News from Massachusetts Horticultural Society
By Hilda M. Morrill
September 21, 2009

A sold-out crowd recently enjoyed a day of learning, socializing, networking and garden strolls at Elm Bank in Wellesley, the home of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society (MHS, MassHort). The event, which included coffee breaks and a delicious boxed lunch, was titled "Creating a Garden for Multi-Season Interest" and was sponsored by the Perennial Plant Association and MassHort.

Among the noted speakers were: Adrian Bloom, from Blooms of Bressingham in England; Stephanie Cohen, The Perennial Diva; William Cullina, from Coastal Maine Botanical Garden in Boothbay, Maine; Roger Swain, "the man in the red suspenders" and former host of PBS's "Victory Garden"; Wayne Mezitt, of Weston Nurseries in Hopkinton; and the MHS' own Joe Kunkel, a past President of the Perennial Plant Association, among many other accomplishments.

Exciting announcements of the day were made by Betsy Ridge Madsen, President of the MHS Board of Trustees, and Joe Kunkel, the Society's Interim Executive Director.

On October 1, MassHort will continue its almost century-long tradition of honoring superior achievements in horticulture when Elm Bank hosts the "2009 Honorary Medals Dinner," from 6-9 p.m., with the University of Georgia's Allan Armitage receiving the George Robert White Medal of Honor.

The Jackson Dawson Award will go to Pierre Bennerup, president of Sunny Border Nurseries, one of the leading producers of perennial plants for the northeast.

Also to be honored is Holly Shimizu, Executive Director of the U.S. Botanic Garden in Washington, D.C. Ms. Shimizu will receive the Thomas Roland Medal.

Receiving the MassHort Large Gold Medal will be Arabella Symington Dane. Ms. Dane, a former member of the MassHort Board of Trustees and Chairman of the New England Spring Flower Show, is past chairman of the Board of Trustees of the American Horticultural Society. She is also past chairman of the Garden Club Federation of Massachusetts and a noted flower arranger.

Seven other Gold and Silver Medals will also be presented at the event, including Gold Medals to Dr. Robert Cook, Director of the Arnold Arboretum; Maureen Horn, Librarian at the MHS; Peter Sadeck, President of Peter Sadeck Landscaping; and Mark Sellew, President of Prides Corner Farm.

Silver Medals will be awarded to the Bemis family of Bemis Farms Nursery; Dr. Brian Maynard, Professor and Chair, Dept. of Horticulture, Univ. of Rhode Island; and Peter and Leslie Van Berkum, co-founders and owners of Van Berkum Nursery.

The public is invited to the gala dinner, which will include a keynote address by Mr. Armitage. Proceeds from this event will be used for the maintenance and improvement of the gardens at Elm Bank. For ticket information, call 617-933-4900.

We were also delighted to learn that the "2010 Boston Flower & Garden Show" will include "Blooms!" presented by MassHort. The spring spectacular will feature a "Gala Preview Party," "Garden Teas," major garden exhibits, competitions, and more. It's a double-win for gardening enthusiasts and generations of New Englanders who have cherished the region's annual rite of spring.

The MHS and the Garden Club Federation of Massachusetts Inc. (GCFM) will coordinate the floral design and amateur horticulture competitions, plant society displays, and provide several speakers for the show's lecture program. "The Boston Flower & Garden Show" will be held March 24-28 at the Seaport World Trade Center in Boston.

In May, the Paragon Group, event specialists for many consumer exhibitions in the region, announced the return of a premiere flower show event in Boston and the hiring of Carolyn Weston, the former MHS flower show director who has directed 12 consecutive flower shows in New England. Under her direction, the "2010 Boston Flower & Garden Show" is blossoming anew with the theme, "A Feast for the Senses."

"We are delighted to welcome the Massachusetts Horticultural Society to the Boston Flower & Garden Show in 2010," said Weston.

According to MHS Board of Trustees President Betsy Ridge Madsen, BLOOMS!, which made its debut in the lobbies of major businesses within Boston's Financial District in March 2009, will incorporate floral design competitions sponsored by both MHS and GCFM, displays by Ikebana International, amateur horticulture competitions, and exhibits by garden clubs and regional plant societies.

"BLOOMS! is a special addition to the Boston Flower & Garden Show which encourages individuals, garden clubs and plant societies to show the very best of what can be grown by non-professionals," Ms. Madsen explained. The Massachusetts Horticultural Society and the Garden Club Federation of Massachusetts will offer interpretive tours of the BLOOMS! activities, including an explanation of judging criteria.

"The Gala Preview Party" kicks off the Boston Flower & Garden Show on the eve of its public opening. Several horticultural non-profit organizations will benefit from this fundraiser, which brings together hundreds of garden enthusiasts for an elegant first peek at the show.

Each day from 2-3:30p.m. and 4-5:30 p.m., visitors to the Show can delight in an afternoon English tea at the Aura Restaurant in the Seaport Hotel across the street from the show (separate admission ticket).

"Each week, we are adding more and more elements to this event to truly make it a flower-and- garden spectacular like never before," said Weston. For on-going updates, visitors can visit www.thebostonflowershow.com.

For more than a century, New Englanders have relished in the spectacular sights and scents of a major flower show in Boston. When a flower show did not take place in 2009, the Paragon Group made the decision to step in and bring a new show to life. To learn more about the Paragon Group, visit www.paragonexpo.com.

Founded in 1829, the Massachusetts Horticultural Society is a member-supported organization that is dedicated to encouraging and improving the science and practice of horticulture and developing the public's enjoyment, appreciation, and understanding of plants and the environment. For more information visit www.MassHort.org.