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Looking Ahead . . . a note from Rick
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Friday, May 12 is National Public Gardens Day!
Join me for a Day of Free Admission!
Its the perfect day to visit Bridge Gardens
as we acknowledge the important role
botanical gardens play in our community
Bridge Gardens celebrates National Public Gardens Day with our two sister public gardens, Madoo Conservancy in Sagaponack and LongHouse Reserve in East Hampton, and admission is free at all three! While our guided walks are sold out, garden staff will be available throughout the day at each garden to meet you and answer questions.
If you have time to linger on the East End for dinner, you can also enjoy a delicious prix fixe dinner offered by two top local restaurants, Almond Restaurant in Bridgehampton, and Plaza Cafe in Southampton! Reservations are requested at your favorite restaurant.
For more information, call Robin at 631.283.3195!
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Something else to celebrate:
Its the 30th Anniversary of Bridge Gardens!
While Bridge Gardens has only been operated by the Peconic Land Trust since 2008 when the the property was donated to the Trust by garden founders Jim Kilpatric and Harry Neyens, pictured above, the gardens have been around for much longer. Kilpatric and Neyens began the garden 30 years ago this year, designing and installing the gardens over the ensuing 20 years to create a wonderful horticultural oasis that spans over five acres. While some aspects of the garden have changed, we've worked hard to stay true to the inspiration for its creation: to offer the public access to a beautiful and peaceful place, to enjoy and be inspired by its collections, and to promote the benefits of public garden spaces in the community.
Our thanks to Jim and Harry for their commitment to
local horticulture and community!
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Taking a walk at Bridge Gardens this month, you'll see daffodils beginning to fade, but there are a few varieties that bloom into mid-May, like Poet's Narcissus, and jonquils like Pipit and Hillstar. If you get here in the next two weeks, creamy white Summer Snowflake, pictured here, will still be in bloom. This bulb, planted in fall like daffodils and tulips, has flowers like snow drops but they are larger and hang from 15" stems. The variety at Bridge Gardens are 5 years old, are deer resistant, and are great repeaters that do well in heavy shade.
Before long, ornamental onions will be in bloom. These large purple globes are eye catching, and can provide you with a long season of color, starting with Purple Sensation and ending in early June with super tall varieties like Gladiator and Globemaster.
Bridge Garden's herb garden sees a flush of color from the mass of woad planted in the textile and dyeing herb bed. A member of the mustard family, woad has been a source of blue dye since Roman times and was the only source until the discovery of indigo in the 18th century. It's tall sprays of yellow flowers, blue-ish leaves, and attractive seed heads are a welcome sight in May. As June approaches, look for foxgloves and poppies in the medicinal bed.
Moving into the vegetable bed, we've already had an early harvest of spinach and kale, and arugula, mustard greens, radishes and broccoli raab are coming in too. Thinking of planting your own healthy greens? Now is the time! Its lettuce season, and I like to mix seeds of Merlot and Tango for a colorful row and salad bowl of leaf lettuce. Bibb varieties like Sparx, Yugoslavian Red and Rosaine make colorful, tender, tasty heads, as does the butterhead variety called Skyphos. If you're more of a romaine person, try Plato II or Truchos - they produce early, and can be sourced from Johnny's Seeds, Fedco, The Cook's Garden, or Territorial Seed Company. Finally, your first crops of beets and carrots should be heading into the soil now if you haven't already planted them.
So what things should you be doing now?
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Plant your vegetable garden with beets, carrots, and lettuces of all kinds. Hold off a couple of weeks for tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini, peppers and basil - its too soon. These will do better when night temperatures stay in the 50's. The end of May or even early June works better for these, as well as cucumber, squash and beans.
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Weed, weed weed! Spending a few hours now will reward you with reduced weeding chores later in the growing season.
- Begin mowing on a weekly basis at a 3 1/2" high setting to shade out weeds and stop weed seeds from germinating. Don't begin irrigating just yet, we've had plenty of rain so far this spring. When it does get dry, water deeply - no more than 3 times weekly - to encourage deep root growth for a healthier lawn.
- Roses should be pruned if you haven't already done so. Paul Wagner of Greener Pastures Organics joined us last Saturday for the first in his series on Organic Rose Care and provided pointers on pruning, fertilization, pest and disease management.
Save the date: Part 2 of the Organic Rose Care Series is set for 10am on Saturday, June 10!
Check out this video, taken during our rose care workshop, for a few tips from Rick on pruning your roses:
I'm looking forward to more fruits in the garden this year. We just planted red, pink, and white currants behind the herb garden and for the past 3 years, small fruits like raspberries, blackberries and strawberries have been planted. We should have some decent harvests this year!
Feel free to grab a berry or two as you walk by.
Stop in soon -- for inspiration, motivation, or peaceful contemplation. Whatever your reason, visit and visit often!
See you soon,
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Did You Get Your 2017 Bridge Gardens Membership Yet?
Buy Yours Today and Make the Most of our
Member Benefits This Year!
Your membership to the Gardens provides valuable support and gives you unlimited access to the gardens throughout the year. Plus, you'll receive free or reduced price admission to the workshops, music nights - including a new, Members-Only Music Night in September - and other fun activities, while supporting 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!
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 is pleased to offer a new series of art classes with well-known North Fork artist and educator, Suzzanne Fokine. You'll discover the artist within at this inspiring outdoor painting series. Master of Fine Arts instructor Suzzanne will offer a choice of medium, oils, acrylics, or watercolors to guide you from start to finish. Beginners to accomplished artists welcome!
Class will be held every Saturday in May and June, 12:00 - 3:00pm
and continue July through August, 9:00 am - 12:00 pm. $50/class, $185 for 4, $350 for all 8 classes. For more information and to preregister, just contact Suzzanne at SuzzanneFokine@hotmail.com or call her at 631.599.2407.
Looking ahead to June...
Saturday, June 10, 10 - 11:30 a.m.
Organic Rose Care, Step #2 with Paul Wagner
- will feature a visit to the rose garden when it looks its best. Learn best practices for pruning and deadheading all varieties of roses, diagnosing and treating pests and fungus, and more. This workshop Series, in partnership with Perfect Earth Project, wraps up on November 11.
$5/person, free to Bridge Gardens Members. Reservations requested.
Saturday, June 24, 10:00 - 11:30 a.m.
Organic Lawn Care, Step #2 with Paul Wagner
- will show you how to keep the organic lawn growing green and offer tips for weed control through the summer. Critical to lawn care success is proper watering, and Paul will discuss best practices for summer irrigation to ensure deep root growth.
This workshop series, in partnership with Perfect Earth Project, wraps up on September 16.
$5/person, free to Bridge Gardens Members. Reservations requested.
See all of our upcoming May and June programs online at
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"Free Lawn Care Advice Tuesdays"
Takes on a New Twist!
Join us on May 9...
Paul Wagner of Greener Pastures Organics offers free lawn care advice every Tuesday afternoon at Bridge Gardens from 2:30 - 5:00 p.m.
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:
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. These include:
- RB Irrigation -- as a financial sponsor and assistance with our irrigation. RB has been wonderfully supportive of our gardens.
- 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 2016 holiday open house.
- Greener Pastures Organics -- offering year-long free advice for lawn and landscapes, continuing in 2017 on Tuesday afternoons!
- Perfect Earth Project -- providing guidance and 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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