| Choices for Sustainable Living |
 | Our food choices are part of sustainability
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We'll be hosting Choices for Sustainable Living, a Northwest Earth Institute discussion series at our home in Westvale on seven Friday evenings from Sept. 13 to Oct. 25. Participants read each week's material on their own before each meeting, and then we discuss the ideas at the meeting. Materials include brief articles or book excerpts from well-known authors such as Michael Pollan or Barbara Kingsolver, and preparation generally takes about an hour. See the course flyer and more about the program at https://www.nwei.org/discussion-courses/choices-for-sustainable-living/ and more about the Northwest Earth Institute at www.nwei.org. Materials for the first eight participants are available on loan from the library and will be distributed at the first meeting. |
Next EGCNY Meeting
Thurs., Aug. 8
6:30 pm
Liverpool Library
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 | | There's nothing like a homegrown tomato! |
| We'll discuss how our gardens are doing this year: what problems people are having (and their solutions, hopefully), what is ready to eat now, and what we can expect in the next month.
Hearing about fellow gardeners' experiences is always helpful and encouraging.
Edible Gardening CNY meetings are free and open to the public.
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| Summer Camp at Baltimore Woods |  |
A Baltimore Woods summer tradition for over 25 years! Our week-long day camp adventures promote discovery, physical fitness, problem-solving skills, social interaction, and awareness through direct contact with the natural world. Running weekly from
July 8 - August 30, themed camps include: Nature's Little Explorers (ages 4 and 5) Nature & Art Camp(4th - 6th grade) Voyager Camp(5th-8th grade) Teen Camp(9th-11th grade) Sportman's Education Camp (ages 12-17) Register by calling 673-1350 or visit the website at www.baltimorewoods.org for more details. |
| Our Habitat Garden |  |
Visit Our Habitat Garden website for information on providing habitat, earth-friendly gardening practices, plants, and various creatures here in Central New York.
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HGCNY Officers
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| President:
Janet Allen
Vice-President:
Carol Biesemeyer
Treasurer:
Randi Starmer
Secretary:
Soule Leiter
Membership:
Linda Rossiter
Program Chair:
Carol Biesemeyer
Newsletter Editor:
Janet Allen
Additional Planning Committee Members:
Beth Mitchell
Dave Mitchell
John Allen
Peter Huntington
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| HGCNY on Facebook |
As as more of us participate on our Facebook page, this will become a useful resource for asking (and answering!) local HGCNYers' questions about habitat gardening. |
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Join HGCNY!
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Becoming an official member of HGCNY is easy: just join Wild Ones! Basic household membership is $37/year, but there are other options, too. (See membership application or website.)
Wild Ones
P.O. Box 1274
Appleton, Wisconsin 54912-1274
Make checks payable to Wild Ones.
Or telephone toll-free 877-394-9453.
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Our Edible Garden
|  | Visit OurEdibleGarden.org to see an example of a Central New York edible garden, the perfect companion to your habitat garden.
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| Interested in Edible Gardening? | 
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If you'd like to get information on Edible Gardening CNY, just email John to find out about edible gardening tours and monthly programs. Free and open to the public! |
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Greetings!
Summer Show Me Help Me Tours
 | | Robin relishing pagoda dogwood berries |
Show Me Help Me tours are a Wild Ones and HGCNY tradition. They're an opportunity to see what people have done with their landscapes as well as an opportunity to share your ideas about some of the things they're wondering about.
This year's tours:
Thank you, Soule Leiter for her hospitality at our recent Show Me Help Me tour!
Sun. 8/4 at 3:30 pm
Tour our fairly mature habitat garden as featured in OurHabitatGarden.org. Come at 3:00 pm if you'd also like a short tour of our edible garden, as featured in OurEdibleGarden.org.
No RSVP required. (Directions to the Allens are at http://hgcny.org/directions.html). Since there's roadwork on the Grove Rd. side of our property, please park on Parsons Drive.
 | | Native turk's cap lily (Lilium superbum) |
9:30 am: There will be a hike to explore her property. If you sign up but are unable to make it, please email Randi by Friday 8/23 or phone her by 9:30 am on Saturday so we don't wait for you.
12 noon: Whether you join the hike or not, everyone is welcome to come for just the pot luck picnic. Paper plates, cups, napkins and forks will be provided, and attendees please bring the eats!
Directions to the Randi's: Please email Randi and she'll send a .pdf with the directions to her house and phone number.
Native Plant Sale Sept. 7Mark the date for our annual fall sale. We'll not only have contributions of native plants from our fellow HGCNYers, but also plants from vendors. Send any requests for particular plants to our plant committee member John Allen at johnallen33@verizon.net and we'll try to acquire some to sell. More details in the next newsletter ... Janet Allen
President, HGCNY
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Why so few monarchs?
 | | Swamp milkweed |
Despite having milkweed, many people are still waiting to see a monarch this summer.
Why so few?
According to Journey North:
1) There was a low overwintering population due to last summer's heat and drought.
2) This spring's cold temperatures delayed their migration north.
Although generally monarchs can produce four generations, this year, because of their late start, there's probably not time for four generations. This may result in another low population this coming winter.
There's still hope since monarchs have a high reproduction potential, so keep those milkweeds growing for next year's monarchs!
Report your sightings
If you do see monarchs, Journey North wants to know. Read more about the monarch population and report your sightings to Journey North at www.learner.org/jnorth/monarch/spring2013/update_july.html .
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Goldenseal - not just a medicine
 | Goldenseal bloom - May
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Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis) is an unusual plant. Its flower and berry look like they were casually thrown and landed in the center of its leaf.
Goldenseal is also at risk.
Why? Because it is often harvested
 | | Goldenseal berry - July |
from the wild for its various medicinal properties.
Loss of habitat is another significant factor.
Mountaintop removal is also taking a toll.
(For more information on mountaintop removal, see the Wikipedia article at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mountaintop_removal_mining.)
And goldenseal's slow rate of growth adds to the difficulty of maintaining a healthy population in the wild.
Goldenseal is easy to grow if its needs are met. It likes rich, organic soil that is slightly acidic or neutral, and it likes even moisture.
It's an excellent groundcover for a woodland garden.
For more information on goldenseal, see the USDA plant guide at
http://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=HYCA |
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Culver's root: a bee favorite
 | Culver's root, providing nectar and pollen for bees of many types
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A current midsummer bee favorite is culver's root (Veronicastrum virginicum), also known as bowman's root.
Besides its bee-appeal, it's a handsome plant for the garden with its attractive, neat-looking foliage and beautiful white spires. As William Cullina describes it, it has "the head of a Veronica and the body of a lily grafted together in an elegant combination of lightness and vertical strength."
Culver's root's status is "threatened" in New York.
Although it is supposed to have moist or wet conditions, it grows well in my ordinary garden soil. It will grow in sun or part sun.
This elegant plant can become quite tall - up to six feet. It can be a highlight in a meadow style garden and a joy to watch as the bees eagerly gather for a meal.
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Native Plant Shopping Guide
 | | Click image to download the Guide |
Are you looking for native plants in general or a particular native plant?
Chances are, you can find them somewhere in CNY.
Our 2013 Native Plant Shopping Guide shows you where. You're welcome to download it by clicking on the image to the right, OR you can download it from our website homepage (midway down the page). It's free!
As always, we recommend that you call ahead if you're looking for a particular plant. Some less common native plants may be in short supply, and you wouldn't want to waste a trip to find that your plant had sold out. |
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