From the category archives:

Habitat gardening

Designing with Native Plants: Creating Sustainable Landscapes for the Finger Lakes & Upstate New York

January 19, 2009

Just learned of a fabulous workshop on designing with native plants for the Finger Lakes and upstate New York. Here’s a brief synopsis of the offerings:

Creating Habitats for Birds on Properties Large and Small
Stephen W. Kress, National Audubon Society and Lab of Ornithology
Learn how to attract birds using the native plants they love, from [...]

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Native Plant Resources for Central and Upstate NY

March 4, 2008

In 1878, Sherman Stowell sold to Elizabeth Brockett 30 acres of land which he had earlier purchased from George Jennings. I now live and garden with my family on some of that land, which Jennings or Stowell, or perhaps Ms. Brockett, had cleared of trees to make pasture. The forest is growing back, but it’s [...]

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Green Frogs

March 31, 2007

Hmm, what’s your name? If you were thinking Kermit you wouldn’t be far wrong.
Winter seems to still be with me. The nights are consistently in the low 20s and snow remnants remain on the ground. Mostly on the north sides of hills and buildings, and hiding behind large trees and objects, the white has not [...]

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Central and Upstate NY Horticultural Events

February 17, 2007

Brave the snow, get out of the house, and learn something new! Here are some gardener-worthy events coming up in my neck of the woods.

“CNY Blooms” –Spring 2007 will sprout up before you know it, and with it the blossoming of Syracuse’s flower and garden show, now known as “CNY Blooms”. Mark your planting calendar [...]

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Kathy’s Autumn Picture Show

October 21, 2006

Sunday, October 8th, was a gorgeous autumn day, sunny and warm. I decided to go up the hill for a walk in the woods, camera in hand, and you get to share the results. (Be forewarned: this is an even longer than usual post.) But first, a little bit about where we’re going. Our family [...]

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Your first native plant book

March 28, 2006

If you want to learn more about the plants native to your area, a good place to start would be The New England Wild Flower Society Guide to Growing and Propagating Wildflowers of the United States and Canada by William Cullina. He has done a good job creating a general reference work that can help [...]

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Pondering Land Use

March 23, 2006

Question: What do you do with fifteen acres? Answer: That’s a good question! My family and I have been working on the answer for over fifteen years. This probably won’t surprise you, but we seldom come up with the same answer. I wanted the area immediately around the house to be devoted to ornamental landscaping. [...]

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