This Wednesday: "Finding the 'Bones' of Your Garden" with Landscape Designer Rita Bond

Every garden starts with a set of anchoring elements. They may be man-made or naturally occurring. Once you identify them, designing the rest of your garden becomes much easier because you have the 'bones' from which the garden will flow.
Simsbury, Connecticut-based Rita Bond designs beautiful gardens and she'll show you examples - both of ones she has designed and gardens she admires - that will give you the perspective to assess your own property. She'll talk about the importance of 'hardscape' - the stonework and other design features that define a garden as much as the plant material in it. It will be an educational and inspirational evening.

Coming August 3 "Hosta La Vista, Baby" with hosta expert Mary Arnberg

When the American Hosta Association held their national convention in Boston last month, they picked five gardens to show to visitors from around the country. One of those belongs to Mary Arnberg. Mary is not just an expert on the plantain lily, she's a terrific speaker who combines humor with an encyclopedic knowledge of her subject. You'll walk away with an appreciation for what may well be the most versatile garden plant around.

(Please note: Paul Miskovsky's talk was originally scheduled for August 3 - it has been moved to August 10)

Coming August 10 "Designing the New Entrance Garden " with Landscaper and Horticulturalist Paul Miskovsky.

That large pile of dirt outside Mass Hort's main gate is about to be transformed into a stunning garden. The man who will wave a magic wand over that dirt is Paul Miskovsky, who has spent his career transforming ordinary properties into award-winning gardens (and the kind that grace magazine covers). He'll talk about what his client (Mass Hort) wanted - "a welcoming place" - and how he translated those three words into stone, soil and plant material. He'll show you how he designs a garden and solicit your thoughts on what ought to go into this one.

All "Wednesday Evenings" talks begin at 7 p.m. and are held in the Education Building at Elm Bank. They end when the last question is answered.

The cost to Mass Hort members is $10 per talk or $50 for the series of ten. The charge for non-Mass Hort members is $15 per talk. Refreshments and beverages are served at all talks.