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Eco-tour and Workshop: Meadow Building
Event Cancelled By Helia Native Nursery - No Future Date Scheduled Join us at Helia Native Nursery for an Eco-tour through beautiful woodlands, get a glimpse of a rare fen and limestone outcropping, and explore beautiful meadows at Sky Meadow Farm. Learn about the importance of a meadow ecosystem, different methods for meadow building and how to maintain existing meadows to maximize wildlife benefits. Learn how to analyze site and soil conditions and use these results to design and create…
Find out more »Webinar: Landscaping for Plant Diversity
What is the role of diversity in the garden and what do we gain by increasing diversity in our gardens, fields, and forests? Despite the wealth of native plant species at our fingertips, we rely too heavily on too few species. By using the great diversity of plants that are native to a region, we can beautify the landscape, minimize inputs, support wildlife, and do away with the ecological deserts created in seas of mulch and functionally sterile lawns. Randi…
Find out more »Planning for Pollinators – Appropriate and Aesthetic Solutions
Co-sponsored by Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens NOTE: Coastal Maine Botanical Garden Members, please see instructions below for discount registration. Opening in 2007, Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens is a premier public garden situated on 295 acres of tidal shoreland on the picturesque Boothbay, Maine peninsula. The setting is an example of rich ecosystem services and biodiversity provided amidst stunningly beautiful gardens. What better setting to study pollinators... Abundant and healthy pollinator populations improve fruit set, quality, and size. In agricultural settings this…
Find out more »Webinar: Supporting Local Ecology: Native Plants for the Small Home Gardens
Native plants are most often viewed by the public as ‘wild’ spaces such as meadows or as highly managed landscapes in large botanical gardens. There are few examples or resources on how to incorporate native plants into the landscape for residents with small yards in a way that fits the tidy yard look that most people are comfortable with and can afford. This presentation includes resources for residents developed over a five-year program that make it easier for residents to…
Find out more »Webinar: Managing Land for Pollinators and Conservation Biocontrol
Conservation biological control is a science-based pest management strategy that seeks to integrate beneficial insects back into the landscape for natural pest control, ultimately reducing, and in some cases eliminating, the need for pesticides. Join Ms. May, Pollinator Conservation Specialist for the Xerces Society, for an overview on conservation biological control and beneficial predators and parasitoids that attack insect pests. Participants will learn how different management practices can impact pollinators and other beneficial insects and how to assess and create…
Find out more »Webinar: Designing a Patchwork Ecology in Urban Ecosystems
In this webinar, David Seiter will investigate the role of wild plants in the urban ecosystem by profiling a cross section of weeds. By comparing the principles of urban ecology with those of aesthetic design, Mr. Seiter challenges contemporary concepts and cultural perceptions about the value of weeds. His intent is to stimulate a discourse between ecologists, landscape architects, and policy-makers that explores societal perceptions of weeds and questions the stigmas that surround them. David Seiter is design director and…
Find out more »Class: Sustainable Site Design Basics
Delve into the fundamentals of sustainable landscape design. This course will provide an overview exploration into the fundamentals of landscape design that integrates buildings sustainably into their landscapes and with a view to reducing maintenance needs. Students investigate sustainable design strategies that address the ecological, water, energy and food systems. Topics include: design principles and process, native plant community restoration and maintenance. Students complete a short design assignment. Tom Benjamin is an independent registered Landscape Architect and LEED Accredited Professional…
Find out more »Advanced Design Workshop with Roy Diblik
This workshop is SOLD OUT. Scroll down to add your name to wait list. Perennial Garden Design with Affection, and Planting Through Self Discovery Join acclaimed designer and plantsman Roy Diblik for a rare opportunity to immerse yourself in garden design and to be inspired by nearly four decades of his design experience and extensive plant background. During this full-day workshop, Mr. Diblik will share the importance of affection in the design process; the beauty of self-discovery in coming to…
Find out more »Eco-tour: Groundcovers – Ecological Solutions in Place of Mulch
The ecological garden is a richly layered plant community. At the base of the plant layer we find the herbaceous groundcovers, the plants that help to reduce garden maintenance. Growing in popularity, groundcover plants add beauty from leaf shapes, textures, and colors. As a bonus, they add valuable ecosystem services not offered by mulch alone – including the challenging areas such as the base of trees. Unlike the monotony of mulch, groundcovers offer seasonal interest in both flowers and foliage and…
Find out more »Webinar: Keeping Carbon in the Ground: A Scientific Exploration of Climate Change and Soil Health
Soils rich in carbon are healthy soils. However, climate change and poor management practices can degrade soil carbon stores and, consequently, the soil itself. Dr. DeAngelis will explain why keeping carbon in the ground is important, and how carbon sequestration factors into maintaining healthy soils. She will also discuss the changes that were observed over a 26-year period in a long-term climate change field experiment in which soils were heated 5 degrees C above ambient temperatures. Along with a look…
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