Events & Programs

Schedule of Educational Programs & Events

September - Field trip to Forest Hills Cemetery in Jamaica Plain.

Forest Hills Cemetery is a 275-acre garden cemetery and arboretum that was founded in 1848, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2004, and was named one of the “1000 Greatest Places” in Massachusetts. Local historian Dee Morris will give a tour focusing on the property features, with a discussion of the cemetery’s history and horticulture, and the many well-known people buried there.

October -Lecture by Joanne Vieira, director of public gardens and horticulture for the Trustees.

Ms. Vieira will give a presentation on “Long Hill,” the botanical garden in Beverly, MA and one of the most horticulturally diverse properties owned by the organization.

November -Lecture by Pastor James Hopkins, First Lutheran Church on “Gardens of the Bible.”

The garden is a popular motif in the Bible, cutting across every literary genre therein. From the account of creation to the revelation of the heavenly city, the garden is an important setting for the story of salvation. Pastor Hopkins will discuss how an understanding of the edenic arc illuminates the care we put into our own humble (or grand) gardens and justifies all the care and effort in maintaining them, especially in the city.

January- Annual Winter Tea at the Courtyard Restaurant in the Boston Public Library.

February - Lecture on the Charles River Watershed Association by Emily Norton, Executive Director

While the Charles River is much cleaner and healthier than it was in its “Dirty Water” days, the work is not done, and the growing threat of climate change brings new challenges.  Emily Norton, Executive Director of the Charles River Watershed Association will discuss how a swimmable river can be achieved, and how modernizing water management practices will help eliminate flooding and other climate change driven dangers.

February - ZOOM lecture on the Quabbin Reservoir

Do you know where your tap water comes from? The Quabbin Reservoir is the largest inland body of water in Massachusetts, and it is part of a water supply system that provides drinking water to 43 percent of Massachusetts, including the City of Boston. Nancy Huntington, DCR Quabbin, will discuss the history of the reservoir, including its development, how this incredible natural resource is managed, and the protected land surrounding it that supports diverse and abundant flora and wildlife.

March -Lecture on “The New Garden Society”

The New Garden Society gives incarcerated women an opportunity to get outside, plant what they love, and learn skills that might help them get jobs after incarceration is over. The organization was a GCBB grant recipient in 2024. We will hear about how members transform lives as they transform the landscape.

April- Lecture on the Massachusetts Tree Legacy Program

Through the Legacy Tree Program and the National Champion Tree Registry, the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) Forestry Program formally recognizes the largest and most interesting known tree of each species, trees of historical origins, and other trees of unique and significant importance growing within the state of Massachusetts. Matthew Cahill of the DCR will give a presentation on the Tree Legacy Program, with particular emphasis on the Legacy Trees in the Public Garden.

June -Twilight Garden Party