Wistariahurst Museum

Decorative Artist Dianne Willitts will demonstrate how to use large leaves as molds for garden sculptures. There is an ART to leaf casting, a unique and creative garden art decoration. Dianne Willitts is a Master Gardener and decorative artist. She will present a talk and demonstration on how to cast leaves in concrete for decorative use outside such as birdbaths and stepping stones. Demonstration will take place on the grounds at Wistariahurst. All talks are a $5 donation to benefit the garden restoration projects at Wistariahurst. Garden Workshops presented by Wistariahurst Museum Gardeners & Western Mass Gardeners Association.

On Friday, July 11 at 10:00 a.m. Wistariahurst welcomes The Care Center of Holyoke with a gallery opening of Light Life Legacy, a photographic exhibition by students at the Care Center, a non-profit educational center for parenting young women. There will be a poetry reading from the Care Center's sixth annual journal of poetry and art, the Nautilus II to accompany the photographic display. The exhibit will be on display throughout the summer. Gallery hours are Saturday, Sunday and Monday, from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Admission to the gallery is $3 

Wistariahurst invites you to tour the Mansion with a Skinner Descendant.  Allerton Kilborne, descendant of the Skinner family, will be giving a tour of his grandmother’s home, and will bring to life stories and memories of living at Wistariahurst in the 1950s.  Wistariahurst acquired its name from the flowering vine surrounding the house and the twenty-six room mansion features parquet floors, vaulted ceilings, elaborate woodwork and two marble lions that have guarded the entrance since the late nineteenth century.  The estate was kept in the Skinner family until 1959 when Katharine Skinner Kilborne and her heirs gave Wistariahurst to the City of Holyoke for cultural and educational purposes. 

Join us for refreshments with Allerton at 6:00 p.m., prior to the tour. Admission is $7.

Master Gardener Mary Morse will demonstrate how to make an attractive and lightweight alternative to expensive purchased tubs and pots. Hypertufa containers are made from commonly available materials and are easy to make. All talks are a $5 donation to benefit the garden restoration projects at Wistariahurst. Garden Workshops presented by Wistariahurst Museum Gardeners & Western Mass Gardeners Association.

Master Gardener Duncan McQueen will be speaking on the subject of unusual conifers and deciduous shrubs for the Western Massachusetts garden. Duncan will present an illustrated program emphasizing low maintenance plantings. There will be time provided for a how-to on designing a small shrub border or bed. All talks are a $5 donation to benefit the garden restoration projects at Wistariahurst. Garden Workshops presented by Wistariahurst Museum Gardeners & Western Mass Gardeners Association.

Master Gardener Chris Brown will give a cooking demonstration that will show how to enhance the flavor and healthfulness of meals every day using garden herbs. Techniques and recipes included. All talks are a $5 donation to benefit the garden restoration projects at Wistariahurst. Garden Workshops presented by Wistariahurst Museum Gardeners & Western Mass Gardeners Association.

Master Gardner Toi Graham will speak on how to plan for fragrance in a New England garden for nine to ten months of each year. The lecture is organized by month so that the gardener can select varieties of annuals, perennials, shrubs, and trees to bloom in succession, ensuring a continuum of fragrance. Special attention will be given to especially fragrant cultivars of plants not usually known for their fragrance with which many gardeners may not be familiar. All talks are a $5 donation to benefit the garden restoration projects at Wistariahurst. Garden Workshops presented by Wistariahurst Museum Gardeners & Western Mass Gardeners Association.