Join Dan Furman, co-owner of Cricket Hill Garden, a second generation specialty nursery and forest farm in Thomaston, CT, as he explores the World of Peonies. Peonies are one of the most beloved flowers in New England gardens and in this illustrated talk Dan will offer tips on planting, cultivating and propagating this springtime showstopper. You will hear about the different types of peonies (tree, herbaceous and intersectional) and get ideas about how to use peonies in the landscape.

At the conclusion of this talk there will be an opportunity to purchase containerized peonies suitable for spring planting.

Hollister House Garden Members $25

Non-Members $35

Surround yourself with the beauty of small, ornamental trees. In this illustrated talk, Elisabeth Cary will teach us how this underutilized group of plants can play an important part in the four season garden offering flowers, fruit, foliage and structure. These small trees can have a role in the mixed border, as a focal point to brighten a dark corner or as a canopy to brighten a dark corner. Learn about the many species available for the zone 5 garden and explore how to select, site, and cultivate this great group of plants.

Elisabeth Cary, former Director of Education at Berkshire Botanical Garden has been gardening for over 30 years. She is currently developing Cooper Hill Farm, a micro flower farm in Sheffield, MA.

Hollister House Garden Members $25

Non-Members $35

Developments in ecology and environmental science over the last thirty years have revolutionized the way we think of using perennials in gardens and landscapes.. Whether it’s called “The Dutch Wave”, “The New Perennial Movement”, or something else, creative gardeners and designers have reinvigorated the use and appreciation of herbaceous plantings worldwide. The Highline in New York, the Lurie Garden in Chicago, the Olympic Park Gardens in London and other large recent projects are an inspiration and a stimulus, but how does the average gardener take these big ideas and translate them into a manageable home scale?

In this illustrated talk Robert Anderson will focus on practical techniques for creating and managing naturalistic plantings at a size that’s feasible for the home gardener, in terms of both labor and expense. Using part of his own garden as the example, he will share failures and successes in the development, over three seasons, of a wet meadow style planting. Robert will discuss site selection and preparation, plant material sources, choices and acquisition, installation tips, and seasonal care.

Robert Anderson is a garden designer, consultant and writer from Stuyvesant, NY where he maintains a two acre laboratory garden.

Hollister House Garden Members $25

Non-Members $35