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CALENDAR AT A GLANCE:
Register Online
or call (401)-253-2707 ext. 21
PROGRAM
DESCRIPTIONS:
- Click here for a printable list of class
offerings - Barbara Gee, local author, will be in the Mansion at Blithewold from 12:30 to 3:30 pm to sign her newly released book: The Rhode Island Gardener’s Companion: An Insider’s Guide to Gardening in the Ocean State. Issues of her previous successful book The Massachusetts Gardener’s Companion: An Insider’s Guide to Gardening from the Berkshires to the Islands will also be available for signing. Barbara is Rhode Island Editor for the northeast gardening magazine, People, Places & Plants, and has contributed to Southern New England HOME, Yankee magazine, Newport Life, Rhode Island Home, Living & Design and many others. She writes websites for the organic food & health products distributor Blue Marble Brands and has handled public relations needs for Blithewold Mansion, Gardens & Arboretum and the Rhode Island Spring Flower & Garden Show. Barbara Gee’s writing career spans many years and several continents. She began her horticultural education with the Royal Horticultural Society in the UK, and continued on to become a 1993 URI Extension Master Gardener. She lives in Portsmouth with her husband, a theatre professor at Roger Williams University, their two daughters both studying theatre, and the family’s golden retriever, Toby, and two cats, Noelle and Horatio. Regular admission applies; please pay at the Visitor’s Center
Blithewold Greenhouse Open House As spring is upon us, garden questions are bound to pop up. Nip them in the bud by dropping by during our Greenhouse Open Houses. Director of Horticulture, Julie Morris, will be on hand to lend her expertise and answer any and all gardening questions. This is great opportunity to catch up with fellow gardeners, discuss the new additions the staff and volunteers will soon plant, and walk the gardens just as they begin to burst with life. April’s Open House will feature a selection of the horticultural staff's favorite garden books, while a small array of surplus plants will be for sale during May’s Open House. Regular garden admission applies; please pay at the Visitor’s Center
Toile Tales: France’s Famous Pictorial Fabrics After two and half centuries, this remarkable textile continues to fascinate designers and delight home design enthusiasts. Frank Racette, an expert of historic interiors, will give a colorful slide lecture revealing the story of toile from the initial development of the printing technology in England and Ireland to its subsequent golden age in 18th Century France. Discover the dark history of sensational events that lie beneath the innocent pastoral charm of these captivating patterns—insider government information, industrial espionage, smuggled trade secrets, forbidden love, clandestine wedding ceremonies and even suicide. At the conclusion of the lecture, Frank will examine vintage and contemporary bolts of toile reproductions and discuss connoisseurship within this intriguing genre of the decorative arts. Light dessert refreshments will be served. Frank Racette represents the third generation of his family involved with the restoration of historic interiors. An avid antiques collector, dealer and appraiser, he is involved with a variety of interior restoration projects and is a specialist of vintage and reproduction wallpapers. $18 Members, $22 Non-members
Spring Bird Walk at Mt. Hope Farm Join us for an exciting morning bird walk during the peak of spring migration in New England. Longtime local "birder" Raymond P. Payson will lead us through the 128-acre estate of Mt. Hope Farm, an area diverse with wildlife habitat. Woodlands and freshwater marshes provide an excellent place to see several species of ducks, warblers, woodpeckers, flycatchers, swallows, and sparrows. Raptors such as osprey and red-tailed, sharp-shin, and cooper's hawk should be present, and we may even catch a glimpse of the elusive peregrine falcon. This birding adventure is sure to turn up a few surprises and is appropriate for both new and experienced birders. Light refreshments will be served. Please wear comfortable, water resistant shoes and layers of light-colored clothing. Bring insect repellent and binoculars, if you have them. Mt. Hope Farm is located at 250 Metacom Avenue in Bristol, RI and we will meet at the farm’s south entrance and parking lot (not the main entrance to the house). Please call Blithewold for directions. $10 Members, $12 Non-members
Bamboo Trellis Workshop With massive canes that sway in the wind, Blithewold’s spectacular Bamboo Grove (Phyllostachys aureosulcata) has long fascinated visitors. But beyond its ornamental and aesthetic value, bamboo is a highly functional, strong and environmentally sustainable building material. With years of experience harvesting and constructing unique bamboo vine supports, trellises, and pergolas for the gardens, Blithewold Grounds Manager, Fred Perry, will give a brief history of bamboo, discuss its creative applications in the garden, and highlight popular trellis and support designs. After Fred demonstrates stalk preparation, fastening techniques and the trellis building process, you will get the opportunity to build your own trellis out of bamboo harvested from Blithewold. All materials will be provided. $20 Members, $25 Non-members
Yoga in the Garden (All-levels) Did you know that the practice of yoga can alleviate stress and hypertension, while increasing your flexibility and sense of well-being? Put an end to your aches and pains and help us start a new tradition of wellness at Blithewold! The Bristol Yoga Studio and Blithewold invite you to enjoy the benefits of yoga while soaking in the sights, smells, and sounds of the beautiful early morning landscape. This six week class is appropriate for all experience levels, from newcomers who can’t touch their toes, to those seeking to continue their practice in a new atmosphere. Experienced instructor Christine Reed will introduce Hatha yoga styles using a warm and welcoming approach. Classes will be held in Blithewold’s lovely North Garden overlooking the Great Lawn and Narragansett Bay. Each session will teach yoga postures, alignment, breath-work and build core strength. Finish the class feeling your best and enjoy a light snack and a refreshing walk through the gardens. Check in at the visitor center next to Blithewold’s main parking lot before each class. In the event of rain, yoga class will meet in the wedding tent. Please wear layers of comfortable clothes and bring a large beach towel or blanket. The Bristol Yoga Studio serves the East Bay Community with group classes and private yoga instruction six days a week at their facility on Wood Street . Visit them at www.bristolyogastudio.com or call 401-569-0147 We strongly recommend registering for all six sessions, though individual drop-in sessions will be available for those who call to confirm one day prior to the class meeting time. Price per drop-in session: $12 Please register by June 13. Price for six weeks: $ 60 Members, $68 Non-members Garden
Soirées: Wine & Music at Blithewold Join us for wine, music, and flowers at Blithewold. As the boats race by, savor warm afternoon breezes and leisurely explore each garden at its peak. Take a sojourn from the mundane and indulge yourself; each soirée showcases wines from a different geographic region, music by local musicians, local food and spectacular scenery. Enjoy the company of old friends and new, chat with staff horticulturists, stroll the grounds, and bring a picnic dinner to celebrate the season with us in high style.
Rock
Garden Soirée
North
Garden Soirée I
North Garden Soirée II
Display Garden Soirée In the event of rain, the soiree will be held indoors and you will be contacted by phone. Please bring picnic blankets or chairs. Soirées sell out quickly: register in advance for an individual soirée or all four. Price includes 2 glasses of wine per person. Single soirée: $25 per person/$35 per couple. Package of four soirées: $60 per person/$100 per couple. Blithewold Members Package of Four: $50 per individual / $80 per couple
Story Time & Discovery in the Garden On this first day of the season, welcome summer among the flowers in the garden by listening to a story and participating in a hands-on activity. We will learn about the seasons and explore what is growing at Blithewold, so bring your curiosity and a sense of adventure! This family program is for adult-children groups and is most appropriate for children ages 3-6. Please bring a blanket or chairs to sit on. Snacks will be available. Please check-in at the visitor’s center; we will meet at the pool in the Display Garden $5 Members, $10 Non-Members
Succulent Wreath Workshop Make your own living wreath! Join us for an informative and fun succulent wreath making- workshop in Blithewold’s air conditioned Carriage House. Blithewold’s Director of Horticulture, Julie Morris, will lead you through all the steps needed to create a lovely living wreath you can enjoy year-round in a sunny location. This workshop is designed for beginners. All materials provided. Space is limited. $45 Members, $55 Non-members Blithewold’s Intimate Garden Tour Series:
In cooperation with
local growers, Blithewold invites you beyond the garden gate to tour
some charming local properties. In the case of heavy rain, participants will be notified of cancellations by phone. If you do not hear from us a few hours before the program start, the program will run as scheduled. Directions to the site will be mailed a few weeks prior to the tour. Blithewold will try to coordinate carpooling when possible. When registering, please indicate your interest in carpooling and if you are willing to drive. Registration limited and required in advance $18 Members, $23 Non-members
An Intimate Tour:
“The Garden” Experiment of Little Compton This residential garden featuring a rare and diverse collection of plants is a highly experimental and long-term project that tests the limits of what can be grown in coastal Rhode Island. Known only as “The Garden,” work on this site began in the 1970’s with the removal of a wild tangle of invasives. Since that time, the design of The Garden has grown organically as a group of dedicated gardeners have added plants from around the world. Garden hosts Julie Morris (Director of Horticulture at Blithewold) and Gary Koller (Landscape Designer and Horticulturist) will provide insight into the plants and features of The Garden. We will visit the garden’s series of outdoor rooms, each protected by stone and hedge walls that create a slightly different micro-climate for the plants within. Visitors will delight in the several hundred plants that grow on site including semi-hardy rhododendrons, southern plants such as palmettos, Himalayan specimens and those propagated by a local grower.
An Intimate Tour:
Singing Stones Nursery Treat yourself to a unique excursion to Singing Stones, a home-based nursery located in Saunderstown, RI that specializes in herbaceous perennials. This open house will give visitors the rich experience of touring exquisite display gardens, a 30 foot solar-powered cedar greenhouse, a fine nursery collection, a chicken coop and aviary, and a kitchen/cutting garden. Proprietor Lisa Gibson McMahon will give visitors an all-inclusive tour at 11 am, discussing her unique plant palette, the site’s decorative water features, and how her greenhouse captures heat in the winter and cools in the summer. Singing Stones Nursery is usually open by appointment only, so seize this opportunity to explore the picturesque grounds, linger with a picnic lunch, and purchase some exciting new plants (10% of sales will be generously donated to Blithewold). Highlights of your visit will include a jaunty dooryard garden and 1916 Shingle Style cottage, gardens of mixed plantings for both sun and shade flanked by a bluestone clad reflecting pool, fountains, and a dry river creek garden. Sharing a wealth of horticultural and ecological knowledge, Lisa will be on hand to answer all your questions and show you all that Singing Stones has to offer.
An Intimate Tour:
Integrating the Past and Present along the Westport River Beginning in 2000, and over a three year period, landscape architect Douglas Reed and William Makris acquired property along the east branch of the Westport River, some 42 acres containing meadow, lowland woods and wetlands, to develop a sanctuary for home life. This process gave rise to discoveries about the site’s destructive history, lessons of careful landscape editing, and the challenges of seamlessly integrating the organic landscape with the built environment. Doug will join us to discuss his battle with rampant invasive plants, the collaboration between designers and architects, and to explain how a landscape once used as a sand and gravel pit was transformed into a place of solace and beauty. Seize this rare opportunity to hear this site’s complex story, experience stunning residential architecture, and ramble through a landscape of stone walls, hedgerows, boulder-strewn woods, and sweeping vistas of river and sky.
Register Online
or call (401)-253-2707 ext. 21 |
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