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Looking Ahead . . . a note from Rick
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April 1 is Opening Day!
Plan your visit this weekend and take advantage of
FREE ADMISSION
Saturday and Sunday, 12:00 to 5:00 p.m.
Spring is in the air, and signs are everywhere! From yellow tete-a-tete daffodils to purple crocus, to the blush of budding trees and shrubs, things are happening.
We've been working hard to prepare the garden to welcome you back.
It's a busy time of year, with a variety of early maintenance chores. All gardeners know that work done now sets the garden up for success for the rest of the year.
So what things should you be doing now?
- Start your vegetable garden and be prepared to enjoy fresh greens and other vegetables through the season. I've planted spinach, peas, Asian greens, arugula, mustard greens, broccoli raab, kale, leeks and onions -- all can be planted in the garden now, either in a vented cold frame, or sown directly in your soil. As the sun warms the soil in the coming weeks, plant your lettuce, beets and carrots.
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Pull early weeds before they spread throughout the garden. Spending a few hours now will reward you with reduced weeding chores later in the growing season.
- Clean up twigs, branches and leaves before perennials appear and help them grow unrestricted. Make a game of it with your children and grandchildren to get them outdoors!
- Apply organic fertilizer in a circle to the root areas of small trees and shrubs throughout the garden.
- Edge your planting beds to create clean lines.
- Roses can be pruned when the Forsythia blooms, and don't forget to remove the mulch used for winter protection around them.
Are you thinking of replacing some under-performing perennials this year? Consider the many native varieties that support our pollinating insects.
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Pow Wow Wild Berry
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I like any species of bluestar or Amsonia, and Bridge Gardens has both A. illustris and A. hubrichtii.
Coneflowers or Echinacea are another attractive nectar source and there are lots of hybrid varieties on the market now. Many are not vigorous and long lived, but "Pow Wow Wild Berry" is an exception. It grows easily and economically from seed. Or try some of the lesser known species like E. pallida or paradoxa.
White wild indigo (Baptista alba) takes a while to get established, but is spectacular in bloom, as is the more common blue wild indigo.
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Butterfly Weed
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For those who are looking for milkweed to support our monarch butterflies, rose millkweed (Asclepias incarnata) is more showy and more garden-friendly than common milkweed, which is invasive and best grown in wide open spaces. If you have a hot, dry, sunny site with sandy soil, try butterfly weed (A. tuberosa).
Finally, black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia hirta) are colorful and easy to grow. Most commonly sold in containers is a variety of Rudbeckia fulgida, called 'Goldsturm,' but there are many species and varieties worth growing.
This is also the perfect time for tree and shrub pruning, and we were very grateful for the guidance provided by Jackson Dodds last weekend who led our workshop at the Gardens. Jackson, a Certified Arborist and current President of the Long Island Arboricultural Association, led a walk through the garden last Saturday, accompanied by 45 attendees who learned best practices for pruning both evergreen and deciduous trees and shrubs. Thank you for sharing your expertise Jackson!
I hope you'll join us for other workshops coming up this year, or just to visit for inspiration. If it's a beautiful day and the garden gates are open, come in to see what's growing!
See you soon,
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New Bridge Gardens Membership Benefits Now Available!
Membership Has Its Privileges
and Now is the Time to Join
Buy your membership to the Gardens today and get ready to enjoy all that it offers! You'll have unlimited visits throughout the year, receive free or reduced price admission to the workshops, music nights, and other fun activities, and support the continued expansion of programming for people of all ages.
New this year: Members now receive discounts at local businesses, plus free admission and discounts at over 300 participating gardens nationwide through the American Horticultural Society's Reciprocal Admission Program! Visit their website to learn more.
Thank you for your support!
Your garden membership helps us continue to grow and thrive.
And now is the perfect time to renew your membership to Bridge Gardens . . .
Individual membership is $50, family membership (for up to 4 people) is $75.
Interested in expanding your support of the garden's programming, including lectures, workshops, and the edible landscape? Consider increasing your membership as a Supporter, Friend, Benefactor, Patron or Partner!
For more information on membership benefits, or to become a corporate sponsor, contact Amanda Abraham at 631.283.3195, ext. 20 or email her at
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Upcoming Events: Mark Your Calendar
The Peconic Land Trust's Connections
calendar for April offers two great programs at Bridge Gardens, focused on changing to organic practices in the home landscape. Both feature Perfect Earth Project's organic lawn care specialist, Paul Wagner of Greener Pastures Organics:
- Saturday, April 8, 10am: Organic lawn care series begins with a focus on diagnosis of lawn and soil conditions, appropriate products to use, and mowing
and watering tips. Additional dates in the series: June 24 and September 16.
- Saturday, April 29, 10am: Organic rose care series begins with a focus on early season pruning, fertilization and soil conditioning, and organic treatment for overwintering pests. Additional dates in the series: June 10 and November 11.
Also Coming Up...
Do you love garden tours? Then call today to reserve your place on May 12, for our Free Admission day and guided walks in honor of
National Public Gardens Day!
The day starts with a walk at Bridge Gardens at 10:30, led by Rick and continues at our partner gardens:
1:00 pm at Madoo Conservancy in Sagaponack and 3:00 pm at LongHouse Reserve in East Hampton.
Take time to linger after the tour and enjoy a delicious prix fixe dinner offered to tour participants at three top local restaurants, The Living Room c/o Maidstone Inn in East Hampton, Almond Restaurant in Bridgehampton, and Plaza Cafe in Southampton! Reservations at restaurants suggested.
Call today to reserve your spot on the guided walk!
See all of our upcoming Spring programs online at
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"Free Lawn Care Advice Tuesdays"
Take on a New Twist!
Starting Tuesday, April 4
through the end of October, Paul Wagner of Greener Pastures Organics will once again be at Bridge Gardens from 2:30 - 5:00 p.m. every Tuesday afternoon.
Working in partnership with Perfect Earth Project, Paul offers free advice about organic approaches to lawn care issues. Stop in to get your questions answered.
New this year: specific monthly topics covering the issues you'll most likely encounter:
April 18 - Preventing crabgrass and other weeds
May 9 - Selecting the right grass seed for your sun and soil conditions
May 30 - Common turf diseases and how to manage them
June 20 - Common turf insects and their control
July 11 - Watering techniques for the summer heat
August 1 - Summer turf stress relief
August 22 - Lawn renovation strategies for the fall
September 12 - Fall lawn tips
Can't make it to the Gardens on a Tuesday? Feel free to email Paul with your questions!
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Sponsors and Partners in Programming
Bridge Gardens is very thankful for the support of a number of sponsors and partners in 2016. These include:
- RB Irrigation -- as a financial sponsor and assistance with our irrigation. RB has been wonderfully supportive of our gardens and is also a member of our community garden.
- Summerhill Landscapes -- for professional landscaping services, including installation of new trees and vegetation for our buffer, and also for donating the Christmas tree and stringing the lights for our holiday open house.
- Greener Pastures Organics -- offering year-long free advice for lawn and landscapes. Paul Wagner will continue this again in 2017 on Tuesday afternoons!
- Perfect Earth Project -- providing support for our sustainable landscape practices.
- Jackson Dodds & Co -- for arborist and landscape assistance throughout the year.
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In addition to the valuable support received from our members, our sponsors and partners are integral to our ability to grow and thrive.
Interested in becoming a sponsor or business partner?
Contact Amanda for more information.
Thank you!
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About Bridge Gardens
Bridge Gardens is a unique demonstration garden with a focus on sustainable horticultural practices, located in the heart of Bridgehampton. It features an expansive herb garden, perennial and vegetable beds, an array of specimen trees and shrubs,
native grasses, 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:
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, Donor Services Manager:
631.283.3195 ext. 24
Peconic Land Trust conserves Long Island's working farms, natural lands
and heritage for our communities now and in the future.
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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.
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