The American Chestnut Foundation’s lead volunteer in Lincoln, Mark Meehl, will discuss the history of this tree and efforts to preserve its genetic diversity in town at a Conservation Department event on Thursday, Jan. 6 at 8 a.m. In this slide talk, he’ll share photos and videos of TACF’s current efforts and goals at the Flint Fields and Umbrello land. After the presentation you’ll hear updates from our Conservation Department and Lincoln Land Conservation Trust. Click here for the Zoom link (meeting ID: 913 6669 9916; passcode: 065122). Email conservation@lincolntown.org with any questions.
Some of our most beloved painters, sculptors and authors were inspired by the gardens they created. Visit the private havens of Edith Wharton, Julian Alden Weir, Childe Hassam, Daniel Chester French, Emily Dickinson, Augustus Saint-Gaudens, Celia Thaxter, and others. Jana Milbocker, principal of Enchanted Gardens, combines horticulture, design, and travel tips to educate, inspire and delight both new and seasoned gardeners. To receive Zoom link, please register at Lincoln Public Library events calendar.
There’s so much to do to settle our farm animals in for the cold winter nights. You’ll feed chickens and then bring hay to the sheep, goats, and cows. Lend a hand to the farmers and join the fun! Pre-registration required ($14 for members, $17 for non-members. Click here to register.
This richly illustrated online lecture by Jana Milbocker will provides inspiration and tips on designing your garden for winter interest, choosing the best trees, shrubs, and perennials, and grouping them to create arresting vignettes. Free. Click here to register. Sponsored by the Friends of the Lincoln Public Library.
Join us for “Uncovering Soil: An Intro to the World Beneath Our Feet,” the first class of the Healthy Soils workshop series, on Tuesday, March 8 from 7–8 p.m. This Zoom session will give an academic overview of what soil is and how it functions as a carbon sink that can help reverse climate change. Soil ecologist and Lincoln resident Rachel Neurath will share her expertise and enthusiasm for this underappreciated ecosystem. The series continues with in-person classes at Codman Farm every few weeks this spring. Click here to register and get the Zoom link. Healthy Soils is a collaboration among the Lincoln Land Conservation Trust, Codman Community Farms, and Mothers Out Front.
The Lincoln Agricultural Commission and the Lincoln Garden Club will host a Zoom presentation on “No-Till Gardening and Cover Crops” on Tuesday, April 5 at 7 p.m. Register here or on the Garden Club website. Using no-till and cover-crop methods on our farms and in our gardens not only helps sequester carbon but leads to healthier soils and more abundant crops and flowers. Douglas Wolcik and Kayleigh Boyle (formerly of Gaining Ground Farm in Concord) will discuss how to incorporate no-till. Learn how to set up permanent beds using only hand tools, take and interpret soil tests, amend soils for optimum soil health, manage pests and disease with best practices, and how to cover-crop in a no-till system.
Are you longing for an herb garden filled with beautiful and aromatic plants well-suited to both your teapot and the wildlife in your neighborhood? Join Jenny Hauf, owner of Muddy River Herbals, for “Herbal Garden Planning” at Farrington Nature Linc on Sunday, April 10 from 1–3 p.m. No matter what space you have, whether it’s a backyard, windowsill, or fire escape, this class will give you the tools you need to have an herb garden gorgeously suited to your space. RSVP to Zach@NatureLinc.org.
“Living Soil: A Closer Look at Fungi, Bacteria, and Fauna in Soil,” the fourth class in the Healthy Soils series, will take place on Saturday, April 23 from 10:30 a.m.–noon. Participants will learn about examining the vibrant ecosystem that soil supports. Click here for more information and registration links. All participants must also complete this waiver form in advance. Healthy Soils is a collaboration among the Lincoln Land Conservation Trust, Codman Community Farms, and Mothers Out Front.
Extinctions of plants and animals and climate change seem like overwhelming problems but each of us can fight these crises right at home, especially by treating our home gardens as habitat to nurture the living things native to our continent. Claudia Thompson, founder of Grow Native Massachusetts, will discuss her home landscape rich with habitat — supporting wildlife, birds, and pollinators. Register here. Ready to add native plants to your yard? Attendees who live within five miles of Wayland will be offered a community service garden visit by Jean Milburn, Wayland’s Native Plant Ambassador from the MCA Native Pollinator Task Force.
The fifth and last class in the Healthy Soils series, “Carbon Cycling and Storage Potential in Soils,” takes place on Saturday, May 14 from 10:30 a.m.–noon. and will look at the garden as a model for carbon storage as we learn about deeply rooted perennial shrubs, conservation tillage, and composting. Click here for more information and registration links. All participants must also complete this waiver form in advance. Healthy Soils is a collaboration among the Lincoln Land Conservation Trust, Codman Community Farms, and Mothers Out Front.
The first Lincoln Arts and Farmers Market for the 2022 season will be Saturday, June 4 from 9 a.m.–1 p.m. on the lawn in front of the Tack Room at 145 Lincoln Rd. The market will run weekly June-October. This year there will be more vendors, more produce, and more coffee along with music, food, arts and crafts. Stay updated on planning and vendor availability each week via this Facebook page.
Come celebrate the 50th anniversary of Lincoln Garden Club volunteers maintaining Station Park at an open house on Saturday, Sept. 17 from 10 a.m.–noon at the intersection of Lincoln Road and Ridge Road, just across Lincoln Road from the mall at Lincoln Station. Light refreshments will be served, and the farmers’ market will be open across the street with produce, crafts, and music. Information on the park’s history and how to join the Lincoln Garden Club will be also available.
All Lincoln residents are cordially invited to the Lincoln Garden Club’s wine and cheese evening for new and prospective members on Sunday, Oct. 2 at 5 p.m. Come hear about the club’s many horticultural events and meet some members. Please RSVP to Ann Parke at annparke@verizon.net or Lucy Sprayregen at lucypage@aol.com.
UPDATE: this event has been cancelled due to expected bad weather.
Because of its driveway construction project, Codman Community Farms is not holding its annual Harvest Fair and Harvest Feast this year. However, there will be an open house at the farm on Sunday, Oct. 23 from 12–2 p.m. with a party vibe, farm tours, tastings of new sausage flavors, and sliced deli ham… and the Just Hummus food truck will serve up hummus bowls, pita sandwiches, and falafel.
Codman Community Farms is offering a hands-on workshop on Gardening for a Changing Climate: Sheet Mulching on Sunday, Oct. 30 from 2–4 p.m. in the market garden. This workshop is free but registration is required; click here to register. The fall Gardening for a Changing Climate workshops are part of the Healthy Soils Series, a collaboration among the Lincoln Land Conservation Trust, Lincoln Common Ground, and Codman Community Farms.
The Lincoln Garden Club welcomes all Lincolnites to a Zoom program on Tuesday, Nov. 1 at 7 p.m. Bud Sechler, Ecological Program Director of the Native Plant Trust, will discuss rare plants that can be found in the Boston suburban area, as well as the invasive plants which threaten them. Register online in advance and you’ll receive a confirmation email with information about joining the meeting.
Mothers Out Front is sponsoring the Great Pumpkin Smash at Codman Community Farms on Sunday, Nov. 6 from 11 a.m.–3 p.m. Every year in the U.S., an estimated 1.3 billion pounds of pumpkins are carted away to landfills or incinerators where they produce greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change. Green your Halloween by bringing your pumpkins, jack-o-lanterns, and decorative gourds to this family-friendly event, smash your Halloween creations, and recycle them into the soil by feeding them to the Codman Farm pigs. Please remove any stickers, paint, candles, or other decorations. Suggested donation of $1/pumpkin to benefit CCF. Click here to register.
The Lincoln Garden Club invites the public to a lecture on vegetable gardening in containers with Sara Rostampour, director of horticulture at Green City Growers, on Tuesday, April 4 at 7 p.m. The lecture will be in person at Bemis Hall as well as on Zoom. She will cover the basics of container growing such as location, design, and soil while considering garden goals. She will also talk about crop planning and show how to make a crop map for a successful experience. Click here for more information and to register. Click here to register.