Continuing with this year’s series theme offering “portraits” of “great trees,” this month’s Stone Soup will feature Debbie McElwaine, a Harvard Graduate student and neighbor who has researched the tree population near the estate on Hemenway Drive. Debbie’s topic will be the Metasequoia glyptostroboides or Dawn Redwood. Once thought to be extinct and rediscovered by “plant hunters” from the Arnold Arboretum, the […]

Become a backyard orchardist and grow your own fruit! Even with a small yard, you can enjoy fruit from your own trees with minimal effort and cost. This step-by-step workshop, to be held March 21 frrom 9:00-11:00 am, will teach you all you need to know to plan and create a compact orchard for years of enjoyment. Participants will spend […]

This month’s Stone Soup will feature Maggie Redfern, Assistant Director of Connecticut College Arboretum, continuing with this year’s series theme offering “portraits” of some of the great trees at the Wakefield Estate. Her talk will look at Malus domestica, our beloved Apple, of which Michael Pollan wrote, “it is remarkable how closely the history of the apple tree is connected with that of […]

Have you been thinking of raising your own chickens and enjoying your own fresh eggs? Our annual Backyard Homesteading workshop on raising backyard chickens is a great way to explore the idea. This session, scheduled for February 7th from 9:00-11:30 a.m. is designed for people interested in learning how to start a backyard chicken coop and grow healthy, productive chickens […]

The Wakefield Estate lost someone special today – Maisy, one of our three Shetland Sheep. As many visitors know, Maisy had been struggling with some lameness and pain for a long time. Our best attempts to alleviate her pain had been unsuccessful and we wanted to spare her further suffering. We are especially grateful to our Landscape Director Deb Merriam for her share of […]

Join us for some holiday cheer at our fifth annual holiday open house! This year, the holiday open house will be held on Wednesday, December 10th from 4:00-8:00 pm. The 1794 Isaac Davenport Mansion will be in spectacular holiday display and hand-crafted wreaths and other items will be available for sale. Tickets are free for members, $10 suggested donation for others. Annual […]

Throughout December, watercolor paintings by the late Mary “Polly” M. B. Wakefield will be on display in the Wotiz Gallery of the Milton Public Library, 476 Canton Avenue in Milton. This collection reflects work done over dozens of years, right up until Polly’s death in 2004, while studying with esteemed painter Nancy Sargent Howell. Polly’s works reflect Howell’s method of […]

Make your own spectacular holiday wreath! Create a fabulous holiday wreath for your door with locally-sourced fancy evergreens gathered from the Wakefield Estate. This session will begin with a short demonstration by Lisa Ahern from Cedar Grove Gardens, who will show how to embellish a plain balsam wreath and turn it into a  custom-made show stopper! The Wakefield Estate will provide a plain […]

The Mary M. B. Wakefield Charitable Trust is offering hand-crafted, locally-sourced holiday wreaths.  The wreaths are 18 inches in diameter and can be hung or used as a holiday centerpiece. The deadline to order a wreath is Wednesday, Dec 3; order by calling 617-333-0924 or send an email to: wakefieldtrust@dogwoodlanefarm.org. Wreathes will be available for pick up at the Wakefield Estate […]

The Wakefield Estate will be open for a special members only weekend on Saturday, Oct 18th and Sunday, Oct 19th with several visitation options. Come enjoy the early morning light and song birds over coffee, cider, and donuts, or take a late afternoon walk among the estate’s formal gardens and enjoy refreshments on the piazza. Families can enjoy a self-guided scavenger […]