Extended Fall Hours at Garden in the Woods
Garden in the Woods, our unique native plant botanic garden in Framingham, MA, is open on a new, extended fall schedule: Wednesday–Sunday, 10 a.m.–4 p.m., through Sunday, November 23.
We are closed Wednesday, October 22–Friday, October 24, to stage our annual members' Night of Illumination event. (See below. And if you are not a member, join now and take part in this luminous celebration of the changing season!)
Come reap the joys of autumn at the Garden during our extended fall hours! Click here for more visitor info.
Photo: Red maple (Acer rubrum) in the fall
Members: Save the Date for Night of Illumination
Shadows are lengthening, and evening lights shine brighter in the early dusk. It is time for Native Plant Trust members to reserve the evening of Thursday, October 23 for our annual Night of Illumination at Garden in the Woods. This members-only event brings a bit of night magic to the Garden, as hundreds of luminaria line the paths, and orbs of light cast a glow through the trees.
More information will be coming soon. If you are not a member, join now to enjoy this memorable celebration of the season!
Photo: Night of Illumination 2024
Plant Sale Discounts Just Got Deeper
Discounts just dropped again at our Fall Plant Sale, now on at Garden in the Woods and Nasami Farm: ALL PLANTS are now 40% off for members, 30% off for nonmembers! The shop at Garden in the Woods is open until October 19 (unless plants sell out earlier). Nasami Farm's Garden Shop is closed for the season.
Before you head out, download our current plant list and check the hours of the location where you plan to shop. Not a member yet? Join now to apply your member discount immediately.
Photo: Plant display at Nasami Farm
Our Herbarium Has Gone Digital
Our Conservation staff and volunteers have succeeded in digitizing Native Plant Trust's herbarium of nearly 6,000 specimens! This involved a significant effort by a small number of people: transcribing each specimen’s data—including the species identification, collector’s name, and collection date and location—applying a unique barcode, cleaning and repairing specimens (shown above), and scanning these fragile preserved plants using a device that was specially developed for this purpose. These digitized specimens can now be viewed by plant scientists via the Consortium of Northeastern Herbaria. Congratulations to all who completed this work, and thanks to our generous donors for making it possible! Up next: Improving storage space and conditions for the physical specimens. To support the herbarium, click here.
Photo: Herbarium assistant Fitz Dettmer cleans a specimen for scanning
Browse Our New Classes
Probe the mysteries of predatory plants. Tour a forest in Massachusetts to observe ecological change after a prescribed burn. Or learn from your living room: Choose from six self-paced courses and 30 classes available via Zoom.
New this season: A suite of lower-priced options starting at $10, plus an Introduction to Native Plants Package that bundles eight intro classes for only $60, total! And we're continuing our Personalized Pathways, five groupings of classes curated for particular personal interests.
Get ready for a fascinating fall—browse our full class lineup.
Photo: Purple pitcher-plant (Sarracenia purpurea) © William Cullina
Native Plant Trust in the News
A selection of recent stories—see more here:
- WBUR, "Sound designer Skooby Laposky amplifies the hidden lives of plants"
- WGBH, Uli Lorimer chats with Dave Epstein: "Native plants Q&A: New England experts share their advice"
- Boston Globe, "Ask the Gardener: Use native grasses to let the sun light up your yard"
- WGBH, The Culture Show Podcast with Uli Lorimer on fall planting
- New England Living: "Going Native"
Photo: Sound designer Skooby Laposky (R) and workshop participants explore hidden life at Garden in the Woods, Andrea Shea/WBUR photo