Banning Guests That Bite or Buzz - Home & Garden
Earlier this month, the raspberry bushes on our property exploded with berries, thanks to the season’s big rains. Unfortunately, the backyard puddles that had harbored bug larvae exploded with life, too, so our berry harvest exacted a high price in mosquito bites.
I’ve never much feared West Nile virus or even Lyme disease, despite our location in deer-thick Connecticut woods not far from Lyme. But with mosquitoes stalking the berry pickers, and with ticks infecting three friends recently with Lyme disease, it seemed a good time to make my yard less bug-friendly.
I asked several entomologists for tips, including Dr. Roxanne Connelly, president of
Click Here for NYTimes article
Protecting the soil surface is key to plant survival during periods of extreme heat…
CLICK HERE For Link to Entire Article (excerpts below)
By Greg Seaman
The heat wave currently baking the East Coast may have caught many gardeners by surprise, as the searing temperatures cause struggling transplants to wilt just when they should be starting their summer growth spurt. Even well-established garden plants and landscape shrubs can be set back during a heat wave. Fortunately there are some simple measures gardeners can take to counter the heat and keep a garden growing.
Most common vegetable crops and native shrubs can withstand periodic heat waves without losing vigor. However, the shallow surface roots cannot withstand the stress of extreme heat which dries and cakes the soil in the top few inches. By paying attention to the condition of the soil, a gardener can offset the effects of a heat wave on growing plants.
The first line of defense against hot weather, and against windy conditions which can dry surface soil, is to apply a liberal layer of mulch around the plants. This protects the soil from direct sun exposure, keeping it moist at the surface. Mulch also reduces evaporation of water from the soil which reduces the need for watering.
There are many different mulch materials which gardeners can use. During a heat wave, light colored mulches will reflect the sunlight and help maintain…
It stands to reason that taller grass casts longer shadows. And the added shading from leaving your grass taller than usual will benefit the soil by helping to retain moisture. A minimum depth for getting a shade benefit is 3”, and some groundskeepers set mowers as high as 6” during heat waves or drought conditions.
Avoid applying fertilizers to your lawn or garden during a heat wave, since the roots ability to absorb nutrients is diminished during a heat wave. Wait until the weather cools down before adding fertilizers to garden crops and the lawn.
And while you’re thinking of ways to protect your garden during a heat wave, don’t forget to set out some water for the birds…
It’s a shame that most of the voluptuous heirloom roses were dashed by the rains that have beaten down on David L. Culp’s garden recently. Earlier this month, at their peak, they were draped like drenched silk ball gowns over the Click Here
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Early in the day, a breeze made the purple blossoms of wisteria, dangling from a steel gray vine draped over a stone wall, dance. The busy aural embroidery of bird song that had awakened us an hour earlier had yet to fade. As we approached a man with a pungent pipe walking his dog on the main street in Giverny, an hour west of Paris by car, he nodded at us knowingly. “Vous serez les premiers,” he said with a chuckle. “Bonne visite!”
Click Here to Read entire NY Times article
May 18 - September 8
Discover how cultures around the world rely on plants for everything from medicine to cosmetics. Embark on a journey of the senses through a stunning re-creation of an Italian Renaissance garden and interactive stations highlighting the rejuvenating and healing powers of tea, cacao, and tropical juices. Explore a fascinating presentation of rare books and manuscripts known as herbals and enjoy a poetry walk, weekend Renaissance music & dance performances, hands-on science adventures for kids, and more!
In the Haupt Conservatory daily
See, smell, and taste the rejuvenating and healing powers of tea, cacao, and tropical juices through interactive demonstrations and samplings. These showcases will provide insights to the historical and cultural importance of these plants throughout the world.
May 18 - June 7 Weekends and Monday Holidays, 11:30 a.m., 12, 2, & 4 p.m. Ross Hall *Exceptions occur on May 18, June 1, 9, 16, and September 7 Weekdays, Ross Hall, 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. June 8 - September 8 Ongoing on Weekdays and Weekends, Orchid Rotunda
This 15-minute introductory film narrated by Sigourney Weaver helps set the tone for your visit, celebrating the beauty of the real Garden of Padua while highlighting the importance of healing plants and the work of Garden scientists.
Weekends & Monday holidays, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Weekdays, 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Guides throughout the exhibition help bring the stories of Wild Medicine to life and guide your experience. Learn about featured medicinal plants and their cultural significance, the origin of medicinal gardens, and more.
Weekdays, 1:30 - 5:30 p.m.; Weekends plus Holiday Mondays, 10 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
In the Everett Children's Adventure Garden, adventure abounds for kids of all ages with art and science activities such as mixing paints and creating science notebooks. Kids will discover their inner scientists and ask questions about the world. Each child will practice problem-solving skills before setting off on an adventure to find medicinal plants. In the tradition of the Renaissance, students will also use an album amicorum, or "book of memories," to record any plant observations or descriptions that they make during their visit.
Memorial Day Weekend: May 25 - 27; Independence Day Weekend: July 4 - 7; Labor Day Weekend: August 31 - September 2 from 12 - 4 p.m.
Families can experience life in the Renaissance through these fun and festive commedia dell'arte performances, presented by The New York Baroque Dance Company. Arlequino, Mezzetino and a court Lady and Cavalier will delight the audience with musical pantomime. The dancers will speak briefly about the commedia style and the musician will talk about Renaissance instruments. Children can learn a Renaissance branle, very popular in its day, known as "The Washerwoman."
Saturdays and Sundays, 1 & 3 p.m., in the Ross Hall *Exceptions occur on May 18, June 16, & September 7 - performances at 3 p.m. only; performance location will vary on June 1 and 9; select performances to include poetry readings
Enjoy a rich repertoire of the music and dance of the Italian Renaissance period as presented by members of Early Music New York-Frederick Renz, Director with members of the New York Historical Dance Company. Performers wear costumes and play historical instruments to reproduce the sights and sounds of this period. Learn about the music and instruments compared to their modern counterparts. On select performance days, immerse yourself in the arts as acclaimed poets read translations of 16th-century romantic and botanically inspired works, arranged in collaboration with the Poetry Society of America.
Select Saturdays in the Ross Hall
Poetry comes to life during these dramatic readings, presented in conjunction with the Music & Dance of the Italian Renaissance performances. Immerse yourself in the arts as acclaimed poets read translations of 16th-century romantic and botanically inspired works, arranged in collaboration with the Poetry Society of America.
2 p.m.
Throughout the summer, select weekend demonstrations will offer gardening instruction on topics that touch on the exhibition's themes.
May 18 & 19 in the Perennial Garden June 29 & 30 in the Home Gardening Center
Gardens are sanctuaries. They not only provide us with a retreat from the world but they also supply us with many soothing remedies. Join Gardener for Public Education, Sonia Uyterhoeven, as she discusses how to design your own little haven and how to grow healing herbs and fragrant plants that will calm your tired nerves.
July 6 & 7 in the Home Gardening Center
There are versatile arrays of herbs that you can grow in your garden to spice up your life. Join Gardener for Public Education, Sonia Uyterhoeven, as she explores how these tantalizing herbs can be used to make herbal butters, pesto, tasty vinegars, and soothing teas.
August 31, September 1 & 2 in the Perennial Garden
There are versatile arrays of herbs that you can grow in your garden to add flavor to your flair. Join Gardener for Public Education, Sonia Uyterhoeven, as she explores how herbs can be used to make tasty vinegars and soothing teas.
Saturday, June 1 & Sunday, June 2
Self-guided tours begin at 11 a.m.; last entry at 2 p.m. Meet at the Ross Gallery
Guided tours at 11, 11:30 a.m., 12, 12:30, 1, 1:30, 2, 2:30, 3 p.m. (space is limited; first-come, first-served) Meet at the Pfizer Lab entrance
Tour the William and Lynda Steere Herbarium, the largest herbarium in the Western Hemisphere, and speak with the professional staff who curate, study, and care for the priceless biological heritage it contains. See a sampling of the 7.3 million herbarium specimens, dating from the 18th century to the present, which document fungal and plant diversity from all over Earth. Tour the world-renowned Pfizer Plant Research Laboratory, home of the Lewis B. and Dorothy Cullman Program for Molecular Systematics, and discuss with Garden scientists their roles in discovering and understanding the diversity of plants we see around us, including some with application for human health. Laboratory research - along with DNA collections, liquid-preserved collections, and other materials - allow for the study of plants at their most essential levels.
Saturday, June 1, 1 p.m.
Dr. Ina Vandebroek, Ethnomedical Research Specialist at NYBG, will trace the importance of medicinal plants among indigenous peoples and immigrant communities from the Bolivian Amazon to New York City.
Thursdays, June 27, July 18, and August 15, 6 - 9 p.m.; concert 7 - 8 p.m.
Sip a botanically inspired cocktail and enjoy an evening viewing of Wild Medicine. Then enjoy a concert featuring festive music.
Adults: Non-Member $30/Member $20 (includes one complimentary specialty cocktail or non-alcoholic beverage for adults 21 and over) Advance tickets recommended.
Start the evening off with a champagne pre-party at Shop in the Garden each night from 5 to 6 p.m. Learn more at nybg.org/priceless.
Generous support for the Summer Concert Series is provided by Vivian and Edward Merrin.
Ongoing during regular Garden hours
Stroll the Jane Watson Irwin Perennial Garden and explore poems extolling the virtues of healing plants. Co-presented with the Poetry Society of America
May 18 - September 8
The New York Botanical Garden is the exclusive U.S. partner of this worldwide photographic competition that showcases the very best professional and amateur garden photographers from around the globe. This exclusive exhibit, Nature's Pharmacy, will feature the finest images embodying the themes of healing and wellness.
Exhibitions in the Arthur and Janet Ross Gallery are made possible by support from the Arthur and Janet Ross Fund.
Wednesdays, August 7 & 14; 10 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Investigate the physical properties of herbs and their roles within traditional cultures, from their ceremonial uses to their practical applications as medicinals, aromatics, dyes, and detergents. Non-Member $280/Member $252.
Saturday, September 21, 10 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Learn about plants historically used for first aid, asthma, insomnia, sinusitis, bronchitis, revitalizing the immune system, preventing colds and flu, and much more. Non-Member $96/Member $86
Browse more classes and register at nybg.org/AdultEd
Video: How to protect your plants from a big frost
A plant you've potted for your mum is sure to make her smile. Photo / Getty Images, Supplied
It's Mothers' Day today and, if you have been otherwise occupied and left it to the last minute, I've compiled some ideas to help. If you're already sorted, save these ideas for an upcoming birthday or Christmas present, or even a whole family present. Garden-related gifts often go on giving, or make gardening easier and more fun.
Give your mum a plant she can put in her garden and that will be flowering each Mother's Day. This will remind her of you. Camellias are long-lived evergreens which suit acid soils. Some will grow into small trees, others are great for hedging or suitable for the backdrop in a border garden.
They range in colour from white, through shades of pink to scarlet and burgundy, with flower shapes that are single or complex solid doubles.
If your mother's garden has a more subtropical theme, think about giving her a hibiscus. They have a long flowering time and are still looking great now. They also come in a flamboyant range of colours.
Gardenias are also a sure-fire winner, with their Click Here
Instead of flowers this year, why not plant a tree this year for Mother's Day? The gift keeps on giving - to both your family and to the environment!
But before you plant, here are a few quick tips to help your new tree live a long time
