The Gardiner Library Pollinator Garden by Angela Sisson In 2020, during the height of Covid, I helped form a local gardening group called the Wallkill Valley Pollinator Pathway. Unfortunately, Covid restrictions prevented us from getting together and having events. Initially I supplemented the lack of outreach activity by offering site visits to interested property owners […] Continue reading "The Gardiner Library Pollinator Garden"
Coping With Deer In Winter: Using Repellants To Protect Your Woody Plants by Angela Sisson This article was first published in February, 2022 for Wallkill Valley Pollinator Pathway. Trees, shrubs and vines (woody plants) are valuable plants in our ecological landscape and especially important to pollinators. Hardwood trees and shrubs are the top pollinator host plants, […] Continue reading "Coping With Deer In Winter"
From Lawn to Habitat: How I Transformed Half an Acre into a Wildlife-Friendly Garden by Alexandra Lotero Vanderkam When my spouse and I bought our home in the Hudson Valley in 2021, we inherited nearly two acres of lawn. Some of it served a purpose. We enjoyed having open space for walks, gatherings, and the […] Continue reading "From Lawn to Habitat: How I Transformed Half an Acre into a Wildlife-Friendly Garden"
Non-Native Texan Transplants Herself in the Hudson Valley by Betsy Porter “You are moving the family where?” “To the Hudson Valley in New York State!” replied my son. Ironically, I was born and raised in the Adirondacks until I was 14, when my father took a job in Houston, Texas, and took us with him—it […] Continue reading "Non-Native Texan Transplants Herself in the Hudson Valley"
By Sara DeAngelis. Picture a meadow—a habitat packed densely with plants that provide cover, food, and nesting places for birds, beneficial insects, and other wildlife. Many of us are considering how a meadow might replace our labor and carbon-intensive lawns. Continue reading "Meadow Reflections"
By Sara DeAngelis. I will admit that until recently, I’ve had very little respect for Erigeron annuus or Daisy Fleabane. In the past, I’ve yanked it out, roots and all, and gleefully tossed it onto the compost pile. That is until last summer when I discovered the benefits of this delicate annual. Continue reading "New Found Respect: Daisy Fleabane"
By Sara DeAngelis. If you're anything like me, you're buzzing with anticipation for the warmer days of spring. I've had my seeds lined up with sowing dates for weeks! There are, however, excellent reasons to take a slow and more meditative approach when thinking about garden tasks at this time of the year. Continue reading "Practicing Spring Patience"