may 10: open garden, lee reich talk

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WANT TO WEED LESS, while having a more productive garden with healthier plants? (Who doesn’t?) Plan to attend Lee Reich’s 11 AM lecture on “Weed-Less Gardening” happening just down the road from my house in Copake Falls, New York, when you attend my Saturday, May 10, Garden Conservancy Open Day and plant sale. (That’s my patio in May, above.)

in brief:

Garden open 10 AM to 4 PM (get directions; $5 suggested charity donation at gate)
Broken Arrow Nursery plant sale at Margaret’s garden, 10-4
Lee Reich lecture, 11 AM (buy your ticket in advance)

lee reich lecture details:

FOR 30 YEARS, author, fruit expert and soil scientist Lee Reich (that’s part of his garden above) has been caring for his soil in a distinctive, four-part way: minimizing soil disturbance; minimizing compaction; maintaining a cover (in the form of the best mulches and more), and watering smart. He makes soil-improving compost like a master, too.

Lee hasn’t turned one of his vegetable gardens (above photo) in 15 years since he created it, for instance; the other hasn’t been tilled in 30. Both deliver bountiful harvests, despite the fact that his beds are very intensively planted.

Take your ornamental and vegetable gardens to the next step with Lee’s methods, which he’ll detail in this fascinating talk derived from his popular book “Weed-Less Gardening.”

Get a lecture ticket now.

garden open day details:

LEE REICH’S TALK COINCIDES with my first of four 2014 Open Days at my garden, plus a plant sale by Broken Arrow Nursery. The garden in Copake Falls, NY, is just down the road from the church where Lee’s 11 AM lecture will be held.

Garden and plant sale happen from 10 AM to 4 PM. Directions and such at the Garden Conservancy website. A $5 suggested donation to the Conservancy can be made at the gate; no tickets required for the garden visit. Other Garden Conservancy Open Day gardens nearby that are open May 10 are also detailed on the Conservancy website page.

My other 2014 Open Days are June 7, August 16 and September 20. Details to follow.

rethinking the lawn, with dan wilder

THE LECTURE that he’s been giving for a number of years is not-so-subtly called “Kill Your Lawn.” Ecological horticulturist Dan Jaffe Wilder knows that starting over and creating an entire native habitat instead of a lawn isn’t for everyone. But Dan just wants to grab our attention and get us to start to make some changes at least in the way we care for the turfgrass we do want in our landscapes. And maybe give up a little square footage of it to some other kind of more diverse planting, too, like the wild strawberries (Fragaria virginiana, inset). Alternative, more eco-focused styles of lawn care, along with some lawn alternatives is what he and I talked about on the podcast. Dan is Director of Applied Ecology at Norcross Wildlife Foundation in Wales, Massachusetts, and its 8,000-acre sanctuary. He’s also co-author with Mark Richardson of the book “Native Plants for New England Gardens.”