Native Plants – Knowledgeable Instructors – Nature’s Partnership

That’s what you’ll find this season in and around Nasami Farm, with some great opportunities to learn. We’ve created a new slate of Sunday demonstrations on exciting gardening topics, supplemented by courses and field trips to experience native plants in the wild and in beautifully-designed landscapes in the area. Please contact me for recommendations to fit your interests or for information on our Certificate in Native Plant Studies. We welcome your participation in our native plant learning community during the 2008 season!

FREE DEMOS AND EVENTS

NATIVE PLANTS & DEMONSTRATIONS

OPENING FALL WEEKEND NEW ENGLAND WILD FLOWER SOCIETY'S NASAMI FARM

New England Wild Flower Society, America’s largest native plant education program, offers its FREE fall demonstrations at Nasami Farm & Sanctuary,  128 North Street, Whately, Massachusetts, located  2 miles from I-91, an hour north of Hartford, Connecticut.  Native plant experts present great gardening tips and techniques and afterwards can be on hand to help with selections.  No reservations required.  Programs and parking are FREE.  413-397-9922. www.newenglandWILD.org.

FREE Demos take place Sundays at 1 p.m., rain or shine, no reservations needed

Sept 7   Native Ornamental Grasses with Landscape Designer Owen Wormser demo

Sept 14  Plant Trees the Right Way with Education Director Dr. Greg Lowenberg demo

Sept 21  Consult a Garden Designer bring your questions for a 15-minute personal consultation

Sept 28  Underused Native Perennials  Nasami Director Ron Wik demos up-and-coming beauties

SELECTED 2008 CLASSES & FIELD TRIPS at or near Nasami Farm, Whately, MA

FERNS OF EAST MOUNTAIN,  West Springfield, MA. FIELD TRIP, Sunday, September 7, 12-4 p.m. Don Lubin and Ray Abair lead us on a hike to look for a couple of dozen fern species, including spleenworts,  beech, maidenhair, and fragile ferns. Preregistration required at registrar@newenglandWILD.org. $32 members, $36 non-members. 

DESIGN A NATIVE MIXED BORDER GARDEN, Nasami Farm, Whately, MA, HORTICULTURE, Sunday, September 14, 2-4:30 p.m. Jim McSweeney instructs how to artfully combine shrubs and small trees with a selection of perennial and annual herbaceous plants to create a border garden with four seasons of beauty. Preregistration required at registrar@newenglandWILD.org. $30 members, $35 non-members.

PRUNING FUNDAMENTALS, Nasami Farm, Whately, MA, HORTICULTURE, Saturday, October 4, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Jim McSweeney teaches how to select basic tools, make a proper cut, determine which branches to cut, and the correct time to prune. Preregistration required at registrar@newenglandWILD.org.  $33 members, $39 non-members.   

FREE Fall Lecture Series at Conway School

New England Wild Flower Society and Conway School of Landscape Design collaborate on a FREE fall lecture series.Explore innovations in sustainable landscape design, native plants, and ecology, held at the Conway School in Conway, MA on Monday evenings Sept 15, Oct 6, Nov 3. Pre-register at 413-369-4044 x 5. View www.newenglandWILD.org for directions.

Monday, September 15, 7-8:30 p.m.-Fundamentals of Ecological Planting Design with Tom Benjamin, LEED-accredited Pro and Senior Landscape Architect on issues and challenges and large projects.

Monday, October 6, 7-8:30 p.m. Rain Gardens: Helping Nature and Having Fun with Scott LaFleur, New England Wild Flower Society Horticulture Director at Garden in the Woods.

Monday, November 3, 7-8:30 p.m. Landscape Design: Where Art and Nature Meet with Darrel Morrison, Master Teacher at the Conway School, Adjunct Professor Columbia University Landscape Design