Leaflet
A MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY PUBLICATION
TABLE OF CONTENTS 3 4 5 10
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A Successful Garden Opening Upcoming Classes Upcoming Programs and Events By Allison Dush Growing Dahlias in New England With Yankee Dahlia Society By Carol Palmer and Misty Florez Participate By John Lee More than Flowers —Variegated Foliage By Wayne Mezitt An Island Garden, By Celia Thaxter Reviewed by Patrice Todisco From the Stacks By Maureen T. O'Brien
CONTACT EDITOR Wayne Mezitt waynem@westonnurseries.com
MEMBERSHIP Zee Camp membership@masshort.org
A SUCCESSFUL OPENING, AND IT’S JUST THE BEGINNING! It has been just over a month since we opened our gates for the season. Since that time, I have enjoyed seeing and meeting guests as they walk through the Garden. It’s joyful to see people exploring, relaxing, learning and Seeing the Invisible! Soon guests will be able to see the beginning of the restoration and repurposing of the Asian garden. We often say, “We couldn’t do it without you” and “You make a difference.” Well, it’s true! We are grateful to you - our members - for supporting the incredible growth we have been experiencing, and undeniably during a difficult time.
In early spring, MHS reached out to local businesses with 2022 Garden Opening Sponsorship opportunities. Fifteen organizations signed on as sponsors, helping MHS raise nearly
DONATE TODAY TO SUPPORT MHS THIS GARDEN SEASON
$50,000 - funds spent to help bring the Garden to life!
In addition to the support we received to make the Garden more beautiful and visitor friendly, we also received funding for a new Director of Garden and Programs. After just six weeks, Karen Daubmann has brought MHS horticultural excellence to a new level. She has incredible ideas and a history of success for bringing amazing exhibits to life! Her energy and enthusiasm have the entire staff feeling renewed and excited. Stay tuned for further proof that your investment in us is a wise one. We are grateful for your trust in us… to make the world a better place, through horticulture. Elaine Lawrence Director of Development
READ NOW: Massachusetts Horticultural Society's New Director of Garden and Programs
UPCOMING CLASSES
Acrylic Drip Resist with Watercolor
Garden Photography Workshop
May 18 & 19 1-3pm
May 22, 10:30am-1:30pm
Botanical Printing on Fabric Workshop
Shibori & Indigo Fabric Dyeing
Macro Photography Workshop
The Art of Planting Design: Learn to Design in Seasonal Sequence
June 25, 9am-4pm
June 25, 10:30am-2:30pm
VIEW ALL
June 22 & 23, 9am-4pm
July 13, 10am-2pm
GREEN PARTNER SPOTLIGHT Flash your membership card for a 10% discount with any of our Green Partners.
UPCOMING EVENTS & PROGRAMS AT MHS HEAR FROM MHS'S DIRECTOR OF GUEST EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION ALLISON DUSH ABOUT ALL OF THIS SEASON'S FUN & EXCITING EVENTS YOU WON'T WANT TO MISS!
Seeing the Invisible* Open during Garden Hours Mon-Thu 10am-7pm | FriSun 10am-4pm We previewed this exhibit in the garden last October and if you didn’t get the chance to see it then I highly recommend you download the app and check it out! This exhibit is the first of its kind to be developed in collaboration between botanical gardens and arts institutions from around the world. Seeing the Invisible is currently on display simultaneously in Australia, Canada, Israel, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States. It’s so exciting to be a part of this global exhibit, featuring works from international artists including Ai Weiwei, Refik Anadol, El Anatsui and more! Download the Seeing the Invisible app before your visit!
Micro-Topia* Friday, May 6th & Saturday, May 7th 10am-8pm
This is one of those can’tmiss events! The Garden at Elm Bank will be alive with vendors, cooking
*INCLUDED WITH GARDEN ADMISSION OR FREE FOR MHS MEMBERS. KEEP YOUR MEMBERSHIP UP TO DATE TO CONTINUE RECEIVING THESE INCREDIBLE MHS MEMBER BENEFITS!
demonstrations, food trucks, music and more. We're thrilled to be the host location for Micro-Topia, a preview experience to November's fourday Utopia event in Boston. Join us for a sneak peak of what is to be New England's premier outdoor living and dining show. Mark your calendar for two full days of energy and excitement in the Garden, May 6 and 7 will be filled with inspiration. Members receive the ultimate perk with FREE tickets so if you haven’t reserved your tickets, please do so! I hope to see all of our members at the show!
Music in the Garden*
I can't believe we’re on our third season of Music in the Garden! This has grown into a summer staple for our members and neighbors. Thank you to all who stuck with us during last season's rainy days, what a whirlwind of a summer. Drumroll please... I’m thrilled to announce that due to generous donations from last season we’re able to offer member tickets at $0 cost! As always, membership has its perks, members receive the first chance at tickets before we release them to the public. If you would like to increase your membership level to include more tickets please reach out to our membership department at membership@masshort.org. Check out the line up and reserve your tickets today!
*INCLUDED WITH GARDEN ADMISSION OR FREE FOR MHS MEMBE KEEP YOUR MEMBERSHIP UP TO DATE TO CONTINUE RECEIVING T
Book Club* Next Meetings: Tuesday, May 17 and June 21 at 1:30pm Join other enthusiasts in great conversation while immersed in the beauty of the Garden. Our Book Club meets at 1:30pm in the Crockett Garden. Enjoy the sunshine and discussion with like-minded individuals. Join the list for more information about this program and for our next book announcement! Tuesday, May 17, the group will cover Michael Pollan’s Second Nature and Tuesday, June 21, we’ll discuss Anne Goldgar’s Tulipmania.
Christmas in July*
July 23-31 | 10am-8pm This event was so popular last year that we’re bringing it back for summer 2022. Join us from July 23-31 for a week of holiday spirit without the winter weather! See what the citizens of Snow Village, the winter-themed model train display, are up to. Visitors can decorate their own ornaments and hang them on our courtyard holiday tree that will be displayed at the 14th Annual Festival of Trees later this year. Be transported to a winter wonderland in the middle of summer. Bring your family and friends and plenty of holiday spirit!
ERS. THESE INCREDIBLE MHS MEMBER BENEFITS!
Family Drop-In Programs* Did you know we have free drop in youth programming every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday? Mondays and Wednesdays listen in on the storybook adventures narrated by our Garden Educator Melissa Pace. Bring a blanket or chair and join the squirrels, birds, and other garden creatures as we spread out in the grassy Maple Grove—picnics welcome! On Saturdays, join us for a new family adventure every week! Learn about plants, garden animals, and gardening all while having fun and creating a craft to take home! Each week will have a different theme and activity.
Mondays & Wednesdays 11-11:30am
Saturdays 10am-noon
Houseplant Emergency Room* Second Thursday of the Month — Starts June 9 The plant doctor is in! Can't figure out why your houseplant isn't thriving? What are those fuzzy white things on the leaves? How often should you really be watering that picky plant? Stop by on the second Thursday of the Month to learn the cure your plant needs and get all the advice you need to be the best plant parent!
*INCLUDED WITH GARDEN ADMISSION OR FREE FOR MHS MEMBER KEEP YOUR MEMBERSHIP UP TO DATE TO CONTINUE RECEIVING TH
Late Nights in the Garden* July 28 & August 18 | 4pm-8pm New this summer: Join us for Late Nights! We’re keeping our doors open for an evening of yard games, music, a beer tent and more. On July 28 and August 18, the Garden will stay open until 8pm for afterhours fun. Grab your friends and family and experience the Garden in a whole new way. RSVP to stay in the loop and receive an event reminder. The fun starts at 4pm!
Garden Tours
If you haven’t booked your garden tour yet, I highly suggest grabbing your date! This year, garden tours have been booking out like crazy. Whether your group has booked a tour with us in the past or you’ve attended one of the tours through our education department, tours are a great way to get an inside look at both the historical and horticultural side of the property. If you’d like to book a tour for your organization or club please fill out our booking form and we can work towards getting you on our calendar. Looking to attend one of our educational tours? Register for our June dates.
RS. HESE INCREDIBLE MHS MEMBER BENEFITS!
GROWING DAHLIAS IN NEW ENGLAND WITH YANKEE DAHLIA SOCIETY
Cultivar: Yvonne Form: Waterlily Grown by: Misty Florez @agardenersjourney Photo by: Misty Florez @agardenersjourney
By Carol Palmer & Misty Florez, Yankee Dahlia Society Co-Founders and Co-Presidents Photography by Misty Florez
The Beauty of Dahlias
From small single open-centered flowers to show-stopping fully double blooms in nearly every color of the rainbow, the dahlia has taken the flower world by storm. And deservedly so: dahlias exhibit a truly amazing variety of forms, sizes and colors that have something for everyone. A gardener will find it fun to choose from adorable tiny blooms less than 1 inch in diameter to stunning giant 10 inch blooms with a spectrum of colors from pastels through deep jewel tones. Their bloom forms can be reminiscent of a honeycomb, a spiky cactus, a floating water lily, a pin cushion, a star or even a daisy with beautiful petals that can be formal and uniform or fringed, loose and informal. The Dahlia is without a doubt the Queen of our summer and fall gardens.
Dahlias with zinnias, plumosa, strawflower (Grown by Robin Sears @robinsears)
The History and Genetic Diversity of Dahlias
Dahlias are members of the family Asteraceae, and originated in the cooler elevated regions of Mexico and Central America. Named in honor of Swedish botanist Anders Dahl, the dahlia was brought to Europe in the late eighteenth century, where it was soon discovered that dahlias could be very easily hybridized. There is so much rich history to the genus, and so much to learn about these interesting and beautiful plants. Unlike most other plants, dahlias are octoploids, meaning they have eight sets of chromosomes as opposed to the usual two. Scientists and hybridizers love this trait, since the wide genetic diversity of the dahlia can lead to many new, different and exciting forms, sizes and color combinations. There are over 60,000 dahlia cultivars, many of which are from the 19th and 20th centuries and are still grown today.
Cultivar: Anne Hyde; Form: Cactus; Grown by Misty Flore
Cultivar: Hamari Accord; Form: Semi Cactus; Grown by Misty Florez
Growing Dahlias in New England
Dahlias are easy to grow. Plant around mid to late May, after last frost. Dahlias like a well-drained location that gets at least six hours of sun daily. With a monthly feeding and regular watering, they will reward you with beautiful flowers beginning in late summer all through fall, blooming abundantly until first frost. Considered as a tender perennial in our growing region, dahlias can be lifted from the ground and stored over winter to be planted again in spring. Alternatively they can be grown as an annual, with new tubers being purchased each spring. Dahlias are so beautiful when they are blooming in the garden, or cut and brought inside to enjoy in your home or as bouquets arranged and shared with friends. Planting dahlias in your garden is sure to bring lots of joy.
Cultivar: Apricot Star Grown by Misty Florez
Cultivar: Fancy Pants; Form: Orchette Grown By: Misty Florez
Yankee Dahlia Society
Yankee Dahlia Society is a dahlia club based in Massachusetts, with members from all over New England and beyond. Whether you are an experienced dahlia grower or a new grower just starting out on your own dahlia journey, joining a club is a wonderful way to connect with other enthusiasts and share the joy of dahlias. Co-Founded in January 2021 by Misty Florez and Carol Palmer, Yankee Dahlia Society aims to promote education and enjoyment of dahlias and all aspects of growing them. YDS is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and is also a proud member of the American Dahlia Society, the national organization which supports local organizations around the country. Our monthly club meetings are a wonderful opportunity to dive into various dahlia topics presented by our members or with special guest speakers. YDS offers monthly newsletters, workshops, garden tours and fun programming throughout the year.
Cultivars: Day Dreamer & Linda's Baby; Grown By: Susan Keyes @Susekeyes
May 15th Tuber Sale at the Garden at Elm Bank
Plant sales are a tried and true way to find wonderful cultivars and meet with club members who have curated and shared their collections and are thrilled to talk about dahlias all day. Yankee Dahlia Society is excited to hold a public tuber sale at the Garden at Elm Bank on Sunday May 15, 2022 from 10am-3pm. Rain or Shine, YDS will be selling a wide variety of dahlia tubers grown locally by our club. We are proud to offer a fantastic selection of dahlia
tubers, dahlia related merchandise, tools and supplies for all your dahlia growing needs. We invite you to come out and say hello and have an opportunity to purchase dahlia tubers, start or expand your own dahlia garden and maybe even join our YDS community. Please visit our website. We'd also love to connect and have you follow the growing season and club activities on Facebook and Instagram. For seasonal growing tips we have wonderful videos on our YouTube channel. Check us out and Subscribe! Come as a guest to our next club meeting. For more information please contact us through our website. Happy Growing Season!
Connect with Yankee Dahlia Society: Website Instagram Facebook YouTube
Photos by Misty Flor Clockwise from top: D Grown by Misty Florez Misty Florez); Cut dah
rez @agardenersjourney Dahlias in the garden (Grown by Robin Sears @robinsears); AC Dan Dahlia (Semi-Cactus form, z); Castle Drive dahlia growing in the garden (Grown by Misty Florez); Tuber clump (Grown by hlias in vase (Grown by Misty Florez). Below: Purple dahlias (Grown by Misty Florez)
PARTICIPATE
Brenda gardening
A
s a post-war baby, Bert had a world of experience under his belt mostly because of his now advanced age. He sometimes looked back with a certain sense of smug satisfaction that some may have when they know that (in their opinion) they have survived an impecunious childhood, worked hard, made a good marriage and fed their families. Bert was grateful his opportunities. He still believed in something greater than himself all the while knowing that were it not for his own hard work and Brenda’s unerring partnership, his life might have been quite different. Bert chalked up a lot of what he considered ‘success’ to the rough and tumble life of his and Brenda’s parents who had learned to make do
BY JOHN LEE on their hard-scrabble New England homesteads just up the road from nowhere.
They had known each other from early childhood and had both attended at the Pleasant View schoolhouse with the six other school-aged children onhedge, theirphoto hill by Warre Sassafras before moving on to more practical life lessons. When Bert’s mom passed on, he asked Brenda for her hand and would she consider moving from her home to his. Not unusually, there were few marriageable prospects in the neighborhood and Bert looked like a reliable sort of young man. She consented without reservation. They never looked back. With a guiding hand from their families and the everchanging seasonality
of time’s passing, Bert and Brenda slowly brought the farm back into some sense of self-sufficiency while earning a very modest income taking what work might come along in the village.
As it turned out, they both had uncommonly green thumbs. Working their slightly bony soil brought them not only the joy of creating new life but the collateral satisfaction of independence, sharing and participating in their own wellbeing. Brenda’s flower beds quickly became the envy of out-of-towners and newly ensconced neighbors alike as other farms in the area turned into house-lots. Bert and Brenda’s carefully managed vegie beds were almost equally admired. But what brought them the utmost delight was listening together to the Red Sox on WBZ as they froze, canned, dried, pickled and put by every edible tidbit they could produce before sitting down to a plate of fresh-caught trout (if Bert had been lucky!), succotash and a freshly picked garden salad.
minted homesteaders had never had the chance to participate in the unfolding of the seasons, the ebb and flow of outdoor opportunity, the grace of knowing what needed to be done when. Bert and Brenda, though childless themselves, were more than pleased to create a larger family, to be part of their successes and to fend off possibly impending horticultural failures. They always shared their mantra for domestic bliss as succinctly enunciated by the US Food Administration in 1917 to young families leaving the hills for city life.
en Leach
Life for them was full-time hands-on. There was never an idle moment in season. Although they were rarely in need of help, their help was always in demand as together they were the font of knowledge to the young and college-educated most of whom had wherewithal but not the requisite experience to bring their dreams of nativist nirvana to fulfillment. The plain truth was that, heretofore most of these newly
They had a yellowing framed copy pinned to one of the kitchen cupboards where it was a constant reminder of what a righteous life should look like.
Pleasant View Schoolhouse
Bert and Brenda's garden
As Marco Polo famously described the Kublai Khan’s ‘pleasure dome’, so Bert and Brenda came to view their haven on the hill. Though their farmstead remained without moniker, what was obvious for all to see was that by their participation and cooperation with Mother Nature, their understanding and joyful diligence, their assiduous attention
to Mother’s follies and foibles, they had seemingly magically come into their dotage in a recognizably harmonic landscape that spoke to almost anyone’s sense of inner and outer beauty. By working hand in glove with the elements as they had over the decades, by being participatory partnering with instead of in opposition to the perceived injustices of the weather gods. Creating beauty and self-sufficiency necessitated being an agent of the process and was the key to becoming a happy horticulturist. They both understood that garden and gardener needed to work in concert to create the patchwork quilt that sews together beauty and utility to produce a transformational landscape to the delight of one and all.
John Lee is the recently retired manager of MHS Gold Medal winner Allandale Farm, Cognoscenti contributor and president of MA Society for Promoting Agriculture. He sits on the Governor's Food Policy Council and UMASS Board of Public Overseers and is a long-time op-ed contributor to Edible Boston and other publications.
MORE THAN FLOWERS—
VARIEGATED FOLIAGE
VARIEGATED FOLIAGE
By Wayne Mezitt
Cornus kousa 'Wolf Eye'
As much as I venerate these weeks of peak flowering each May, a plant’s flowering features are usually not my sole consideration for my gardens. Most flowering trees and shrubs, and many hardy herbaceous plants, offer blooms for relatively short periods of time, displaying other features for the remainder (and majority) of the year. So once their flowering has finished, we’re viewing their foliage colors, size and texture, in our gardens for the remainder of the growing season. Reluctant to become “bored” with “ordinary” foliage appearance, I’m especially partial to cultivars that have variegated (multicolored)
foliage. Some of my friends consider variegated plants “unnatural” or “garish”. And yes, they indeed are oddities of nature-a garden comprised entirely of variegated plants would certainly be bizarre. But to my eye, that surprising revelation of unusual foliage color they afford adds another dimension of uniqueness and interest to most any garden. All types of plants--evergreen, deciduous and herbaceous--can have variegated forms. Variegated coniferous evergreens with needletype foliage including pine, juniper, spruce and Chamaecyparis, retain their distinctive appearance all year round (as do broadleaf evergreens,
like boxwood, ivy, leucothoe, euonymus and holly), and some can color-up differently as seasons change, imparting unique effects. In addition to evergreens, my gardens utilize numerous variegated cultivars of deciduous trees and shrubs, including dogwoods, maples, beech, elm, forsythia, hydrangea, willow, lilac, and wisteria.
Wisteria floribunda 'Mon Nishiki'
Variegated herbaceous Carex siderosticha Variegata plants are more commonly available and also easiest to use. Even Because their foliage holds though they generally dieback to the proportionately less chlorophyll, ground each year, some retain foliage variegated cultivars tend to during the winter. Herbaceous plants grow more slowly and mature at tend to be faster-growing and lower, smaller size than their “normal” making them versatile for fill-ins counterparts. Leaf variegation can and under-plantings. Hosta, ferns, be the result of a number of genetic, grasses, sedum and Yucca are some cultural or environmental factors. of my favorites. In addition, many Some variegated foliage may be annuals and even some vegetables damaged by high light intensity, or (peppers, lettuce and beans, conversely, the amount of coloration for example) are available with on others can be diminished by variegated leaves (or fruit), adding low levels of light. Variegation can distinctive interest to the summer be unstable on some cultivars, so garden. those plants require attention to
Acanthopanax sieboldianus variegatus
maintain their features. And that’s part of what makes using them interesting--it’s always an adventure to determine the conditions that produce the best results. This time of year is ideal for choosing the plants that appeal to you--most everything is now in full
growth. And if you discover that you appreciate their effect in your garden, you may want to join me in becoming a variegated-plant enthusiast!
Wayne Mezitt is a 3rd generation nurseryman and a Massachusetts Certified Horticulturist, now chairman of Weston Nurseries and owner of “Hort-Sense”, a horticultural advisory business. He currently serves as editor for The Leaflet, an electronically-published monthly member newsletter for the Massachusetts Horticultural Society at the Garden at Elm Bank in Wellesley MA, and as chair of the Massachusetts Invasive Plant Advisory Group (MIPAG).
An Island Garden by Celia Thaxter Illustrations by Childe Hassam Reviewed by Patrice Todisco In the world of celebrated American gardens, there may be none more modest than that of Celia Thaxter on Appledore Island, ten miles off the coast of New Hampshire. Just 750 square feet in size, it is immortalized in the gardening classic, An Island Garden, illustrated by American Impressionist Childe Hassam.
Hassam was one of many artists and literary figures that summered on Appledore, which at the time featured a popular resort, owned and operated by Thaxter’s family. Like her celebrated garden, Thaxter carefully cultivated her artistic persona and
Houghton Mifflin, Boston (1894, 1988), Bullbrier Press (1985), David R. Godine (2019)
established a salon at her home on the island, attracting leading creatives of the day including William Morris Hunt, Nathaniel Hawthorne, John Greenleaf Whittier, Annie Fields, Ellen Robbins and Ralph Waldo Emerson. Born in Portsmouth, NH in 1895, at the age of four Thaxter moved to the tiny, treeless White Island, one of the Isles of Shoals, where her father was the lighthouse keeper. In An Island Garden she describes her time here as a “lonely child living on the lighthouse island ten miles away from the mainland,” remarking that “every blade of grass that sprang out of the ground, every humblest weed
was precious in my sight.” By twelve, she had moved to the nearby 95-acre island of Appledore, where her ever ambitious father opened one of the first resort hotels in America.
While living in such an extreme environment might be conceived as restrictive, Thaxter found herself immersed in the fragile, yet tenacious landscape of the island where wind pruned shrubs and bushes, stunted trees, wildflowers, and the remains of the home gardens of previous island inhabitants provided a foundation for exploration and discovery. The landscape became her muse and the creation of her cultivated garden her passion. Thaxter moved into her parents’ three story “cottage” on Appledore upon their deaths and it is here that she created the garden that she famously wrote about in An Island Garden. A vine covered piazza along the front façade of the house led to a terrace below, surrounded by a board fence for protection from the ocean winds. Within, a series of raised beds, featuring 57 species of flowers and vines including sunflowers, hollyhocks, sweet peas, oriental poppies, phlox, and larkspur flourished. Gloriously captured by Hassam in the illustrations
accompanying An Island Garden, their cultivation and planting plans were meticulously recorded by Thaxter in the book’s text, serving as the foundation for the garden’s restoration.
Gardening on the island was, and remains, challenging. Thaxter describes in detail how much work it took to plan and maintain her precious flowers. She battled slugs, snails, fungi, seed-eating birds, and infertile soil. Tender seedlings, planted at her winter home on the mainland, were placed in eggshells, requiring careful handling during their boat ride to the island. Today, muskrats, introduced since Thaxter’s
In the Garden by Childe Hassam
tenure, pose one of the garden’s most difficult challenges. Chicken wire has been dug a foot into the soil surrounding the board fence to fend them off.
While the garden is currently cared for by a dedicated staff and volunteers, Thaxter rose early each morning to tend it and gather bouquets for her parlor, filling vases, bowls, and baskets with flowers to adorn every conceivable place available. Her reverence for flowers was mystical and she described herself as both worshipping and being worshipped by them. Thaxter’s romanticism was so deep that even weeding is described in luminous terms, as an act of nearly erotic pleasure. While for many, pulling weeds in the garden might not be perceived as such, I do imagine the pleasure of being there in the early morning or late afternoon light as a transcendent experience.
Celia Thaxter's garden, Isles of Shoals by Childe Hassam
Thaxter’s cottage, piazza, and garden were destroyed by fire in 1914. The garden was reestablished on its original site, using dimensions and the planting plans provided in An Island Garden, in 1977 through a joint effort of the Shoals Marine Laboratory, a collaboration of the University of New Hampshire and Cornell University. Dedicated volunteers from seacoast garden clubs in Rye Beach and Little Boar’s Head managed and maintained the garden.
In the preface to the book’s 1977 edition, John M. Kingsbury notes that at the time few reconstructions of a garden created during this period had been attempted and that the garden’s location, on an isolated island ten miles from sea without traditional infrastructure, including access to water, was unique. Locating the plant varieties Thaxter planted
in the 1890s provided an additional challenge. Some of the garden’s original plants, including snow drops, hops vines and day lilies can be seen today while the brilliant hues of hollyhocks and red poppies evoke the spirit of Hassam’s famous paintings.
at a time and tours for the season book quickly.
Today, visits are a much more formal affair and can be arranged through the Shoals Marine Laboratory, directly. Along with a guided tour of the garden, they include a presentation about the cultural history of the island and a visit to the Laighton family cemetery. A fully catered lunch prepared by award winning local chefs is served at the Shoals Marine Laboratory's dining facilities. The tour does involve a 45-minute boat trip aboard a research vessel and requires 2-3 miles of walking over a rugged island environment, so be prepared if you plan to go. Only 33 people can attend
In the preface to the 1988 edition, Lacey opines that Thaxter’s place in the history of American gardening is clear and that her influence, “initiated a noble line of horticultural writing that includes such figures as Alice Morse Earle, Louise Beebe Wilder and Elizabeth Lawrence.” Both practical and prosaic, An Island Garden depicts the joy found in a modest space on a small, rugged island of great beauty. The garden’s restoration and enduring appeal speaks to the power of memory and the important role that gardens play in American culture.
An Island Garden is a book I return to often and I have visited the garden twice. In the 1970s, when the garden was in its earliest stages of restoration and the island was overgrown and overrun by a large and aggressive colony of seagulls, I journeyed to nearby Star Island and hitched a ride from there on an inflatable dingy with the scientists journeying to the Shoals Marine Laboratory. Once on Appledore, I was pretty much alone, aside from those seagulls.
Attesting to its allure, An Island Garden continues to be reissued, most recently in 2019 by Godine Publishers. It was first published in a run of 1,000 copies by Houghton Mifflin in March of 1894, followed by a second printing of 1,000 copies that November, following Thaxter’s death. Declared out of print in 1902, in 1985 on the 150th anniversary of Thaxter’s birth a black and white edition was published by Bullbrier press with an introduction by John M. Kingsbury. In 1988 Houghton Mifflin reissued the Childe Hassam edition of An Island Garden with its gold stamped cover designed by Sarah Wyman Whitman and an introduction by Allen Lacey.
Patrice Todisco writes about parks and gardens at the award-winning blog, Landscape Notes.
From the Stacks
By Maureen T. O’Brien, Library Manager
“It seems that the more places I see and experience, the bigger I realize the world to be. The more I become aware of, the more I realize how relatively little I know of it, how many places I have still to go, how much more there is to learn.”
Unfortunately, Bourdain’s life was tragically cut short in 2018. But before he died, he traveled the world and enriched his own and our lives. Now that Covid restrictions are easing, transportation options are expanding and places are reopening, this is a good time to plan for future travel. As a member of the Society, you likely would include magical landscapes, gardens and parks in your travel itineraries. Researching and planning will greatly enhance your visits.
Featured Collection ― Travel Books Themes and options for research vary dependent on your interests. Some people set a goal of traveling to all 50 of the United States. Others want to explore far flung exotic locations such as Africa and Asia. Many television travel series can sow a seed to learn more about a place. Some of you will set a goal to explore closer to home, such as visiting every property owned by a local nonprofit. Some people just want to be an armchair traveler.
Anthony Bourdain (1956-2018)
BBC’s popular “Great Continental Railway Journeys” follows host Michael Portillo as he travels around Europe by train using George Bradshaw's 1913 “Continental Railway Guide” to guide him on his journey. What a fun premise—using a historic guide to plan a visit to a place that was recommended over 100 years ago and then discover what you find today! Princeton Architectural Press published a series of books “the Garden Lover’s Guide…” to parks and gardens throughout Europe. Traveling to the South America? Consider reading Charles Darwin’s A Naturalist's Voyage, his journal of his research into the natural history and geology of the countries visited during the voyage of H.M.S. Beagle around the world.
Not ready to venture far, there are many opportunities to explore closer to home, take advantage of your Society Membership Benefit for free or reduced fee entry to gardens throughout the United States and Canada. Consider following in the footsteps of a favorite author, see what they saw and what may be
Books that may supply inspiration for your future travels.
changed. Herbert Gleason used his photographic skills to document landscapes in Massachusetts that Thoreau traveled. Local author Jana Milbocker has a series of books that give you the “need to know” facts on local gardens.
You can search our collections online here. We have travel books, books on nature and on specific gardens. Your local library is also a great resource. Flower Markets of the World We have completed our Flower Markets of the World project. This collection features letters and ephemera from United States Consulates just before the outbreak of World War II, giving us a glimpse into everyday life and societal attitudes. Thank you to Kathleen Glenn for her work in managing this project. You can see the complete project here.
In the Windows – Books to Inspire your Travels & Books for Sale The Library has used horticultural books for sale, most in the $1 to $5 range. Consider dropping by and picking out a book for yourself or for a gift. Second-hand gifting is an environmentally friendly way to reduce your environmental footprint. Used books fit that bill perfectly! Book Club The MHS Book Club got off to a great start. Since it was a rainy, cool day, the group met in in the Dearborn Room of the Education Building.
The subject was Boston landscape architect Michael Van Valkenburgh’s Designing a Garden, The Monacelli Press (2019). The author describes his design process and ideas for his installation of the Monk’s Garden at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Kathleen Glenn provided this report of the Club’s first meeting: Our members found this book, richly documented with drawings and photographs, to be a lovely explanation of the complexities of planning and making this urban garden. Van Valkenburgh leads his readers through each stage of his work, from imagined purpose and form to path making, plant and tree selection, and, finally, to visitors. This book served as a springboard for us to easily get to know each other, share our experiences and knowledge, and celebrate our love of growing things and then taking pleasure in the results. We’re very much looking forward to meeting again.
Interested in joining the discussion? Fill out this form. The next scheduled meetings and books are: May 17, 2022 1:30 pm Crockett Garden Second Nature by Michael Pollen June 21, 2022 1:30 pm Crockett Garden Tulipmania by Anne Goldgar
If the weather is poor, the meeting
will be held indoors.
Summer Volunteer Opportunities for High School Students We have two opportunities for high school students to volunteer at Massachusetts Horticultural Society's Library at the Garden at Elm Bank this summer. When: Tuesdays or Wednesdays: morning or afternoon Two hours per week Starting in mid-June
Positions: Scanner and data input: This position entails scanning plans to a digital file, following naming conventions and editing an excel spreadsheet with the file name, description and type. Managing the Little Free Library, reorganizing the children’s section, labeling and filing: This position entails keeping the Little Free Library outside the Education Building stocked, filing in the vertical files and working with the children’s books to make it more accessible for children to browse.
The applicant should send an email of interest that includes the position applied for and their skills that are relevant to that position to Library Manager Maureen O’Brien at mobrien@masshort.org.
Help Our Collections to Grow Support our mission by donating a book or two to the Library from the Society’s Amazon Smile Wishlist. Many are reasonably priced children’s books. Make sure you leave your name and we will thank you in the next Leaflet. Then come to the Library and borrow some books— one of your membership benefits! Borrowing books from a Library is a great, green way to reduce your consumption. Come Visit The Library is open Thursdays from 10 am to 1pm, by appointment, and when the lights are on. Please email Library Manager Maureen O’Brien mobrien@masshort.org for an appointment if you want a scheduled visit.
The Little Free Library at the Garden at Elm Bank
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arden Opening Sponsors
Garden Opening 2022
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The Garden at Elm Bank Open April 1-October 31 M-Th 10am-7pm; F-Su 10am-4pm Classes, Programs Year-round
Massachusetts Horticultural Society 900 Washington St Wellesley, MA masshort.org | 617.933.4900