anonymous
In Memory of Vaughn Nixon
Jo Dare and Bob Mitchell
In Memory of Louis Cohen
Louise and Jay Levy
In Memory of Louis Cohen
Ronnie Gardstein and Barry Greenberg
In Memory of Charlie Holleran
Mandy Victor-Pieczarka and Raymond Pieczarka
In Honor of Eric Ruquist
Joel Russell
In Honor of Madeline and Ian Hooper
Rodney Pleasants and Steve Godwin
In Honor of Joanne Leonhardt Cassullo
Rosina Yue
Thank You to Our Plant Sale Donors
Amherst Nurseries
Andrew’s Greenhouse
Bay State Perennial Farm
Becker’s Farm
Broken Arrow Nursery, LCC
Callander’s Nursery & Landscaping, Inc.
Campo De’Fiori
Clark’s Garden Center
Countryside Landscape
Cricket Hill Garden
Gade Farm
Garden Magic, Inc. DBA Country Caretaker
Gardener’s Supply Company Hadley
Hudson Valley Organics
Kent Greenhouses
Landcraft Environments LTD
Markristo Farm
Monrovia Nursery
Mt. Williams Greenhouses
Nasami Farm
Old Farm Nursery
Orangerie
Paley’s Farm Market
The Plant Group
R & C Floral, Inc
Randall’s Farm and Greenhouse
Salisbury Garden Center
Sixteen Acres Garden Center
Troy’s Landscape Supply
Wanczyk Evergreen Nursery, Inc.
Ward’s Nursery, Inc.
Whalen Nursery Inc.
Wildflowers Florist
Windy Hill Farm, Inc.
OCT 27
Fall Harvest Farm to Table Cooking Class
SEPTEMBER 2024 – JANUARY 2025
Berkshire Botanical Garden is offering a wide variety of classes this fall and winter, including arts and science based classes, experiential learning and a symposium exploring the impact of pollution on plants and how this in turn affects climate change. Please join us for one or more classes, complementing the seasonal fun of Harvest Festival and our Holiday Marketplace.
Miriam Rubin will lead the “Fall Harvest Farm to Table Cooking Class” on Sunday, Oct. 27, from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Learn more about it on page 30.
For more information on classes and events happening at the Garden, visit BerkshireBotanical.org.
Capture a moment in time with Maggie Pate in this introduction to eco-printing. Students will leave with a luscious 100 percent silk charmeuse scarf that they will design and eco-print during the class using local fall foliage.
OCTOBER
Understanding Woody Plants H IN-PERSON at BBG
Tuesdays, Oct. 1 through 22, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Members $215/Non-Members: $240
This four-session course, taught by Jenna O’Brien, will focus on the bones of the garden with a survey of ornamental woody plants for residential landscape design. Students will become familiar with the many garden-worthy woody plants that thrive in Zone 5, including ornamental shrubs, small flowering trees, shade trees and broadleaf and needle evergreens. The course covers plant ID, selection, siting, cultivation and possible design uses. Students should dress for outdoor field study. All students participating in this class as part of the Horticulture Certificate Program are required to complete a final project.
Rendering a H
IN-PERSON at BBG
Saturdays, Oct. 5 through 26, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Members: $215/Non-Members: $240
Rendering is a drawing skill necessary for communicating garden designs to clients. Learning to render allows you to add depth and dimension, turning a flat sketch into a dynamic visual that appears to pop off the page. This four-week course, taught by Tom Smith of Springfield Technical Community College, will offer students the opportunity to pursue the process of creating a realistic or lifelike representation of an object or a scene, and is the next step for gardening designers following drafting. Structured as a studio class, students will learn the softer side of drawing for design using the B range pencils, and practice illustrative rendering such as sections, elevations and plan obliques. Non-professional gardeners and artists are encouraged to join this class, with either Drafting for Garden Design or equivalent coursework as a prerequisite.
ONLINE Our online classes are offered over Zoom. Students receive class log-in information and materials lists, when applicable, once they’ve registered.
IN-PERSON The location of onsite classes is subject to change in accordance with state and federal regulations. Students will be notified as soon as possible if classes require a change in location.
HYBRID These classes are held both online and in person. They feature the lecture portion of class online and a hands-on component in-person and outdoors.
OFFSITE These classes are held off-site.
HHORTICULTURE CERTIFICATE PROGRAM
This symbol denotes Horticulture Certificate Program classes, workshops and lectures open both to students seeking credit towards one of BBG’s horticulture certificates as well as the general public. Please visit berkshirebotanical.org or call 413-357-4657 for additional information.
a H
ADVANCED HORTICULTURE CERTIFICATE PROGRAM
This symbol denotes Advanced Horticulture Certificate Program classes, workshops and lectures open both to students seeking credit towards one of BBG’s horticulture certificates as well as the general public. Please visit berkshirebotanical.org or call 413-357-4657 for additional information.
Kitchen classes are sponsored by Guido’s Fresh Marketplace with stores located in Great Barrington and Pittsfield.
Make a Wander Book: Floral Dyes on Paper
IN-PERSON at BBG
Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 5 and 6, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Members $170/Non-Members $190
Capture the color and contour of BBG’s gardens in autumn in this dynamic, hands-on, two-day intensive workshop, led by Suzi Banks Baum. Brew dyes with plants harvested from the BBG gardens and learn three different ways to capture color on paper. On the second day, we will create a “wander book,” a small, folded book form sewn with our own dyed threads. Expect to immerse in the world of natural dyes and depart with a set of materials to inspire your creative practice. Along with the harvesting and preparation of dyes, participants will be offered a daily centering meditation and short writing prompts. A brief materials list will be provided upon registration. Participants should bring an apron and their lunch.
Salt and Seasoning
IN-PERSON at BBG
Saturday, Oct. 19, 1 to 3 p.m.
Members: $60/Non-Members: $80
Rolling Rock Salt of Sheffield, Mass., will share the history of salt, the various types of salt and explore “no salt” options. Learn about peppercorns and herbal seasoning, make salty infusions and cook with all the salts, pepper and seasonings available. There will be a “stump the band” grand finale, and a salt and seasoning sale following the class, with all proceeds going to BBG.
Photo
The Isabella Stewart Gardner Courtyard and the Harvard Museum of Natural History “Glass Flowers” Exhibit OFFSITE
Friday, Oct. 25, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Members: $130/Non-Members: $160
Transportation in BBG Van: Additional $20
Join BBG on a trip to Boston where we will have two private tours at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and the Harvard Museum of Natural History. This trip includes a boxed lunch in between tours.
Experience the enchanted world of plants in the verdant Courtyard at the Gardner Museum, view the Monks Garden designed by Michael van Valkenburgh Associates and discuss botanical imagery in a limited number of paintings in the collection. A private tour will take place at 11:30 a.m.
Next, view the internationally acclaimed Ware Collection of Blaschka Glass Models of Plants, better known as the “Glass Flowers” at the Harvard Museum of Natural History. This unique collection was made by Leopold (1822-1895) and Rudolf Blaschka (1857-1939), a father and son team of Czech glass artists. From 1886 through 1936, the Blaschkas produced 4,300 glass models that represent 780 plant species. The newly configured gallery space and scientific interpretation showcases the ongoing scientific relevance of the collection and enriches the visitors’ experience of the models. A private tour of the installation will take place at 2:45 p.m.
Sketching in the Garden
IN-PERSON at BBG
Saturday, Oct. 26, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Members: $100/Non-Members: $120
This workshop, led by Jean Mackay, will provide tips and techniques for sketching outdoors and help you gain confidence working directly from nature. Learn to create expressive lines and employ simple washes to convey the essence of your subject quickly, capturing the beauty and changing nature of fall in the garden. Explore autumn flowers and trees and their fruits, nuts, and seeds using pencil, pen, and wash techniques. We’ll sketch outside for part of the time, if weather permits, and bring nature inside if it doesn’t, so please dress accordingly. Instruction will be tailored to various skill levels. Materials list provided upon registration.
Preserving Apples the Freund Way
IN-PERSON at BBG
Saturday, Oct. 26, 1 to 3:30 p.m.
Members: $100/Non-Members: $130
In this workshop, led by Theresa Freund, participants will turn a variety of locally grown apples into apple butter. Beginning with the applesauce process, we will make a thick, spiced spread to use on toast, oatmeal, meats, and other foods. Participants will take home 8 to 10 half-pint jars of butter.
Fall Harvest Farm to Table Cooking Class
IN-PERSON at BBG
Sunday, Oct. 27, 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Members: $90/Non-Members $110
In this cooking class, led by Miriam Rubin, we’ll celebrate the late-harvest vegetables: think cabbage, sweet potatoes, gorgeous winter squash—a favorite is Kabocha—along with carrots, kale, Brussels sprouts and turnips. Plans include a hearty soup and roasted squash. Our dessert will likely include pears and we’ll have hot spiced cider for sipping. Serving the
Soil and Soil Amendments H ONLINE
Tuesdays, Oct. 29 through Nov. 19, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Members: $215/Non-Members: $240
This four-session course, taught by Monique Bosch, will explain how plant growth is affected by soils, from drainage to pH and nutrients. Learn how to evaluate soils, improve those that are less than ideal and amend soils for specific garden uses. Fertilizers, soil amendments, making and using compost, moisture management, and the pros and cons of mulching will be covered. Students need to get a soil sample before class and bring the results to the first class.
New
England Native Plant Design a H
Thursdays, Oct. 31 through Nov. 21, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. (12 hours)
Members: $215/Non-Members: $240
This four-week course, led by Bridghe McCracken, will help students better understand the principles and practices of ecological gardening with a focus on native plant communities. Students will learn the native plant palette, resources needed to identify these communities, and habitats and methods of introducing native plants into gardens. Identifying and controlling invasive plant species, in addition to restoring areas that have been impacted by invasives, will also be highlighted. Gardeners will learn how to enhance garden spaces with native plants that create sustainable and low maintenance gardens.
NOVEMBER
Sourdough Starter IN-PERSON at BBG
Saturday, Nov. 2, 10 a.m. to Noon Members: $60/Non-Members: $80
There’s so much mysticism on how to make a sourdough starter, but the reality is that it only takes two ingredients and a little patience. This hands-on, sourdough starter class, led by Brandon Cochran, offers a simple and effective approach for making a healthy and active sourdough starter by walking you through each step of the process. The process might initially sound intimidating, but we promise the journey is worth it.
Eco-Gardening Plain and Simple
IN-PERSON at BBG
Saturday, Nov. 2, 10 a.m. to Noon
Members: $25/Non-Members: $40
Eco-friendly gardening works with nature not against it. Join Duncan Himmelman to gain insights into the various steps involved in becoming a more environmentally friendly gardener, including planting for pollinators, conserving water, giving wildlife a home, relying less on fertilizers and pesticides, and using native plants. Get inspired to kickstart your journey towards creating a beautiful sustainable garden that can provide a positive eco-impact!
Native Plants for Container Gardens
IN-PERSON at BBG
Saturday, Nov. 2, 1 to 3 p.m.
Members: $25/Non-Members: $40
The beauty of using native plants in containers is that they are adapted to local growing conditions. From short to tall, sun to shade, spring through fall, Duncan Himmelman will demonstrate plenty of possibilities for creating a small, wildlife-friendly oasis on a balcony, patio or porch. Leave with a list of container-friendly native plants suited to your area.
Botanically Infused Craft Cocktails
IN-PERSON at BBG
Saturday, Nov. 2, 6 to 8 p.m.
Members: $60/Non-Members: $80
Join mixologist Billy Jack Paul for this class as he teams up with BBG to guide you through creating seasonal and classic craft cocktails. Explore harnessing the flavors of the season and botanicals to create inspired and delicious drinks. Learn techniques to make them at home for yourself or your friends. Billy will provide instruction and take questions from students. A unique opportunity to learn from one of the Berkshires’ best and most creative cocktail artists!
Community
Storytelling: “Take a Gamble”
IN-PERSON at BBG
Friday, Nov. 8, 6 to 8 p.m.
Members: $20/Non-Members $30
Join Sheela Clary, hostess and Moth StorySLAM winner, for an evening of curated true stories on the theme “Take a Gamble”, interpreted in unpredictable ways.
Arranging Dried Flowers
IN-PERSON at BBG
Saturday, Nov. 9, 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Members: $90/Non-Members: $110
(Plus additional materials fee of $25)
Join Rebecca O’Donnell of The Quiet Botanist for a morning of flower arranging. Participants will be introduced to a selection of dried and foraged flowers, the necessary tools for harvesting and arranging, as well as drying basics. Each participant will make a medium-to-large bouquet using dried flowers of their choosing in a relaxed, friendly atmosphere. Come with your questions, as this intimate workshop will be about conversation and learning from one another – and surprising yourself, too! Bouquets will be hand-tied and wrapped for traveling convenience. However, you’re welcome to bring in your own vase and fill it here during the class. All levels welcome!
Crafting a Holiday Wreath from Fresh and Dried Botanicals
ONSITE at BBG
Saturday, Nov. 16, 2 to 4 p.m.
Members: $75/Non-Members: $90
If you’ve visited the legendary Gallery of Wreaths at BBG’s Holiday Marketplace, you may have wondered how wreath designers create their botanical masterpieces and whether you can craft your own! This 2-hour program combines a classroom introduction with guided hands-on practice using 14” balsam wreath forms, after which you will take home your own decorated holiday wreath. Chris Ferrero will lead this class, starting with a slide program introducing principles, techniques, and creative ideas. Then participants will be assigned workstations in the same studio used by BBG’s own wreath designers, several of whom will be on hand to help you select materials and practice optimal construction skills. Experience with a hot glue gun is recommended. Completion of this program will prepare you to become a BBG Wreath Designer.
Garden Based Smartphone/Tablet Photography
IN-PERSON at BBG
Saturday, Nov. 16, 9 a.m. to Noon
Members: $65/Non-Members: $80
This three-hour workshop, led by Thaddeus B. Kubis, will include the basics of smartphone and tablet garden, landscape and floral photography, as well as practical editing, archiving, and sharing. This workshop will include a 30- to 45-minute walk through the gardens to apply what has been presented.
Chainsaw Skills Workshop for Beginners
IN-PERSON at BBG
Saturday, Nov. 23, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Members: $195/Non-Members: $225
Learn to use a chainsaw safely! Taught by arborists Melissa LeVangie Ingersoll and Bear LeVangie, this workshop is designed for the novice-to-beginner chainsaw operator who wishes to gain greater confidence with this powerful tool. The class will combine lecture and hands-on learning, covering topics such as personal protective equipment, the anatomy of a chainsaw, reactive forces, basic chainsaw maintenance, and additional tools for use with a chainsaw. Techniques will include holding and starting a saw, hazard ID, escape options, log analysis (binds), planning cuts, overall plan, and bucking and limbing. Attendees will cut logs on the ground and/or elevated on sawhorses and will leave with a better understanding of the safety features of a chainsaw and be able to operate a chainsaw based on safety fundamentals. No experience necessary. Note: Equipment will be provided; however, if you have your own chainsaw or personal protective equipment, please bring it with you. Dress and prepare for the weather including long sleeves, pants and boots. Bring a bag lunch.
Chainsaw Skills Workshop Level 2
IN-PERSON at BBG
Sunday, Nov. 24, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Members: $195/Non-Members: $225
Taught by arborists Melissa LeVangie Ingersoll and Bear LeVangie, this workshop is designed for the chainsaw operator who wishes to gain greater confidence with this powerful tool. This Level 2 chainsaw class will combine lecture and hands-on learning covering topics such as PPE, review of safe operations and move on to advanced bucking and basic felling techniques. Note: Attendance in this chainsaw class is built on the prerequisite of attending a Chainsaw Level I class. Attendees will be required to wear PPE. Please bring your own chainsaw in good working order, e.g., running well, chain tensioned and sharpened, fueled and oiled. Dress and prepare for the weather including long sleeves, pants and boots. Bring a bag lunch. Scholarships are available.
suzanne vega old songs, new songs, and other songs
sat oct 5 at 8pm
Co-presented with
ailey ii
fri oct 25 at 8pm
sat oct 26 at 3pm
pink martini featuring china forbes 30th anniversary tour
sat oct 12 at 8pm
patton oswalt
fri nov 1 at 8pm
Great Barrington • mahaiwe.org
Plant Health Care H
Tuesdays, Nov. 26 through Dec. 17, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Members: $215/Non-Members: $240
Taught by Jen Werner, this program focuses on factors that affect plant health care, including insects, diseases, pathogens, and abiotic influences. Basic diagnostic techniques will be taught. Learn to minimize potential problems through proper site preparation, plant selection and placement. Managing problems using biological, chemical and cultural techniques will be discussed with a focus on integrated pest management.
DECEMBER
Herbal Holiday Gifts Workshop
IN-PERSON at BBG
Saturday, Dec. 7, 2 to 4 p.m.
Members: $70/Non-Members: $90
Led by Nicole Irene, this workshop is an opportunity to make rich and diverse herbal gifts for the holidays or other occasions, feel connected with the gift-giving process and nourish another person by crafting something special for them from the Earth. By gifting a handmade herbal gift that will support their well-being, you are offering your loved one the opportunity to dip into that vibrant, natural health.
The Quieting: A Meditation Gathering to Welcome Winter’s Energy
IN-PERSON at BBG
Saturday, Dec. 7, 4 to 5 p.m.
Members: $20/Non-Members: $30
Led by mindfulness-in-nature facilitator Sandrine Harris, students will gather by candlelight at sunset for this nourishing process of quiet, guided meditation. Moments of dynamic talking, poetry and listening are balanced with deep quiet and inner celebration of the gift of slowing down for deep winter.
Both Classes together: Members: $50/Non-Members: $75
Sponsored
Plant Design Studio a H
IN-PERSON at BBG
Saturdays, Dec. 14 and 21, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Members: $215/Non-Members: $240
This course, led by Tom Smith of Springfield Technical Community College, teaches students how to design a planting plan for private and public garden spaces. Explore the manipulation of space by using plant material through a series of exercises dealing with form, color and texture. Students will consider the nature of plant characteristics in specific design settings. Style of house will be used for a source of inspiration while honoring the horticultural needs of each plant. Students will make presentations for each project, and class critiques will be positive, instructive and essential to the learning process. This is a participatory class and will include completing various design projects throughout the course.
JANUARY
The Business of Gardening a H
IN-PERSON at BBG
Friday, Jan. 3, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
BBG Members: $90/Non-Members: $110
The question that is often stressful for the garden designer/ gardener is “how much should I charge?” In this class, taught by Tom Smith of Springfield Technical Community College, learn how to value your work, estimate supplies and strategize the overall proposal in order to avoid under or over charging clients. This class will also cover staffing, management and incorporating a diverse and inclusive work environment.
Science of Plant Propagation H
IN-PERSON at BBG
Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 4 and 5, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
BBG Members: $215/Non-Members: $240
Learn about the art and science of plant propagation with Adam Wheeler, grafting guru at Broken Arrow Nursery. Focus on the basic botany needed to understand and successfully propagate plants. Sexual and asexual propagation methods including sowing seeds, cuttings, grafting, layering, and division will be covered. Students will learn the fascinating science behind propagation along with the various techniques used to create new plants.
AUGUST 30 – OCTOBER 13 Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre by Awni Abdi-Bahri
DECEMBER 13 – 15
Kate Hamill Based on the novel by Jane Austen Directed by Ariel Bock A Lively, Costumed Reading
Invasives: Plants and Insects a H
Saturdays, Jan. 11 through Feb. 1, 9 a.m. to Noon Members: $215/Non-Members: $240
This four week course, taught by Jen Werner, will include information on how and why pests become invasive, and the governmental agencies and working groups that help determine an organism’s “invasive status” and the regulations around controlling their spread. Participants will take a deeper dive into several newer invasive introductions to our area, including identification, hosts and control or mitigation methods. Learn strategies to stay abreast of new Invasive Introductions and how to think about choosing the best techniques to avoid, prevent or control invasive species at your particular site or situation. A review of general concepts regarding pest control strategies, pest life cycles and clues to identify pest type will be included.
Sustainable Garden Design and Maintenance H ONLINE
Tuesdays, Jan. 14 through Feb. 18, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.
BBG Members: $215/Non-Members: $240
In this class, taught by Daryl Byers, participants will 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. Learn procedures for perennials, woody plants and lawns, including transplanting, staking, fertilizing, winterizing, mulching, plant pathology, and pest control with an emphasis on deer control.
Over 25 varieties, including Autumn Crisp, Baldwin, Blushing Golden, Candy Crisp Chestnut Crabapple, Cortland, Cox Orange, Pippin, Daybreak Fuji, Dolgo Crabapple Empire, Evercrisp, Gala, Ginger Gold, Goldrush, Honeycrisp, Ida Red, Jona Gold, McIntosh Macoun, Mutsu, Northern Spy, Northwest Greening, Paula Red, Pink Lady, Pixie Crunch Rhode Island Greening, Spigold, Spitzenberg, WhitneyCrabapple, Winesap Winthrop Greening, and Zestar
For advertising opportunities, please call 413-298-3926.
Discounts on merchandise from BBG’s gift shop and plant sale and at participating garden centers
Unlimited free admission into the Garden
Entrance into the American Horticulture Society: free admission into 300+ botanical gardens
Member rates for adult and youth programming and select events
Free subscription to BBG’s magazine, Cuttings, and a digital subscription to Better Homes & Gardens
413-298-4532 membership@berkshirebotanical.org
Join Berkshire Botanical Garden and Classical Excursions as We Discover
GREAT HOUSES & GARDENS IN IRELAND:
WATERFORD COUNTY & BEYOND
JUNE 2 TO 8, 2025
Cost $4,975 per person for six nights, including a $500 tax deductible donation to BBG. The single traveler supplement is $1,500.
Registration Please email office@classicalexcursions.com or call Lani Summerville at 413-446-8728. Visit BerkshireBotanical.org for more information.
5 West Stockbridge Road
Stockbridge, MA 01262
413-298-3926 • berkshirebotanical.org
HOLIDAY MARKETPLACE
DECEMBER 6–8
Saturday & Sunday 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
One-of-a-kind designer wreaths, holiday-blooming amaryllis and paperwhites, succulent arrangements, garlands, hanging terrariums and gift items presented by regional artisan vendors. Free Admission
Holiday Wreath Preview Party | Friday, Dec. 6, 5–7 p.m.
Early wreath-buying opportunities, live music, hors d’oeuvres, libations, and merriment! This is a pre-registered event. Members: $75/Non-Members: $100
