THE GARDEN CONSERVANCY’S national Open Days garden-visiting program is officially under way for 2008, with more than 300 gardens including mine open to the public on specified days. (Those are my houseplants pictured at left; they spend the summer congregating by the back door with some troughs of water I stock with aquatics.) Don’t miss out: sign up for the Open Days email alerts to get reminders about when gardeners in your region are putting out the welcome sign.
I WATCHED A ZOOM lecture the other day that really put into words a lot of the ways my own deepening understanding of ecology is shaking up the way I practice horticulture—from spring cleanup, right on to the last chore of the active year. The lecturer was Rebecca McMackin, director of horticulture for Brooklyn Bridge Park in New York City, where she leads the team that manages 85 acres of diverse parkland with a central focus on habitat creation of woodlands, wetlands, and meadows to build soils and support birds, butterflies, and other organisms.
We talked about the dynamic tactics they use and when and why–a whole different approach to spring cleanup, where the life cycles of animals (from insects on up) dictate what happens when, garden maintenance-wise. Like why some things don’t get cut back, and others that are still seed-laden when they do have their seeds collected and set aside, then returned to the spot after whatever cleanup is needed there.
(Stream it below, read the illustrated transcript or subscribe free.)
Truly a wondrous organization. Order their Open Days guide, too! Private garden tours make road trips SO worth the price of gas.
Hello, Margaret! Thank you so much for the information. I will sign up to at least go to the ones in my area. I so wish that I could visit your garden – perhaps some day I’ll make it out that way!