Early Autumn at Bridge Gardens

. . . a note from Rick

Fall can be a very productive season, and there's a lot going on in the vegetable and community garden beds at Bridge Gardens right now.

Tomatoes, eggplants and peppers are still yielding lots of fruit, and yellow and red beets, carrots, and leeks are all waiting to be harvested.

Before you pack in your gardening tools, this is also a great time to consider seeding for late fall harvest. Beets, Spanish black radish, and watermelon radish seeds were all planted, as well as sprouting broccoli and a variety of lettuces. Spinach and mustard greens will be seeded this week and again in a couple of weeks to allow me to harvest well into fall.

Also going into the beds will be bok choy, Chinese cabbage, and field cabbage. Our Brussels sprouts are looking lush and will be ready in November, just in time for the Thanksgiving table - maybe even into December! Thank goodness for the long growing season we enjoy on the East End.

With autumn approaching, the focus turns to colorful foliage and brightly colored fruits and berries. Japanese mints, also known as Leucoseptrum, bloom in October with long spikes of flowers, some yellow and some purple. The bright golden color of the variety featured in this photo, Leucoseptrum japonicum 'Golden Angel,' sets off the darker colors of nearby perennials beautifully.

Shrubs of note are the Ilex verticillata, or winterberry holly, a native located in the Inner Garden, near the herb beds. We have a variety called Winter Gold which really comes into its own in October, putting on a show of fantastic orange berries that endure until early winter, or until the birds feast upon them. Make sure you stop by early in October to see their very beautiful display. Another native found in the Inner Garden is Itea virginica, also known as sweetspire. Its spectacular color continues from late October into December and is a plant not to be missed.

As we transition into autumn, lawn care becomes a focus, and now is the time to consider improvements and renovations to your lawn. Our lawn-care expert, Paul Wagner, is still available through October for free advice -- see his 5 suggestions below for what you can do now to ensure success next year.

There's nothing like autumn color in the gardens -- stop by and enjoy!

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Fall is the Perfect Time to Give Your Lawn Some Love!

Schedule Time to Meet Our Lawn Expert

Now is the perfect time to renovate your lawn. Need some help? Come to Bridge Gardens for a visit soon -- and get free advice. Paul Wagner, our "Lawn Expert," is on-site every Wednesday from 2 to 5 pm through the end of October. Stop in to the garden to see Paul and get your lawn questions answered -- for FREE.

5 Autumn Lawn Care Tips from Paul

Seeding in fall is best. it improves lawn density to help choke out weeds next year.
Add compost now, it adds organic matter, nutrients, and beneficial microbes.
Stop watering your lawn when regular rainfall returns. Irrigation is counterproductive when soils are getting enough rainwater.
Aerate compacted areas. Fall aeration is preferable to spring aeration because weeds can take hold after spring aeration. Always seed afterward!
Mow fallen leaves on your lawn with a mulching mower, they provide good food for earthworms and will boost organic matter in your soil.

Paul's free lawncare program at Bridge Gardens is a partnership with the Perfect Earth Project. Stop in this week!

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Fridays at Four, Tasting & Tour

Last One for the Season!

Friday, September 30

. . . featuring Montauk Brewing Co.

Have you joined us for this monthly summer series, new this year? It's been great fun! To date our beverage partners for Fridays at Four: Tasting and Tour included
Channing Daughters Winery, Sweet 'Tauk Lemonade, and Wolffer Estate Vineyard.

Our final tasting and tour of the 2016 series is set for Friday, September 30. With a nod to Oktoberfest, Vaughan Cutillo of Montauk Brewing Co. will pour you a glass of his delicious, locally brewed beer before you head out for a tour of the gardens with Garden Manager Rick Bogusch. It's a great way to start your weekend.

Each of our tours have been sold out, so call to reserve your spot today! $20/person, $10/Bridge Gardens members. Space is limited. RSVP by calling 631.283.3195 or Events@PeconicLandTrust.org

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Join Bridge Gardens Today and Enjoy Member Benefits

Through 2017!

Membership to Bridge Gardens is a great way to show your support of all the gardens have to offer: the diverse plantings, educational programming on horticulture and sustainable landscaping, edible gardens and landscapes,

healthy cooking, and music and art workshops throughout the year.

Our annual membership concludes in December, but purchase now and you can take advantage of member rates through December 2017!

Members receive discounted fees for programming, including horticulture workshops, our very popular Spring Lecture Series, and free admission to

Fridays at Six music evenings in July and August.

Join or Renew Today and take advantage of this year's rates!

Please make a commitment to support the Gardens. . .

Include Bridge Gardens in your Planned Giving

and help support the future of the garden you love!

Bridge Gardens is a beautiful place -- and requires significant investment in seeds, plants, mulch, and organic fertilizers, not to mention our fun educational workshops, live music, art classes, and much more. Town-mandated changes to the plantings, irrigation, and deer fencing along Mitchell Road also need your financial support.

Please consider making your donation today to help us cover 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

Upcoming Programs at Bridge Gardens

Visit our online calendar for details.

Friday, September 30: Fridays at Four, Tasting and Tour, with Vaughn Cutillo of Montauk Brewing Company. 4:00 pm.
$20/person, $10/Bridge Gardens Members. Space is limited, reservations required.

Saturday, October 1: Exploring the Night Sky, with the Montauk Observatory and Southampton Dark Skies Committee. 7:30 - 9:30 pm
Free, donations gratefully accepted. Overcast sky/rain date is October 5. Reservations requested.

Saturday, October 15: Grow More with Less, with Vincent Simeone, Director of Planting Fields Arboretum. 10:00 am
$10/person, Free to Bridge Gardens Members. Space is limited, reservations required.

Watercolor Classes and Art Exhibition Continue!

Lois Bender continues her series of watercolor classes

-- for all skill levels --

individual projects welcome

Saturdays at Bridge Gardens through October, 12:00 - 3:00 pm

$50/class, pre-paid reservation required through Lois' website at www.GardenSpiritsNY.com

Stop in to view an exhibition of her watercolors, on view through October.

Artist in residence since 2012, Lois captures the natural beauty of Bridge Gardens and the East End of Long Island. All images are for sale, and a percentage of sales benefits the Peconic Land Trust!

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Sponsors & Partners

A special thank you to Robert Boyle of

RB Irrigation for his Corporate Sponsorship

of Bridge Gardens this year!

And to Marders,
Mahoney Tree Farm, Summerhill Nursery and Jackson Dodds for their support of Bridge Gardens with the donation of plant materials and landscaping services.

If you'd like to know more about becoming a sponsor

of the Gardens, please contact Kathy Kennedy at 631.283.3195 or KKennedy@PeconicLandTrust.org.

Lawn and Garden Advice

The Peconic Land Trust partners with the

Perfect Earth Project, Peconic Estuary Program, and

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County

to offer advice to homeowners on Sustainable Landscaping practices.

Visit our Lawn and Landscape advice section

on our website for more tips!

www.PeconicLandTrust.org/turf.html

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About Bridge Gardens and the Peconic land Trust

Bridge Gardens is a unique demonstration garden with a focus on sustainable practices in the heart of Bridgehampton, featuring an expansive herb garden, perennial and vegetable beds, an array of specimen trees and shrubs,

community garden plots, and much more.

Managed by Rick Bogusch, Bridge Gardens is a stewardship project

of the Peconic Land Trust, which conserves Long Island's working farms,

natural lands and heritage. Bridge Gardens supports the Trust's mission

by serving as a multi-purpose, multi-disciplinary outdoor classroom,

demonstration garden and community resource.

For more information, visit our website at

www.PeconicLandTrust.org or call 631.283.3195.

Please help us further reduce our carbon footprint - If you change your address, or would like to receive all (or some) of your communications from the

Peconic Land Trust by email, let us know!

Contact Janet Schutt, Systems Manager, at 631.283.3195 ext. 24 or

email her at JSchutt@PeconicLandTrust.org.

Thank you for all you do in support of conservation in our communities!

Peconic Land Trust conserves Long Island's working farms, natural lands, and heritage for our communities now and in the future.

Financial Disclosure Statement: A copy of the last financial report filed with the New York State Attorney General may be obtained in writing to: New York State Attorney General's Charities Bureau, Attn: FOIL Officer, 120 Broadway, New York, NY 10271 or Peconic Land Trust, PO Box 1776, Southampton, NY 11969.