The Flowers are Blooming! 
The late Spring and cool nights have been beneficial to the early summer garden.
A walk to the vegetable garden reveals lush rows of carrots and beets that are growing daily and will be ripe for the picking in coming weeks. Also, long neck garlic, planted last autumn, will be harvested in mid-July and dried for use in the coming months. With eight varieties of tomatoes and also peppers flourishing next to Japanese and Italian eggplants, the vegetable garden will soon offer its bounty at dinnertime! Extra produce will again be donated to the Sag Harbor Food Pantry.
Volunteers play a critical role in helping me keep the gardens looking their best. Just last Friday, 15 volunteers from Goldman Sachs' "Community TeamWorks" program came to the gardens -- this is the second year they've come to help us, full of enthusiasm and can-do attitude! Working alongside myself, Steve, Irene and Trust Outreach Manager Kathy Kennedy, they gave a fresh coat of paint to the entrance gates, cut and removed fallen and leaning bamboo in the bamboo room, dug, divided and replanted a bed of perennials, and spread mulch on a number of beds -- all in a day's work! Thanks so much to this energetic group!
On Saturday, June 21, we had a lovely group of rose enthusiasts join us for our late afternoon Wine & Roses Tour. The rose garden is at its peak for another ten days -- and features a profuse display of colors, sizes of blooms. One outstanding new addition is "Pope John Paul II" -- a very disease resistant, large, classic white rose with heavenly fragrance. Stop by and see for yourself, and visit our Facebook page for more pictures from the tour.
Other standout plants to look for during your next visit include the Cardoon, a member of the artichoke family located in the herb garden that is ready to burst forth with large, thistle-like purple blooms -- not to be missed. The hydrangea "Pink Annabelle" is also at its peak right now with beautiful, coral pink blossoms, a welcome vision given that many hydrangeas were affected by the severe winter weather. Asiatic lilies will be blooming in July and they are located throughout the garden -- always spectacular and many extremely fragrant. The Acanthus spinosus, also known as bear's breeches, is a showy plant, with its spiky leaves and beautiful purple and white flowers. You'll find them alongside the brick pathway near the inner garden gate. Finally, our beautiful water lilies in the pond near the house continue their show through October with butter yellow and pink-tinged blossoms. So much to see!
Also, don't forget to check out Jeff Heatley's photo essay of Bridge Gardens, the June photos are truly amazing.
Jeff's June portfolio includes lamb's ear, the water lilies, Japanese forest grass, calycanthus, purple smoke tree, viburnum, clematis, Rosa rugosa, Eastern prickly pear cactus and so much more. Be sure to check it out and also his posts from April and May.  And please save the date: Friday, July 18 for the first of two music nights at Bridge Gardens. Perennial favorite Charles Certain and Friends will be there! Bring family and friends, your blanket, and a picnic, and enjoy an early evening with us. Music starts at 6pm and continues until dusk.
Summer is a glorious time to be at the Gardens, I hope you'll join me soon. Members can visit the gardens all season long as well as receive free or reduced fees to many of our programs. For more information on membership for 2014, just call Thomas Hobson at 631.283.3195 ext. 20.
-- Rick Bogusch, Garden Manager
Bridge Gardens is Open for Summer
Wednesdays through Sundays
10 am to 5 pm, open late Fridays - til Dusk
Admission: $10/person or $20 for a party of 4
Seasonal memberships: $50/individual or $75/family (up to 4 people per visit).
Join today by calling Thomas Hobson at 631.283.3195 ext. 20
Also,  for more pictures!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Save the Date: Upcoming Programs
in July & August
July 26: The Herb Garden with Rick @ 10 am 
Learn the basics and more about growing, harvesting, drying, storing and enjoying herbs throughout the year -- whether you are planting just a few pots by the doorstep or incorporating them into a larger vegetable garden. Free to Bridge Gardens members; $5/non-members. August 15: Sustainable Lawn Care: A Panel Conversation @ 3 pm  Join us for a lively panel discussion on a practical approach to creating a sustainable lawn environment for your family, with Tamson Yeh, Turf Specialist at Cornell Cooperative Extension, NOFA certified landscape professional Ivan Roman, owner of Heirloom Gardens, and Bridge Gardens' Rick Bogusch. Program will conclude with light refreshments. $5/Bridge Gardens members; $10/non-members.
Photography for Teens and Tweens with Ellen Watson
Wednesdays, July 9, 16 & 23
3:00 pm - 4:30 pm
 This popular photography workshop returns! Teens and tweens will develop skills in camera basics, use of natural light and fill flash, portraiture and composition. Attendees must bring their own digital camera (manual settings capability recommended), and will receive personalized instruction on its use. Ellen was an original member of Plein Air Peconic, and her work embraces the East End environment. For more information about Ellen's work, please visit her website at www.EllenWatsonPhotography.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Watercolor Classes with Lois Bender
Every Friday: July 11 through August 29 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Lois Bender returns for a series of inspiring watercolor classes at the Gardens. Beginner and experienced artists learn to paint landscapes and floral bouquets in a "nature sketchbook-style," or bring your own project ideas for development.
Join us and develop your artistic self!
Fee is $45/class, space is limited, prepaid registration required. Please register in advance on Lois's website at www.GardenSpiritsNY.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Fridays at Six: Music in the Gardens
July 18: Charles Certain and Friends August 22: Joe Hampton & the Kingpins Music starts at 6 pm and continues until dusk Bring a chair or blanket, friends and family, and a picnic and enjoy a summer evening at Bridge Gardens. Free for members. Non-members: $15 person or $30/party of four. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Plein Air Peconic Bridgehampton Museum Archives May 22 through September 18 Gallery open Monday through Friday, 10 am to 2 pm Special Saturday hours in July & August only: 10 am to 2 pm 2539-A Montauk Highway (east of the Sag Harbor/Bridgehampton Turnpike)   
Works by: (left to right): Susan D'Alessio, Kathryn Szoka, Joanne Rosko Hosted by the Bridgehampton Museum Archives, be sure to visit this wonderful, summer-long exhibition with an historical perspective, featuring iconic Bridgehampton and Sagaponack settings. All work is for sale and a percentage of all sales will be donated to the Peconic Land Trust and the Bridgehampton Museum by the artists. For more information, visit www.PleinAirPeconic.com. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ For more information on Connections programs, visit our online calendar or call Kathy Kennedy at 631.283.3195, ext. 29.
For reservations, email Robin Harris at Events@PeconicLandTrust.org
or call 631.283.3195 ext. 19.
Volunteer Today!
Join our team of volunteers who help Rick keep the Gardens in top shape.
For more information call Kathy Kennedy, Outreach Manager, at 631.283.3195, ext. 29 or email to KKennedy@PeconicLandTrust.org.
Bridge Gardens is located at 36 Mitchell Lane, Bridgehampton.
or call 631.283.3195.
|
