We are the Buxton Branch of the American Begonia Society, a non-profit 501c3 horticultural organization. In 2018, we celebrated our 80th anniversary. Our membership is open to one and all lovers of begonias. We have members from Massachusetts, Vermont, Maine, Connecticut and Rhode Island, as well as New York.
We meet in Central Massachusetts. We have among our diverse members, people who just recently discovered their first begonia houseplant and want to know all about it, on up to prize winning members who have been with us for many years, or who have state of the art greenhouses, or are commercial growers, or researchers.
There are so many begonia species and hybrids, and many more are being discovered or are being identified as being endangered in the wild, and with all of us sharing as much information as we can, we hope to continue growing these plants should they become extinct in the wild, so that they can be re-introduced into the wild in the future.
We sponsor scientific research worldwide, whenever we can, provide honorariums to speakers on begonias, and some of our members are available to make presentations to local garden clubs as well.
Prior to COVID-19 Quarantine, we were meeting in person the first Saturday of every month (October through May) from 9:30AM to 12:00PM. Our Annual Plant Show and Sale is held in September, at Tower Hill Botanic Garden in Boylston, MA. We now meet online via ZOOM. To receive information on attending one of our online meetings, please click here and we will send you access.
You are always welcome to sit in on one of our meetings and enjoy a refreshment, while we talk Begonias!
Buxton Branch of ABS Member Dues:
Membership for one year to the Buxton Branch also includes a one year membership to the American Begonia Society (ABS), our national parent, and is a reasonable $35USD.
Click here to fill out our Membership Form or renew (directions for payment listed).
(If you are an ABS member already, just paying for Buxton Branch annual membership will be $10USD.)
As a member of ABS you will receive their bi-monthly, full color, magazine The Begonian, sent to your home, as well as have access to their online version, and you will be allowed to purchase from their Seed Bank. Click here to go to the American Begonia Society (ABS) website for more ABS information.
As a member of the Buxton Branch you will receive our monthly newsletter, get to meet special guest speakers, have opportunities to be a volunteer grower in our Save Our Species program, get a chance to "Ask the Experts" about any begonia related questions you might have. You get a chance to see up close, and discuss, what makes our "Plant of the Month" special.
We also have a set of reference books and other materials listed by clicking here that members can request ahead of time by contacting us at least two days before our next meeting is to take place, so we can bring them in.
Members of the Buxton Branch enjoy the following activities:
We meet in Central Massachusetts. We have among our diverse members, people who just recently discovered their first begonia houseplant and want to know all about it, on up to prize winning members who have been with us for many years, or who have state of the art greenhouses, or are commercial growers, or researchers.
There are so many begonia species and hybrids, and many more are being discovered or are being identified as being endangered in the wild, and with all of us sharing as much information as we can, we hope to continue growing these plants should they become extinct in the wild, so that they can be re-introduced into the wild in the future.
We sponsor scientific research worldwide, whenever we can, provide honorariums to speakers on begonias, and some of our members are available to make presentations to local garden clubs as well.
Prior to COVID-19 Quarantine, we were meeting in person the first Saturday of every month (October through May) from 9:30AM to 12:00PM. Our Annual Plant Show and Sale is held in September, at Tower Hill Botanic Garden in Boylston, MA. We now meet online via ZOOM. To receive information on attending one of our online meetings, please click here and we will send you access.
You are always welcome to sit in on one of our meetings and enjoy a refreshment, while we talk Begonias!
Buxton Branch of ABS Member Dues:
Membership for one year to the Buxton Branch also includes a one year membership to the American Begonia Society (ABS), our national parent, and is a reasonable $35USD.
Click here to fill out our Membership Form or renew (directions for payment listed).
(If you are an ABS member already, just paying for Buxton Branch annual membership will be $10USD.)
As a member of ABS you will receive their bi-monthly, full color, magazine The Begonian, sent to your home, as well as have access to their online version, and you will be allowed to purchase from their Seed Bank. Click here to go to the American Begonia Society (ABS) website for more ABS information.
As a member of the Buxton Branch you will receive our monthly newsletter, get to meet special guest speakers, have opportunities to be a volunteer grower in our Save Our Species program, get a chance to "Ask the Experts" about any begonia related questions you might have. You get a chance to see up close, and discuss, what makes our "Plant of the Month" special.
We also have a set of reference books and other materials listed by clicking here that members can request ahead of time by contacting us at least two days before our next meeting is to take place, so we can bring them in.
Members of the Buxton Branch enjoy the following activities:
- Monthly programs on diverse topics, such as begonia cultivation, traditional and innovative propagation methods, international begonia conservation efforts, techniques for handling begonia pests, and terrarium culture
- Opportunities to purchase member-grown and hard to find, healthy begonia species and cultivars
- Learn all about gorgeous begonia plants that members bring to meetings
- Participate in occasional raffles of special plants, Wardian cases, lights, pots, terrarium containers, etc.
- Attend Workshops on grooming begonias for competitive shows
- Enter plants in our annual juried show and sale, at Tower Hill Botanic Garden held in September
- Put on an annual springtime sale in concert with other plant societies
- Attend annual joint meeting with the NETGS - New England Chapter of the Gesneriad Society
- Invitation to Member-hosted parties, such as a summer picnic and a holiday party
- Volunteer at our booth at the Mass. Horticultural Society's Boston Flower & Garden Show. Our booth has won many awards, and members have also won awards for independently submitted plants
If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please drop us a line by clicking here or click on our Contact Us link found at the very top of our web pages.
We are a non-profit organization, and proceeds of our plant sales, membership dues, and donations, help us to promote and support Begonia discovery and research across the world.
If you would like to support us, please feel free to make a donation here.
We are a non-profit organization, and proceeds of our plant sales, membership dues, and donations, help us to promote and support Begonia discovery and research across the world.
If you would like to support us, please feel free to make a donation here.
Below is a description of our meetings when we were meeting face-to-face.
In addition to member plant sales, and swap and trade before the meeting starts, we all look forward to our special topic and presenter, and a Plant-of-the Month (POM) presentation, followed by our business meeting.
We set up our tables, put up plants for sale, and socialize from 9:30AM - 10:00AM. Our program presentation starts and is then followed by our business meeting, from 10:00AM to Noon.
IMPORTANT NOTE: meetings will be held (unless otherwise noted as a change on our Home Page or here) in the Community Room, found directly at the entrance - to the right of the first set of double doors at:
Framingham Public Library (opens at 9:30AM)
Christa McAuliffe Branch
746 Water Street
Framingham, MA. 01701
Phone: (508) 532-5636
Click here for their website
Click here for map/directions
In addition to member plant sales, and swap and trade before the meeting starts, we all look forward to our special topic and presenter, and a Plant-of-the Month (POM) presentation, followed by our business meeting.
We set up our tables, put up plants for sale, and socialize from 9:30AM - 10:00AM. Our program presentation starts and is then followed by our business meeting, from 10:00AM to Noon.
IMPORTANT NOTE: meetings will be held (unless otherwise noted as a change on our Home Page or here) in the Community Room, found directly at the entrance - to the right of the first set of double doors at:
Framingham Public Library (opens at 9:30AM)
Christa McAuliffe Branch
746 Water Street
Framingham, MA. 01701
Phone: (508) 532-5636
Click here for their website
Click here for map/directions
Buxton Branch members talking shop at a recent meeting.
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Nothing better on a snowy Saturday morning: Coffee and Begonias!
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Plant sale/swap before our meetings are very popular. Where else can you find some very rare begonia species and hybrids?
(This series of four photos taken by Himanshu Oberoi)
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