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Gardeners Marketplace Newsletter
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Dear Gardening Friend:
Hope that your gardening is off to a fast start despite weather conditions . . . cool and damp in New England, volatile storms throughout the Midwest's Tornado Alley, and my sister in California reports 45-75 degree weather, but a good deal of soil moisture. |
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Brooklyn Botanic Gardens
We traveled down from the Berkshire Hills of Massachusetts to New York City and the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens (BBG) this past weekend, and were astonished by all that is in bloom. Martha and I can strongly recommend a trip to the heart of Brooklyn, whether you're residents of the New York region, or visitors. Hours are 8-6 pm, Tuesdays through Fridays, and 10-6 pm on the weekends. Phone number is (718) 623-7200. Tickets range from $3-$5, but the garden is open and FREE to the public on Saturdays from 10-12 pm, and on Tuesdays all day.
This past weekend we enjoyed an explosion of flowering trees and shrubs, including lilacs, azaleas, crabapples, tulips, blue bells, and rhododendrons. Additionally, there was a musical “Springfest” on Sundays, which will be held through May 25th. June is a great time to visit the rose gardens, where you'll find over 5,000 bushes, with an amazing 1,200 varieties on display. We had lunch at the Terrace Cafe, surrounded by wonderful aromas of spring, and also visited the garden gift shop. As a resource, the BBG has published over 100 “21st Century Guides” which focus on a wide variety of gardening challenges and projects, everything from Butterfly Gardens to Bonsai, a value at $9.95 each. (And for more on flowering trees and shrubs, link over to the www.gardenersmarketplace.com and take a look at Direct Gardening, Stark Brothers Nurseries & Orchards Co., The National Arbor Day Foundation, Mellinger’s, Wayside Gardens, and American Forests.)
Once again, membership to BBG gives you free or reduced admission to hundreds of gardens around the country, as well as discounts at garden gift stores.
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Get Ready For Summer
As cool as it has been in New England, we know a good hot summer is coming. Martha and I are thinking about creating some cool “oases” up at our farm in the Champlain Valley. One approach is a long-term tree-planting program. We have some very old apple trees, which took a bit of a beating during the winter. While the broken limbs will make for some great, aromatic firewood for next winter, we need to get going on replacing them. This year we'll probably put in a half dozen or so fruit trees, along with an oak tree or two, that will grow for future generations to enjoy.
For a faster solution to the hot sun and heat, you might be interested in taking a look at a wide variety of awnings, market umbrellas, and shade tree canopies. A number of our friends in the gardening product, and accessories category produce a wide variety of these “sun busters” to consider. Take a look at the www.gardenersmarketplace.com, linking to ShadeTree Canopies, SunSetter Awnings, and the SunPorch Convertible Sunroom pages.
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Great New Fresh Farm Markets
As we worked our way down to New York and back we stopped at some wonderful fresh farm markets that were tempting. (Tell us about some near you . . . maybe we'll pick “the best farm markets of America”).
Green River Farms, 2480 Green River Road, Williamstown, Massachusetts, corner of Route 43 and Route 7, (413) 458-2470
This has been underway for two years, but burst into life this past weekend, with an expanded farm store and nursery. As we approached the store we were offered some fresh blue cheese on crackers from High Lawn Farm, located in South Berkshire County. Named “Berkshire Blue Cheese” its origin is in Somerset, England, but it is now being made with High Lawn Farm milk. We immediately bought a pound of it. Judged “best in the U.S.” according to their spokesperson. We then proceeded inside to a spectacular new array of fresh vegetables, and fruits grown at Green River Farm, plus a meat counter carrying all-natural, free-range meats and poultry. Summer hours of the farm store are 9 am to 7 pm, seven days a week.
Hayes Farm, Route 22, Cambridge, New York, (518) 677-2906
Also recently expanded, this farm stand — just north of the Cambridge town center — has been run by the Hayes family for many years. It still features “the best in the east” homemade pies of Ida Hayes. Try the Peach Praline — it's as close as we've gotten to paradise. The expanded green houses put a new emphasis on flowers, vegetables, herbs, and the fresh produce for sale is all locally grown. Great family-feel with specialty melons in August, great homemade garlic vinegar, local honey, and jams made from local berries.
And on the Nursery Front —
Equinox Valley Nursery, south of Manchester, Vermont, on Route 7A, (802) 362-2610
Family owned and operated, this high-quality nursery is well worth a stop. Thousands of perennial plants, 17 greenhouses, and extensive tree and shrub plantings make this as much like visiting a botanic garden as going to a lawn and garden center. Unique garden ideas, and good consultation from their pros, we were intrigued with their Alpine and rock gardening ideas, their dozens of rose varieties. There are thousands of annuals as well. One of the “best-in-the-state” of Vermont.
That's it for now. Here's to great gardening!
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Question from a mid-western gardener.
Q: We've had torrential downpours, and my lawn is both soggy and tall. Do you have any suggestions for keeping up with it?
A: Think of your lawn maintenance as a marathon rather than a 100-yard dash. When you get a break in the weather, find the driest section of your lawn and go after that. If your machine is struggling, raise the mowing height to it’s maximum (highest cut) and consider doing it today, and then coming back tomorrow or the next day with a lower cut. This will eliminate the need for raking, which can be a monstrous task. I use both a John Deere tractor and DR. Field and Brush mower for field mowing, and a Troy Bilt mulching mower to eliminate the need for raking. The Walker Mower is great for landscaped areas where you need good maneuverability. At the end of the season rent an aerator, or have a service come in and do a good aeration and de-thatching. This can make a huge difference in next year's lawn!
For more information on the products I’ve mentioned visit our website www.gardenersmarketplace.com or email me at johnstorey@berkshiredirect.com.
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