Category Archives: Horticulture

Annual Garden Fair & Plant Sale a GCI Tradition

What should I plant in the shade? Does this plant like to be wet or dry? Should I let it grow or pinch it back? Will the deer eat it? Every year, on the Saturday before Mothers Day, Garden Club members help guests to our Garden Fair and Plant Sale at the Lyndhurst Greenhouses choose plants and provide tips on care that, we hope, will contribute to the success and beauty of many gardens in the area. An added bonus: the daylilies, coleus and hostas that are unsold are donated to Lyndhurst to enhance the plantings at this National Trust property.

Filed under Horticulture, Irvington Garden Club Events, Plant Sale, Rivertowns Westchester NY, Tarrytown NY

A Rose Is Not Just a Rose

by Harriet Kelly

Pink and white rose

It needs a little tough love to thrive and bloom. When it comes to pruning roses, you have to be cruel to be kind. Grit your teeth and prune, prune, prune. So advised the expert rose growers of the Garden Club of Irvington yesterday—a beautiful, warm Saturday—during the club’s annual Rose Pruning Day. Under the tutelage of GCI rosarians Pru Montgomery and Bunny Bauer, club members learned how to properly use clippers, where to cut, and how much to cut (more than you think). There was a good turnout of local people who were eager to learn rose pruning techniques to use in their own gardens. All participants said that they’re looking forward to Rose Day on June 3 and promised to come back to enjoy the festivities and see how their handiwork turned out.

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Filed under Horticulture, Irvington Garden Club Events, Rivertowns Westchester NY, Tarrytown NY

What’s Eating Your Trees?

Are your trees suffering from the effects of disease, insect infestations, pollution, or ??? What can you do about it? Which trees should you plant and which should you avoid? Dr. Gary M. Lovett of the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in Millbrook, NY, has the answers.

Dr. Lovett’s research is focused on the effects of air pollution, climate change and exotic species on forests. He is the author of many scientific publications and has edited two books on the subject. His recent research projects have taken place in New York’s Catskill Mountains and Hudson Valley, and in Maine, New Hampshire and Tennessee. The Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, where he is senior scientist, is an internationally recognized center for ecological research and education.

Dr. Lovett is typical of the expert speakers that address the Garden Club of Irvington-on-Hudson at our public meetings. He discussed the insects and diseases that are destroying trees in our area and identified which trees are at risk and/or should not be planted any longer. This is invaluable information for anyone interested in which trees to choose for a public or private landscape in the Northeast.

 

Filed under Conservation, Horticulture, Irvington Garden Club Events