ONE OF MY FAVORITE PARTS OF GARDENING has always been the connection with other gardeners—meeting you. To make sure I get a proper dose of that this coming season, I’ve scheduled two open days, as usual. But I’ve also increased my calendar of workshops, including some that take place right here in the garden in collaboration with nearby Loomis Creek Nursery, the home of my old friends Bob Hyland and Andrew Beckman. A bit more detail, and the year’s events in full:
First, the workshop back story: Last year, Bob Hyland and I started teaching together again, something we hadn’t done in more than a decade, not since our “old lives” in New York City, where he was head of horticulture for Brooklyn Botanic Garden. What started as, “Do you want to do a container workshop at Berkshire Botanical Garden together?” turned into another and another over at his nursery. The bug bit us; we remembered how much fun we have working together this way, so this year’s schedule reflects that.
The April and September workshops begin here with light breakfast, tours and teaching in the garden, then we all head over to Loomis Creek for two-plus hours more learning. Hope to see you at some of the events.
MARCH
Sunday, March 7 – Reading at Berkshire Botanical Garden, Stockbridge, MA, with my sister, Marion Roach Smith, to celebrate Paris Press’ publication of its “Sisters” anthology. 2 PM. Free, but must RSVP to info at parispress dot org. For directions, visit berkshirebotanical.org. We will read from the anthology, and from our own work.
Monday, March 15 – Reading at Arts Center for the Capital Region, Troy, NY, with my sister, Marion Roach Smith, to celebrate Paris Press’ publication of its “Sisters” anthology. 7 PM. Free, but must RSVP to info at parispress dot org. For directions, go to artscenteronline.org. We will read from the anthology, and from our own work.
Saturday, March 27 – Spring Forward: Tips and Techniques for 365 Days of Gardening, workshop by Margaret Roach and Bob Hyland, at Berkshire Botanical Garden, Stockbridge, MA; or berkshirebotanical.org, or call 413-298-3926.
APRIL
Saturday, April 17, 8:30am-1 pm (rain/snow date Saturday, April 24) – Spring Gardening 101 at the garden of Margaret Roach and Loomis Creek Nursery, near Hudson, NY. Hands-on workshop led by Margaret Roach and Bob Hyland with a focus on pruning basics, border cleanup, soil management, spring ephemerals, spring frost protection, cool-season vegetable gardening & more from the experts. Light breakfast included; $45/person with $5 Loomis Creek Cash coupon toward next nursery visit. ***Registration details, bottom of page***
Thursday, April 22, 7:30 pm – Friends of Rocky Hills lecture series, at the Chappaqua (NY) Library, free lecture on “Nonstop Plants: Making a 365-Day Garden.” More information and directions under the Adult Programs tab at the Chappaqua Library site.
MAY
Sunday, May 23, 10am-4pm – Garden Conservancy Open Day and Plant Sale – Loomis Creek Nursery on-site plant sale here at the garden featuring plants I grow and love; www.gardenconservancy.org for directions.
Saturday, May 30 (Memorial Day Weekend), 11am-1pm – Contained Exuberance: Container Design Workshop at Loomis Creek Nursery, with Bob Hyland and Margaret Roach. Learn to design and maintain exuberant pots with flowers, foliage, edibles, and woody plants; $18/person with $5 Loomis Creek Cash coupon good toward next nursery visit. ***Registration details, bottom of page***
JUNE
Saturday, June 19 (Father’s Day Weekend), 11am-1pm – Summer Gardening 101 at Loomis Creek, with Bob Hyland and Margaret Roach – Hands-on workshop with a focus on summer-blooming perennials, shrubs and grasses, timely border-maintenance tips, summer watering strategies, staking and more; $18/person with $5 Loomis Creek Cash coupon toward next nursery visit. ***Registration details, bottom of page***
JULY
Saturday, July 3 (4th of July Weekend), 11am-1pm – Container Garden Tune-up at Loomis Creek, with Bob Hyland and Margaret Roach. Refresh and invigorate your container plantings for the summer months; $18/person with $5 Loomis Creek Cash coupon toward next nursery visit.
AUGUST
Saturday, August 21, 10am-4pm – Copake Falls Day; garden open for tours with Loomis Creek Nursery on-site plant sale, plus other local events. Details at www.copakefallsday.org.
Saturday, August 28 – 8 am to 5 pm – Hollister House Garden Study Weekend and plant sale, Washington, CT. My lecture on “The 365-Day Garden” is part of the program; details to follow from www.hollisterhousegarden.org.
SEPTEMBER
Saturday, September 11, 8:30am-1 pm – Shade Gardening 101 at the garden of Margaret Roach and Loomis Creek Nursery. Practical hands-on workshop with approaches for designing, planting and/or rejuvenating a shade border. Light breakfast refreshments included. $45/person with $5 Loomis Creek Cash coupon toward next nursery visit. ***Registration details, bottom of page***
***To register for Loomis events marked with asterisks: Mail a check to “Loomis Creek Nursery,” including names and phone #’s of all registrants OR email info@loomiscreek.com with name and return phone number to contact for credit card info.
You are a busy gal. So much for dropping out and slowing down;)
@Brian: But are you coming to any of these? That’s what I want to know. :)
Yaaay, thanks for all the great info and dates. (again!)
Oh how I wish I lived closer so I could partake! This reminds me of some of the workshops and events I used to attend at the Huntington Gardens in Pasadena, CA. I miss those, and need to spend more time researching such events in my neck of the woods.
I would love to come to your open day in May. I’ll try my best!
Hey There Margaret!
Spring is coming I can feel it, but yet I love these winter months still!
Do you like crocus? planted a few hundred this past fall waiting for their break next month or so through the melting snow…
I can’t wait to take another workshop with you and the boys at Loomis! The last one was simply amazing, informative and just well all around good fun!
We will see you soon and I can’t wait to see your borders in the spring!
@Todd: Did you say “crocus”? Now that’s a sore subject. One year Andrew (of Loomis, and Martha-land — my neighbor and ex-colleague) and I each planted 4,000 crocus at our respective places. By bloom time there were maybe 200, and by the time the flower were fully open, about 3. Every animal in the area (squirrels, chipmunks I think) got the memo about the feast at Margaret’s and dug them all up. Andrew had similar results. I never tried again, though I should. Keep me posted on your secrets to success.
So thrilled to get your schedule and that there are a couple of events not on a Sat.
Chipmunks do love bulbs, but so do voles. I’ve had similar destruction of the minor bulbs from voles in my garden. Piles of them dug up and stored under the snow.
Welcome, Stephanie. Moles (searching for grubs, etc.) dislodge them, voles eat them, chipmunks and squirrels seem to like to move them around (and even cut down all the flowers, who knows why). It’s a losing proposition here entirely. I gave up. See you soon again I hope (and do not give anybody listed in the preceding sentences the map with directions to my place.) :)
Hi Margaret—I am the Cape Cod gardener on the program committee of my garden club—the Wellfleet Gardeners. We would love to have you come to the Cape and be our featured speaker in 2011–either June or Sept. Please let me know if you would consider this and what your fee is. I love the 365 Day Garden subject, but also the Summer Gardening 101.
Hope you can come!!! Judy Schmitt
Hi margaret, love to come in April or may, or both!! I am fortunate ,as I live nearby to Lomis and look forward to meeting you finally…see you in the spring…(are you sure its coming this year???)
Margaret,
Thank you so much for our chat and your talk at “Apartment Therapy” tonight … it’s so good to re-connect after all these years. I loved every minute of it and can’t wait for the garden tour in May. Do you post your address, a meeting place, etc? for those of us that plan to attend?
Welcome, Charlotte. It was nice to see you, too. So glad you put the 2+2 together. Now we have to recall all the details…forensics may be required if memory fails! Closer to the date, http://gardenconservancy.org/opendays will post details of all open gardens nearby (including directions) and I will post a reminder linking to all that, yes. I am in Copake Falls, NY, fyi. See you then — and hopefully here again soon too.
Margaret,
Thank you so much for opening your garden today for the Copake Falls day! We enjoyed seeing such an inspiring garden. Thanks again for your advice on the Kirengeshoma Palmata – we look forward to planting one in our garden.
Welcome, John and Elise. I was happy to meet everyone, and I hope you will come again in a kinder season. The Kirengeshoma needs some protection from late frost, and more water that I gave it this year, but it can achieve shrub-like proportions and is a handsome late bloomer, yes. Don’t be strangers — pop in with your questions here on the blog anytime!
I read your new book and really enjoyed it. You are a brave lady.
Thank you, Maxine, and welcome. So nice of you to come by and leave such a kind message. I certainly haven’t got it all figured out (to say the least!) but the life here is good for me — seeing the natural world each day, interacting with it. Hope to see you again soon.