Past Events
The Women's Tree Climbing Workshop is full! However, there is a waitlist you can add your name to.
With over 8,000 bulbs brought to flower, you won’t want to miss this year’s Spring Bulb Show. From daffodils to hyacinths, tulips (of course) to freesia, fritillaria to muscari, Lyman Conservatory will be the place you want to visit come early March. Our greenhouse horticulturists and Smith College work study students have been hard at work coaxing these bulbs to flower for the show. This year’s show will also feature something new: commissioned artwork from three Smith College student artists.
UPDATE: The limited-access 2022 Bulb Show is now full.
If you were unable to register for the show, please be sure to tune in through our social media channels (Facebook and Instagram), the live view of the show on our website, and through our e-newsletter.
In order to limit crowds due to the current health situation, the general public (including Friends of the Botanic Garden) were required to register in advance to access Lyman Conservatory during the 2022 Bulb Show. This year’s show will be open to those who registered and Members of the Smith College community with approved Smith College OneCard designations during the week of March 7-11 and the week of March 14-18, 9am to 4pm. Walk-ins will not be allowed this year.
Putting Botanic Garden Collections to Work as Tools for Social and Environmental Justice
Date: Thursday, March 3, 2022, 4:15 pm ET
Location: Online
Zoom | Pre-registration required: https://bit.ly/bulb-show-lecture-2022
Join us for a virtual talk by Landscape Curator John Berryhill; an exploration of the complex urgent problems that botanic gardens are uniquely situated to address and how Smith College is working to bring desperately needed new voices to this work.
Wednesday, November 10, 2021
5:00 to 6:00 pm - Online, Registration Link
Once you register, take a minute to tell us... what's your favorite local coffee shop? Your response will be compiled and sent back out to help guide your next caffeinated adventure.
The Science and Culture of Coffee by Dr. Sarada Krishnan
Coffee is an important agricultural commodity contributing significantly to the economies of many developing countries. Of the 124 species of Coffea, the two main commercial species used in the production of the beverage are C. arabica (Arabica coffee) and C. canephora (robusta coffee). Arabica coffee accounts for about 60% of the total coffee production. Sarada will talk about the botany and production of coffee and the research she has been involved in.
Dr. Sarada Krishnan is Director of Horticulture and Center for Global Initiatives at Denver Botanic Gardens where she is responsible for directing the design and maintenance of the horticulture displays and collections, and for developing and leading global projects. Sarada also serves as the Executive Director of International Women’s Coffee Alliance (IWCA). The mission of IWCA is to empower women along the entire coffee supply chain through programs and partnerships in the international coffee community to achieve meaningful and sustainable lives.
Due to the continuing Covid-19 pandemic, the Lyman Plant House and Conservatory will be closed to the general public during the 2021 Fall Chrysanthemum Show, November 6 - 24.
The show will only be open for in-person visits to:
- Members of the Smith College community who are in the Covid-19 campus-wide testing program (students, faculty and staff). Please note: a OneCard is required for entry.
- Members of the Friends of the Botanic Garden. Friends Members must register in advance.
You can find the full schedule and more information on our Visit webpage.
While we cannot share the 2021 Fall Chrysanthemum Show with the general public this year, we are committed to bringing the show to you virtually.
You can engage with the show through thelivestream on our website and through our social media channels.
On YouTube, Facebook and Instagram, we will be sharing current and archival photos and videos, as well as behind-the-scenes looks at the making of the show. We invite you to follow along!
An early glimpse of spring, the annual Bulb Show is a much anticipated spring tradition! Thousands of bulbs from all over the world are coaxed into simultaneous bloom inside the Lyman Conservatory.
Stay tuned for a virtual feast for the eyes!
The Birds, the Bees the Flowers and the Trees: Why native plants matter for wildlife conservation
Thursday, March 4 at 4:00 pm ET
Zoom | Pre-registration required: https://bit.ly/bulbshow2021lecture
Join us for a virtual talk by Dr. Desiree Narango
Dr. Narango studies how plants and animals interact with each other, their environment, and with us. Most of her work takes place in novel landscapes significantly altered by people, such as urban forests, residential yards, and farmland. Her interdisciplinary work uses field, lab, and modeling-based approaches to answer questions that span across scales and taxa. Her ultimate goal is to find data-driven conservation solutions for land managers to help preserve biodiversity in a rapidly changing world.
A fall tradition dating back over 100 years, the annual Fall Chrysanthemum Show goes virtual this year!
CHRYSANTHEMUMS have been captivating the imaginations of gardeners around the world for over 2500 years. Let ours inspire you.
- Sunday, September 6 & Sunday, September 13, 4:00 -4:30 pm: Virtual Tour of the Botanic Garden - Fly through campus visiting some of our beautiful gardens and favorite big old trees, and meet the folks that give Smith its unique sense of place!
- Tuesday September 8, 4:00-5:00 pm: Botanic Garden Zoom Drop-In - Swing by to meet some of the BG staff and hear about ways that you can dig in!
To participate in these events, follow this link: https://smith.zoom.us/my/herbology