News & Events
32nd Annual Wildflower Festival celebrated at The Rocks Estate
BETHLEHEM, N.H.—The Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests invites wildflower enthusiasts to kick off the annual Fields of Lupine Festival June 2 at The Rocks Estate. The day will mark the start of the 32ndAnnual Wildflower Festival, with a full slate of fun activities planned at the turn-of-the-20th-Century estate.
From cooking and planting to floral identification and edible flowers, wildflowers and other plants will be celebrated on this early summer day. Several workshops and tours are planned to entertain and educate visitors from 10 a.m. through 4 p.m.
The Festival will include guided walks by Virginia Jeffries, Anne Gruczka and Janet Hill along the Mile Path, which meanders through the historic Rocks Estate property, where the Glessner family, original owners of The Rocks, collected and planted an array of flowers.
“This trail is open only to guided tours, as per the wishes of the donors of the property, John Lee and Martha Batchelder,” said Clare Brown, of the Bethlehem Heritage Society and a Forest Society staff member. “The guided walks offer a chance for visitors to see the trail, a hidden historic jewel, bringing together the natural world and the heritage of The Rocks Estate.”
Interpreters will highlight the rich history of the Glessner family, who summered here beginning in the late 1880s, and the natural world they loved so much. The Mile Path walks are limited to 15 people per tour and fill quickly, so reservations are strongly advised.
Local birder Mary Boulanger will lead two birding and history walks through the original farm site, which John Glessner purchased in 1882 for $2,300. Flower enthusiast Pam Dexter will teach participants to identify flowers using a key, a skill both beginner and expert botanists will find helpful in the field.
In the “Floral Edibles” workshop Rocks’ volunteer Janet Hill and staffers Clare Brown and Carleen Quinn will reveal a variety of tips for using a range of native plants to spice up meals at home. The program includes identification of the plants used – including wild leeks, Johnnie Jump Ups, rhubarb, fiddleheads, and others – and where to find them.
“Learning what you can pick and prepare yourself is getting to be a lost art,” said Hill, a gardening and cooking enthusiast. “We want to reintroduce people to what they can find in the wild or grow naturally.”
New to the Wildflower Festival this year are samples of three wines from Hermit Woods Winery in Sanbornton. The wines selected – Day Lily Wine, Elderberry Wine and Knot Tomato Wine – are made from local ingredients that thrill the taste buds.
The cost for the day-long Wildflower Festival is $15 and includes lunch and all programs. A $5 discount is given with each lupine festival book presented.
The Rocks is the North Country Conservation and Education Center of the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests (www.forestsociety.org). The Forest Society is a non-profit membership organization founded in 1901 to protect the state’s most important landscapes and promote wise use of its natural resources.
The landmark 1,400-acre Rocks Estate includes numerous buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places and offers Agri- and Eco-tourism opportunities throughout the year. For more information please visit www.therocks.org For reservations and other inquiries e-mail info@therocks.orgor call 603-444-6228.
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