There are many reasons to plant specifically to attract birds, bees and butterflies in our gardens. All three are being severely effected by environmental factors that are decreasing their populations at alarming rates. Pesticide use and frequent mowing, over-zealous leaf removal in the Fall and an increasing number of invasive plants are severely changing the natural habitat that these creatures need to survive.

Pink Swamp Milkweed.

The plight of the Monarch butterfly is a prominent example of the consequences of man’s interference in the environment— the attention the depleted population of Monarch butterflies is garnering is an indication that many people other than gardeners have become proactive in their concern for these beautiful endangered creatures.

Monarchs cannot survive without milkweed. The Monarch caterpillars need milkweed plants (Asclepias spp.) to grow and develop, and female monarch butterflies only lay their eggs on milkweed. With shifting land management practices, we have lost much milkweed from the landscape. Planting milkweed is a great way to help other pollinators too, as milkweed provides nectar resources to a diverse suite of bees and butterflies.

Male Eastern Tiger Swallowtail on Privet.

Planting native nectar and host plants helps keep the eco-system healthy by attracting an assortment of pollinators, insects and birds. Both nectar plants for nourishment and host plants are important elements in a butterfly garden. They provide a site for the butterfly to lay her eggs and also provide a food source for the emerging caterpillar. Don’t forget a water element as well and be prepared for heavy munching on your host plants— I like to plant for the caterpillars and then place a few extra plants some distance away for my own enjoyment.

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Caterpillar.

The early Spring blooms of a Spicebush will attract the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly.

Because tiny Monarch caterpillars cannot travel far to find their own food, the female butterfly locates and lays her eggs on milkweed which is the only type of plant that the caterpillar can use as food. Most species of caterpillars are particular about the type of plants they can eat. If the egg was not placed on the correct plant, the caterpillar hatching from that egg will not survive. Many gardeners do not like to see plants in their gardens that have been chewed on by bugs. To avoid this, you may want to locate your butterfly host plants in areas that are not highly visible, but still a short distance from the butterfly nectar plants. If you do not provide host plants, you will have fewer butterflies.

Female Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

Monarch Butterfly on Common Milkweed.

There are several types of milkweed to choose from. Common Milkweed, Asclepias syriaca will benefit native pollinators with its long and fragrant bloom time. The sweetly fragrant Rose Milkweed, Asclepias incarnata or Swamp Milkweed will grow in drier partial shade as well as sunny spots. Poke Milkweed, Asclepias exaltata—Tall Green Milkweed, Asclepias hirtella— Butterfly Weed, Asclepias tuberosa— Whorled Milkweed, Asclepias verticillata and Spider Milkweed, Asclepias viridis. All will grow in my zone 6 garden.

Fritillary Butterfly on Common Milkweed.

Hummingbirds, bees and various butterflies are attracted to Monarda, (Beebalm).

Fritillary Butterflies on Swamp Milkweed

When choosing plants you should keep a number of factors in mind; a succession of bloom times, and species which provide both nectar and food for the caterpillars. The following is a sampling of plants to use in either a wet or dry spot:

DRY
Anise Hyssop
Butterfly Weed
Blue Aster
Prairie Alumroot
Wild Petunia
Prairie Coreopsis
Pale Purple Coneflower
Button Blazing Star
Hairy Mountain Mint
Bradbury’s Monarda
Orange Coneflower
Ohio Spiderwort
Little Bluestem
Prairie Dropseed

WET
Rose Milkweed
Blue Wild Indigo
Purple Coneflower
Sneezeweed
Early Sunflower
Cardinal Flower
Great Blue Lobelia
Meadow Blazing Star
Wild Bergamot
Obedient Plant
Orange Coneflower
Palm Sedge
Switch Grass
Prairie Dropseed

Certain grasses will attract pollinators.

The listed plants will attract Hummingbirds, bees, an assortment of butterflies and many other pollinators to your garden. Find out which butterflies are common in your area, grow the plants the caterpillars like to eat, along with plants that adult butterflies feed on. Nectar and host plants should be in the same general area, but if you don’t want all of your perennial garden ravaged by caterpillars be sure to plant some perennials some distance away from your butterfly garden.

A Hummingbird perched on a branch near a pot planted with Monarda, Cardinal Flower and Butterfly Weed.

Remember— plant a variety of flowers incorporating different shapes and colors to attract more than one type of pollinator and to ensure continual blooms from Spring through Fall. Plant native plants whenever possible. Avoid modern hybrids; pollen, nectar and scent, (all essential for the survival of your garden habitat) can be lost in the hybridization process. Don’t even think about using pesticides— pick the unwanted pests off— pesticides will kill beneficial bugs too. Build a bee condo, or leave a dead branch or two to create a nesting habitat for bees. Plant in clumps so that pollinators can easily find their plant of choice. Provide bare ground and water and don’t forget your “host” plants, baby caterpillars need to feed on the foliage of their host plant.

A quick tutorial on starting milkweed indoors from seed:
Stratification needed— Seeds germinate after a period of cold, moist stratification. 60 days of cold, moist conditions.

1]  Calculate the date to start cold stratification pre-treatment. (Here in the Hudson Valley, May 15 is usually a safe time to put your babies in the ground). Rinse or complete a short soak. Pour seeds into a paper towel or a coffee filter or fine screen to drain.

2]  Arrange seed in a single layer and allow excess water to drain off.

3]  Fold seed loosely into the coffee filter or paper towel to allow for weekly spot checks— the seed and paper should be damp but not wet.

4]  A dry paper towel added to your labeled resealable bag will help to maintain even moisture while pulling excessive moisture away. Do not allow the stratification medium to completely dry out or stay soggy enough to rot.

5]  Place the sealed bag in your refrigerator— not freezer, and monitor weekly or as needed, until it is time to remove for sowing. Replace paper towel or coffee filter often; repeat from step 1.Once seed has completed the recommended stratification period or if excessively early sprouting occurs, plant immediately.

All photos (other than the featured image which was sourced from the internet) courtesy of the author.

Thanks to Hurricane Sandy, my veggie garden now gets many more hours of sunlight and my tomato production has easily increased three-fold. Fully a third of the plot is given to the growing of different varieties of heirloom tomatoes. This year I tried Amish Paste (a plum tomato), Brandywine and Purple Cherokee. Plus a few others, whose names I now forget.

Purple Cherokee et.al.

Faced with an overabundance of these delectables, tomato salads and open faced tomato sandwiches (though satisfying to the palate) have became ordinary fare. Requiring a challenge, tomato pie seemed the necessary option. Therefore, apart from the madness of firing up the oven in midsummer (with only a ceiling fan), I began my quest to create my own variation of tomato pie. Having plenty of peppers and herbs in the garden and being a great lover of cheese, it necessarily leans towards Italy.

Amish Paste Heirlooms

After a little experimenting, I decided that a single crust pie with three kinds of Italian cheese, two kinds of tomatoes (2 Purple Cherokee and 3 Amish Paste), a single incendiary pepper (you can opt for a milder pepper if you wish), plus some lovely fresh herbs would meet my expectations.

Here’s the recipe:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Using your favorite pie crust recipe, line a 9” pie plate (I prefer glass). Flute the top edge and pierce the bottom and side surfaces lightly, but many times, with a fork. Then chill it in the fridge for about 20 minutes (this keeps it from slumping in the pie plate while baking). Sprinkle about 2 tablespoons of grated Pecorino Romano cheese on the bottom and pop it in the oven until it turns a light golden brown (about 10 mins., less if your oven runs hot). Remove and cool while you make the filling.

Ingredients

4–5 fresh tomatoes sliced in ¼” rounds. Use meaty home-grown or farm stand tomatoes—if store bought, use plum tomatoes (and you’ll need 6 or 7, as they are smaller). Don’t use the supermarket vine tomatoes, they’re too watery. I leave the skin on—more fiber, less work.

1 small –medium sized hot or mild pepper (your choice), sliced into thin rounds, seeds removed.

4 tablespoons grated Pecorino Romano cheese.

½ pound sliced provolone cheese. You won’t use it all, but you will probably eat the leftovers while assembling the pie.

1/3  pound of good mozzarella cheese (not the rubbery stuff in the supermarket dairy aisle—go to a good Italian deli and buy a half-pound cheese). Slice in ¼” rounds. If you can’t get good mozzarella, then use the whole ½ pound of provolone instead.

¼ cup chopped fresh Basil

6 twigs of fresh oregano. Strip the leaves off the twigs before use. Of course you may use dried oregano, but the dried herb is stronger, so use about a teaspoon and a half (unless you really like oregano). You can also use sweet marjoram.

1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice.

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Paper towels

Method

Layer the sliced tomatoes in a colander set on a large plate and sprinkle each layer with salt. This will cause the tomatoes to sweat, drawing out the excess water. Let sit for about 15 minutes—or more, to allow this process.

Line the bottom of the cooled, precooked pie crust with a layer of provolone cheese. Next, dab the tomato slices (both sides) dry with paper towels to remove the water and most of the salt. Place one layer over the sliced cheese already in the pie crust. Sprinkle with some of the herbs, a little ground black pepper and a new thin layer of provolone. Repeat this combination until you’ve used all the sliced tomatoes, herbs and provolone.

Top with a layer of the sliced hot or sweet peppers and sprinkle with the lemon juice. Use the mozzarella for the final layer and then sprinkle on the remaining 2 tablespoons of grated Pecorino Romano cheese. Turn the oven up to 375 and bake for about 30–35 minutes.

When the top of the pie is bubbly and beginning to brown, remove. If you fear burning the fluted crust you can cover it with strips of aluminum foil. Let it sit awhile (about an hour) to cool and congeal before cutting. Really, it shouldn’t be served piping hot but  lukewarm. The first slice will likely be a mess (but still delicious). Be the good host and save that piece for yourself and give your guests the “pretty” slices. I serve with a fresh cucumber salad and then some cold melon. It tastes very good the next day as well but again, be sure to serve it at room temperature.

Enjoy!

In late winter, I search intently for any sign that spring is coming. I peer intently into the woods, searching for a slight swelling of a bud—anything at all. Then, when it actually does arrive, it’s everywhere at the same time. What had been a slight change in birdsong becomes a predawn cacophony, with every bird on the planet singing his fool head off. What was an oh-so-subtle greening becomes an explosion of flowering trees and wildflowers.

Then, before I know what’s happening, I notice that the apple trees are in bloom. The scent in the orchards is intoxicating, but knowing that when the apple trees bloom, the morels are about to appear makes me delirious. I grab my mushroom bag, pocket-knife and camera and bolt in to the woods.

apple blossoms

Alas, I search for a couple of days, to no avail. Then the weatherman promises a few days of rain, followed by warming—just the sort of news an amateur mycologist wants to hear. So, even on a day when it’s still cool and gray, I enter the woods in search of the wily Morchella.

There’s some botanical promise: field pussytoes bloom on the rocky ledges where I often find morels. An occasional dog-tooth violet and bloodroot show their blossoms against the dead leaves of the departing winter. Finding the first morel is never easy, so I look for other signs that the season is right. Wild columbine—which usually blooms at the same time as the mushrooms poke their heads through the forest leaf-litter. It’s a great relief and encouragement when we see the flowers nodding along mossy outcrops.

Picture me, stooped over, mushroom bag in one hand, a small knife in the other, creeping through the woods. Have you ever watched a robin hunting for worms? The morel hunter looks very similar. Both take a few hesitant steps, stop, then take a few more. Every once in a while, each freezes in his tracks, cocks his head to get a better angle with which to view his potential quarry. When the game is found each swoops down, lest the worm, or mushroom, effect an escape.

robin and worm

OK, morels don’t actually escape—but if an unwary hunter takes his eye off the mushrooms, even for a second, or changes his angle of view even slightly, their natural invisibility takes over and the hunter is foiled.

It doesn’t seem reasonable that something as empty-headed as a morel could not only recognize potential predators, but organizes strategies for out-witting them—but it’s easy to imagine that they do just that.

It sometimes seems like these fungi have the ability to disguise themselves—as if guided by some pre-vegetal intelligence. Their color and texture certainly aid in their deception—but their tendency to emerge from beneath the edge of a rock, or in the shadow of a decayed stick, or at the base of some thorny shrub, suggests the sort of protective strategies that can only arise from self-awareness. Logic compels us to believe that this is not the case, but the search for morels—especially the unproductive search for morels—can lead a mushroom hunter to some unusual suppositions. Occasionally, morels can be found in the open—foolishly sticking their heads into the spring sunshine—but far more often they are hiding—as if they know that there is an omelet in their future.

I’ve always known how important it is to go back over the same area where I’ve just looked for morels. Sometimes the slant of the light, or angle of view, will reveal their formerly unnoticed hiding places. But another odd phenomenon is less obvious—and it has more to do with the hunter than the hunted.

One can only look intensely at a patch of ground for a minute or so before the mind begins to wander. The eyes seem to lose focus—and, just then, a morel appears. It’s usually in plain sight, but just at the edge of the area I’ve just scanned intently. It’s almost as if the unconscious mind continues the hunt—more effectively—while the conscious mind drifts.

Gary Allen’s most recent book is Can It!: The Pleasures and Perils of Preserving Foods, his third book from Reaktion. You can find more of his speculations about things he has been known to (but really shouldn’t) put in his mouth — his own foot being a prime example of the latter — on his website:  onthetable​.us  

The worms we think of as our “native” garden friendly earthworms are actually not native to the northeast. When the last glaciers receded they scraped the soil and took the native earthworms with them. So where did our worms come from? Most came from Europe possibly hitchhiking in the soil of imported plants. Many of these worms are beneficial, but the Asian variety which have become ubiquitous in my garden are not.

The Amynthas agrestis worm is often referred to as the “crazy,” “jumping,” or “snake” worm. They are big and very active and can move like snakes. They stay very close to the soil surface and feed on organic matter. That’s your mulch, compost and leaf litter, all of the things you add to your garden beds to help promote healthy plants and to eliminate weeds.

“…They love mulch and go through it as though there was no tomorrow. Eventually you get wise and stop feeding them that mulch. Yes, they can decompose woody mulch. They stimulate the production of lignin decomposing enzymes.… You even see them in decomposing logs.” Josef Görres, Plant and Soil Science, University of Vermont

I first noticed these worms in my garden a few years ago. They were in the most shaded areas and didn’t seem to be a problem—other than totally creeping me out.

The cool, damp weather we’ve experienced this summer has changed that dynamic drastically. The invasive worms are now in every corner of the garden, lawn and even in the gravel driveway. My beautiful, statuesque hostas (usually 2-3ft high), didn’t get any larger than 3 inches and look malnourished. The well established astilbes (false goatsbeard), came up briefly, (maybe an inch high) before disappearing completely and I fear for the spring ephemerals.

Huge piles of worm castings are everywhere.

Amynthas worm castings encircling a large maple tree.

Is the Asian jumping worm really that bad? The answer is yes.

Not only are they posing a threat to our gardens, but they have the potential to create a severe change in the make-up of the forest under-story and in doing so change the landscape significantly.

the worms create a soil made predominately of minerals rather than the organic matter that forests need to flourish.

As they speedily devour the natural accumulation of organic matter on the forest floor —necessary for seedlings to flourish—they create a soil made predominately of minerals rather than the organic matter our forests need to flourish. Not only are the forest trees threatened, so too is the wildlife who depend on the forest for sustenance and shelter.

The Amynthas worm reaches maturity in 60 days, much faster than the European Lumbricidae species at 120, thus allowing for two hatches a season. They have voracious appetites, are highly adaptive to temperature changes and the cocoons overwinter. They out compete non-native European species and produce a unique soil signature that has the potential to change our landscape.

What can you do to keep the Asian Amynthas worm out of your garden?

Keep the garden clean, pick up piles of debris as soon as you prune— they love the dark, damp environment these piles can create.

If you don’t already have the worms, use onsite mulch.

Mow leaves into lawn rather than raking into piles.

Do not share or move plants if you suspect Jumping worms.

Check plants before you purchase.

Buy certified soil, mulch and compost. Be sure to ask where it comes from.

Speak to your local nurseries and if applicable, your landscaper and find out if they have encountered the Amynthas worms and how they are dealing with them.

Call your local Cornell Cooperative for information on local infestations.

What can you do if you find them in your garden?

So far there is no recognized way to kill these worms. I recommend that you refrain from using pesticides as they can harm populations of beneficial insects.

You can catch them, —be forewarned, they are very fast and squirmy—put them in a black plastic bag and place the bag in the sun.

Some golf courses have reported success with an organic fertilizer made by Ocean Organics that seems to help keep the populations under control. The active ingredient is tea seed meal, a highly effective organic fertilizer with a high content of protein and saponins. The application of this fertilizer drives the worms to the surface where they die from being exposed to the sunlight. It’s the same premise as the black plastic bag, but sounds much easier than trying to catch hundreds of squiggly worms.

What will I do now that I’ve discovered the worms in my garden?

My plan is to scrape up all of the piles of worm castings that I see in the garden, lawn and driveway, put them in black plastic bags and let them bake in the sun. Then I’m going to rake up all of the garden debris as my plants go into dormancy—I will leave seed heads for the birds, but nothing else— and I will scrupulously rake ALL of the leaves as they fall and put all the leaf and plant debris in black plastic bags and leave those bags in the sun. If I can find a source for the aforementioned fertilizer, I will spread it on the lawn and garden before the first frost to force as many worms to the surface as possible. I may not put any mulch on the garden —I don’t want to make it any more hospitable than it already is.

Hopefully we’ll know we’ve been successful in the Spring as temperatures warm the soil. Stay tuned!

“With a few flowers in my garden, half a dozen pictures and some books, I live without envy.”

—Lope de Vega

If you’re driving behind Michael Ruggiero, you had better leave a healthy braking distance. It’s not that he’s a bad driver; it’s just that he’s likely to suddenly pull over to some roadside planting to take a photograph. It may be an elaborate corporate installation, some homeowner’s window boxes, even a gas-station island; to him, all offer gardening inspiration.

You see, Michael is a plantsman, in the most time-honored sense of the word. A long-time Senior Curator at The New York Botanical Garden, his knowledge is both broad and deep. He can discuss the merits of any tree or shrub, rattle off names of numerous deer resistant plants, offer a lengthy list of shade tolerant perennials that makes you wish you had no sun whatsoever in your yard. But the plants that cause him to veer off the road and reach for his camera are annuals.

By definition, an annual plant completes its life cycle in one year. Gardeners broaden the term to include other plants that don’t survive winter in our region. Over the years, the condescension of perennial plant snobs combined with one too many geranium displays to make the annual planta non grata. At a workshop at The Phantom Gardener, however, Michael shared wisdom and photographs that revealed endless, stylish possibilities for annuals in the landscape.

Play the field

Gardening with perennials is like marriage; with annuals, it’s like going steady for a few months. With this in mind, experiment. Pair up bold colors like orange and blue to see what punch it brings to your landscape. Try out a monochromatic garden, or an elegant black and white display. Go formal one year, casual the next. Worst case scenario: you find out he’s…it’s not for you, and say good riddance at the end of the semester. Er, season.

Mixed-perennial-and-annuals-border

Go wild

To create a garden that’s in harmony with nature, make native plants the backbone of your landscape. When using annuals, however, indulge your exotic side; go for whimsical, magical. Banana plants (Musa spp.) and Elephant’s ear (Colocasia esculenta) offer bold statements with their enormous leaves. Bougainvillea and Mandevilla climbing their way around porch posts can turn your home into a tropical paradise. Planting flowering tobacco (Nicotiana sylvestris) and other night-fragrant flowers beneath bedroom windows allows their heady perfume to waft into your home.

Don’t forget to eat your vegetables

Striking displays can be achieved by combining flowering annuals with vegetables and herbs. Start a spring bed with a tightly-planted mosaic of lettuces in various hues and shapes. Harvest and enjoy the outer leaves until the plants bolt, then pull and replace with other annuals. Plant vibrant hot peppers amid your petunias; edge a bed with parsley; use cardoon plants as other-worldly accents, then parboil, bread and fry their artichoke-flavored stems for a delicious taste of Italian heritage.

Try to contain yourself

Annuals are the darlings of container planting. Eminently versatile, containers can serve as movable screens, or enhance an otherwise untillable area. They can welcome visitors daily to your front door, then be relocated to the patio for a party. A low-growing dish of lobelia and one or two varieties of thyme can spend the daytime outdoors, then come to the dining room table each night as a centerpiece. Experiment boldly with plant combinations and containers (how about planting a wheelbarrow, or a pair of rubber boots?). Update containers each season for an affordable way to refresh your landscape.

A sea of petunias

Let’s be practical

Annuals lend themselves to all manner of garden fixes. Hide an unsightly air-conditioning unit with a trellis and a fast-growing hyacinth bean vine (Lablab purpureus). Underplant shrubs with portulacas to serve as a living weed barrier. Lose a perennial in mid-season to deer browsing? Fill in with a dramatic annual, and replace with a new perennial come fall. Love cut flowers, but can’t afford to purchase them often? Plant a cutting garden and harvest your own.

Because they provide more instant-gratification, annuals also are the perfect way to engage children in gardening. And, Michael emphasizes, don’t decide what you think is an attractive combination: let kids choose their own plants, and you might find that their open-mindedness leads to some amazing plantings.

Take care

Remember that perennials are tortoises and annuals are hares. Where the former mete out their energy into a brief floral display and store the rest for next year’s race, annuals sprint through the season, pouring themselves into ongoing bloom right up to the finish line. Give them the hydration and energy they need—especially those in planters—by watering often and feeding them every two weeks with an organic liquid fertilizer.

What are you waiting for?

Now, hurry to your favorite garden center and feast your eyes on the vast array of hues and textures available in their annuals section. But don’t tailgate; you just might be behind Michael Ruggiero.

To Learn More…

Books:
Annuals with Style by Michael A. Ruggiero and Tom Christopher; The Taunton Press

Classes:
There is no better way to learn than in the company of other gardeners. Botanical gardens, retail garden centers and your Cornell Cooperative Extension all offer informative workshops:

www.nybg.org/edu/conted/
(for The New York Botanical Garden programs, including some held at Bard College)

www.hort.cornell.edu/gardening/counties.html
(for info on the Master Gardener and other programs)

Or, find and join your local garden club:
gardencentral.org/fgcny/homepage/

The Monarch butterfly is perhaps one of our most beloved native species. Brightly colored with orange and black wings, white spots and a black and white spotted body this iconic butterfly is easily recognizable.

Monarch Butterfly on milkweed, photo by D. Calcavecchio

Hundreds of millions of Monarchs migrate each fall to the oyamel fir forests north of Mexico City, while some in western North America make the much shorter flight to the California coast. This epic trip makes the monarch migration one of the greatest natural phenomena in the insect world.

Most monarch butterflies live for just a few weeks. There are several generations born each spring and summer but most of the offspring are short-lived. The lone exception is the last generation born at the end of the summer.

This last generation is the over-wintering generation that must make the journey back to Mexico. These monarchs wait to breed the following spring when they complete the next leg of their incredible migration back north.

Milkweed is essential for the Monarchs reproduction. This is the only host plant upon which the female will lay her eggs. During the caterpillar stage, they live exclusively on the milkweed plants, (wildflowers in the genus Asclepias). The plants contain glycoside toxins that are harmless to the monarch but poisonous to its predators. The caterpillars feed on the various parts of the plant and store the toxins in their body. These toxins remain in their system even after metamorphosis, thereby making adult monarchs poisonous as well.

Sadly, the size of the dramatic migrations of the Monarch has been shrinking and the overall population has declined by as much as 90% in the last two decades. The reason for this decline is two-fold; Global Warming— climate change alters the timing of migration and rainfall patterns in their forest habitat, and Habitat Loss In the United States and Mexico— forest fragmentation and the dwindling colonies of the once abundant species of native milkweeds due to pesticide usage.

Monarch Butterfly on milkweed, photo by D. Calcavecchio

We gardeners can help by planting native milkweed (Asclepias spp.) in our gardens, meadows and at the edge of our woods. The emphasis must be on the word native as exotic milkweed species may actually be adding to the diminishing monarch population by fooling the female into thinking they are the real thing. It is essential to find vendors who offer local ecotype seeds appropriate for our area and plants that are native to our region. Always ask for information about seed origin.

Here are some reliable plant & seed sources I can recommend.

Augustine Nursery
177 Van Kleeks Lane, Kingston, NY. 12401
(845) 338 4936

The Hudson Valley Seed Library
Address: 484 Mettacahonts Rd, Accord, NY 12404
Phone:(845) 204‑8769

Catskill Native Nursery
Address: 607 Samsonville Rd, Kerhonkson, NY 12446
Phone: (845) 626‑2758

Featured image, by Donna Calcavecchio

Are you a gardener?  Are you an avid follower of Margaret Roach’s newsletter, A Way to Garden? Have you read her most recent book, The Backyard Parables? If you have or haven’t done, you will surely not want to miss hearing her speak at the Ulster County Cornell Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners’ 16th Annual Garden Day on April 18.

This all day program is a gardeners’ dream come true featuring 16 gardening classes, a keynote speaker, vendors, free gardening information to take away for future reference, free soil tests (a must if you want to start your garden off right), a fabulous bake sale featuring sweets and savory homemade goodies and door prizes. This year’s event features Keynote Speaker, Margaret Roach: gardener, author and garden guru of the popular website, A Way To Garden and public radio show where she shares her own of brand of “horticultural how-to and woo-woo”.

The day begins at 9 a.m. with Margaret’s keynote address entitled “Unlocking Seed Secrets: From the Practical to the Political” an insightful talk about choosing the right varieties from sources that match your garden conditions. Margaret will demystify the politics of organic vs. non organic and concerns about GMO engineered seeds.  Whether you start your garden flowers, herbs and veggies from seed or purchased starts, this talk will surely get you growing with confidence.

This year’s Garden Day theme, “Beauty & the Feast”, is designed to cover both edible and ornamental gardening. Everyone who attends Garden Day will choose 4 classes out of 16 offerings in addition to the keynote. Many of the instructors are Master Gardener Volunteers and also guest instructors from area nurseries and gardening businesses. One of our most beloved presenters is Sally Spillane of the Gardening Show a feature of WKZE radio on Sunday mornings at 8 a.m.  Sally’s topic is “Designing for the Late Season Garden” a topic often overlooked in the excitement of spring. Sally will focus on specific plants that bloom from late summer, look good and keep on going throughout autumn until the frost comes.

Polly M. Law, artist, native plant enthusiast and key staffer at Catskill Native Nursery, will give us the honest truth about planting and maintaining “Wild Flower Gardens and Meadows”. And, David Campolong of New Leaf Design and one of the new owners of the Phantom Gardener in Rhinebeck will give a talk entitled “Small Trees That Fit in Any Garden”. David will explain how you can expand your garden design ideas by including understory gems that will work well in intimate garden settings, beds and borders.

Here are some of the workshops being offered:

“Perennial Pruning Tips”: An insightful class where you will learn how to manage perennials to control height, stagger bloom time and encourage re-bloom.

“Think inside the Pot” Creating Container Gardens: A must for patios, decks and filling in bare spots in the perennial garden.

“Plant the Seeds of Pollination”: With bee colonies continuing to decline we need to grow gardens that attract different insects and wildlife to perform the essential work of pollination and as a result improve our garden harvest.

“Bring Your Food to the Feast”: The solution to what to do with all that food that you grew.  Much of your harvest can be saved for winter use through canning, freezing, drying and storage methods that will be reviewed in this class.

“Vegetables – Getting It Right”: Just getting started on a vegetable garden can be daunting. This class designed for beginner and intermediate gardeners is where you can get the best suggestions for building different types of beds that will work in any situation, seed or starter plant selections, watering techniques, weeding and fertilizing to get the best harvest.

“Vegetable Gardening Year Round”: If you’re already an accomplished veggie gardener you can learn how to take it a little further and stretch your growing season well into fall and early winter, and how to get a garden growing in the chilly month of February.

“Photographing the Garden”: Photographing your garden is one of the best ways to preserve its beauty and to keep a record of your plantings. This will be a hands-on class, so charge up your battery and pack your camera for a new learning experience.

“Solving the Shade Garden Dilemma”: So many Hudson Valley gardeners have shady properties. Don’t despair, there may be some sacrifices in terms of showy flowers but there are plenty of beautiful plants to choose that deliver color, texture and blooms.

“Bugs — Garden Friends and Foes”: Not all insects are pests, we all need the skill to tell the good guys from the bad so we can keep a balance in the garden without the heavy use of pesticides that sometimes do more harm than good.

“Growing Deer Resistant Herbs for Beauty, Food and Health”: Herbs are always a popular topic among gardeners. They are versatile, fragrant, pests resistant and the uses are nearly endless.

“Care and Maintenance of Fruit Trees”: Get good advice and tips so that you can grow healthy productive fruit trees.

“Growing Great Garlic”: Garlic is essential for the kitchen garden and can easily be grown with the insightful information you will gain in this class.  If you’ve ever been disappointed with your past experience, this class is for you.

Rounding out the program is “Let’s Talk Dirt”. This is a simple easy to understand presentation about the nitty-gritty details of soil and how you can apply this knowledge to create lush gardens whether they are vegetable or ornamental.

More about Margaret Roach, in her own word’s:

“I have been writing about gardening for 25-plus years. In my previous lives, I was garden editor at Newsday newspaper (one of the country’s largest dailies) and then for Martha Stewart, where I was the first garden editor of Living and later EVP/Editorial Director of her magazines, books and internet.

I “retired” (but didn’t stop working) on the last day of 2007 (at a very young age, thank you) to my 2.3-acre garden, bordering on the Berkshires of Massachusetts. I walked away from a career and “success” to explore personal creativity again. The book I wrote about dropping out, And I Shall Have Some Peace There, was published in February 2011; my next, a garden memoir and handbook called The Backyard Parables, in January 2013. Eat, Pray, Love author Liz Gilbert (a keen gardener herself) called my writing “a blessing.”

I speak serious botanical Latin, but long ago lost count of how many genera, species and varieties of plants both edible and ornamental grow here.

I am also an old-fashioned, organic-style gardener and a vegetarian (for 30-plus years), so…

Gardening is not my hobby, it is my spiritual practice and life partner. I hope it will become yours.

Margaret’s  garden has been open to tours for 20 years as part of the national Garden Conservancy Open Days visiting scheme and on other occasions.

It’s truly lovely, I’ve been there! [editor]

Garden Day is happening on Saturday, April 18, 8:30 – 4:30, at SUNY Stone Ridge (UCCC). The cost is $35 for pre-registration or $40 at the door. But don’t wait until the last minute to register, last year the program was sold out. You can see all the details about Garden Day’s program and print out a registration form by visiting the Garden Day website or request a printed brochure by calling Dona Crawford, UCCCE Master Gardener Coordinator, at 845–340-3990 x 335.

The final task in a honeybee’s life is foraging for nectar and pollen. They work until their wings wear out.

One of the eminent pleasures of winter is daydreaming about warmer days while looking out at a snow-shrouded landscape — a treasured moment in time, wafting back to the summer breeze or looking forward to the next. It’s a moment without toil, when the vision is in the mind and heart, and blooms without weeds.

I am blessed to be a beekeeper who gardens. I am always accompanied among my blossoming patches of yard and window boxes by the vibrant energy of the honeybees I tend. I treasure the moments when I can pause to watch them work flowers, gathering the nectar and the pollen in a life-giving exchange.

In my garden plan, I must envision a broader picture that goes beyond simple beauty to encompass a plethora of honeybee forage. Balancing out the seasons with honeybee-friendly sources of pollen and nectar can be a fun strategic element in garden design that provides a grounding sense of purpose.

Developing an awareness of what is beneficial (i.e., pollinator friendly planting and harvesting practices) and what is detrimental (i.e., lawn chemicals, unnatural fertilizers and pesticides) in your immediate controllable landscape can in part influence the arc of our evolution. Encouraging a healthy environment for everyone by raising the awareness in your community is even better.

Honeybee

Realizing that honeybees see colors differently than we do, in an ultra-violet spectrum, and understanding how their communication skills and anatomy influence their foraging can inspire a paradigm shift in garden planning and feed our passions for connecting with nature.

Years ago, I would never have imagined a garden leaning towards masses of blue flowers (such as Nepeta, Salvia, Anise Hyssop, Sea Holly and Blue Mist Spirea), with hints of pink and lavender (Flowering Chives, Creeping Thyme, Sweet Pepperbush, Autumn Joy), and the beaconing yellows of early spring (Vernal Witch Hazels, Pussy Pillows and Dandelions) and late summer (Heirloom Sunflowers and Goldenrods), among many other intriguing and delightful specimens.

Flowering-chives

Embracing the contributions of many of the “invasives” and “weeds,” as well as “flowering vegetables,” is all in the mix of positive pollinator consciousness. There is something elemental that heightens the joys of gardening by inviting and nurturing honeybees, the most prolific and communal of our pollinators.

If you have a garden in your soul, it doesn’t matter whether you have a window box, an urban/community garden plot or a stretch of acres. We each can invite honeybees in with the choices we make.

Grai St. Clair Rice is Co-Founder of HoneybeeLives.org

Featured image: Honeybee on Mountain Mint by John Baker.
Pennsylvania Dept. of Agriculture