Established in 1842, the Worcester County Horticultural Society established Tower Hill Botanic Garden as a 132 acre showcase of ornamental, edible and Native New England plants. The indoor Orangerie and the lofty Limonaia are provided with imports and exotics that provide a year-long riot of color and rich scent. We recently visited for the 183 annual Camellis Show. http://www.towerhillbg.org/ Tower Hill will host an African Violet show in April 2012 and May will bring a Seven-State Daffodil and Primrose competition.

 From November 23, 2011 through January 1, 2012,
the Museum’s galleries are filled with 36 fanciful trees of all shapes and
sizes, decorated with original ornaments inspired by acclaimed children’s
storybooks and contemporary picture book favorites.

The exhibition’s focus on children’s literature makes Family Trees unique among the many
holiday events in Greater Boston. Each tree serves as a canvas for the artistic
creations of a dedicated team of volunteer decorators. Inspired by the
storyline, the illustrations, the characters or setting of a particular book,
the decorators let their imaginations take flight, much to the delight of
visitors of all ages from all over New England.
Selections for this year include: Ladybug
Girl, by Jacky Davis and David Soman; The Snow Queen, retold by Sarah Lowes, illustrated by Miss
Clara; Bats at the Ballgame, by
Brian Lies; Little Women, by
Louisa May Alcott ; Strega Nona’s Gift,
by Tomie dePaola; The Polar Express, by
Chris Van Allsburg; and many others.

We took a short drive out to Harvard Massachusetts for an outing of apple picking. The yield was incredible, the colors vivid and the taste juicy and sweet. We now have a moist Apple Cake on the breakfast menu. The Town of Harvard is also the location of “Fruitland”, Bronson Alcott’s communal living experiment. You cane visit the museum, Shaker homes and American Indian gallery.

Two weeks of talks readings and discussions celebrating the written and spoken word. Featuring 26 events, over 40 authors presenting in in intimate and group settings. Headliners include: Randall Kennedy, Ha Jin, Anita Hill, Chris Van Allsburg and William Barry SJ.  http://www.concordfestivalofauthors.com/2011/events

September 18–December 31, 2011.

 De Cordova Museum and Sculpture Park, Lincoln

This exhibition features thirteen artists and collaboratives who underscore the changeable and active nature of our built environment. In doing so, they take architecture beyond its obvious function as shelter and design and examine its social, psychological, and cultural resonance in our lives. Video, sculpture, installation, and performance converge to address architecture through three broad themes: intervention, mobility, and participation.

Over the past 50 years, architecture’s agency in society has emerged as a growing concern for contemporary artists. Be it the white-cube space of the gallery, the historic walls of a specific site, or the loaded evocations of Modernism embedded in glass and concrete surfaces, artists and theorists agree that there is no such thing as a neutral environment—every space speaks.

Temporary Structures: Performing Architecture in Contemporary Art uses nontraditional spaces of the deCordova Museum’s unique building and outdoor spaces to present an
avante-garde exhibition comprised of site-specific, performative, and participatory installations, engaging Museum visitors in a new way throughout the duration of the
show. http://www.decordova.org/visit

Spring/  Patriot’s Day Celebration

On April 19, 1775, Paul Revere sounded an alarm as 800 British Regulars marched upon the village of Concord to steal away cannon and stored arms. At a rude bridge arching the Concord River Colonial Minutemen faced off and fired the “shot heard ’round the world” that began the Revolutionary War. Each year, leading up to the anniversary, Concord once again fills with Patriot, Red Coats and the loud rumble of brass cannon for over a week of festivities, battle re-enactments,  Colonial bivouac, demonstrations, parades and a Patriot’s Ball. This is an exciting time enjoyed by all ages.

http://www.nps.gov/mima/planyourvisit/events.htm

Summer/ School of Philosophy Conversational Series

The annual Conversational Series and Teacher Institute takes place in July at Bronson Alcott’s hillside Concord School of Philosophy, located on the grounds of Orchard House. In the summer of 1879 Bronson Alcott (father of Louisa May Alcott) realized a 40 year dream of opening a center for the exchange of philosophical, religious and literary ideas when he built his rustic Hillside Chapel lecture hall, that still draws distinguished presenters from around the world for lyceum-style exploration. The Orchard House, home of the Alcotts, opened as a private museum and interpretive center in July of 1913.

 http://www.louisamayalcott.org

Fall/ Concord Festival of Authors

The preeminent annual literary event in the Boston area is held in Concord each Autumn. For Two weeks in October and November as many as 50 contemporary writers gather for public talks, readings, and discussions celebrating the written and the spoken word. The venues vary: breakfast panel discussions, large group readings, lectures and book-signings by many favorite wordsmiths.

http://concordfestivalofauthors.com/

Winter/ Family Trees: A Celebration of Children’s Literature

Returning to the Concord Museum for the month of December, the exhibition’s focus on children’s literature makes Family Trees unique among the many holiday events in Greater Boston. Featuring the work of more than 60 volunteer decorators from across the area, each tree’s décor is inspired by a different children’s book: classic and contemporary, familiar and little known, novels and chapter books. Each tree serves as a canvas for the artistic creations of a dedicated team of volunteer decorators. Inspired by the storyline, the illustrations, the characters or setting of a particular book, the decorators let their imaginations take flight, much to the delight of visitors of all ages from all over New England.

http://concordmuseum.org/

The famed Concord spokesman for individualism and self-reliance, Ralph Waldo Emerson, once wrote,”When I go into a good garden, I think, if it were mine, I should never go out of it.” This year the Concord Museum is celebrating 22 years of going into good gardens on the annual Concord Garden Tour. 

The Mueseum’s Garden Tour has become a New England tradition for garden lovers from near and far. Each of the nine private gardens reflects the individual interests and passions of the owners and their families and will inspire both new gardeners designing their first perennial bed and accomplished landscapers with acres of garden rooms.

The tour of Concord-area gardens is self-guided and self paced from 9:00 am-4:00 pm. Tickets are available in advance or at the door.                                                                                    

Concord Museum, 200 Lexington Road, Concord, MA . tel 978-369-9763. www.concordmuseum.org

Preview her works: www.Ellieco.com