The Heart of the Season at Bridge Gardens
 This year, March and April reversed themselves, weather-wise. Tee-shirt weather in March turned into heavy frosts and a very long, gray, bone-chilling stretch in April and into May. Plants certainly slowed their growth. I pruned the roses way before
forsythia bloomed and daffodils saw one of the longest seasons I've enjoyed here.
 In the vegetable garden, early crops of kale, spinach, mustard and other greens, sown in early March, required covering during those heavy frosts, but started yielding well in late April and early May despite the cold and damp. Now in late May, they are just about ready for their third cutting.
 Many plants are blooming later than usual this year, but as we near the Memorial Day weekend, most plants like roses, shrubs and perennials have caught up in terms of height and leaf growth. Double-file viburnum always blooms in May. This year, it's late May. Roses always bloom in June. This year, it will be late June.  Other plants to see in bloom in June are poppies, foxgloves and valerian in the herb garden, the 10-foot wall of Clematis montana 'Alba' in the oak tree near our shed and the ornamental onions in the mixed border by the house. I planted those 5 years ago and they are still returning in great numbers without re-planting.  We're excited about all the small fruits we planted this spring, including raspberries, black raspberries, blackberries, blueberries and strawberries. No fruit this year - they still look mostly like sticks rather than plants, but we're hopeful. And a special thank you to Community Gardener Rand Stoll -- Rand donated our raspberry plants last year, and we are looking forward to them bearing fruit this season.
We are always interested in introducing new plants into the gardens. Have an idea or interested in making a gift to Bridge Gardens? Come by and see me. I'm usually at the gardens daily -- and our new summer hours start this weekend.
 Speaking of the weekend, be sure to stop by! Lois Bender -- who's been leading watercolor classes here for the past few years -- is having a pop up exhibition of art work by her students and herself. A percentage of all sales will be donated to the Peconic Land Trust. Come on by and say hello and maybe pick up a special treasure to bring home: Saturday, May 28 and Sunday, May 29 from 11 am to 5 pm, refreshments will be provided.
I look forward to seeing you this Summer, and look forward to a bountiful growing season!
National Public Gardens Day - May 6
 It is the "unofficial" start of the garden season, and for the 2nd year we partnered with our friends at Madoo Conservancy and LongHouse Reserve to offer a day of guided tours at these three public gardens on the South Fork. This year on May 6, we enjoyed a great experience getting to meet local and visiting garden enthusiasts who made their way along Route 27 to see the early blooming at the gardens.
 While the weather wasn't overly cooperative, we had a visit and walk about the gardens -- discussing what's blooming and what plants are on the horizon. We thank our volunteers for the day, Carol Ahlers, Susan Edwards, Mary Welker, Michael Schmeelk, and Rikki Furman for all their help in making the day special.
Community Garden Update
This year's community gardeners have all been busy in their plots, planting their vegetable and flower seeds and seedlings and checking anxiously for signs of growth. Seeing your seedlings emerge and transplants thrive is such a rewarding experience!
Our 20 enthusiastic gardeners and their families visit often to keep their plots looking their best.
During a recent visit, we chatted with Janet Ollinger (pictured right with Rick), who said, "Rick Bogusch is incredibly gracious in sharing his vast knowledge and we have learned so much. Being able to spend time gardening on the grounds of Bridge Gardens is inspiring!"
Susan D'Alessio and Al Ganci (pictured left) have been members for two years. Susan added "the environment at Bridge Gardens is perfect for success -- no deer, and watering help when we can't be there. This year we're trying artichokes and radicchio and can't wait to enjoy them."
Need some help with your lawn? Come for a visit soon -- and get a little free advice. Paul Wagner has returned as our "Lawn Expert" on Wednesdays from 2 to 5 pm. Stop in to the garden to see Paul and get your lawn questions answered -- for FREE. Paul's program at Bridge Gardens is in partnership with the Perfect Earth Project.
New This Year: Tasting & A Tour
We have many programs planned for the late Spring, Summer and Fall, including a new series we are calling:
Fridays at Four: Tasting and Tour,
where we will be partnering with local winemakers, brewers and more for a series of tours of the garden accompanied by a local beverage. It's a great way to start the weekend. Our first tour is on Friday, June 24 with Channing Daughters
.
Pruning Evergreens and Deciduous Trees and Shrubs
with Jackson Dodds -- Why Prune?
-
for safety. - to maintain the size of a plant.
- to remove deadwood, as it encourages insect and disease problems.
- for shape, as in topiaries or removing branches that conflict.
- And finally, Know When to Stop! Keep the shape balanced and thin to allow air circulation. Don't overdo it, there's always next year!
Hydrangeas with Brendan O'Dwyer and Tom Volk of Summerhill Nursery -- When to Prune?

#1 take away from the day: Know which kind of hydrangea you have before pruning! Some bloom on old wood, some on new, and pruning at the wrong time will eliminate most of your blooms for the season!
- Nikko Blue, Lace Cap, and Oakleaf hydrangeas bloom on old wood, so best to cut back right after they flower so as not to disturb next year's blooms (late summer).
- Paniculata hydrangeas bloom on new wood, and tend to be more forgiving if pruned in late winter.
- The Endless Summer variety blooms on both old and new wood and can be pruned carefully in the fall or late winter.
- If you have Hydrangea Annabelle, tip the new growth mid-May which makes the shrub sturdier so flowers stand up and are less likely to fall over from the weight of the flower.
- Other tips? Be sure to remove dead wood from the interior of your hydrangea and cut out branches that conflict with each other near the base of the shrub to improve circulation. This keeps them healthy and disease-free. Also, hydrangeas cannot be cultivated by splitting them - they are a shrub and have one root ball.
- A soil test will determine your soil pH, important to know if you want to control the color of your blooms. Your local nursery may sell products to add to the soil to give you more vibrant blue, pink or other colors!
Note: Climbing hydrangeas look beautiful against a structure or house!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Summer is Just Starting!
Join Bridge Gardens Today and Enjoy the Bounty of the Season!
Membership to Bridge Gardens is a great way to show your support of all the gardens have to offer: the diverse plantings, the educational programming on horticulture and sustainable landscaping, healthy cooking, and music and art workshops throughout the year. Members receive discounted fees for programming, and free admission to our popular Music at Six evenings
in July and August.
Join Today and we look forward to seeing you this season . . .
Please make a commitment to support Bridge Gardens today. . . consider making a Donation to help the gardens grow!
We need help covering the costs involved in changes to the plantings along Mitchell Road, required by the Town of Southampton. If you enjoy your visits to Bridge Gardens, please consider making your donation today to help us cover the balance of these costs, and add Bridge Gardens to your annual giving each year.
For more information on how you can help, please contact Pam Greene at our Southampton office at 631.283.3195 or PGreene@PeconicLandTrust.org
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bridge Gardens Notecards
Available for Your Gift-Giving Needs All Year Long!
   
 
Throughout 2014, photographer Jeff Heatley spent time each month documenting the changing seasons at Bridge Gardens.
The entire portfolio of images from Jeff is on his website, April 2014 through January 2015. We've taken 8 of Jeff's beautiful images from the season and created a gorgeous gift set of note cards. What a wonderful way to share Bridge Gardens with your friends and family!
The notecards, $12 for a set of 8 cards, are available on our website or by calling 631.283.3195.
|