Wow, lots and lots of rain on Saturday. I tried to get up early and get some gardening done before the heavy stuff hit, but I was pretty well soaked after a couple of hours.

Mostly I was trying to rip up and cut back everything killed by the frost last week.

But yesterday was gorgeous and with all that rain, a great day to plant bulbs, shrubs and trees and pull weeds. Everything comes up so easily after a big soaker like that.

That first big frost can be so depressing — thriving annuals turn into a pile of mush overnight. Like morning glories—from this:

To this:

Read more of this entry »

Once October comes around and temperatures threaten to go below 40 degrees, I like to strip my tomato plants bare and bring in the green ones to ripen indoors.

I like to put them on newspaper-lined trays under the dining room table—because that’s what my mom used to do and it works.

They ripen slowly, out of direct sunlight and away from the heat of the kitchen. Plus they’re off the kitchen counters and out of my way.

These tomatoes were all completely green a couple of weeks ago.

My favorite this year has been an heirloom variety called Mr. Stripey. Most of the red tomatoes on the left side of the tray—you can see faint orange stripes on top—are Mr. Stripey. Tons of flavor, even well into the fall.

That’s the good thing about a frost—you can finally find those missing plant tags when you begin to rip out the dead plants.

News from the Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture in Pocantico Hills:

Perennials: Remove and destroy all old foliage from bearded irises after they have been blackened by heavy frost. Its borers lay eggs in late summer and then overwinter on the old foliage.

Dig and lift dahlias after a heavy frost. Cut back stems to 2 to 4 inches and wash soil from the tubers. Set tubers in the sun for a day to dry, and store them in sawdust or perlite in a dry, cool spot until April. Don’t forget to label them. For an early start, try planting them in pots six weeks before planting them out. Read more of this entry »

Oct. 25
Garrison: Designing Ecologically Sound Landscapes. Speaker: Darrel Morrison. Sponsor: Manitoga. Free. 5-7 p.m. Alice Curtis Desmond and Hamilton Fish Library, Routes 403 and 9D. 845-424-3812.

Nov. 3
Larchmont: Garden Club of Larchmont 95th Anniversary Fundraiser. Luncheon, fashion show sponsored by Ann Taylor, silent auction. $25. 11:30 a.m. Larchmont Avenue Presbyterian Church, 60 Forest Park Ave. 914-834-8769.

Nov. 5
Ossining: “Greening” Your Backyard. Instructor: Linsay Cochran, Teatown Environmental Leaders Learning Alliance Coordinator. Topic: Learn why and how, with an overview of “green” lawn care, native plants, composting, watering, mulching, and seed-starting, natural pest control and soil amending for an organic home vegetable, flower and herb garden. Registration. $20. 7 p.m. Teatown Lake Reservation, 1600 Spring Valley Road. 914-762-2912.

Nov. 11
White Plains: Greater Westchester Orchid Society Meeting. $25 membership. 7 p.m. Ethical Culture Society of Westchester, 7 Saxon Woods Road. 973-420-4966.

Nov. 12
New Rochelle: Garden Club of New Rochelle. Speaker: Irene Schindler. Topic: Flower tales and other folklore. Free. 1 p.m. Elks Lodge, 19 The Boulevard. 914-632-5411.

From Mary Prenon at Thompson and Bender, on behalf of Hudson Valley Tourism:

“Hudson Valley Tourism Presents the Best Bets for a Haunted Hudson Valley This October

“As Halloween approaches, the Hudson Valley is gearing up for a series of spooky events to fill October weekends. From pumpkins to poltergeists, there are dozens of ways for both children and adults to enjoy this popular fall holiday. Read more of this entry »

A couple of items from the November calendar for the Bedford Audubon Society caught my eye.

If you’ve never been to Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, it’s well worth a visit—one of the great undiscovered wild treasures in NYC. It’s hard to believe you’re in Queens, much less right in the shadow of Kennedy Airport.

One morning I actually saw a very large snowy owl there, on the ground right near the beach. We used to have an even bigger barred owl that would arrive for the winter every November. I remember opening the back door at night and there he’d be, perched in a tree, not shy at all. What a treat.

Owls are the best at ridding your winter garden of rodents.

From Bedford Audubon:

“Field Trip to Jamaica Bay With John Askildsen
Saturday November 1. Carpool from Bylane Farm at 7:30 a.m. Read more of this entry »

Sorry for the short notice; I just heard about this:

“The Environment Program of Cornell Cooperative Extension Dutchess County is pleased to present an Open Educational Forum:

Wednesday, September 22, 2008
7:00 – 8:15 pm

“Engaging Communities in Watershed Management
With Guest Speaker:

Dr. Shorna Broussard
Dept. of Natural Resources
Cornell University Read more of this entry »

Here’s info on a daylong program at the NY School of Interior Design on the Upper East Side. I’ve been to a couple of these; they’re quite good.

“The Garden Metropolis
at the New York School of Interior Design
Friday, November 7, 2008, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The New York School of Interior Design,
170 East 70th Street, New York City

“As our cities continually expand and develop at a fast pace, the interaction of people and plants assumes a narrowly focused but essential interplay. This one-day seminar will showcase the strong design and thoughtful planning currently transforming our urban green spaces – from the smallest rooftop to ambitious new park proposals – and demonstrate how they will meet the everyday experience of those who live in and around the city. Read more of this entry »