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A Note From Rick . . .
It was a good summer for Bridge Gardens: Overall membership, attendance, and support increased. We  had a great Winter Lecture Series with a diverse group of speakers, including Dianne Benson, Richard Iversen, Arlene Bujese, James Demartis, and Carol Ross. Early spring brought many new visitors to see our hundreds of wonderful daffodils and, as they have for the past three years, the Macy's volunteers gave us a leg up on the season.
Spring also brought a tremendous turnout for our first vegetable garden class and a great crop of spinach, lettuce, arugula, and kale. Early summer was highlighted by our first fundraiser, a beautiful evening with our special guest, B. Smith. Great food and great company!
Our concert series, Fridays at Six, was the highlight of  the summer. There were 10 performances this year and for me, it was like having a great party every week - sometimes with old friends, sometimes with new. More importantly, the series introduced many people to Bridge Gardens for the first time and demonstrated a garden can be both educational and pleasurable.
 This summer also featured our second annual sculpture exhibition, featuring 10 artists and 15 sculptures from around the world. If you missed them, you can check out the photos on our Facebook page.
We held many educational Connections programs this past summer. Besides the 3-part course focused on our vegetable garden, there were also classes on roses and cooking. Sylvia Lehrer's class in August featured herbs from the herb garden and produce from the vegetable garden, truly a garden-to-table event.
Horticulturally, we continued transforming Bridge Gardens into a more  sustainable place with more extensive plant collections and developing our gardens in an educational way. The mixed borders were a big hit with visitors and the herb and rose gardens have never looked better and continue to attract visitors from all over Long Island. This year, we gave 10 tours to garden clubs from both Nassau and Suffolk Counties. One tour even came from Connecticut.
 New projects included 2 beds in the stroll garden that will stretch from the inner garden entrance to the herb garden and we continued to develop the bamboo walk. By season's end, we finished a new bamboo gate, allowing us to open the bamboo room to visitors once again.
Our most important project was the new vegetable garden. In the future, we plan to expand this garden by installing additional beds to use as an educational resource for visitors of all ages. The initial bed was installed earlier this year and started producing in  April. Beans, beets, and greens were only some of its bounty featured at our Fridays at Six buffets.
Perhaps this year's greatest crop was the increased pool of active Bridge Gardens volunteers. Whether weeding, mulching, greeting visitors at the gate, or setting up the Friday at Six concerts, their help was not only gratifying, but also invaluable.
Bridge Gardens closed for the season at the end of October. As we plant more bulbs, create new beds, and begin to prepare for winter, planning for next year's lectures, courses, and events has already begun. We hope to see you at the Gardens next spring.
Thank you to our corporate members for their support this year: Maran Corporate Risk Advisors, BNY/Mellon Wealth Management, Macy's, Hildreth's Department Store, Channing Daughters Winery, B. Smith's, C. Whitmore Gardens, and Marders.
Happy Gardening!
Rick
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