Garden Notes: Nov. 1, 2023

Upcoming Berkshire Botanic Garden programs

STOCKBRIDGE – The Berkshire Botanical Garden presents the following upcoming programs. Saturday, November 11, 1 to 3 pm, “Add Spice to Your Life: Create an Herbal Delight.” Looking for ways to use up those herbs you grew in the garden this summer? Join members of BBG’s Herb Associates for this hands-on workshop and learn some of their culinary secrets. Add some spice to your life by creating a delicious herb salad and exciting herb dips for the holidays. All materials will be provided. Cost is $70 members, $85 non-members; Saturday, November 11, 10 a.m. to noon, “Establish a Vineyard in Your Backyard.” J. Stephen Casscles, author of “Grapes of the Hudson Valley,” will lead a discussion on how to establish a vineyard in your backyard. Grow grapes for fresh consumption, jellies and preserves, or to make wine. The class will discover the location of the vineyard, the best types of soil for a vineyard and how to modify the soil, the necessary growing conditions, and varieties of grapes that can be easily grown. The class will also examine establishing a trellis system, pruning, and how to manage disease and damage from fungi and wildlife. These same concepts for a home vineyard can be applied to those who one day want to establish a small commercial vineyard. There will be plenty of time for questions and answers. There will also be a discussion about New England heritage grape varieties that can be planted in your new vineyard. At the end of the class, copies of his book “Hudson Valley Grapes” and “Other Cool Climate Regions of the United States and Canada,” will be available for sale with the author signing . Cost is $25 members, $40 non-members; Sunday, November 12, “Rooted in Place” day symposium. Join experts in the field of ecological design to learn about their varied approaches to building resilient landscapes and communities. This day-long symposium runs from 10 am to 3 pm, and will explore the breadth of what regenerative design and land management mean. You will learn from a range of speakers with diverse experiences such as landscape design, community outreach, restoration of pollination systems and agriculture. Participants will have the opportunity to work hand in hand with the speakers of the day to design their projects. There is a Student Member and NonMember price. Keynote speakers: Evan Abramson, “Beyond Pollinator-Friendly: Designing Landscapes and Corridors to Support Biodiversity and Climate Resilience”; Jono Neiger, “Regenerative agriculture and agroforestry: Food, soil health and diversity on the agricultural landscape.” There will also be a panel discussion and a workshop The cost is $80 members, $100 non-members, $20 students. For more information or to register, visit www.berkshriebotanical.org. The deadline to register for the symposium is Saturday, November 11. To register or for more information, visit www.berkshirebotanical.org. Berkshire Botanic Gardens is located at 5 West Stockbridge Road.

Wilbraham Garden Club meeting

WILBRAHAM – The Wilbraham Garden Club’s Nov. 6 meeting will be Monday at St. Cecelia Parish Center on Main St. A sandwich and dessert lunch will be served. Note that the meeting date change is on Monday. The speaker for this meeting is Robin Desrochers who will be giving a talk on ‘Birdwatching in Wilbraham’. He will discuss the different birds in the neighborhoods and see some pictures. Robin will also discuss how we can help them survive, as many bird populations are in danger.

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