There Is Always The Garden
When the world wearies, and society ceases to satisfy, there is always the garden. ~ Minnie Aumonier
Country Living Fair – Rhinebeck, NY
I am simply beside myself.
I’ve been invited to bring my presentation, “Jaw-Dropping, Traffic-Stopping, Get-Your-Neighbors Talking Containers” to the 2017 Country Living Fair in Rhinebeck, NY.
I will have the honor of creating a unique container garden in front of a large audience on the main stage Friday (2PM -June 3 )
The Country Living Fair brings the magazine’s content to life and gives readers access to a unique shopping experience featuring more than 200 vendors from 25 states, including antiques sellers, food purveyors, artists, furniture makers, crafters, and more.
Guests will also have a chance to meet Country Living editors and their special guests, attend cooking, crafting, and DIY demonstrations, book signings, sample locally sourced, artisanal food, and shop the Country Living General Store.
This video link will give you a sense of the environment at a Country Living Fair!
Heading to Rhinebeck for the Country Living Fair? Wondering what else to do while you’re there?
Here is a great guide: “33 Things to Do in New York’s Hudson Valley (besides the CL Fair!)”
You can even print this handy cheat sheet to help you plan your time and travel.
The fair will take place at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds, June 2-4, 2017
Are you interested in attending this year’s fair? I might be able to get you a ticket.
The Glory of Gardening
The glory of gardening: hands in the dirt, head in the sun, heart with nature. To nurture a garden is to feed not just on the body, but the soul. ~ Alfred Austin
No Yellow Meatballs
So the winter damage has been fixed and spring cleanups are about finished. Which means that many homeowners, and landscape companies, are now turning their attention to pruning.
I understand the importance of pruning but one of my pet peeves is pruning shrubs into shapes that are contrary to their natural form. This is especially true of forsythia.
Too many people trim them into “meatballs” figuring, I guess, that a round shape is good.
Not so.
Forsythia is a naturally graceful arching shrub and training it into a ball, in my opinion, is like asking a ballerina to dance in clogs.
The best time to prune forsythia is in the spring, right after blooming and then I like to remove ¼ to 1/3 of the largest stems to the ground. If you have a very old forsythia you can cut it drastically to within 4” of the ground and it will come back. This type of pruning is referred to as renovation or rejuvenation pruning.
Why would anyone torture a plant like this?
Isn’t this so much better?
Pruning forsythia later in the summer will likely result in fewer flowers as you will undoubtedly remove buds that have already set. Check out Garden Seeker for a great guide for pruning shrubs .
If you have not yet pruned your forsythia consider skipping this year. Just let the ballerina dance.
And if you must have meatballs, make spaghetti.
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