Calendar:
To register: call (508) 693-9426 or mail in registration form.
Winter Walks at PHA
Every season of the year our landscape offers something of beauty and interest to our visitors. Join our staff on the second Saturday of the month to explore the grounds in the "off-season." Tours are at 10am and run for a little over an hour. Meet at the Visitor Center and dress for the weather.
Tours are free to all.
November 14
December 12
January 9
February 13
March 13
Apple Grafting Workshop
April 10
10am-4pm
Grafting is a valuable tool for the propagation of plant cultivars. This technique of joining two plants to continue their growth as one is commonly practiced on apple trees and is critical to the preservation of heirloom apple varietes. To learn more about the art and science of grafting, join John Bunker for a daylong workshop on reviving heirloom varieties through grafting. John has been called an "apple whisperer" for his ability to coax viable scionwood out of old apple trees. For more information call 508-693-9426. To learn how to collect your own scionwood click here.
$85/$75 for PHA members
We have begun to line up our 2010 program schedule. Here is a quick preview. Watch for a more detailed listing later this winter.
Evening lectures are sponsored in part by the Martha's Vineyard Cultural Council
April 10: Apple Grafting Workshop with John Bunker
May 27: Plants, People, and Opportunies, new volunteer introduction
May 29: Visitor Center opens for Season with spring plant sale
June 9: David Foster: Wildlands & Woodlands. A Vision for the New England Landscape
June 16: Women and Herbalism with Holly Bellebuono
June 19: 6th Annual Summer Solstice Celebration
June 30: Judith Tankard; Beatrix Farrand: Private Gardens, Public Landscapes
July 14: Ornamental Grasses with Art Cameron
July 15: Bamboo Trellis workshop with Art and Marlene Cameron
July 21: Susan Barton: Inspiration for Design
June 23: Town Trees of Edgartown with Tom Clark
June 26: Propagation Workshop with Jack Alexander
July 28: Judith Taylor: The Global Migrations of Ornamental Plants: How the World got into Your Garden
August 11: Rick Lewandowski: Conserving and Promoting Native Plants
August 14: Chappaquidick native plant walk and sale
August 25: Stuart Davies from Harvard's Center for Tropical Forest Science
September 11: Fall plant sale
September 15: Phil Forsline:
Genetic Treasures from the Apple's Ancestral Home
Program Sponsors
We are proud to bring high-caliber speakers to the Vineyard every summer. PHA thanks our friends and sponsors, Bartlett Tree Experts, Donaroma's, Eden Market & Garden Center, Heather Gardens, Jardin Mahoney, Middletown Nursery, and S.B.S. The Grain Store, for their generous support of our 2009 evening lecture series.
A listing of our 2009 programs follows, a detailed 2010 listing will be posted later this winter.
May | June | July | August | September
June
Martha’s Vineyard
Wednesday, June 10
Planter Box Workshop
Saturday, June 13
Summer Solstice Celebration (RAIN OR SHINE)
Saturday, June 20
Although the weather forecast is predicting rain our celebration will go on. We have a large tent where we will be grilling hotdogs, hearing music, holding our tree raffle, and have entertainment from Coco the Clown. The storytelling, sing-along, and puppet show are held inside the Far Barn. So bring your umbrella and celebrate the day, no matter what mother nature brings!
Once again we invite the community to welcome summer with our 5th annual Summer Solstice Celebration. Worldwide the summer solstice is a time to celebrate light, growth, and the power of the sun. The magical landscape of the Polly Hill Arboretum provides the perfect place to celebrate! This fun-filled family event features music, dance, puppet theater, storytelling, and more. Free food, tours, and a scavenger hunt will make this another memorable day. Admission is free. Parking is at the MV Ag Hall with shuttle service provided. Special thanks to Martha's Vineyard Savings Bank and Stop & Shop
Lessons on Design, Plants, and Life from the
Wednesday, June 24
Can gardening put life in perspective? Join Laura Coit, editor of Meristems and PHA volunteer, for a look at lessons learned while creating and maintaining the Homestead Border at PHA. This colorful mixed border planted in 2004, combines shrubs, perennials, natives, and bulbs in seasonal combinations. Coit planned a sunset color scheme and planted in the spirit of experimentation, along the way she learned something about gardening, plants, and life. She will share favorite plants and simple garden design tips in this illustrated lecture. $10/$5 for PHA members. Sponsored by Eden Market & Garden Center
If Trees Could Talk…
Tuesday, June 30
Dawn redwood, dove tree, and franklinia are just a handful of the trees growing at the Arboretum with engaging stories of how they secured a place in gardens and in the history of plant exploration. If our trees could talk, they might share accounts of faraway forests, botanical adventures, and intrepid plant explorers. Join Collections and Grounds Manager Tom Clark on a walking tour of the Arboretum where he will reveal some of the fascinating stories behind these and other beloved plants.$5/free to PHA members.
July
Making Herbal Salves
Tuesday, July 7 (repeats August 25)
Fashionable Late: Stylish ideas for the late summer garden
Wednesday, July 15
Thursday, July 16
Back by popular demand, Chanticleer horticulturist and skilled woodworker Dan Benarcik will lead a hands-on workshop to build an iconic piece of furniture: the Garden Chair. Adapted for the garden from a famous Gerrit Rietveld design, this timeless and comfortable chair is suitable for any garden setting. Benarcik has created his own adaptation from a version popularized in the garden at Wave Hill in the
The Garden Table: Afternoon Workshop
Thursday, July 16
Flower Arranging: Fresh from the Garden
Tuesday, July 21
10–11:30am
The stunning arrangements of garden-grown flowers in our Visitor Center wow visitors, volunteers, and staff all season long. These vibrant bouquets of familiar and unusual flowers are grown and arranged by PHA volunteer and retired commercial grower, Susan Silva in her West Tisbury garden. Join Silva as she shares techniques for growing and arranging cut flowers. Using flowers from her garden, participants will create their own spectacular bouquets. Please bring a container to transport your flowers home. Space is limited, please pre-register.
$45/$40 for PHA members.
A Natural History of
Wednesday, July 22
$10/$5 for PHA members.
"If a child is to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder, he needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with him the joy, excitement, and mystery of the world." The words of Rachel Carson remind us that to spark a child's interest in the natural world we needn't be knowledgeable about nature, just enthusiastic. Join our youth education staff for a fun-filled morning to learn how to encourage a child's discovery of nature through close observation of trees, plants, flowers, and insects. Come alone, or share the experience with a child as you explore together. Children must be accompanied by adult.
$5/free for PHA members
Children free
Creating an Authentic Garden
Wednesday, July 29
Family Memories of Barnard’s Inn Farm
Friday, July 31
August
Wednesday, August 5
Sponsored by Middletown Nursery.
$10/$5 for PHA members
Identification and Control of Invasive Plants
Tuesday, August 11
Invasive plants pose a serious threat to the biodiversity and visual character of
Bringing Nature Home
Annual David H. Smith Memorial Lecture
Wednesday, August 12
Can gardeners make a difference for the future of biodiversity in our communnities? Yes we can! In this talk based on his book, Bringing Nature Home: How Native Plants Sustain Wildlife in Our Gardens, Douglas Tallamy, professor and chair of the Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Delaware, reveals the importance of the interaction between plants and insects in our own backyards. Tallamy will illustrate the unbreakable link between native plant species and native wildlife: when native plants disappear, native insects disappear, impoverishing the food source for birds as well as other animals. Learn how as gardeners we can help sustain this link by planting native species that support our native wildlife population. Book signing after lecture.(photo by Judith Holland-McChesney)
$10/$5 for PHA members. Sponsored by SBS: The Grain Store
Vineyard Oak Appreciation
Oak trees dominate on Martha's Vineyard, and it's well known that "familiarity breeds contemp." Some Islanders take the beauty and resiliency of our native oak species for granted. For a new outlook on our native oak species, join Doug Tallamy, professor and chair of the Department of Entomology and Wildlife at the University of Delaware, to discover the many ecological and aesthetic attributes of the oak. Tallamy will compare oak trees to other popular shade trees as to their ability to support animal diversity, protect the forest floor, sequester carbon dioxide, and restore lost plant communities. After the talk, we'll tour the grounds in search of native oak species.
Exploring Nature with Children
Saturday, August 15
9:30am - 11am
"If a child is to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder, he needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with him the joy, excitement, and mystery of the world." The words of Rachel Carson remind us that to spark a child's interest in the natural world we needn't be knowledgeable about nature, just enthusiastic. Join our youth education staff for a fun-filled morning to learn how to encourage a child's discovery of nature through close observation of trees, plants, flowers, and insects. Come alone, or share the experience with a child as you explore together. Children must be accompanied by adult.
$5/free for PHA members
Children free
Plant Hunting in
Wednesday, August 19
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