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 tea 2011 poster.pdf

NELDHA's Annual Tea was held at a new venue this year, Elm Bank at the Massachusetts Horticultural Society in Wellesley, Massachusetts on November 8, 2011.  It was a great success with Members and Friends enjoying each other's company and the splendid delicacies prepared by Gaveston Catering of Dorchester, Massachusetts.  Garden Designer Sally Muspratt regaled our guests with an informative and entertaining description of her many travels with the Garden Conservancy, a nonprofit organization devoted to preserving America’s exceptional gardens for the education and enjoyment of the public. Sally's presentation included United States sites in California, Delaware, Illinois, Missouri, Ohio, South Carolina and Texas as well as European sites at Chateau du Champs de Bataille, Le Bois des Moutiers, Chateau de Brecy, Le Jardin Plume, Chateau de Courances, Chateau de Vaux le Vicomte.

Melanie Neuman, owner of Fiori Secchi Gardens, Sudbury, Massachusetts and Board member Jennifer Kimball graced the hall with beautiful seasonal floral displays.

Special thanks to Board member Jon Hogan who chaired the event, Melanie and Jennifer. Thank you also to Board members Heidi Kost Gross, Kathi Keith, Maureen O'Brien, Laurie Pazzano and Janis Porter for all their assistance in making this event such a success. Thank you also to Mass Hort and its staff for its hospitality in making this event such a success. 

On June 5, 2011, NELDHA President Heidi Kost Gross awarded the NELDHA Award to historian Laurie Pazzano for her Independent Project at the Landscape Institute Graduation ceremony at the Boston Architectural College. Laurie received a certificate in Landscape History. Her final project "Peace field: 1788 – 1818: The New England Farm of John and Abigail Adams" involved original scholarly research on John and Abigail Adams' farm at Peace field in Quincy Massachusetts. Laurie was a co-author of the cultural landscape report for Peace field completed during a preservation studio at the Landscape Institute. Laurie is also the recipient of a Masters Degree from the University of Massachusetts in History. Her thesis at UMassis is on Henry the VIII's Privy Gardens at Hampton Court Palace.

Other NELDHA members graduating this June from the Landscape Institute and their projects are:

Certificates in Landscape Design:

Jean Bednor - Stitching Together a Patchwork of Habitat: A Plan for Enhanced Biodiversity and Connectivity at the Barber Reservation, Sherburn, MA

Kathleen Caldara - Design IV Studio Project Concord, Massachusetts

Ralph Clover - Design IV Studio

Joan Freitas - Connecting Nature and Nana: The Revitalization of Martin Court, Swansea, MA

Marianne Fricke -  Falmouth, MA Town Hall Planting – Revisited

Jennifer Kimball - Ballywilly Brook Forest Park: a Master Plan Carndonagh, Inishowen Co Donegal, Ireland

Carol Laboissonniere - Cedarwood Farms: Low Impact Development Strategies for Condominium Development in Kennebunk, ME

Shawn Mayers - Making Connections through Space and Time: A Master Plan for Rocky Point Park, Warwick, RI

Rose Mellino - Myles Standish State Forest, Plymouth, MA: Walking on the Edge

Certificate in Landscape Preservation:

Maureen O’Brien - Rehabilitation of the Courtyard and its Entrance at Rolling Ridge, North Andover Massachusetts, a Fletcher Steele Garden: Restoring the Welcome to  ‘A True Oasis Of Quiet Beauty And Gracious Hospitality.’

Congratulations to these fine graduates on their achievements!

A warm Friday evening and historic venue provided the perfect atmosphere for NELDHA's Annual Dinner at the MIT Endicott House in Dedham on May 13, 2011. Members and friends enjoyed cocktails on the patio while perusing the silent auction and a lovely exhibition by NELDHA member Karin Stanley, a designer and sculptor. After an elegant four course dinner, Landscape Architect Keith LeBlanc gave a lecture and slide show of his award winning work. 

A special thank you to Dinner Chair Janis Porter for coordinating such a wonderful evening. Member Oonie Burley provided the innovative centerpieces inspired by Keith LeBlanc's designs. Special thanks to Karin Stanley for the exhibition and the donation of one of her sculptures to the silent auction. Also thank you to the following silent auction donors: John Furlong, Maureen O'Brien, Joanne Robinson, Janis Porter, Horticopia, and the Isabella Stewart Gardener Museum.