In case you think there's nothing to see at Elm Bank in November...

The calendar says November, the trees are becoming bare and we've already seen snow. But the season is still in full swing at the Massachusetts Horticultural Society. The next two months are busy ones at Elm Bank, and you're invited to be part of the festivities. We've got authors and lectures, a concert and a feast for the eyes in the form of beautifully decorated trees.

It all starts in Sunday, November 13 at 3 p.m. when we bring the The New England Brass Band to Elm Bank for our first Winter Concert. This is a 30-piece brass and percussion ensemble adhering to the instrumentation of the "British Brass Band" tradition. The band has performed Symphony Hall in Boston as well as giving concerts in New York City and New Jersey.

The New England Brass Band will play at the Gardens at Elm Bank on November 13

The concert will begin at 3:00 PM and will be held in the Hunnewell Carriage House at the Gardens at Elm Bank. You may order your tickets online or purchase them at the door. Ticket prices for Mass Hort members are $25 (children 12 and under, $15). The price for non-members is $30. You can order tickets here.

Pat Leuchtman

Next, on Thursday, November 17, you're invited to take a virtual stroll to see author Pat Leuchtman's country garden. She's the author of the new book, 'The Roses at the End of the Road'. She began planting her Rose Walk 30 years ago and will tell us about the romantic old-fashioned roses as well as hardy and disease-resistant ones. She has chronicled her garden for area newspapers and written for The New York Times, the Boston Globe, and the Burlington Free Press. Her book is made up of lively essays about life among the roses and she'll share those stories as part of her talk. The program, which is presented as part of the Mass Hort Library's Author Series, will be at 10 a.m. in the Hunnewell Building. There is no charge to attend. Pre-registration is desirable but not required. To tell us that you are coming, please call Librarian Maureen Horn at 617-933-4912 or email her at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

While we're on the subject of books, it's never too early to note a date on the December calendar. On Wednesday, December 7, Jane Roy Brown will give an illustrated talk on her latest book, 'One Writer's Garden: Eudora Welty's Home Place'. The event will be in Mass Hort's Education Classroom at 3 p.m. In addition to hearing Ms. Brown speak, there will be an opportunity to enjoy a holiday tea and purchase gift cookies.

A selection of trees at the Festival of Trees

The Festival of Trees needs little introduction. If you've attended the 2009 or 2010 editions, you know it's beautiful. This year, it's even larger - 75 trees and gingerbread houses - and more colorful. We've expanded the hours and days, including hours on Thanksgiving Day so you can bring the relatives.

The Festival starts with a Preview Party on Saturday, November 19 at 6 p.m. The price is a very reasonable $25 (adults only, please) and includes wine, spirits and hors d'oeuvres. It's an opportunity to see the trees in a convivial atmosphere. You can order tickets here or by calling 617-933-4943.

The Festival of Trees opens on Wednesday, November 23 and runs through December 10. It's open every day from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m., and weekends from 10 a.m. (check here for complete hours). It's an indoor and an outdoor spectacle. Imagine the Hunnewell Building - the beautiful, converted carriage house on the grounds of Elm Bank - filled to overflowing with decorated trees. Imaginatively decorated trees that celebrate every imaginable subject. Outside, the grounds are lighted and you'll find a train ride available Thursday through Sunday. Special events include visits from Santa, stories with Mrs. Claus, handbell choirs and choral groups.

Decorating for the Festival of Trees.

Mostly, though, it's the trees. Seventy-five of them this year. They're tall and short and every one bears a distinctive theme. Many come with gift certificates or other prizes. They're a source of wonder for children and, the best part is that adults get to enjoy them, too.

Whether it's a respite after a day or shopping or just a break from it all, the Festival of Trees comes in: a little bit of pure holiday joy amid the commercialism.

No reservations are needed. Come, enjoy, and share.

Sometime in October, the 1,000th person clicked the ‘like’ button on Mass Hort’s Facebook page. It was one of those satisfying moments. As of today, the count is up to 1,030. Why be a Facebook fan? The big reason is that social media – and especially Facebook – is rapidly becoming the best way to reach people with timely news. For example, when we cancelled an evening lecture at the last minute because of weather this summer, we used Facebook as our primary notification tool. We’ll also increasingly use it to let you know about volunteer opportunities and events.

So, if you’ve already ‘friended’ the Massachusetts Horticultural Society on Facebook, congratulations! You’re part of a thousand-strong community. If you haven’t, click on the ‘Like us’ box below and make the connection.

by Vivien Bouffard
Leaflet Contributor

Volunteers drive the Massachusetts Horticultural Society. You see them everywhere, but especially in the gardens. They're the reason the gardens have kept their impeccably maintained look through the year and, as the number of gardens expand, so does the corps of (and need for) volunteers. Each month, the Leaflet will profile someone who contributes their time and skills to Mass Hort.

Betty Sanders Volunteer of the Month

This month, we feature Betty Sanders, whom Leaflet readers know for her monthly 'Horticultural Hints' column in this newsletter.

Betty, how did you come to start volunteering at Mass Hort?

I took the Master Gardener course in 2005. Becoming a Certified Master Gardener required 60 hours of volunteer work, which was done mostly at Mass Hort. I became a fan of the gardens and of the mission of Mass Hort and never stopped.

You were the driving force behind the new vegetable garden?

Three Master Gardeners - including Gretel Anspach and Sonja Johanson - designed the unique style of the garden. Gretel researched seemingly every vegetable seed offered and produced a 20-page spreadsheet. Sonja provided many hard to find heritage seeds. I laid out the individual beds and chose which vegetables would be grown where. As the 'Garden Keeper', I ensure the garden is well cared for. It was particularly satisfying that the garden drew many compliments from visitors and served well as the teaching tool that we had envisioned. I had many volunteers this past year, and could use a lot more this coming year. Because we harvest the garden for area food pantries, a lot of the hard work needs to be done very early in the morning both to avoid the heat of the day and ensure that food pantries are getting just-harvested produce. As a long time volunteer for my town's food cupboard, I understand how important fresh produce is for the clients.

Is the vegetable garden completed now?

What's growing in the beds next year will change as we use what we learned this year to grow a better garden in 2012. Also, there's an old greenhouse adjacent to the garden that dates back to the Cheney-Baltzell era. A couple of thousand dollars would allow us to turn it into a working greenhouse where we could start seedlings and store tools so that we don't have to lug everything up from Putnam Greenhouse on the other side of the Mass Hort property.

You'll be on 'This Old House' later this month?

I'm told it will be on November 17. I take Roger Cook and homeowner Becky Titlow on a tour of the garden. Of course, it was filmed on the afternoon of the hottest day of the summer.

You're also involved with the upcoming Festival of Trees, aren't you?

I'm part of Joyce Bakshi's committee planning the festival, I'll oversee decorating of the 'sponsored' trees, I'll contribute a tree - look for the pink one called 'princess' - and I'll be a floor supervisor during the run of the festival.

How about the flower show?

This will be my third year overseeing the Master Gardener help booth, and designing and building Mass Hort's garden. I'll spend much of the next few months looking for the trees, shrubs and plants for the garden, and finding greenhouses to force them for the show.

And you're also an officer of the Garden Club Federation of Massachusetts?

My husband had a sweatshirt made for me that says, 'Stop Me Before I Volunteer Again'. It didn't do any good. I was elected Second Vice President of the Federation in June.

Do you have time to garden at home?

We have two acres in Medfield with a dozen different gardens on it. I'm slowly converting some of those gardens from perennials to lower-maintenance shrubs. Those gardens are the inspiration for the hints I prepare for the Leaflet.

If you are interested in joining Betty in keeping the Gardens at Elm Bank beautiful, please e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

by Betty Sanders
Lifetime Master Gardener

Divide perennials in the fall

The Gardening Season Isn't Over! The snow has made a dramatic first appearance, which should be a wake-up call to finish winterizing the garden. There are many warm days ahead so keep mowing the grass until it stops growing - usually around Thanksgiving. Remove all diseased vegetation from garden beds, as well as any that may be infected with insect pests, such as irises borer eggs in the leaves. This is still a great time to divide overgrown perennials and groundcovers. They can planted in new areas, shared with friends or donated to local garden clubs for their spring plant sales. As you work, use one container for "clean" debris and a second one for diseased or infected material, so you can easily discard the one and compost the other.

Prune broken tree branches

Prune any broken or damaged branches now. Ragged breaks and tears are an opportunity for insects and disease to harm an otherwise healthy tree. This early storm did serious damage in some areas. It is best deal with before it is compounded by future storms. Remove downed branches (and trees) while you can.

Compost ! You'll have lots of clean debris from your garden clean-up. Rather than sending it to the dump, start or add to a compost pile. Layering greens (the fresh cut materials, kitchen debris) with the brown (dead plants and leaves) will speed the creation of compost, even over the winter. You can use closed bins, open bins or even an out-of-the-way pile. If you must rake leaves, rather them mow into the lawn, add them to the compost pile or make a large pile of leaves. Leaf mold (partially composted leaves) can be used to improve soil and as mulch on garden beds.

Build your soil . Autumn is a great time to build your soil. Start with a soil test from the UMass Extension Service. It will tell you the steps you need to correct any problems. If your lawn or garden is acidic, you can add lime anytime throughout the fall and winter and have the problem corrected before spring. If you lack organic matter, the finished compost from your compost bin is an excellent addition. Rake a thin layer (1/2 inch) over a lawn or add it to established gardens as a winter mulch. Spread over gardens after the ground has frozen; it also helps to protect against heaving during winter thaws.

Start new beds . Sod can be removed and fresh manure or leaf mold added to increase organic material, water retention and friability of the soil. Don't have the time or energy to remove sod? Lay a thick layer of newspaper or cardboard over the area you want to plant next spring, top it with soil and mulch. The grass, weeds or other unwanted material below will die and the area will be plantable in the spring.

Keep planting bulbs . Bulbs are a great investment because their colorful spring displays last year after year. Think in terms of sweeps of color: forgo rows of single bulbs in favor of more attractive mass plantings. Paperwhites intended for the holidays should be planted in pots (indoors, of course) in mid-November.

Continue watering trees and shrubs, particularly the newly planted, until the ground freezes to prepare them for the drought we call winter.

Deer. The garden may look bare to you, but deer and rodents still think of your yard as a source of dinner. They'll eat the leaves of evergreens, growing tips of branches and the buds of next spring's flowers. When they eat the bark, they're killing the tree or shrub. Spray with repellents, put up fencing, or do whatever it takes to keep vermin at bay.

Indoor Gardening. This is the rest period for indoor plants. Stop regular watering of cacti and most succulents during the winter months. Check monthly and water only if you see signs of wilting. Other house plants need less water to go along with the reduced sunlight and cooler temperatures they are experiencing. Eliminate fertilizer for the resting plants. Mist or add humidity with pebble trays for plants uncomfortable with dry air that comes with central heating.

The flower show is coming! Don't forget to check the Amateur Horticulture schedule for Blooms! at the Boston Flower and Garden show to be held next March. You may well have a blue ribbon winner growing on your windowsill. Pamper it this winter and collect the ribbon in March.

You can explore more of Betty Sanders’ gardening thoughts at www.BettyonGardening.com.

by Neal Sanders
Leaflet Contributor

I don't know if it's just me, but it seems that working around Paul Miskovsky is an invitation to get wet. Very wet.

Three months ago, I watched with fascination as Paul - a Massachusetts Horticultural Society trustee and giving person par extraordinare - sketched on a whiteboard in a Mass Hort classroom. He had just come from a non-descript parcel of land between the main parking lot and entry gate, where he had wielded two cans of orange spray-paint on the scraggly grass, pines and scrub oaks that were the principal occupants of the site.

In the beginning there was a drawing on a whiteboard.

He was creating a new, 800 square-foot garden to serve as the entryway to the Elm Bank complex and, as part of the Wednesday Evening at Elm Bank lectures, was now soliciting ideas from the 40 or so people assembled as to what this new garden ought to look like. He drew circles and ovals and reeled off the Latin names of plants as easily as if he were an emissary of the Holy Roman Empire. The room full of people watched, both transfixed and shouting out plant names that Paul accepted or countered.

Two and a half months went by and Paul's landscaping business on Cape Cod took front and center stage. Yes, it mostly rained in Wellesley during August and September, but at least it was warm rain. I circled tentative work dates on my calendar and the dates were wiped out because some kettle hole in Wellfleet or estate in Weston cried out for a transformation.

Then, a month ago, Paul called and said he would be at Elm Bank with a back hoe and some rocks and could I stop by to help? I did, and three massive rocks went into place. Fifty cubic yards of premium topsoil quickly followed.

Paul Miskovsky at the new garden.

Two weeks later, Paul again called and said he had some plants for the site. A group of us - primarily Master Gardeners - shoved and nudged massive specimen trees into place and planted 30 hydrangeas. For many gardens, the work would have been deemed to be done. For Paul, of course, it was just beginning. Ten days later, a 36-foot box truck rolled up, this one crammed with two additional varieties of hydrangea, boxwood and forsythia, plus fifteen flats of Japanese forest grass. This time, of course, it was pouring rain.

When it rains and the temperature is, say, 45 degrees, an army of volunteers can shrink to a handful. In this case, the corps of workers consisted April Daley, Mary Ann Palmer, Chris Atkins, Betty, and me, plus Mike Falzone, a member of Paul's full-time crew. In the course of four hours, we planted at least four dozen full-sized shrubs and three topiary trees, re-contoured the site and made it look attractive for an evening event. Paul dug holes with a Bobcat, then pitched in to complete the plantings. Having forgotten his rain slicker, Paul did his work wearing a pair of fetching, black trash bags.

The new entry garden takes shape at Elm Bank. From left to right, Mary Ann Palmer, April Daley, Chris Atkins, and Mike Falzone.

If you visit Mass Hort this week, you will see that the garden is still not finished. There remains a slate walk to be laid and small shrubs to be integrated into the site. But the vision created on a whiteboard in July has been turned into a reality. Now, as people approach the gates of the Elm Bank gardens, they'll have had a foretaste of what is to come. It is a garden that will be rich in color and texture and one that has appeal twelve months of the year. It won't have the size of the Bressingham or Weezie's gardens, but it will tell the visitor that there are more treasures inside.

Neal Sanders is a frequent contributor to the Leaflet. Neal's most recent mystery, The Accidental Spy, has just been published and you can learn more about it here . That book, plus his first two mysteries, The Garden Club Gang and Murder Imperfect, can be ordered through Amazon.com .