Link to the Patchogue Patch article about the tour:
http://patchogue.patch.com/articles/locals-participate-in-garden-tour
Monday, July 12, 2010
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Thursday, May 20, 2010
May
Guy’s Greetings
As we dry out from the recent deluge, we are reminded how quickly things grow after a rain, especially fungus, mold and diseases. For those of you with a vegetable garden, I hope these will not be an issue this year. I did not have issues with tomato blight last year, perhaps because my garden is a mass of raised beds. Four simple boards arranged in a square and filled with good draining soil--never mind it is 20 x 20, it still is raised. Now that we are past May 15th, traditionally the last frost date on Long Island, we can plant our gardens. I hope your corn is sweet, your beans are crisp, and your tomatoes are plump. Guy
Mark the Date
Tuesday, May 25, 2010, 6:30 PM, general meeting at Fantastic Gardens, 67 Avery Avenue, Patchogue NY, (631) 475-7118. Avery Avenue is east of Rte. 112 and north of Montauk Highway. Take a tour of Dave and Joan Tifford’s nursery with 10 greenhouses on 3 acres. Come prepared to marvel at the private cactus collection in bloom and the amazing unique succulent garden. Special Notes: No hostesses required and no chairs available. You can purchase plants after the meeting and get a 15% discount.
Saturday, June 12, 2010, 9:00 AM, Annual Breakfast in the Garden at South Ocean Avenue and Terry Street. Bring a dish to share and your favorite beverage. The club provides bagels, coffee, tea, and fixin’s.
Monday, June 21, 2010, group carpooling to Old Westbury Gardens (tours on the hour and ½ hour), leaving from Terry Street at 9:45 AM. If you don’t have a ride, call Jo Miller, and she will try to arrange it for you. There is an outdoor café that doesn’t operate in inclement weather and a picnic area for brown baggers. Large bags and backpacks are not permitted. Admission is $10, $8 seniors, and $5 children 7-12. Directions: Take the LIE (I-495) to Exit 39. Turn left onto Glen Cove Road (Garden City) at the end of the exit ramp, cross over the expressway and immediately turn left onto the service road. Follow the service road east for approximately 1.1 miles, turn right onto Old Westbury Road and continue 0.4 miles. The Gardens' gate is on the left. For more information, please visit http://www.oldwestburygardens.org/.
Saturday, July 10, 2010, Patchogue Garden Club’s 10th annual garden tour featuring art in the gardens. Pre-purchase tickets at $13 ($15 on the day of the tour). Gardens open at 10 AM and close at 3:00 PM. For more information, call Paula at 289-0234. The post-tour dinner will be at 6:00 PM the following day, Sunday, July 11, at the home of Paula Murphy, 6:00 PM, 125 Smith Street, Patchogue, NY.
April Meeting in a Flash
We started the evening with a delightfully entertaining speaker, Mr. Ray Lackey “Master Bee Keeper”. He spoke very knowledgeably for about 1 ½ hours and gladly answered all our questions. He brought different kinds of his excellent honey to sell. If you missed the meeting or if you want to buy more honey or other products, there is a self-serve sales stand on the porch at 1260 Walnut Avenue, Bohemia NY.
Thank you to Carol Tvelia and her crew for a great job putting on the Annual Plant and Yard Sale. The proceeds benefit our scholarship fund for a Patchogue-Medford High School senior planning to study horticulture, botany, or a related subject.
Road Trip: The New York Botanical Garden
Emily Dickinson’s Garden: The Poetry of Flowers
Co-presented with The Poetry Society of America
Friday, April 30–Sunday, June 13, 2010
Discover the gardener who became the poet.
Experience the life and works of one of America’s most treasured poets as never before.
•Her Garden: Tour her Victorian Homestead re-created in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory with tulips, lilacs, lilies, and more.
•Her Poetry: Stroll along garden paths and read some of Dickinson’s most famous works near the flowers that inspired them.
•Her Life: Be immersed in an interactive perspective through photographs, watercolors and books in a Gallery exhibition.
Special Celebrations
Enjoy poetry readings, live theater, gardening demonstrations, and more.
For more information, visit http://www.nybg.org/.
Did you know?...
Excerpted from “The Poet as Gardener and Tiger Lily”
By HOLLAND COTTER
Emily Dickinson once called herself a “a Lunatic on Bulbs,” referring to her passion for daffodils, hyacinth and other spring perennials, which she raised indoors in winter in her family home in Amherst, Mass. And a lunatic she probably seemed to neighbors who spied her gardening by moonlight on summer evenings in the flower beds behind the house.
We now suspect that one reason Dickinson preferred night gardening was because of vision problems: for several years in her early middle age, sunlight stung her eyes. But no such explanations are needed to justify the indoor-outdoor format of “Emily Dickinson’s Garden: The Poetry of Flowers,” an ambitious, multipart show, opening Friday at the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx, that considers Dickinson equally as a horticulturalist and a poet, and forges links between the two….
…Dickinson the recluse might have found its public location disconcertingly exposed, but the lunatic in her would have liked it just fine.
Serious Dirt from Richard Waldman
“As We Ache and Age”
April 29, 2010 by JESSICA DAMIANO / jessica.damiano@newsday.com
Anyone can plant a vegetable garden, lay out a perennial border and harvest herbs from the bed by the kitchen door,right? Not exactly. Enthusiasm, dedication and spare time notwithstanding, there are many among us who yearn to garden but simply can't. Or simply can't like we used to.
It starts with a sore back after hours of weeding, which can afflict even the most fit among us. But when arthritis, endurance and strength issues - common among our more experienced gardeners - devolve to the point where the once-enjoyable pastime becomes an insurmountable chore, many simply hang up their hoes for good. Before resorting to such drastic measures, it would serve you well to consider your options: There are plenty of specialized gardening methods, ergonomic tools and creative approaches that can help keep your inner gardener working.
Paint tool handles a bright color to make them easy to find if dropped among plants. Be sure to wear well-fitting clothing, comfortable shoes and a straw hat, and avoid gardening between noon and 4 p.m., when the sun is at its strongest. Wear sunscreen and gloves. Keep a water bottle with you and drink more frequently than you think necessary, avoiding alcoholic beverages.
Before doing any gardening, it's prudent to take a few minutes to stretch. Gardening is exercise, after all, and even minimal digging and lifting can strain muscles. Always keep your feet shoulder width apart to maximize balance, and check with your doctor before trying any new stretches or exercises.
The Arthritis Foundation recommends standing with your arms extended in front of you and reaching as far forward as you are able. Then, if you can, grab your right wrist with your left hand. Holding the position, slowly elevate your arms over your head and then gently pull your right arm over your head with your left hand. Hold for a few seconds. Repeat on the other side, stretching your left arm.
Depend on your strongest assets. For instance, instead of carrying a filled container in your hands, wrap your arms around it and hold it close to your body. Lift objects with the palms of your hands instead of your fingers, and keep your back straight whenever possible, always taking care to bend at the knees, not at the waist.
Planting and harvesting herbs and vegetables needn't require any bending if you use containers. Set window boxes or planters between waist and knee height, either on sawhorses, tables or makeshift stands. Be sure to drill drainage holes in the bottom of containers and set them into place while they're empty and lightweight. Then fill with potting mix and any amendments necessary for what you'll be growing. If you have room for such a setup outside your kitchen door, all the better. And if you have difficulty lifting a filled watering can, use a garden hose or, if logistics permit, a hose that attaches to your kitchen faucet. If neither is easily accessible, keep a filled water bucket nearby and use it to fill smaller containers that you can use to water plants. A chair or bench placed in a shady spot will be welcomed both as a timeout while working and as a place from which to admire your handiwork at the end of the day.
Herbs like basil, parsley and chives lend themselves very nicely to shallow, 8-inch deep containers, as do lettuces, spinach and chards. If you want to plant broccoli, tomatoes, carrots, peppers or eggplants, go with a container that's 12-14 inches deep. Beans, cucumbers, squashes and potatoes require a depth of about 18 inches. You can even plant cherry tomatoes in window boxes. Annuals and perennials can be grown in raised beds, too. But remember: Container-grown plants will need more frequent watering and fertilizing than their in-ground counterparts, so plan accordingly.
If you're going to plant in garden beds and borders, consider investing in perennials instead of annuals. They cost a bit more at the outset, but once they're in the ground, you won't have to replace them annually; they just keep coming back. Be sure to mulch all garden areas to retain soil moisture, which cuts down on watering, and to choke out weeds.
Above all, keep the pace leisurely; home wasn't built in a day.
Special Request for the 10th Anniversary of the Annual Garden Tour
The committee plans to hang lattice on the chain link construction fence in the Community Garden to display art work. Members, friends, relatives, and complete strangers are invited to submit work.
Call to Artists
The Patchogue Garden Club
10th Annual Garden Tour
“Art in the Gardens”
10 July 2010
We invite you to submit works of art to be displayed
In the Community Garden at South Ocean Avenue
And Terry Street, Patchogue Village
Submit any medium that can be hung, subjects
to include flowers, trees, gardens, nature, etc.
Work must be framed and wired ready to hang on lattice.
Drop off at Community Garden: 8:30 AM
Pick up at Community Garden: 2:00 PM
Yes, there will be security for the day
Yes, you can drop off early:
Yes, we will have provisions to protect from rain
No, there is no fee to submit work
No, we will not sell your work
No, there is no commission to us if you do
We will provide a list of work available for sale
to patrons of the tour. To be included on the list,
please provide us with your name and contact information
and the title, medium, and price of the work by July 1, 2010
Other concerns, questions? Please RSVP your participation to
Karen 758-2671 or Mary Ann 289-8122
GOD AND ST. FRANCIS DISCUSSING LAWNS [Thanks, Mary Ann!]
GOD: Francis, you know all about gardens and nature. What in the world is going on down there? What
happened to the dandelions, violets, thistle and stuff I started eons ago? I had a perfect, no-maintenance
garden plan. Those plants grow in any type of soil, withstand drought and multiply with abandon. The nectar
from the long lasting blossoms attracts butterflies, honey bees and flocks of songbirds. I expected to see a
vast garden of colors by now. But all I see are these green rectangles.
ST. FRANCIS: It's the tribes that settled there, Lord. The Suburbanites. They started calling your flowers
"weeds" and went to great lengths to kill them and replace them with grass.
GOD: Grass? But it's so boring. It's not colorful. It doesn't attract butterflies, birds and bees, only grubs
and sod worms. It's temperamental with temperatures. Do these Suburbanites really want all that
grass growing there?
ST. FRANCIS: Apparently so, Lord. They go to great pains to grow it and keep it green. They begin
each spring by fertilizing grass and poisoning any other plant that crops up in the lawn.
GOD: The spring rains and warm weather probably make grass grow really fast. That must make the
Suburbanites happy.
ST. FRANCIS: Apparently not, Lord. As soon as it grows a little, they cut it-sometimes twice a week.
GOD: They cut it? Do they then bale it like hay?
ST. FRANCIS: Not exactly, Lord. Most of them rake it up and put it in bags.
GOD: They bag it? Why? Is it a cash crop? Do they sell it?
ST. FRANCIS: No Sir. Just the opposite. They pay to throw it away.
GOD: Now let me get this straight. They fertilize grass so it will grow. And when it does grow, they cut
it off and pay to throw it away?
ST. FRANCIS: Yes, Sir.
GOD: These Suburbanites must be relieved in the summer when we cut back on the rain and turn up
the heat. That surely slows the growth and saves them a lot of work.
ST. FRANCIS: You aren't going to believe this Lord. When the grass stops growing so fast, they drag
out hoses and pay more money to water it so they can continue to mow it and pay to get rid of it.
GOD: What nonsense. At least they kept some of the trees. That was a sheer stroke of genius, if I do
say so myself. The trees grow leaves in the spring to provide beauty and shade in the summer. In the
autumn they fall to the ground and form a natural blanket to keep moisture in the soil and protect
the trees and bushes. Plus, as they rot, the leaves form compost to enhance the soil. It's a natural circle
of life.
ST. FRANCIS: You better sit down, Lord. The Suburbanites have drawn a new circle. As soon as the
leaves fall, they rake them into great piles and pay to have them hauled away.
GOD: No. What do they do to protect the shrub and tree roots in the winter and to keep the soil moist
and loose?
ST. FRANCIS: After throwing away the leaves, they go out and buy something which they call mulch.
They haul it home and spread it around in place of the leaves.
GOD: And where do they get this mulch?
ST. FRANCIS: They cut down trees and grind them up to make the mulch.
GOD: Enough. I don't want to think about this anymore. St. Catherine, you're in charge of the arts.
What movie have they scheduled for us tonight?"
ST. CATHERINE: "Dumb and Dumber", Lord. It's a really stupid movie about.....
GOD: Never mind, I think I just heard the whole story from St. Francis.
Timely Tips for June
Remove old flowers, but not foliage from spring-flowering bulbs.
Prune shrubs that have just finished flowering, including weigela, philadelphus, and deutzia.
Propagate many shrubs from softwood cutting taken mid-June through early July.
Last chance to fertilize trees and shrubs.
If tomato blossom-end rot was a problem last year, try watering on a regular schedule to avoid wet-dry fluctuations.
Bring houseplants and most greenhouse plants outdoors and set in a shady area.
Many gardeners will agree that hand-weeding is not the terrible drudgery that it is often made out to be. Some people find in it a kind of soothing monotony. It leaves their minds free to develop the plot for their next novel or to perfect the brilliant repartee with which they should have encountered a relative's latest example of unreasonableness. ~Christopher Lloyd, The Well-Tempered Garden, 1973
As we dry out from the recent deluge, we are reminded how quickly things grow after a rain, especially fungus, mold and diseases. For those of you with a vegetable garden, I hope these will not be an issue this year. I did not have issues with tomato blight last year, perhaps because my garden is a mass of raised beds. Four simple boards arranged in a square and filled with good draining soil--never mind it is 20 x 20, it still is raised. Now that we are past May 15th, traditionally the last frost date on Long Island, we can plant our gardens. I hope your corn is sweet, your beans are crisp, and your tomatoes are plump. Guy
Mark the Date
Tuesday, May 25, 2010, 6:30 PM, general meeting at Fantastic Gardens, 67 Avery Avenue, Patchogue NY, (631) 475-7118. Avery Avenue is east of Rte. 112 and north of Montauk Highway. Take a tour of Dave and Joan Tifford’s nursery with 10 greenhouses on 3 acres. Come prepared to marvel at the private cactus collection in bloom and the amazing unique succulent garden. Special Notes: No hostesses required and no chairs available. You can purchase plants after the meeting and get a 15% discount.
Saturday, June 12, 2010, 9:00 AM, Annual Breakfast in the Garden at South Ocean Avenue and Terry Street. Bring a dish to share and your favorite beverage. The club provides bagels, coffee, tea, and fixin’s.
Monday, June 21, 2010, group carpooling to Old Westbury Gardens (tours on the hour and ½ hour), leaving from Terry Street at 9:45 AM. If you don’t have a ride, call Jo Miller, and she will try to arrange it for you. There is an outdoor café that doesn’t operate in inclement weather and a picnic area for brown baggers. Large bags and backpacks are not permitted. Admission is $10, $8 seniors, and $5 children 7-12. Directions: Take the LIE (I-495) to Exit 39. Turn left onto Glen Cove Road (Garden City) at the end of the exit ramp, cross over the expressway and immediately turn left onto the service road. Follow the service road east for approximately 1.1 miles, turn right onto Old Westbury Road and continue 0.4 miles. The Gardens' gate is on the left. For more information, please visit http://www.oldwestburygardens.org/.
Saturday, July 10, 2010, Patchogue Garden Club’s 10th annual garden tour featuring art in the gardens. Pre-purchase tickets at $13 ($15 on the day of the tour). Gardens open at 10 AM and close at 3:00 PM. For more information, call Paula at 289-0234. The post-tour dinner will be at 6:00 PM the following day, Sunday, July 11, at the home of Paula Murphy, 6:00 PM, 125 Smith Street, Patchogue, NY.
April Meeting in a Flash
We started the evening with a delightfully entertaining speaker, Mr. Ray Lackey “Master Bee Keeper”. He spoke very knowledgeably for about 1 ½ hours and gladly answered all our questions. He brought different kinds of his excellent honey to sell. If you missed the meeting or if you want to buy more honey or other products, there is a self-serve sales stand on the porch at 1260 Walnut Avenue, Bohemia NY.
Thank you to Carol Tvelia and her crew for a great job putting on the Annual Plant and Yard Sale. The proceeds benefit our scholarship fund for a Patchogue-Medford High School senior planning to study horticulture, botany, or a related subject.
Road Trip: The New York Botanical Garden
Emily Dickinson’s Garden: The Poetry of Flowers
Co-presented with The Poetry Society of America
Friday, April 30–Sunday, June 13, 2010
Discover the gardener who became the poet.
Experience the life and works of one of America’s most treasured poets as never before.
•Her Garden: Tour her Victorian Homestead re-created in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory with tulips, lilacs, lilies, and more.
•Her Poetry: Stroll along garden paths and read some of Dickinson’s most famous works near the flowers that inspired them.
•Her Life: Be immersed in an interactive perspective through photographs, watercolors and books in a Gallery exhibition.
Special Celebrations
Enjoy poetry readings, live theater, gardening demonstrations, and more.
For more information, visit http://www.nybg.org/.
Did you know?...
Excerpted from “The Poet as Gardener and Tiger Lily”
By HOLLAND COTTER
Emily Dickinson once called herself a “a Lunatic on Bulbs,” referring to her passion for daffodils, hyacinth and other spring perennials, which she raised indoors in winter in her family home in Amherst, Mass. And a lunatic she probably seemed to neighbors who spied her gardening by moonlight on summer evenings in the flower beds behind the house.
We now suspect that one reason Dickinson preferred night gardening was because of vision problems: for several years in her early middle age, sunlight stung her eyes. But no such explanations are needed to justify the indoor-outdoor format of “Emily Dickinson’s Garden: The Poetry of Flowers,” an ambitious, multipart show, opening Friday at the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx, that considers Dickinson equally as a horticulturalist and a poet, and forges links between the two….
…Dickinson the recluse might have found its public location disconcertingly exposed, but the lunatic in her would have liked it just fine.
Serious Dirt from Richard Waldman
“As We Ache and Age”
April 29, 2010 by JESSICA DAMIANO / jessica.damiano@newsday.com
Anyone can plant a vegetable garden, lay out a perennial border and harvest herbs from the bed by the kitchen door,right? Not exactly. Enthusiasm, dedication and spare time notwithstanding, there are many among us who yearn to garden but simply can't. Or simply can't like we used to.
It starts with a sore back after hours of weeding, which can afflict even the most fit among us. But when arthritis, endurance and strength issues - common among our more experienced gardeners - devolve to the point where the once-enjoyable pastime becomes an insurmountable chore, many simply hang up their hoes for good. Before resorting to such drastic measures, it would serve you well to consider your options: There are plenty of specialized gardening methods, ergonomic tools and creative approaches that can help keep your inner gardener working.
Paint tool handles a bright color to make them easy to find if dropped among plants. Be sure to wear well-fitting clothing, comfortable shoes and a straw hat, and avoid gardening between noon and 4 p.m., when the sun is at its strongest. Wear sunscreen and gloves. Keep a water bottle with you and drink more frequently than you think necessary, avoiding alcoholic beverages.
Before doing any gardening, it's prudent to take a few minutes to stretch. Gardening is exercise, after all, and even minimal digging and lifting can strain muscles. Always keep your feet shoulder width apart to maximize balance, and check with your doctor before trying any new stretches or exercises.
The Arthritis Foundation recommends standing with your arms extended in front of you and reaching as far forward as you are able. Then, if you can, grab your right wrist with your left hand. Holding the position, slowly elevate your arms over your head and then gently pull your right arm over your head with your left hand. Hold for a few seconds. Repeat on the other side, stretching your left arm.
Depend on your strongest assets. For instance, instead of carrying a filled container in your hands, wrap your arms around it and hold it close to your body. Lift objects with the palms of your hands instead of your fingers, and keep your back straight whenever possible, always taking care to bend at the knees, not at the waist.
Planting and harvesting herbs and vegetables needn't require any bending if you use containers. Set window boxes or planters between waist and knee height, either on sawhorses, tables or makeshift stands. Be sure to drill drainage holes in the bottom of containers and set them into place while they're empty and lightweight. Then fill with potting mix and any amendments necessary for what you'll be growing. If you have room for such a setup outside your kitchen door, all the better. And if you have difficulty lifting a filled watering can, use a garden hose or, if logistics permit, a hose that attaches to your kitchen faucet. If neither is easily accessible, keep a filled water bucket nearby and use it to fill smaller containers that you can use to water plants. A chair or bench placed in a shady spot will be welcomed both as a timeout while working and as a place from which to admire your handiwork at the end of the day.
Herbs like basil, parsley and chives lend themselves very nicely to shallow, 8-inch deep containers, as do lettuces, spinach and chards. If you want to plant broccoli, tomatoes, carrots, peppers or eggplants, go with a container that's 12-14 inches deep. Beans, cucumbers, squashes and potatoes require a depth of about 18 inches. You can even plant cherry tomatoes in window boxes. Annuals and perennials can be grown in raised beds, too. But remember: Container-grown plants will need more frequent watering and fertilizing than their in-ground counterparts, so plan accordingly.
If you're going to plant in garden beds and borders, consider investing in perennials instead of annuals. They cost a bit more at the outset, but once they're in the ground, you won't have to replace them annually; they just keep coming back. Be sure to mulch all garden areas to retain soil moisture, which cuts down on watering, and to choke out weeds.
Above all, keep the pace leisurely; home wasn't built in a day.
Special Request for the 10th Anniversary of the Annual Garden Tour
The committee plans to hang lattice on the chain link construction fence in the Community Garden to display art work. Members, friends, relatives, and complete strangers are invited to submit work.
Call to Artists
The Patchogue Garden Club
10th Annual Garden Tour
“Art in the Gardens”
10 July 2010
We invite you to submit works of art to be displayed
In the Community Garden at South Ocean Avenue
And Terry Street, Patchogue Village
Submit any medium that can be hung, subjects
to include flowers, trees, gardens, nature, etc.
Work must be framed and wired ready to hang on lattice.
Drop off at Community Garden: 8:30 AM
Pick up at Community Garden: 2:00 PM
Yes, there will be security for the day
Yes, you can drop off early:
Yes, we will have provisions to protect from rain
No, there is no fee to submit work
No, we will not sell your work
No, there is no commission to us if you do
We will provide a list of work available for sale
to patrons of the tour. To be included on the list,
please provide us with your name and contact information
and the title, medium, and price of the work by July 1, 2010
Other concerns, questions? Please RSVP your participation to
Karen 758-2671 or Mary Ann 289-8122
GOD AND ST. FRANCIS DISCUSSING LAWNS [Thanks, Mary Ann!]
GOD: Francis, you know all about gardens and nature. What in the world is going on down there? What
happened to the dandelions, violets, thistle and stuff I started eons ago? I had a perfect, no-maintenance
garden plan. Those plants grow in any type of soil, withstand drought and multiply with abandon. The nectar
from the long lasting blossoms attracts butterflies, honey bees and flocks of songbirds. I expected to see a
vast garden of colors by now. But all I see are these green rectangles.
ST. FRANCIS: It's the tribes that settled there, Lord. The Suburbanites. They started calling your flowers
"weeds" and went to great lengths to kill them and replace them with grass.
GOD: Grass? But it's so boring. It's not colorful. It doesn't attract butterflies, birds and bees, only grubs
and sod worms. It's temperamental with temperatures. Do these Suburbanites really want all that
grass growing there?
ST. FRANCIS: Apparently so, Lord. They go to great pains to grow it and keep it green. They begin
each spring by fertilizing grass and poisoning any other plant that crops up in the lawn.
GOD: The spring rains and warm weather probably make grass grow really fast. That must make the
Suburbanites happy.
ST. FRANCIS: Apparently not, Lord. As soon as it grows a little, they cut it-sometimes twice a week.
GOD: They cut it? Do they then bale it like hay?
ST. FRANCIS: Not exactly, Lord. Most of them rake it up and put it in bags.
GOD: They bag it? Why? Is it a cash crop? Do they sell it?
ST. FRANCIS: No Sir. Just the opposite. They pay to throw it away.
GOD: Now let me get this straight. They fertilize grass so it will grow. And when it does grow, they cut
it off and pay to throw it away?
ST. FRANCIS: Yes, Sir.
GOD: These Suburbanites must be relieved in the summer when we cut back on the rain and turn up
the heat. That surely slows the growth and saves them a lot of work.
ST. FRANCIS: You aren't going to believe this Lord. When the grass stops growing so fast, they drag
out hoses and pay more money to water it so they can continue to mow it and pay to get rid of it.
GOD: What nonsense. At least they kept some of the trees. That was a sheer stroke of genius, if I do
say so myself. The trees grow leaves in the spring to provide beauty and shade in the summer. In the
autumn they fall to the ground and form a natural blanket to keep moisture in the soil and protect
the trees and bushes. Plus, as they rot, the leaves form compost to enhance the soil. It's a natural circle
of life.
ST. FRANCIS: You better sit down, Lord. The Suburbanites have drawn a new circle. As soon as the
leaves fall, they rake them into great piles and pay to have them hauled away.
GOD: No. What do they do to protect the shrub and tree roots in the winter and to keep the soil moist
and loose?
ST. FRANCIS: After throwing away the leaves, they go out and buy something which they call mulch.
They haul it home and spread it around in place of the leaves.
GOD: And where do they get this mulch?
ST. FRANCIS: They cut down trees and grind them up to make the mulch.
GOD: Enough. I don't want to think about this anymore. St. Catherine, you're in charge of the arts.
What movie have they scheduled for us tonight?"
ST. CATHERINE: "Dumb and Dumber", Lord. It's a really stupid movie about.....
GOD: Never mind, I think I just heard the whole story from St. Francis.
Timely Tips for June
Remove old flowers, but not foliage from spring-flowering bulbs.
Prune shrubs that have just finished flowering, including weigela, philadelphus, and deutzia.
Propagate many shrubs from softwood cutting taken mid-June through early July.
Last chance to fertilize trees and shrubs.
If tomato blossom-end rot was a problem last year, try watering on a regular schedule to avoid wet-dry fluctuations.
Bring houseplants and most greenhouse plants outdoors and set in a shady area.
Many gardeners will agree that hand-weeding is not the terrible drudgery that it is often made out to be. Some people find in it a kind of soothing monotony. It leaves their minds free to develop the plot for their next novel or to perfect the brilliant repartee with which they should have encountered a relative's latest example of unreasonableness. ~Christopher Lloyd, The Well-Tempered Garden, 1973
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
April
Guy’s Greetings
The calendar says spring, but my garden says summer. What happened, and where did it go, did I miss “April Showers”? I don’t know about you, but I feel one morning I could see the daffodils poking out of the ground and the next day they were in full bloom. I hope your flowers are giving you there best show this spring; mine surely are...Guy
Mark the Date
Tuesday, April 27, 2010, 7:00 PM, general meeting at the Hagerman Fire Department, off Montauk Highway on the corner of Dunton Avenue and Oakdale. We’ve rescheduled our speaker, Master Beekeeper Raymond J. Lackey of Sweet Pines Apiary. He will have honey for sale for $10 per pound. For more information about him and beekeeping on Long Island, please visit the Web site at http://www.tianca.com/tianca2.html. We have invited the Bellport and Bayport Blue Point Garden Clubs to be our guests for the evening.
Friday, April 30, 2010, 11:00 AM, Tree dedication ceremony for our Hometown Hero honorees on Baker Street and South Ocean Avenue sponsored by the Greater Patchogue Foundation Beautification Committee.
"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world." ~Anne Frank
Tuesday, May 11th, 2010, 7:00 PM, Bellport Garden Club Public Meeting at the South Country Library. Joan Smith is the guest speaker demonstrating "Artistic Floral Designs"; we will raffle 6-7 of her arrangements. Please do come! Praise from the president of the BGC: “First let me congratulate you all on a really wonderful luncheon. It was beautifully organized and great fun.”
Saturday, May 15, 2010, 9:00 AM—4 PM, Annual Plant and Yard Sale in the community garden at South Ocean Avenue and Terry Street. Bring all your (as well as your friends' and relatives' great, fantastic junk and potted labeled plants to sell to benefit our scholarship fund. We need workers too, so please sign up at your earliest convenience.
Sunday, May 16, 9:00 AM—4 PM, 2010, Rain date for Annual Plant and Yard Sale.
Monday, May 17, 2010, 10:00 AM, Sayville Garden Club Luncheon at Lands End Restaurant, 80 Browns River Road, Sayvillle. The speaker is Irene Virag. $40.00 check payable to the Sayville Garden Club should be mailed to 144 Handsome Avenue, Sayville NY, 11782, by May 3. Additional info: Kay Porter, 567-3567; Pat Osarchuk, 567-2203.
Did You Know?
Butterflies need trace minerals which they can't get from flower nectar, so they gather in areas where there are puddles of water with dissolved minerals and drink the water. This is called "puddling". At the muddy or sandy puddle (often located near animal dung), the butterfly sips water rich in mineral salts and other essential nutrients (mostly sodium chloride and nitrogen-rich solutions) that have leached from the surrounding soil and rocks. Male butterflies do more puddling than females. The dissolved salts and minerals may be used to make pheromones (that the male uses to attract females) and sperm.
If you’re thinking about growing a butterfly garden or just want to know more about butterflies, check out http://www.thebutterflysite.com/. Explore 12 butterfly topics with over 125 pages packed full of butterfly information at this family-friendly site. The butterfly pages contain articles written by entomologist Randi Jones, MSc, as well as butterfly links to sites all over the web for even more information on butterflies. All information is updated frequently.
http://www.njaudubon.org/SectionBackyardHabitat/CreateaGarden.aspx has a wealth of information to get you started if the idea of attracting butterflies, moths, and hummingbirds to your garden sounds even more appealing. [Ed.: One of my favorite visitors is the hummingbird moth, below. First time I saw it, it took my breath away.]
Serious Dirt from Richard Waldman
A woman gardening wearing only a yellow thong and pink gloves has brought neighborhood complaints and new rules. Boulder Housing Partners plans to amend its rules so that tenants cover up when they're outside. Several passers-by told Boulder police earlier this week that 52-year-old Catharine Pierce was topless while tending to her yard. Last year, she was threatened with eviction for gardening wearing only pasties and a thong. Police responding to Wednesday's reports decided Pierce wasn't breaking any laws. What do YOU think, innocent or guilty? Cast your vote to karenferb@hotmail.com. Read the full AP story at
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35960364/ns/us_news-life/.
Spring Gardening Gadgets: When Technology Kills Instinct by Eyder Peralta
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=125126277&sc=emaf
Spring Gardening Gadgets: When Technology Kills Instinct by Eyder Peralta
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=125126277&sc=emaf
I didn't quite get into gardening until I moved to Washington, D.C. The house we bought came with a luscious garden that felt too precious to ignore. So, I pruned and fed and watered. I also asked around to see if anyone could figure out what that plant was with the delicate white flowers that smelled like spring. The more I got into it, the more little tools I bought. Last spring, I bought a soil tester that told me my Gardenias were yellowing because my soil wasn't acidic enough. Then, as I started planning for this spring, the techie in me got rolling. I looked into the EasyBloom Plant Sensor and the Fertile Earth WaterStiK and the Hydrofarm Germination Station. One of them you stick in the ground, let sit for 24 hours, then plug it into your computer and it brings up plants that will love that space. The Germination Station comes with a heated mat so your seedlings will grow up in the most hospitable of environments. And WaterStik? There's no more looking at the leaves to find out if your plant is parched. No, you just press a button and a light tells you whether to water. At some point, I had every intent to buy all these things. Then I thought: At what point is reliance on technology cheating? You know like saying you baked a carrot cake, when you really made it from a box.
Here's the thing: In world that's increasingly virtual, gardening is one of those few things in life whose basics still remain. Sun. Soil. Water. It's one of the few things that gives you tangible fruits from manual labor. It's also one of those things that's driven by experience, because no matter how much you read up on the net, the conditions in your backyard will inevitably be different. So the more I thought about those gardening gadgets, the more I was reminded of the lady I buy my flowers from. She's tall with long, white hair and always wears a straw gardening hat. She has to be in her '70s and knows with a certainty I've rarely encountered which plant is best suited for each person and each garden. Last year, just at the beginning of winter, I saw her at the monastery near my house. She was wearing a sun hat and no jacket. I saw her deadheading roses, twisting the top of thorny, dead flowers with her bare hands.
I use gloves; I use garden shears; I was impressed. But more than anything, it was that scene that made me walk away from those gardening gadgets. Sometimes, I thought, technology complicates. Sometimes technology takes instinct out of the equation. Sometimes, it's just better to dig in and get dirty.
An unusual technique: http://strawbalegardens.com/ [Thanks, Paula! Ed.]
For the ultimate in quick and easy productive gardening, growing plants in straw bales would have to be the outright winner. No soil. No garden edging. No digging. Just a bale of hay. When we think of growing plants, we tend to assume that soil is the only medium that we can plant into. It's just not the case. Most organic materials provide a great growing medium for plants. So, how do you do it? Here's a 10 day preparation schedule from North Carolina gardener Kent Rogers:
• Days 1–3 Water the bales thoroughly and keep them wet.
• Days 4–6 Sprinkle the bales with 1/2 cup of ammonium nitrate (32-0-0) per bale per day, and water it well into the bales. I didn’t have any trouble finding ammonium nitrate from my local ag-supply store. They sold it in 40-pound bags. I have heard, however, that some people have had difficulty finding it in more urban settings. Ask around.
• Days 7–9 Cut back to 1/4 cup of ammonium nitrate per bale per day and continue to water it in well.
• Day 10 No more ammonium nitrate, but do add 1 cup of 10-10-10 fertilizer per bale and water it in well.
• Day 11 Transplant your plants into the bales. I used a spatula to make a crack in the bale for each plant. Place the plant down to its first leaf and close the crack back together as best you can.
If you go buying ammonium nitrate in bulk you're probably going to raise some security alarm bells, especially if you live in the US, UK or Australia. Plus, ammonium nitrate is expensive and hard to find. There are some alternatives however, with urea being the next best option (46-0-0), and an organic substitute is poultry manure. If you want to use the chicken manure then you will need to prepare it in a bucket by just covering it with water and leaving for 2-3 days to rot. This will remain as a liquid that can be poured over the straw bales at the same rate as the ammonium nitrate.
Once your plants are in the straw bale it's just a matter of maintaining them as you would in the soil. The only proviso to this is that because a straw bale has a greater surface area (the top plus 4 sides) it will have more chance of drying out. I would advise that you grow two bales together with their long sides butting up against each other and then continuing a row with more straw bales end to end. This will significantly reduce the surface area and evaporation won't occur so readily.
This method of growing plants is mainly successful with vegetable crops and predominantly those that grow above the surface. The only vegetables that won't grow well in straw bales are your umbellifera (potatoes, swedes, carrots etc) and your alliums (garlic, leeks, onions etc). You will need to continue adding your chosen fertilizer, ammonium nitrate, urea or poultry manure every 3-4 weeks. Plus, you might want to use a liquid fertilizer as well.
More at www.nicholsgardennursery.com/strawbales.htm, www.county.ces.uga.edu/chatham/hay_bales.htm,
www.co.clay.mn.us/Depts/Extensio/ExAPHydr.htm
RIP Ralph Snodsmith
With the tragically premature loss of gardening guru Ralph Snodsmith last week, where can people turn now to have the garden dilemmas solved? One possibility would be The English Lady Landscape & Home, Organically Improving Our Lives One Project At A Time.
Maureen Haseley-Jones, aka Mo, The English Lady, and her son Ian J. Sveilich are members of a family of renowned horticultural artisans whose landscaping heritage dates back to the seventeenth century.
She is the founder of the well-known and established company The English Lady Landscape and Home that works throughout the Northeast. Today Maureen is a much credited and sought after designer and expert in all matters green and garden. Her “cheeky, self-effacing style as the “garden guru” on WRCH Lite100.5 FM radio has earned her a wide fan base.
Maureen lectures throughout Connecticut on a broad range of landscape design and environmentally holistic topics. She also writes timely articles for various newspapers and magazines throughout the state, in addition to having her own weekly gardening columns in “The Shoreline News” and “The Valley Press” and begins a three part series about vegetable gardens, in the spring of 2009 in “Nutmeg Magazine”.
Beginning in 1648 their family were tenants at Powys Castle in Wales and worked the landscape for the Herbert family who were in residence. In 1680 they refined their craft under the auspice of renowned architect William Winde who designed the terrace gardens in the style of Renaissance Italy’s landscapes. Powys Castle is still considered by many landscape experts to be the best example of seventeenth century gardens in Britain today.
Maureen learned her creative design skills and horticultural acumen from her mother and grandmother and was “speaking garden” from the time she could talk. She honed her construction skills while working in the family business in the U.K. Her formal horticultural training was at the world-renowned Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew in Surrey.
The New York Sunday Times said of Maureen that “one of life’s unexpected experiences was discussing manure with an English Baroness,” and Connecticut magazine found Maureen “anything but tweedy.”
Baroness Maureen Haseley-Jones, who also has an honors degree from the London Guildhall School of Music and Drama, once understudied on the English stage the famed actress Angela Lansbury of “Murder She Wrote.” She also qualified to race on a Formula One team in Europe, raced a Lotus in the Monte Carlo rally as well as Mini-Coopers in road rallies in Northwest England.
Visit at http://theenglishlady.com/blog/. Or
WHC-TV Channel 5 West Hartford Cable Television Maureen is the featured guest on "Life and Style with Sara". You can watch it online: http://www.whctv.org/.
WRCH Lite100.5FM Maureen is the ‘all things garden and green guru’ on "In Your Garden With The English Lady". Call in with questions every third Thursday of the month from 8:00-9:00 AM or you can listen online: http://player.play.it/player/player.html?v=4.4.35&id=159&onestat=wrch
Timely Tips for May
Apply summer mulch to perennial beds and borders.
Fertilize roses every 2-3 weeks and spray weekly.
All annual flowers can be safely planted out after mid-May.
Prune spring-flowering shrubs immediately after flowering.
Prune halfway back new growth on needle evergreens if desired.
Plant dahlias, cannas, and daylilies ‘til the end of the month. Plant glads now through late June. Plant tuberous begonias and caladiums out in shady protected areas.
Fertilize annuals and vegetables and stake tall perennials that could be damaged by wind or rain.
"Sweet April showers / Do spring May flowers."
Thomas Tusser, A Hundred Good Points of Husbandry, 1557
The calendar says spring, but my garden says summer. What happened, and where did it go, did I miss “April Showers”? I don’t know about you, but I feel one morning I could see the daffodils poking out of the ground and the next day they were in full bloom. I hope your flowers are giving you there best show this spring; mine surely are...Guy
Mark the Date
Tuesday, April 27, 2010, 7:00 PM, general meeting at the Hagerman Fire Department, off Montauk Highway on the corner of Dunton Avenue and Oakdale. We’ve rescheduled our speaker, Master Beekeeper Raymond J. Lackey of Sweet Pines Apiary. He will have honey for sale for $10 per pound. For more information about him and beekeeping on Long Island, please visit the Web site at http://www.tianca.com/tianca2.html. We have invited the Bellport and Bayport Blue Point Garden Clubs to be our guests for the evening.
Friday, April 30, 2010, 11:00 AM, Tree dedication ceremony for our Hometown Hero honorees on Baker Street and South Ocean Avenue sponsored by the Greater Patchogue Foundation Beautification Committee.
"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world." ~Anne Frank
Tuesday, May 11th, 2010, 7:00 PM, Bellport Garden Club Public Meeting at the South Country Library. Joan Smith is the guest speaker demonstrating "Artistic Floral Designs"; we will raffle 6-7 of her arrangements. Please do come! Praise from the president of the BGC: “First let me congratulate you all on a really wonderful luncheon. It was beautifully organized and great fun.”
Saturday, May 15, 2010, 9:00 AM—4 PM, Annual Plant and Yard Sale in the community garden at South Ocean Avenue and Terry Street. Bring all your (as well as your friends' and relatives' great, fantastic junk and potted labeled plants to sell to benefit our scholarship fund. We need workers too, so please sign up at your earliest convenience.
Sunday, May 16, 9:00 AM—4 PM, 2010, Rain date for Annual Plant and Yard Sale.
Monday, May 17, 2010, 10:00 AM, Sayville Garden Club Luncheon at Lands End Restaurant, 80 Browns River Road, Sayvillle. The speaker is Irene Virag. $40.00 check payable to the Sayville Garden Club should be mailed to 144 Handsome Avenue, Sayville NY, 11782, by May 3. Additional info: Kay Porter, 567-3567; Pat Osarchuk, 567-2203.
Did You Know?
Butterflies need trace minerals which they can't get from flower nectar, so they gather in areas where there are puddles of water with dissolved minerals and drink the water. This is called "puddling". At the muddy or sandy puddle (often located near animal dung), the butterfly sips water rich in mineral salts and other essential nutrients (mostly sodium chloride and nitrogen-rich solutions) that have leached from the surrounding soil and rocks. Male butterflies do more puddling than females. The dissolved salts and minerals may be used to make pheromones (that the male uses to attract females) and sperm.
If you’re thinking about growing a butterfly garden or just want to know more about butterflies, check out http://www.thebutterflysite.com/. Explore 12 butterfly topics with over 125 pages packed full of butterfly information at this family-friendly site. The butterfly pages contain articles written by entomologist Randi Jones, MSc, as well as butterfly links to sites all over the web for even more information on butterflies. All information is updated frequently.
http://www.njaudubon.org/SectionBackyardHabitat/CreateaGarden.aspx has a wealth of information to get you started if the idea of attracting butterflies, moths, and hummingbirds to your garden sounds even more appealing. [Ed.: One of my favorite visitors is the hummingbird moth, below. First time I saw it, it took my breath away.]
Serious Dirt from Richard Waldman
A woman gardening wearing only a yellow thong and pink gloves has brought neighborhood complaints and new rules. Boulder Housing Partners plans to amend its rules so that tenants cover up when they're outside. Several passers-by told Boulder police earlier this week that 52-year-old Catharine Pierce was topless while tending to her yard. Last year, she was threatened with eviction for gardening wearing only pasties and a thong. Police responding to Wednesday's reports decided Pierce wasn't breaking any laws. What do YOU think, innocent or guilty? Cast your vote to karenferb@hotmail.com. Read the full AP story at
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35960364/ns/us_news-life/.
Spring Gardening Gadgets: When Technology Kills Instinct by Eyder Peralta
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=125126277&sc=emaf
Spring Gardening Gadgets: When Technology Kills Instinct by Eyder Peralta
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=125126277&sc=emaf
I didn't quite get into gardening until I moved to Washington, D.C. The house we bought came with a luscious garden that felt too precious to ignore. So, I pruned and fed and watered. I also asked around to see if anyone could figure out what that plant was with the delicate white flowers that smelled like spring. The more I got into it, the more little tools I bought. Last spring, I bought a soil tester that told me my Gardenias were yellowing because my soil wasn't acidic enough. Then, as I started planning for this spring, the techie in me got rolling. I looked into the EasyBloom Plant Sensor and the Fertile Earth WaterStiK and the Hydrofarm Germination Station. One of them you stick in the ground, let sit for 24 hours, then plug it into your computer and it brings up plants that will love that space. The Germination Station comes with a heated mat so your seedlings will grow up in the most hospitable of environments. And WaterStik? There's no more looking at the leaves to find out if your plant is parched. No, you just press a button and a light tells you whether to water. At some point, I had every intent to buy all these things. Then I thought: At what point is reliance on technology cheating? You know like saying you baked a carrot cake, when you really made it from a box.
Here's the thing: In world that's increasingly virtual, gardening is one of those few things in life whose basics still remain. Sun. Soil. Water. It's one of the few things that gives you tangible fruits from manual labor. It's also one of those things that's driven by experience, because no matter how much you read up on the net, the conditions in your backyard will inevitably be different. So the more I thought about those gardening gadgets, the more I was reminded of the lady I buy my flowers from. She's tall with long, white hair and always wears a straw gardening hat. She has to be in her '70s and knows with a certainty I've rarely encountered which plant is best suited for each person and each garden. Last year, just at the beginning of winter, I saw her at the monastery near my house. She was wearing a sun hat and no jacket. I saw her deadheading roses, twisting the top of thorny, dead flowers with her bare hands.
I use gloves; I use garden shears; I was impressed. But more than anything, it was that scene that made me walk away from those gardening gadgets. Sometimes, I thought, technology complicates. Sometimes technology takes instinct out of the equation. Sometimes, it's just better to dig in and get dirty.
An unusual technique: http://strawbalegardens.com/ [Thanks, Paula! Ed.]
For the ultimate in quick and easy productive gardening, growing plants in straw bales would have to be the outright winner. No soil. No garden edging. No digging. Just a bale of hay. When we think of growing plants, we tend to assume that soil is the only medium that we can plant into. It's just not the case. Most organic materials provide a great growing medium for plants. So, how do you do it? Here's a 10 day preparation schedule from North Carolina gardener Kent Rogers:
• Days 1–3 Water the bales thoroughly and keep them wet.
• Days 4–6 Sprinkle the bales with 1/2 cup of ammonium nitrate (32-0-0) per bale per day, and water it well into the bales. I didn’t have any trouble finding ammonium nitrate from my local ag-supply store. They sold it in 40-pound bags. I have heard, however, that some people have had difficulty finding it in more urban settings. Ask around.
• Days 7–9 Cut back to 1/4 cup of ammonium nitrate per bale per day and continue to water it in well.
• Day 10 No more ammonium nitrate, but do add 1 cup of 10-10-10 fertilizer per bale and water it in well.
• Day 11 Transplant your plants into the bales. I used a spatula to make a crack in the bale for each plant. Place the plant down to its first leaf and close the crack back together as best you can.
If you go buying ammonium nitrate in bulk you're probably going to raise some security alarm bells, especially if you live in the US, UK or Australia. Plus, ammonium nitrate is expensive and hard to find. There are some alternatives however, with urea being the next best option (46-0-0), and an organic substitute is poultry manure. If you want to use the chicken manure then you will need to prepare it in a bucket by just covering it with water and leaving for 2-3 days to rot. This will remain as a liquid that can be poured over the straw bales at the same rate as the ammonium nitrate.
Once your plants are in the straw bale it's just a matter of maintaining them as you would in the soil. The only proviso to this is that because a straw bale has a greater surface area (the top plus 4 sides) it will have more chance of drying out. I would advise that you grow two bales together with their long sides butting up against each other and then continuing a row with more straw bales end to end. This will significantly reduce the surface area and evaporation won't occur so readily.
This method of growing plants is mainly successful with vegetable crops and predominantly those that grow above the surface. The only vegetables that won't grow well in straw bales are your umbellifera (potatoes, swedes, carrots etc) and your alliums (garlic, leeks, onions etc). You will need to continue adding your chosen fertilizer, ammonium nitrate, urea or poultry manure every 3-4 weeks. Plus, you might want to use a liquid fertilizer as well.
More at www.nicholsgardennursery.com/strawbales.htm, www.county.ces.uga.edu/chatham/hay_bales.htm,
www.co.clay.mn.us/Depts/Extensio/ExAPHydr.htm
RIP Ralph Snodsmith
With the tragically premature loss of gardening guru Ralph Snodsmith last week, where can people turn now to have the garden dilemmas solved? One possibility would be The English Lady Landscape & Home, Organically Improving Our Lives One Project At A Time.
Maureen Haseley-Jones, aka Mo, The English Lady, and her son Ian J. Sveilich are members of a family of renowned horticultural artisans whose landscaping heritage dates back to the seventeenth century.
She is the founder of the well-known and established company The English Lady Landscape and Home that works throughout the Northeast. Today Maureen is a much credited and sought after designer and expert in all matters green and garden. Her “cheeky, self-effacing style as the “garden guru” on WRCH Lite100.5 FM radio has earned her a wide fan base.
Maureen lectures throughout Connecticut on a broad range of landscape design and environmentally holistic topics. She also writes timely articles for various newspapers and magazines throughout the state, in addition to having her own weekly gardening columns in “The Shoreline News” and “The Valley Press” and begins a three part series about vegetable gardens, in the spring of 2009 in “Nutmeg Magazine”.
Beginning in 1648 their family were tenants at Powys Castle in Wales and worked the landscape for the Herbert family who were in residence. In 1680 they refined their craft under the auspice of renowned architect William Winde who designed the terrace gardens in the style of Renaissance Italy’s landscapes. Powys Castle is still considered by many landscape experts to be the best example of seventeenth century gardens in Britain today.
Maureen learned her creative design skills and horticultural acumen from her mother and grandmother and was “speaking garden” from the time she could talk. She honed her construction skills while working in the family business in the U.K. Her formal horticultural training was at the world-renowned Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew in Surrey.
The New York Sunday Times said of Maureen that “one of life’s unexpected experiences was discussing manure with an English Baroness,” and Connecticut magazine found Maureen “anything but tweedy.”
Baroness Maureen Haseley-Jones, who also has an honors degree from the London Guildhall School of Music and Drama, once understudied on the English stage the famed actress Angela Lansbury of “Murder She Wrote.” She also qualified to race on a Formula One team in Europe, raced a Lotus in the Monte Carlo rally as well as Mini-Coopers in road rallies in Northwest England.
Visit at http://theenglishlady.com/blog/. Or
WHC-TV Channel 5 West Hartford Cable Television Maureen is the featured guest on "Life and Style with Sara". You can watch it online: http://www.whctv.org/.
WRCH Lite100.5FM Maureen is the ‘all things garden and green guru’ on "In Your Garden With The English Lady". Call in with questions every third Thursday of the month from 8:00-9:00 AM or you can listen online: http://player.play.it/player/player.html?v=4.4.35&id=159&onestat=wrch
Timely Tips for May
Apply summer mulch to perennial beds and borders.
Fertilize roses every 2-3 weeks and spray weekly.
All annual flowers can be safely planted out after mid-May.
Prune spring-flowering shrubs immediately after flowering.
Prune halfway back new growth on needle evergreens if desired.
Plant dahlias, cannas, and daylilies ‘til the end of the month. Plant glads now through late June. Plant tuberous begonias and caladiums out in shady protected areas.
Fertilize annuals and vegetables and stake tall perennials that could be damaged by wind or rain.
"Sweet April showers / Do spring May flowers."
Thomas Tusser, A Hundred Good Points of Husbandry, 1557
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
March Newsletter
Guy’s Greetings
As our terrible, horrible winter morphs into spring, I find myself again in a state of wonder over the resilience of life. Crocus and other minor bulbs suddenly graced us with bright, welcoming colors, daffodil buds are swelling in sheltered spots, witch hazels delight with their sassy fragrant flowers, leaf buds on trees and shrubs are emerging, and perennials are poking up fresh green shoots everywhere. And then there are the weeds, already out of control!
Our “Think Spring” luncheon was a great success with a record number of raffles, a stunning quilt exhibition, and even a home-grown poetry reading. Congratulations to Georgia, Arlene, and their committee on a job superbly done.
Mark the Date
Tuesday, March 23, 2010, 7:00 PM, general meeting at the Hagerman Fire Department, off Montauk Highway on the corner of Dunton Avenue and Oakdale. Our speaker will be Master Beekeeper Raymond J. Lackey of Sweet Pines Apiary. He will have honey for sale for $10 per pound. For more information about him and beekeeping on Long Island, please visit the Web site at http://www.tianca.com/tianca2.html.
Dues are being accepted now until March 31, 2010. The board has voted on a late fee of $5 after that date, which means a single membership will be $20 and a couple $25.
This just in! The Public is invited to share ideas about local Victory Gardens. Bring your ideas! Each speaker gets 3 minutes. Two of the four meetings are left: March 24, 2010, Brookhaven Town Hall, 10:00 AM – 12:00 Noon, and March 31, 2010, Farmingdale State University Little Theater, 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM. For more information or to be placed on the Task Force's mailing list, contact Legislator Vivian Viloria-Fisher's office at 631-854-1650 or contact hobbsfarmfriends@aol.com.
February Meeting in a Flash
Paula and June still need information from members to complete the membership booklet. Please complete a membership form.
Peter Priola, a student at LIU, gave a very interesting talk about tagging Monarch butterflies and their migration habits.
Guy spoke with Lori about the many problems with the Winona Cottage and suggested the Carnegie Library when it is moved or the Patchogue Beach Club as possible alternate meeting sites. The possibility of using one of the local churches came up.
We now have a brand new trifold brochure. These need to be placed in public places and at our various events.
John H. Rouse, Brookhaven Supt. Of Highways, Presents
Learn A-Z about plants. Floral arranging, plant propagation, etc. at the Harold Malkmes Wildlife Education and Ecology Center, 249 Buckley Road, Holtsville NY 11742. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Call 758-9664 Extension 10
Adult Horticulture Classes, Wednesdays 10:00 AM – 12:00 Noon on April 14, 21, 28; and May 5, 12, & 19. The suggested donation for supplies for the full session is $30.00. Please make your donation payable to "Brookhaven Wildlife Center, Inc." and include name, address, phone, and emergency contact.
Garden Photography Contest
Great gardening goes hand in hand with great photography—that's why Horticulture is pleased to introduce the new Garden Photography Awards to celebrate the best in garden photography. One grand-prize winner will be selected by renowned garden photographer Rob Cardillo; the winner will receive $1000 and the winner's name and winning photograph will appear in the January 2011 issue of Horticulture. Note that entries are $20.00 each. http://hortmag.com/gardenphotoawards.
“The Botany of Desire: A Plant’s Eye View of the World”
Didn’t we all read the best seller by Michael Pollan? It is now a PBS program available on DVD via the library. The documentary begins in Pollan’s own garden and proceeds around the world from potato fields in Peru to tulip markets in Amsterdam with stops for apples in New England and a medical marijuana greenhouse (they didn’t say where, but there is only one in the United States, the legendary Ole Miss Pot Farm at the University of Mississippi, bringing pot to people since 1968). The DVD special features include over 15 minutes of scenes deleted from the original program, a panel discussion about the interdisciplinary importance of the book, and additional interview footage with Michael Pollan. Go behind the scenes, and more at http://www.pbs.org/thebotanyofdesire/.
“…our sense of plants as passive objects is a failure of imagination, rooted in the fact that plants occupy what amounts to a different dimension.”
~ Michael Pollan, “The Botany of Desire”
Serious Dirt From Richard Waldman
Join good people doing great things…and help us fight dirty!!!
3rd Annual Great Brookhaven Cleanup and Plant-In
KEEP BROOKHAVEN BEAUTIFUL and Keep America Beautiful, Inc., in cooperation with the Town of Brookhaven, invite you to join the Great American Cleanup™. Every spring, individuals and groups join the Great American Cleanup, the nation’s largest organized cleanup, beautification and community improvement program. The volunteers know that they really make a difference, and the results are dramatic! The communities look clean and beautiful, and there is a sense of hometown pride and accomplishment.
Last year, 4,000 Brookhaven residents joined over 2.3 million volunteers in more than 15,000 communities across America to pick up millions of tons of litter, renew parks, plant community gardens, beautify miles of roadway, and clean up rivers, lakes, and seashores in their communities.
Join thousands of Brookhaven residents to help make Brookhaven a cleaner, greener, more beautiful Town!
Cleanup - April 17
• Identify a specific site that you would like to improve. Visit the site to plan your event and get permission from the property owner if necessary.
• Possible activities: • Litter cleanups on streets, parks, playgrounds • River, lake and seashore cleanups • Woodland trail and field cleanups • Park renewals • Nature trail and woodland cleanups • School cleanups • Commercial Site / Shopping Center cleanups • Graffiti paintovers / removals • Beautification / community improvement projects
• Recruit family members, friends or neighbors to help
• Register your individual or group’s participation
• Pick up your gloves, tee shirts and bags. Pick-up times and locations will be emailed to you upon registration.
Plant-In - May 15
Groups and individuals are invited to join the Great Brookhaven Plant-In to help identify and remediate areas that need a makeover. Choose a spot and make it pretty. Compost, wood chips, and a limited number of plants will be provided.
• Identify a specific site that you would like to improve. Visit the site to plan your event and get permission from the property owner if necessary.
• Areas that can benefit from decorative plants and landscaping include: • Parks • Vacant corners • Shopping centers / Commercial sites • Schools, Churches, Nursing Homes • Memorials • Medians / Buffers
• Register your individual or group’s participation
• Pick up your plants on the day of event (compost and wood chips will be delivered) ...and make it pretty!
Details: http://www.brookhaven.org/DesktopModules/Bring2mind/DMX/Download.aspx?TabId=134&Command=Core_Download&EntryId=2664&PortalId=0&TabId=134
Tree Damage from the Latest Nor’easter?
http://www.newsday.com/lifestyle/home-and-garden/garden-detective-1.8120
29/what-to-do-about-storm-damage-to-trees-1.1812050
We wish to thank the following businesses, friends, members &
organizations for donations to our 2010 “Think Spring” luncheon
Advance Auto Parts
Associates Gourmet Market
Astoria Federal Savings
Margaret Atkinson*
Bayport Flower Houses Inc.
Babette Bishop*
Barbara Bestafka*
Blums
Bobbique
Bonnie & Fred Bossert
Brick House Brewery
Barbara Bruce
Carla Buchanan-Steward*
Pauline Carleton*
Carvel
Casino Clam Company
Anne Marie Coakley
Rosalie Coleman
The Colony Shop
Country Kitchen Restaurant
Creative Hair Replacement
Curves
Peg & Frank Densing
Joanna Drake
Georgia Dulmovits, Co-chair*
John Dulmovits
Fantastic Gardens
KarenFerb* Finest Fitness Health & Sports Club
The Fish Store
Sandra Franco
Friends of the Patchogue-Medford Library
Forever Young
Linda Gugliuzzo
Barbara & John Gustafson
Gladys Heimburger*
Janet Heyer*
Mark Jeffers
J&R Steak House
Lynn Kane
King Kullen
Arlene Lamberti, Co-chair*
Marie Magnano*
Marita’s Hair Studio
Marita Morello*
Phyllis Mendelson
Jo Miller*
Paula Murphy
New York New Wave
Painters’
Panera
PatchogueFloralDesign Patchogue Picture Frame Inc.
Patchworks
PeraBell Food Bar
Petite Pets
June Petruccelli*
The Pilates Studio of Bayport
Quench Wine & Spirits
Diane Riviello-Voland
Marjorie Roe
Annie Rubbo*
Salon Bellport
Carolyn* & Tom Savastano
Sue Scala
Ellen Scammon
Signs & Advertising
Starbucks Coffee Company
Summer Salt Beach House
SwanBakery Swan Cleaners
Swiftway Wine & Liquor
Ruth Szuminskyj*
Tall Tree Flower Shoppe
Mary Ann Tchinnis*
Theatre 3 Productions, Inc.
Joan Tifford*
Time On My Hands
SusanToplitz Town of Brookhaven
Tricia’s Hair Galleria
Carol Tvelia
Village Fish Market
Guy Vitale
Phyllis Voegeli
Bert Voland
Waitress-To-Go
Tony Wenderoth
Carolyn Young*
Millie Zimmerman*
Colleen Zollobb
Creative Hair Replacement
*Denotes members of the committee
Our supporters, the best!
Timely Tips for April
Plant new trees and shrubs now.
Prepare soil in the vegetable garden and annual beds; sow early crops of peas, radishes, lettuce, and hardy annuals such as cornflowers, larkspur, and annual poppies.
Remove earth mounds from roses and prune established ones.
Now is a good time to control grubs on lawns.
Trim and repot houseplants as necessary.
Plant herbaceous perennials through May. For perennials already up a few inches, spread a ring of fertilizer around them and water in. If they are summer or fall blooming, divide them now.
"In every walk with nature, one receives far more than he seeks."
~The Writings of John Muir, Volume 8
As our terrible, horrible winter morphs into spring, I find myself again in a state of wonder over the resilience of life. Crocus and other minor bulbs suddenly graced us with bright, welcoming colors, daffodil buds are swelling in sheltered spots, witch hazels delight with their sassy fragrant flowers, leaf buds on trees and shrubs are emerging, and perennials are poking up fresh green shoots everywhere. And then there are the weeds, already out of control!
Our “Think Spring” luncheon was a great success with a record number of raffles, a stunning quilt exhibition, and even a home-grown poetry reading. Congratulations to Georgia, Arlene, and their committee on a job superbly done.
Mark the Date
Tuesday, March 23, 2010, 7:00 PM, general meeting at the Hagerman Fire Department, off Montauk Highway on the corner of Dunton Avenue and Oakdale. Our speaker will be Master Beekeeper Raymond J. Lackey of Sweet Pines Apiary. He will have honey for sale for $10 per pound. For more information about him and beekeeping on Long Island, please visit the Web site at http://www.tianca.com/tianca2.html.
Dues are being accepted now until March 31, 2010. The board has voted on a late fee of $5 after that date, which means a single membership will be $20 and a couple $25.
This just in! The Public is invited to share ideas about local Victory Gardens. Bring your ideas! Each speaker gets 3 minutes. Two of the four meetings are left: March 24, 2010, Brookhaven Town Hall, 10:00 AM – 12:00 Noon, and March 31, 2010, Farmingdale State University Little Theater, 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM. For more information or to be placed on the Task Force's mailing list, contact Legislator Vivian Viloria-Fisher's office at 631-854-1650 or contact hobbsfarmfriends@aol.com.
February Meeting in a Flash
Paula and June still need information from members to complete the membership booklet. Please complete a membership form.
Peter Priola, a student at LIU, gave a very interesting talk about tagging Monarch butterflies and their migration habits.
Guy spoke with Lori about the many problems with the Winona Cottage and suggested the Carnegie Library when it is moved or the Patchogue Beach Club as possible alternate meeting sites. The possibility of using one of the local churches came up.
We now have a brand new trifold brochure. These need to be placed in public places and at our various events.
John H. Rouse, Brookhaven Supt. Of Highways, Presents
Learn A-Z about plants. Floral arranging, plant propagation, etc. at the Harold Malkmes Wildlife Education and Ecology Center, 249 Buckley Road, Holtsville NY 11742. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Call 758-9664 Extension 10
Adult Horticulture Classes, Wednesdays 10:00 AM – 12:00 Noon on April 14, 21, 28; and May 5, 12, & 19. The suggested donation for supplies for the full session is $30.00. Please make your donation payable to "Brookhaven Wildlife Center, Inc." and include name, address, phone, and emergency contact.
Garden Photography Contest
Great gardening goes hand in hand with great photography—that's why Horticulture is pleased to introduce the new Garden Photography Awards to celebrate the best in garden photography. One grand-prize winner will be selected by renowned garden photographer Rob Cardillo; the winner will receive $1000 and the winner's name and winning photograph will appear in the January 2011 issue of Horticulture. Note that entries are $20.00 each. http://hortmag.com/gardenphotoawards.
“The Botany of Desire: A Plant’s Eye View of the World”
Didn’t we all read the best seller by Michael Pollan? It is now a PBS program available on DVD via the library. The documentary begins in Pollan’s own garden and proceeds around the world from potato fields in Peru to tulip markets in Amsterdam with stops for apples in New England and a medical marijuana greenhouse (they didn’t say where, but there is only one in the United States, the legendary Ole Miss Pot Farm at the University of Mississippi, bringing pot to people since 1968). The DVD special features include over 15 minutes of scenes deleted from the original program, a panel discussion about the interdisciplinary importance of the book, and additional interview footage with Michael Pollan. Go behind the scenes, and more at http://www.pbs.org/thebotanyofdesire/.
“…our sense of plants as passive objects is a failure of imagination, rooted in the fact that plants occupy what amounts to a different dimension.”
~ Michael Pollan, “The Botany of Desire”
Serious Dirt From Richard Waldman
Join good people doing great things…and help us fight dirty!!!
3rd Annual Great Brookhaven Cleanup and Plant-In
KEEP BROOKHAVEN BEAUTIFUL and Keep America Beautiful, Inc., in cooperation with the Town of Brookhaven, invite you to join the Great American Cleanup™. Every spring, individuals and groups join the Great American Cleanup, the nation’s largest organized cleanup, beautification and community improvement program. The volunteers know that they really make a difference, and the results are dramatic! The communities look clean and beautiful, and there is a sense of hometown pride and accomplishment.
Last year, 4,000 Brookhaven residents joined over 2.3 million volunteers in more than 15,000 communities across America to pick up millions of tons of litter, renew parks, plant community gardens, beautify miles of roadway, and clean up rivers, lakes, and seashores in their communities.
Join thousands of Brookhaven residents to help make Brookhaven a cleaner, greener, more beautiful Town!
Cleanup - April 17
• Identify a specific site that you would like to improve. Visit the site to plan your event and get permission from the property owner if necessary.
• Possible activities: • Litter cleanups on streets, parks, playgrounds • River, lake and seashore cleanups • Woodland trail and field cleanups • Park renewals • Nature trail and woodland cleanups • School cleanups • Commercial Site / Shopping Center cleanups • Graffiti paintovers / removals • Beautification / community improvement projects
• Recruit family members, friends or neighbors to help
• Register your individual or group’s participation
• Pick up your gloves, tee shirts and bags. Pick-up times and locations will be emailed to you upon registration.
Plant-In - May 15
Groups and individuals are invited to join the Great Brookhaven Plant-In to help identify and remediate areas that need a makeover. Choose a spot and make it pretty. Compost, wood chips, and a limited number of plants will be provided.
• Identify a specific site that you would like to improve. Visit the site to plan your event and get permission from the property owner if necessary.
• Areas that can benefit from decorative plants and landscaping include: • Parks • Vacant corners • Shopping centers / Commercial sites • Schools, Churches, Nursing Homes • Memorials • Medians / Buffers
• Register your individual or group’s participation
• Pick up your plants on the day of event (compost and wood chips will be delivered) ...and make it pretty!
Details: http://www.brookhaven.org/DesktopModules/Bring2mind/DMX/Download.aspx?TabId=134&Command=Core_Download&EntryId=2664&PortalId=0&TabId=134
Tree Damage from the Latest Nor’easter?
http://www.newsday.com/lifestyle/home-and-garden/garden-detective-1.8120
29/what-to-do-about-storm-damage-to-trees-1.1812050
We wish to thank the following businesses, friends, members &
organizations for donations to our 2010 “Think Spring” luncheon
Advance Auto Parts
Associates Gourmet Market
Astoria Federal Savings
Margaret Atkinson*
Bayport Flower Houses Inc.
Babette Bishop*
Barbara Bestafka*
Blums
Bobbique
Bonnie & Fred Bossert
Brick House Brewery
Barbara Bruce
Carla Buchanan-Steward*
Pauline Carleton*
Carvel
Casino Clam Company
Anne Marie Coakley
Rosalie Coleman
The Colony Shop
Country Kitchen Restaurant
Creative Hair Replacement
Curves
Peg & Frank Densing
Joanna Drake
Georgia Dulmovits, Co-chair*
John Dulmovits
Fantastic Gardens
KarenFerb* Finest Fitness Health & Sports Club
The Fish Store
Sandra Franco
Friends of the Patchogue-Medford Library
Forever Young
Linda Gugliuzzo
Barbara & John Gustafson
Gladys Heimburger*
Janet Heyer*
Mark Jeffers
J&R Steak House
Lynn Kane
King Kullen
Arlene Lamberti, Co-chair*
Marie Magnano*
Marita’s Hair Studio
Marita Morello*
Phyllis Mendelson
Jo Miller*
Paula Murphy
New York New Wave
Painters’
Panera
PatchogueFloralDesign Patchogue Picture Frame Inc.
Patchworks
PeraBell Food Bar
Petite Pets
June Petruccelli*
The Pilates Studio of Bayport
Quench Wine & Spirits
Diane Riviello-Voland
Marjorie Roe
Annie Rubbo*
Salon Bellport
Carolyn* & Tom Savastano
Sue Scala
Ellen Scammon
Signs & Advertising
Starbucks Coffee Company
Summer Salt Beach House
SwanBakery Swan Cleaners
Swiftway Wine & Liquor
Ruth Szuminskyj*
Tall Tree Flower Shoppe
Mary Ann Tchinnis*
Theatre 3 Productions, Inc.
Joan Tifford*
Time On My Hands
SusanToplitz Town of Brookhaven
Tricia’s Hair Galleria
Carol Tvelia
Village Fish Market
Guy Vitale
Phyllis Voegeli
Bert Voland
Waitress-To-Go
Tony Wenderoth
Carolyn Young*
Millie Zimmerman*
Colleen Zollobb
Creative Hair Replacement
*Denotes members of the committee
Our supporters, the best!
Timely Tips for April
Plant new trees and shrubs now.
Prepare soil in the vegetable garden and annual beds; sow early crops of peas, radishes, lettuce, and hardy annuals such as cornflowers, larkspur, and annual poppies.
Remove earth mounds from roses and prune established ones.
Now is a good time to control grubs on lawns.
Trim and repot houseplants as necessary.
Plant herbaceous perennials through May. For perennials already up a few inches, spread a ring of fertilizer around them and water in. If they are summer or fall blooming, divide them now.
"In every walk with nature, one receives far more than he seeks."
~The Writings of John Muir, Volume 8
Saturday, February 20, 2010
February Newsletter
Guy’s Greetings
As I relax in my seat at a cruising speed of 560mph and 34,110 ft above the eastern coast of the United States I am reminded how cold it has been in Florida this winter. With lows in the low 20s and highs no higher than 60 for the past few weeks, even sunny South Florida was not immune to old man winter this year. As I traveled the state I could see the damage to Florida’s tropical and subtropical plants, not to mention her majestic palms. Everywhere I went I saw the full effect of weeks of unseasonable weather. I look forward to coming home and seeing my garden, knowing all this snow is covering, insulating, and protecting my tender spring bulbs, perennials, and even my cold tolerant grasses. In a few short weeks we will be enjoying the rebirth of spring while Floridians are thawing out and starting over.
Guy
Mark the Date
Tuesday, February 23, 2010, 7:00 PM, general meeting at the Hagerman Fire Department, off Montauk Highway on the corner of Dunton Avenue and Oakdale. Our speaker will be Peter Priolo on tagging Monarch butterflies.
Dues will be accepted now until March 31, 2010. The board has voted on
a late fee of $5 after that date, which means a single membership will
be $20 and a couple will be $25.
Thursday, March 11, 2010, 7th Annual “Think Spring” luncheon and quilt exhibit, Mediterranean Manor, 303 E. Main Street, Patchogue. Guest speaker: Doug Steigerwald of Long Island Flower Garden and Florist. Raffles and door prizes. Doors open at 10:30 AM.
The luncheon Committee has been off and running since October. We have gathered 21 large quilts and several smaller quilts to be exhibited. Under the direction of Margaret Atkinson we have put together Scented Spice Mats for each person attending, and, by the way, Phyllis Mendelson has made a small quilt to be raffled. Catch our spirit and join us! Tickets are $35.00 per person. Reservations for the luncheon can be made at the February 23 meeting or by sending a check to Patchogue Garden Club, PO Box 3030, Patchogue NY 11772-0887.
For more information call Georgia at 631- 289-0867 or Arlene at 631-730-7572.
January Meeting in a Flash
Thursday, March 11th – Luncheon
Saturday, March 27 – St. Patrick’s Day Parade
Saturday, April 10th – Open the Garden; rain date Sunday, April 11th
Saturday, May 15th – Plant and Yard Sale; rain date Sunday, May 16th
Saturday, June 12th – Breakfast in the Garden
Saturday, July 10th – Garden Tour and Club dinner
TBA – Harvest Dinner
Saturday, November 13th – Close the Garden, possibly combined with decorating the gazebo for Christmas.
Sunday, December 12th – Christmas House Tour
Paula has several speakers for future meetings. If you have suggestions for speakers, get in touch with Paula.
Paperwork for the scholarship is being submitted. The amount is increased to $750.
Paula and June need information from members to complete the membership booklet.
Jo Miller is looking into trips that we could take as a club.
Carol T. has expense forms to be filled out for reimbursement; you must provide receipts along with the forms.
The Garden Conservancy 2010 New York Open Days
Bronx: June 13
Columbia County: May 23, June 12, July 11 & 18, September 11
Dutchess County: May 8 & 15, June 12, July 17, August 22, October 2
Suffolk County: May 1 & 15, June 26, July 10, September 11
Nassau County: May 16
Putnam County: May 23, September 26
Tompkins County: May 8, June 12, July 31
Ulster County: May 23, June 12, July 10
Westchester County: April 25, May 2, 8, 23, & 29, June 5, 6, &20, July 25, September 12, October 30
Check back for specific locations, date changes, and for other parts of the country at http://sn105w.snt105.mail.live.com/default.aspx?wa=wsignin1.0
The Conservancy also presents:
President's Forum: An Evening with Henriette Suhr
6 p.m. Wednesday, March 10 The New School New York City
New School President Bob Kerrey will engage in an informal discussion with Henriette Suhr, renowned interior designer and creator of Rocky Hills (a leading private garden and a Conservancy Preservation Projects in Mt. Kisco NY).
Gardening on Earth: One Couple’s 46 Years on 7 Acres
6:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 10 the Central Park Arsenal, New York City
A MetroHort lecture with Dr. Richard Lighty, founding director of the Mt. Cuba Center and a member of the Board of the Garden Conservancy.
Guy would like everyone to know that the warning not to throw rice at weddings because it will cause
the little birdies to blow up is nothing more than an urban legend, probably started by churches who were sick
of cleaning up the mess. On the subject of rice, he has contributed the following article for publication.
Thanks, Guy! This is fab—Ed.
Edible Art
Stunning crop art has sprung up across rice fields in Japan. But this is no alien creation - the designs have
been cleverly planted. Farmers creating the huge displays use no ink or dye. Instead, different colors of
rice plants have been precisely and strategically arranged and grown in the paddy fields. As summer progresses and the plants shoot up, the detailed artwork begins to emerge.
The largest and finest work is grown in the Aomori village of Inakadate, 600 miles north of Toyko. The village has now earned a reputation for its agricultural artistry and this year the enormous pictures of Napoleon and a Sengoku-period warrior, both on horseback, are visible in a pair of fields adjacent to the town hall.
More than 150,000 visitors come to Inakadate, where just 8,700 people live, every summer to see the extraordinary murals. Each year hundreds of volunteers and villagers plant four different varieties of rice in late May across huge swathes of paddy fields.
According to an August 2009 article published on Telegraph.co.uk, the rice field art tradition began in the Japanese village of Inakadate in 1993 but has now spread to other areas of Japan. Villagers and volunteers help plant four varieties of rice that grow in different colors. The farmers use computers to plan their art
before planting so that they know exactly where to place the different colored rice plants in order to create the giant images. Planting generally takes place in May and the images look their best by September. The
article notes: Each year a different design is on show, and more than 15,000 visitors travel to see the creation. Images that have adorned the village fields include a giant frog and a butterfly. Another famous paddy art venue is Yonezawa in northern Japan; this year's design shows fictional 16th-century samurai
warrior Naoe Kanetsugu and his wife Osen.
The farmers create the murals by planting purple and yellow-leafed kodaimai rice along with their local green-leafed tsugaru roman variety.
Watch a time-lapse video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztF8xQpjQgA
More video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEr3FLAxmHU&feature=fvw
Our own Master Gardener Betty Baran announces that the 28th Annual Spring Gardening School of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County will be held at The Academy of St. Joseph in Brentwood on April 10, 2010, Bellport High School on April 17, 2010, and Riverhead Middle School on April 24, 2010, from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. This day includes your choice of classes from four different sessions, with information for every level of gardener from beginner to advanced. Topics include:
• Fundamentals of gardening
• Pruning
• Floral design
• Home Composting
• Water-wise gardening
• Gardening with children
• Vegetable gardening
• Houseplants, dahlias, hydrangeas, bulbs, roses, and many more!
All classes are taught by Master Gardeners and Extension Educators. Included in your fee are free soil pH testing, plant diagnostic clinic, plant sale from some of the finest nurseries, continental breakfast, delicious boxed lunch, and door prizes. The fee is $55 per person, early bird registration is $50 before March 5, 2010.
The registration form with a full schedule of classes and their descriptions is available for download at www.ccesuffolk.org or contact Caroline Kiang at 631-727-7850, ext. 337 or 345.
Ed. Note: To avoid disappointment, please be sure to consult the catalog of sessions since not all sessions are offered at each location. Pre-registration is required.
What's In A Name? Author Tells Stories Behind Trees
NPR: “All Things Considered” January 7, 2010
Listen to broadcast at:
http://www.npr.org/templates/player/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=122294877&m=122325777
Author Diana Wells says one of her favorite trees is the Stewartia, a 20-foot-tall tree in her garden that has "lovely white flowers" and a flaky bark. In her book Lives of the Trees: An Uncommon History [available at PM Library—Ed.], author Diana Wells explores people's relationship with about 100 trees and the stories behind their names. They're arranged in alphabetical order from acacia to Wollemi Pine. "They're so much part of our lives, both in ways we know and ways we don't know," Wells tells NPR's Michele Norris. "Whether it be a cup of coffee or a Kleenex or your rubber tires on your automobile, they are very much bound in our life, and these days, of course, we know that they're essential to our planet."
Wells says one of her favorites is the Stewartia, which comes from Japan but was named for the 18th century Scottish Earl of Bute John Stuart. Wells likes the juxtaposition of cultures in the tree's history, she says. The 20-foot-tall tree that is in Wells' garden has "lovely white flowers" and a flaky bark, and she looked at it as she wrote the book. The Japanese cedar speaks to Wells because of a tradition that surrounds it — called forest bathing. "You go into the forest and soak yourself in the trees," she says. "I live where there are woods and I will [do that] quite often and let the trees feel as if I'm part of the forest. It's very, very soothing — it's beautiful."
Wells says she hopes the book will inspire readers to discover the trees around them. "It would help us if we were more familiar with trees," she says. "I think if we did that, it would cement the bond, and it would help all of us. We need the trees and they need us."
Timely Tips for March
If you haven’t cleaned, repaired, oiled, and sharpened your tools and machines yet, do it now.
Get cold frames ready, turn over soil, and spade in a balanced fertilizer.
Apply horticultural oil sprays to trees and shrubs any time after the danger of freezing nights has passed but before buds begin to open
Sow radish and lettuce seeds as early as the ground can be worked.
Begin moving/transplanting trees and shrubs; do not fertilize at planting.
For perennials already up a few inches, spread a ring of fertilizer around them and water in. If they are summer or fall blooming, divide them now. Gradually uncover, prune, and feed established roses.
Did you know? The leaves of Beautyberry (Callicarpa) contain two compounds that repel mosquitoes as effectively as DEET. The USDA also reports these extracts repel ticks and fire ants for one to several hours.
As I relax in my seat at a cruising speed of 560mph and 34,110 ft above the eastern coast of the United States I am reminded how cold it has been in Florida this winter. With lows in the low 20s and highs no higher than 60 for the past few weeks, even sunny South Florida was not immune to old man winter this year. As I traveled the state I could see the damage to Florida’s tropical and subtropical plants, not to mention her majestic palms. Everywhere I went I saw the full effect of weeks of unseasonable weather. I look forward to coming home and seeing my garden, knowing all this snow is covering, insulating, and protecting my tender spring bulbs, perennials, and even my cold tolerant grasses. In a few short weeks we will be enjoying the rebirth of spring while Floridians are thawing out and starting over.
Guy
Mark the Date
Tuesday, February 23, 2010, 7:00 PM, general meeting at the Hagerman Fire Department, off Montauk Highway on the corner of Dunton Avenue and Oakdale. Our speaker will be Peter Priolo on tagging Monarch butterflies.
Dues will be accepted now until March 31, 2010. The board has voted on
a late fee of $5 after that date, which means a single membership will
be $20 and a couple will be $25.
Thursday, March 11, 2010, 7th Annual “Think Spring” luncheon and quilt exhibit, Mediterranean Manor, 303 E. Main Street, Patchogue. Guest speaker: Doug Steigerwald of Long Island Flower Garden and Florist. Raffles and door prizes. Doors open at 10:30 AM.
The luncheon Committee has been off and running since October. We have gathered 21 large quilts and several smaller quilts to be exhibited. Under the direction of Margaret Atkinson we have put together Scented Spice Mats for each person attending, and, by the way, Phyllis Mendelson has made a small quilt to be raffled. Catch our spirit and join us! Tickets are $35.00 per person. Reservations for the luncheon can be made at the February 23 meeting or by sending a check to Patchogue Garden Club, PO Box 3030, Patchogue NY 11772-0887.
For more information call Georgia at 631- 289-0867 or Arlene at 631-730-7572.
January Meeting in a Flash
Thursday, March 11th – Luncheon
Saturday, March 27 – St. Patrick’s Day Parade
Saturday, April 10th – Open the Garden; rain date Sunday, April 11th
Saturday, May 15th – Plant and Yard Sale; rain date Sunday, May 16th
Saturday, June 12th – Breakfast in the Garden
Saturday, July 10th – Garden Tour and Club dinner
TBA – Harvest Dinner
Saturday, November 13th – Close the Garden, possibly combined with decorating the gazebo for Christmas.
Sunday, December 12th – Christmas House Tour
Paula has several speakers for future meetings. If you have suggestions for speakers, get in touch with Paula.
Paperwork for the scholarship is being submitted. The amount is increased to $750.
Paula and June need information from members to complete the membership booklet.
Jo Miller is looking into trips that we could take as a club.
Carol T. has expense forms to be filled out for reimbursement; you must provide receipts along with the forms.
The Garden Conservancy 2010 New York Open Days
Bronx: June 13
Columbia County: May 23, June 12, July 11 & 18, September 11
Dutchess County: May 8 & 15, June 12, July 17, August 22, October 2
Suffolk County: May 1 & 15, June 26, July 10, September 11
Nassau County: May 16
Putnam County: May 23, September 26
Tompkins County: May 8, June 12, July 31
Ulster County: May 23, June 12, July 10
Westchester County: April 25, May 2, 8, 23, & 29, June 5, 6, &20, July 25, September 12, October 30
Check back for specific locations, date changes, and for other parts of the country at http://sn105w.snt105.mail.live.com/default.aspx?wa=wsignin1.0
The Conservancy also presents:
President's Forum: An Evening with Henriette Suhr
6 p.m. Wednesday, March 10 The New School New York City
New School President Bob Kerrey will engage in an informal discussion with Henriette Suhr, renowned interior designer and creator of Rocky Hills (a leading private garden and a Conservancy Preservation Projects in Mt. Kisco NY).
Gardening on Earth: One Couple’s 46 Years on 7 Acres
6:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 10 the Central Park Arsenal, New York City
A MetroHort lecture with Dr. Richard Lighty, founding director of the Mt. Cuba Center and a member of the Board of the Garden Conservancy.
Guy would like everyone to know that the warning not to throw rice at weddings because it will cause
the little birdies to blow up is nothing more than an urban legend, probably started by churches who were sick
of cleaning up the mess. On the subject of rice, he has contributed the following article for publication.
Thanks, Guy! This is fab—Ed.
Edible Art
Stunning crop art has sprung up across rice fields in Japan. But this is no alien creation - the designs have
been cleverly planted. Farmers creating the huge displays use no ink or dye. Instead, different colors of
rice plants have been precisely and strategically arranged and grown in the paddy fields. As summer progresses and the plants shoot up, the detailed artwork begins to emerge.
The largest and finest work is grown in the Aomori village of Inakadate, 600 miles north of Toyko. The village has now earned a reputation for its agricultural artistry and this year the enormous pictures of Napoleon and a Sengoku-period warrior, both on horseback, are visible in a pair of fields adjacent to the town hall.
More than 150,000 visitors come to Inakadate, where just 8,700 people live, every summer to see the extraordinary murals. Each year hundreds of volunteers and villagers plant four different varieties of rice in late May across huge swathes of paddy fields.
According to an August 2009 article published on Telegraph.co.uk, the rice field art tradition began in the Japanese village of Inakadate in 1993 but has now spread to other areas of Japan. Villagers and volunteers help plant four varieties of rice that grow in different colors. The farmers use computers to plan their art
before planting so that they know exactly where to place the different colored rice plants in order to create the giant images. Planting generally takes place in May and the images look their best by September. The
article notes: Each year a different design is on show, and more than 15,000 visitors travel to see the creation. Images that have adorned the village fields include a giant frog and a butterfly. Another famous paddy art venue is Yonezawa in northern Japan; this year's design shows fictional 16th-century samurai
warrior Naoe Kanetsugu and his wife Osen.
The farmers create the murals by planting purple and yellow-leafed kodaimai rice along with their local green-leafed tsugaru roman variety.
Watch a time-lapse video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztF8xQpjQgA
More video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEr3FLAxmHU&feature=fvw
Our own Master Gardener Betty Baran announces that the 28th Annual Spring Gardening School of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County will be held at The Academy of St. Joseph in Brentwood on April 10, 2010, Bellport High School on April 17, 2010, and Riverhead Middle School on April 24, 2010, from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. This day includes your choice of classes from four different sessions, with information for every level of gardener from beginner to advanced. Topics include:
• Fundamentals of gardening
• Pruning
• Floral design
• Home Composting
• Water-wise gardening
• Gardening with children
• Vegetable gardening
• Houseplants, dahlias, hydrangeas, bulbs, roses, and many more!
All classes are taught by Master Gardeners and Extension Educators. Included in your fee are free soil pH testing, plant diagnostic clinic, plant sale from some of the finest nurseries, continental breakfast, delicious boxed lunch, and door prizes. The fee is $55 per person, early bird registration is $50 before March 5, 2010.
The registration form with a full schedule of classes and their descriptions is available for download at www.ccesuffolk.org or contact Caroline Kiang at 631-727-7850, ext. 337 or 345.
Ed. Note: To avoid disappointment, please be sure to consult the catalog of sessions since not all sessions are offered at each location. Pre-registration is required.
What's In A Name? Author Tells Stories Behind Trees
NPR: “All Things Considered” January 7, 2010
Listen to broadcast at:
http://www.npr.org/templates/player/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=122294877&m=122325777
Author Diana Wells says one of her favorite trees is the Stewartia, a 20-foot-tall tree in her garden that has "lovely white flowers" and a flaky bark. In her book Lives of the Trees: An Uncommon History [available at PM Library—Ed.], author Diana Wells explores people's relationship with about 100 trees and the stories behind their names. They're arranged in alphabetical order from acacia to Wollemi Pine. "They're so much part of our lives, both in ways we know and ways we don't know," Wells tells NPR's Michele Norris. "Whether it be a cup of coffee or a Kleenex or your rubber tires on your automobile, they are very much bound in our life, and these days, of course, we know that they're essential to our planet."
Wells says one of her favorites is the Stewartia, which comes from Japan but was named for the 18th century Scottish Earl of Bute John Stuart. Wells likes the juxtaposition of cultures in the tree's history, she says. The 20-foot-tall tree that is in Wells' garden has "lovely white flowers" and a flaky bark, and she looked at it as she wrote the book. The Japanese cedar speaks to Wells because of a tradition that surrounds it — called forest bathing. "You go into the forest and soak yourself in the trees," she says. "I live where there are woods and I will [do that] quite often and let the trees feel as if I'm part of the forest. It's very, very soothing — it's beautiful."
Wells says she hopes the book will inspire readers to discover the trees around them. "It would help us if we were more familiar with trees," she says. "I think if we did that, it would cement the bond, and it would help all of us. We need the trees and they need us."
Timely Tips for March
If you haven’t cleaned, repaired, oiled, and sharpened your tools and machines yet, do it now.
Get cold frames ready, turn over soil, and spade in a balanced fertilizer.
Apply horticultural oil sprays to trees and shrubs any time after the danger of freezing nights has passed but before buds begin to open
Sow radish and lettuce seeds as early as the ground can be worked.
Begin moving/transplanting trees and shrubs; do not fertilize at planting.
For perennials already up a few inches, spread a ring of fertilizer around them and water in. If they are summer or fall blooming, divide them now. Gradually uncover, prune, and feed established roses.
Did you know? The leaves of Beautyberry (Callicarpa) contain two compounds that repel mosquitoes as effectively as DEET. The USDA also reports these extracts repel ticks and fire ants for one to several hours.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
January Newsletter
GUY'S GREETINGS
I trust everyone had joyous and safe holidays filled with family and friends. It’s hard to think of gardening in the middle of January with the bone-chilling weather we’ve had the past few weeks, but it’s time. Our gardening season will be in full swing before we know it. I look forward to seeing everyone at our meeting on January 26. Guy
MARK THE DATE
Tuesday, January 26, 2010, 7:00 PM, general meeting at the Hagerman Fire Department, off Montauk Highway on the corner of Dunton Avenue and Oakdale. Dues will be accepted now until March 31, 2010. The board has voted on a late fee of $5 after that date, which means a single membership will be $20 and a couple will be $25.
Thursday, March 11, 2010, 7th Annual “Think Spring” luncheon and quilt exhibit, Mediterranean Manor, 303 E. Main Street, Patchogue. Guest speaker: Doug Steigerwald of LI Flower Garden and Florist. Raffles and door prizes. Doors open at 10:30 AM.
The luncheon Committee has been off and running since October. We have gathered 21 large quilts and several smaller quilts to be exhibited. Under the direction of Margaret Atkinson we have put together Scented Spice Mats for each person attending and, by the way, Phyllis Mendelson has made a small quilt to be raffled. Catch our spirit and join us! Tickets are $35.00 per person. Reservations for the luncheon can be made at the January 26 meeting or by sending a check to Patchogue Garden Club, PO Box 3030, Patchogue NY 11772-0887.
For more information call Georgia at 631- 289-0867 or Arlene at 631-730-7572
OCTOBER MEETING IN A FLASH
Jody Banaszak of BOCES gave a very interesting and entertaining presentation on autumn displays and flower arranging. Her various arrangements were raffled off. Congratulations to the winners and thank you Jody for a terrific evening.
If you haven’t already signed on to help out, see Georgia and Arlene about volunteering for the ”Think Spring Luncheon”. They are looking for raffle baskets as well as gift certificates from local businesses. The committee meets meet every Monday at 1:00 PM beginning in January.
Important Notice: We need new Refreshment Committee volunteers for 2010. Nobody volunteered. It was decided that if people want something to drink or eat they need to bring their own until further notice. Any takers? Please contact Karen Ferb, and she’ll put you in touch with each other.
A THOUGHT FOR TODAY--AND EVERY DAY
When I go into the garden with a spade and dig a bed I feel such an exhilaration and health that I discover that I have been defrauding myself all this time in letting others do for me what I should have done with my own hands. -Ralph Waldo Emerson, writer and philosopher (1803-1882)
FENCELESS IN SEATTLE
Thursday December 10, 2009 Vanessa Richins’ Blog
It's not shaping up to be a very Merry Christmas for the folks at the Washington Park Arboretum. A brazen thief cut down one of their two Keteleeria (Keteleeria evelyniana) trees, presumably for use as a Christmas tree. This conifer, a member of the Pinaceae family, is quite rare.
I feel so sorry for Randall Hitchin, the manager of living collections for the University of Washington Botanical Gardens. The Seattle Times quotes him as saying "It makes me want to cry" and "It was a wonderful, wonderful tree." He has watched over the tree since 1998, the year that the seedling came to the arboretum. In 11 years it had grown to be just 7 feet tall.
This particular Keteleeria came from the mountainous Yunnan province in China. They can also be found in Laos and Vietnam. It will be very difficult, if not impossible, to find another tree with the same genetics as the stolen one. For example, the World Wildlife Fund notes that there are only 8 fully grown specimens found in the Vu Quang Nature Reserve in Vietnam. Other areas have similarly low numbers.
I am puzzled that someone would even begin to think of cutting down trees in an arboretum or garden. It's a public place that is meant for community enjoyment and education. I see a similar sort of problem in community gardens. People see the word "community" and think it means the harvest is available to anyone.
“Beware Green Thumbs With Sticky Fingers”
SERIOUS DIRT FROM RICHARD WALDMAN
While Blizzards Rage
By Pam Baggett, Horticulture, December 03, 2009
Winter’s tough on gardeners. We may be longing to be outside, but we’re stuck indoors while blizzards rage. Or in my less-poetic southern climate, while a thirty-seven degree drizzle drenches the garden for days on end. While Cicero left out a few essentials (music, anyone?), garden books make it much easier to survive dreary weather. We could grab the latest and greatest for inspiration, but why neglect fine classic books available for cheap from the internet or local used book stores? To help you stock your library, here’s a review of some of my favorites:
The Fragrant Year by Helen Van Pelt Wilson and Leonie Bell (1967): Books on fragrant plants often fall short, settling for pallid phrases like “sweet” to describe scent. Not this one—Wilson and Bell’s beautifully written, in-depth descriptions cover both woody and herbaceous plants. Of flowering tobacco, Nicotiana alata, they write: “Some have it honeyed or sugar-sweet, but to us it is a heavy emanation of auratum lily. During the three weeks reign of the gold band lily, the comparison is easy to make, and together lily and flowering tobacco dominate the August dark.”
Annuals for Connoisseurs by Wayne Winterrowd (1992): Winterrowd’s distinctive voice has graced the pages of Horticulture for many years. His 1992 book on uncommon annuals includes both practical information and lively personal recollections. Of his grandmother’s love for Gomphrena globosa, he writes: “She called gomphrena “life-in-death’, a name perhaps of her own invention, born of her fondness for Baptist revivals…”
Crockett’s Victory Garden by James Crockett (1977): The late James Crockett, the original gardener of the PBS television series “The Victory Garden”, had a humble yet eloquent writing style informed by a deep knowledge and love of plants. His 12-month guide to growing everything from leeks and lettuce to tomatoes, melons and basil will have you eating well year-round. Planting schedules are geared to Crockett’s New England weather, but even if you garden in another climate, don’t miss this treat of a book. [And check out the companion classic “Victory Garden Cookbook” by Marian Morash of the same show.—Ed.]
The Collector’s Garden by Ken Druse (1996): Druse has written and photographed some of the best gardening books available, but The Collector’s Garden remains one of my favorites. Replete with photographs, it features gardens of plant fanatics across the country. Some are specialists, like noted salvia expert Betsy Clebsch and rose rustler Mike Shoup, while others find satisfaction in anything with roots. Warning: Druse’s book can cause desperate on-line searching and fits of frantic spending for gotta-have plants.
Thirty-seven degrees and raining out? No problem—I’ll be in the library!
Me too!—Ed.
TIMELY TIPS FOR JANUARY
Devour luscious books about gardens and gardening.
Send for seed and nursery catalogs and do advance planning.
Save fireplace and wood ashes. They add potash and trace elements to the soil, but do spread them thinly.
Buy cheery houseplants such as cyclamen, forced bulbs, and primrose to get you through the dreariness of winter.
Trim dead, broken, and diseased, branches from trees and shrubs.
Clean and sharpen tools so you’ll be off to a great start.
Take walks through your garden as weather permits and marvel at the things that have already commenced to grow! Winter hazels are abloom!
If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.
~Marcus Tullius Cicero, 106-43 BCE, Roman statesman and philosopher
I trust everyone had joyous and safe holidays filled with family and friends. It’s hard to think of gardening in the middle of January with the bone-chilling weather we’ve had the past few weeks, but it’s time. Our gardening season will be in full swing before we know it. I look forward to seeing everyone at our meeting on January 26. Guy
MARK THE DATE
Tuesday, January 26, 2010, 7:00 PM, general meeting at the Hagerman Fire Department, off Montauk Highway on the corner of Dunton Avenue and Oakdale. Dues will be accepted now until March 31, 2010. The board has voted on a late fee of $5 after that date, which means a single membership will be $20 and a couple will be $25.
Thursday, March 11, 2010, 7th Annual “Think Spring” luncheon and quilt exhibit, Mediterranean Manor, 303 E. Main Street, Patchogue. Guest speaker: Doug Steigerwald of LI Flower Garden and Florist. Raffles and door prizes. Doors open at 10:30 AM.
The luncheon Committee has been off and running since October. We have gathered 21 large quilts and several smaller quilts to be exhibited. Under the direction of Margaret Atkinson we have put together Scented Spice Mats for each person attending and, by the way, Phyllis Mendelson has made a small quilt to be raffled. Catch our spirit and join us! Tickets are $35.00 per person. Reservations for the luncheon can be made at the January 26 meeting or by sending a check to Patchogue Garden Club, PO Box 3030, Patchogue NY 11772-0887.
For more information call Georgia at 631- 289-0867 or Arlene at 631-730-7572
OCTOBER MEETING IN A FLASH
Jody Banaszak of BOCES gave a very interesting and entertaining presentation on autumn displays and flower arranging. Her various arrangements were raffled off. Congratulations to the winners and thank you Jody for a terrific evening.
If you haven’t already signed on to help out, see Georgia and Arlene about volunteering for the ”Think Spring Luncheon”. They are looking for raffle baskets as well as gift certificates from local businesses. The committee meets meet every Monday at 1:00 PM beginning in January.
Important Notice: We need new Refreshment Committee volunteers for 2010. Nobody volunteered. It was decided that if people want something to drink or eat they need to bring their own until further notice. Any takers? Please contact Karen Ferb, and she’ll put you in touch with each other.
A THOUGHT FOR TODAY--AND EVERY DAY
When I go into the garden with a spade and dig a bed I feel such an exhilaration and health that I discover that I have been defrauding myself all this time in letting others do for me what I should have done with my own hands. -Ralph Waldo Emerson, writer and philosopher (1803-1882)
FENCELESS IN SEATTLE
Thursday December 10, 2009 Vanessa Richins’ Blog
It's not shaping up to be a very Merry Christmas for the folks at the Washington Park Arboretum. A brazen thief cut down one of their two Keteleeria (Keteleeria evelyniana) trees, presumably for use as a Christmas tree. This conifer, a member of the Pinaceae family, is quite rare.
I feel so sorry for Randall Hitchin, the manager of living collections for the University of Washington Botanical Gardens. The Seattle Times quotes him as saying "It makes me want to cry" and "It was a wonderful, wonderful tree." He has watched over the tree since 1998, the year that the seedling came to the arboretum. In 11 years it had grown to be just 7 feet tall.
This particular Keteleeria came from the mountainous Yunnan province in China. They can also be found in Laos and Vietnam. It will be very difficult, if not impossible, to find another tree with the same genetics as the stolen one. For example, the World Wildlife Fund notes that there are only 8 fully grown specimens found in the Vu Quang Nature Reserve in Vietnam. Other areas have similarly low numbers.
I am puzzled that someone would even begin to think of cutting down trees in an arboretum or garden. It's a public place that is meant for community enjoyment and education. I see a similar sort of problem in community gardens. People see the word "community" and think it means the harvest is available to anyone.
“Beware Green Thumbs With Sticky Fingers”
SERIOUS DIRT FROM RICHARD WALDMAN
While Blizzards Rage
By Pam Baggett, Horticulture, December 03, 2009
Winter’s tough on gardeners. We may be longing to be outside, but we’re stuck indoors while blizzards rage. Or in my less-poetic southern climate, while a thirty-seven degree drizzle drenches the garden for days on end. While Cicero left out a few essentials (music, anyone?), garden books make it much easier to survive dreary weather. We could grab the latest and greatest for inspiration, but why neglect fine classic books available for cheap from the internet or local used book stores? To help you stock your library, here’s a review of some of my favorites:
The Fragrant Year by Helen Van Pelt Wilson and Leonie Bell (1967): Books on fragrant plants often fall short, settling for pallid phrases like “sweet” to describe scent. Not this one—Wilson and Bell’s beautifully written, in-depth descriptions cover both woody and herbaceous plants. Of flowering tobacco, Nicotiana alata, they write: “Some have it honeyed or sugar-sweet, but to us it is a heavy emanation of auratum lily. During the three weeks reign of the gold band lily, the comparison is easy to make, and together lily and flowering tobacco dominate the August dark.”
Annuals for Connoisseurs by Wayne Winterrowd (1992): Winterrowd’s distinctive voice has graced the pages of Horticulture for many years. His 1992 book on uncommon annuals includes both practical information and lively personal recollections. Of his grandmother’s love for Gomphrena globosa, he writes: “She called gomphrena “life-in-death’, a name perhaps of her own invention, born of her fondness for Baptist revivals…”
Crockett’s Victory Garden by James Crockett (1977): The late James Crockett, the original gardener of the PBS television series “The Victory Garden”, had a humble yet eloquent writing style informed by a deep knowledge and love of plants. His 12-month guide to growing everything from leeks and lettuce to tomatoes, melons and basil will have you eating well year-round. Planting schedules are geared to Crockett’s New England weather, but even if you garden in another climate, don’t miss this treat of a book. [And check out the companion classic “Victory Garden Cookbook” by Marian Morash of the same show.—Ed.]
The Collector’s Garden by Ken Druse (1996): Druse has written and photographed some of the best gardening books available, but The Collector’s Garden remains one of my favorites. Replete with photographs, it features gardens of plant fanatics across the country. Some are specialists, like noted salvia expert Betsy Clebsch and rose rustler Mike Shoup, while others find satisfaction in anything with roots. Warning: Druse’s book can cause desperate on-line searching and fits of frantic spending for gotta-have plants.
Thirty-seven degrees and raining out? No problem—I’ll be in the library!
Me too!—Ed.
TIMELY TIPS FOR JANUARY
Devour luscious books about gardens and gardening.
Send for seed and nursery catalogs and do advance planning.
Save fireplace and wood ashes. They add potash and trace elements to the soil, but do spread them thinly.
Buy cheery houseplants such as cyclamen, forced bulbs, and primrose to get you through the dreariness of winter.
Trim dead, broken, and diseased, branches from trees and shrubs.
Clean and sharpen tools so you’ll be off to a great start.
Take walks through your garden as weather permits and marvel at the things that have already commenced to grow! Winter hazels are abloom!
If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.
~Marcus Tullius Cicero, 106-43 BCE, Roman statesman and philosopher
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