Two of the best private gardens in the Hudson Valley — Henriette Suhr’s Rocky Hills in Chappaqua and Michael and Judy Steinhardt’s 55-acre spread in Bedford — will be open on Sunday, along with a sweet little in-town garden in Chappaqua, as part of the Garden Conservancy’s Open Days Program.

The program has been in the news lately. Here’s a link to a piece from last weekend’s NYTimes, with photos of Pepe Maynard and Page Dickey. There was a great one of Pepe and John Maynard that ran on the front of the Westchester section that I don’t see on the web site.

Here’s a link to a post from Mrs. Suhr’s garden about this time last year, with great photos by our Mark Vergari.

And some photos of the Steinhardt garden from an earlier post.

And a link to the Open Days Web site, with a full sked for the year. This is a great program. Go to as many of the gardens as you can.

Here is my article from the paper last year about the same three gardens that will be open Sunday. I’ll update the dates to avoid confusion. Read more of this entry »

From Wave Hill in Riverdale:

“Mother’s Day
SUN, May 10
“Don’t forget the special Members-Only  evening at the Shop at Wave Hill on Thursday, May 7, to purchase a special gift for the mother in your life.
“Yoga in Nature
Find refuge from city life by practicing seasonal yoga outdoors on the grounds.
Sunday Brunch
Sunday Brunch on Mother’s Day offers a special menu that’s bound to please mothers and their admirers. Be sure to make your reservations early; the deadline is Friday, May 8 at 4PM. Sold Out.

From Mary T. Prenon at Thompson-Bender
(914) 762-1900

“Spring Fever Hits The Hudson Valley Featuring Exciting Outdoor Events!

“April showers bring gorgeous May flowers to the Hudson Valley! The region’s rich soil not only produces excellent fruits and vegetables, it also inspires green thumbs in their artful arrangements of colorful flowers and greenery. Garden tours and spring happenings are as plentiful as apple blossoms, so say goodbye to winter and enjoy the great outdoors up and down the Valley.

“Stroll through heritage gardens bursting with tulips in Hurley’s National Historic Landmark District, with its stone houses dating back to 1661. On May 2nd at A Dutch Treat, share an artist’s view painting au plein-air, enjoy a Dutch tea, and admire beautifully decorated doorways. Take home a spring-y souvenir of the day from the plant sale. What better gift for Mother’s Day? Mom loves the outdoors, too, so take her to the Mother’s Day Tea at Boscobel in Garrison on May 9th. Drink in the decorative arts of this beautifully restored Hudson River house as guides describe entertaining in the early 1800’s, followed by a refreshing tea and gorgeous views of the Hudson River. Read more of this entry »

From the folks at BBG in Brooklyn:

“Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s Annual Plant Sale
Largest in the Northeast!

“Over 20,000 Plants Available!
Exclusive Plants from Forthcoming “Dan Hinkley Collection”
for Monrovia Nurseries Available for Shoppers
Plus Demonstrations, Personalized Shopping Services, and More

Wednesday, May 6, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Thursday, May 7, 9 a.m. to Noon
Members-Only Preview Sale: Tuesday, May 5, 4:30 to 8 p.m.

“The dates are set for the Northeast’s most anticipated springtime plant extravaganza: Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s annual benefit Plant Sale. With a selection of quality plants unmatched in the metropolitan area, BBG’s Plant Sale draws thousands of plant lovers each year, who take advantage of the incredible values as well as one-on-one gardening advice from BBG horticulture experts. Over 20,000 plants will be on display for sale in an area the size of two football fields on BBG’s peerless Cherry Esplanade. Where else can one shop for plants as the final cherry blossoms create a beautiful petal carpet to mark the end of Hanami, the Garden’s cherry blossom–viewing season?

(photos by Patrick Cullina, courtesy BBG). Read more of this entry »

May 2
Yonkers: Flower Festival. Maypole dance, learn about the famous Dutch tulip, and sample the wares of at flower and bake sale. Free. noon-3 p.m. Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site, 29 Warburton Ave. 914-965-4027.

Cos Cob: 48th Annual May Gardeners’ Market. Free. 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Garden Education Center of Greenwich, 130 Bible St. 203-869-9242.

Ossining: Adding Natives to Your Landscape. Registration. $20. 1 p.m. Teatown Lake Reservation, 1600 Spring Valley Road. 914-762-2912.

Yorktown Heights: Growing a Victory Garden. Speaker: Anna Snider. Topic: which vegetables are the best to grow for maximum value in a limited amount of space. Registration. $10. 10 a.m. Hilltop Hanover Farm and Environmental Center, 1275 Hanover St. 914-962-2368. Read more of this entry »

Perennials: Stake peonies and delphinium while stems are short. Fill in with new perennials. Divide chrysanthemums — pinch back growing tips when plants are 6 inches high and again when side branches are 6 inches long. Continue pinching through July 15.

Flowers: Scented geraniums can take a light frost. Marigolds, salvias, petunias and dusty millers can also get a head start if they are planted now. Look for volunteers surviving the winter and replant in a desired place. Read more of this entry »

Wow, it was flat-out hot in the garden this past weekend. Typical New York spring — winter coat one weekend, shorts and T-shirt the next.

I’m not one for plants from Home Depot most of the time. I try to support local nurseries whenever I can and I find their stuff in lousy shape too much of the time. Plus, the prices are really uneven, sometimes higher than high-end nurseries.

I was there on Sunday looking for cheap bamboo blinds and swung through the garden section to see what’s what, as I do in every store with plants.

I found these great western arborvitae, the same ones I saw at the Jackson and Perkins outlet in SC for $10 the weekend before. These were $35, about 5 feet tall. I had seem the same-sized trees for $60 in another nursery.

Read more of this entry »

From Melinda Manning at NYBG:

“Lavish, Netherlands-Inspired Conservatory Flower Show,
Centerpiece of Botanical Garden’s So Much Spring Season,
Launches New York’s Henry Hudson 400 Celebrations

The Glory of Dutch Bulbs: A Legacy of 400 Years
May 1 – June 7, 2009

“In celebration of the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson’s arrival in what is today known as New York Harbor, The New York Botanical Garden’s annual spring flower show will be a lush, colorful showcase of Dutch flowering bulbs. The Glory of Dutch Bulbs: A Legacy of 400 Years in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, May 1 through June 7, 2009, will be an indoor floral extravaganza, co-curated with Henry Hudson 400 New York and launching the foundation’s
series of special events commemorating Henry Hudson’s legendary voyage for the Dutch from Amsterdam to New York in 1609.

That historic event brought about the founding of Manhattan and ultimately established a longstanding history of trade between the Netherlands, the world’s largest exporter of flower bulbs, and the United States, the largest flower bulb importer in the world.  The Glory of Dutch Bulbs will be the centerpiece of the So Much Spring season, which is the Botanical Garden’s greatest showing of flowering bulbs ever and the most spectacular display of daffodils, lilies, and tulips in New York City this year. Read more of this entry »

Article by Gerald McKinstry today on Westchester’s ban of phosphorus in lawn fertilizers:

“Lawn-loving landscapers and homeowners are going to have to reassess how to keep their grasses green.

“The Westchester County Board of Legislators last night unanimously approved a ban on phosphorus and added restrictions on lawn fertilizers as a way of improving the region’s water supply. The law basically regulates the use and sale of fertilizers.

Here’s a link to the full story.

From Bedford Audubon:

“The Bedford Audubon Society’s Programs
May 2009

“Trip to Marshlands Conservancy and Rye Nature Center With Bedford Audubon Naturalist Tait Johansson, Saturday May 2, 7:30 a.m.–3:00 p.m. Departure (carpool) from Bylane Farm, 35 Todd Road, Katonah.
Marshlands Conservancy in Rye is located on the migratory flyway. This 173-acre wildlife sanctuary is composed of a diversity of habitats—forest, meadow, salt marsh, and seashore. The preserve has three miles of trails and one-half mile of shoreline along the Long Island Sound. The Rye Nature Center is located on 47 acres of wildlife preserve off Route 1 in Rye. It has over two miles of hiking trails, ponds, streams, and granite outcroppings in addition to a butterfly house and museum exhibits. Bring lunch and hiking boots. Degree of Difficulty: Easy to Medium.
Please register with Joan E. Becker, jebecker@bedfordaudubon.org   or by telephone at (914) 232-4806. Website: www.bedfordaudubon.org Read more of this entry »