Bill Erdmann in one of his seven greenhouses at Hidden Ridge Plants in Ridge. (Credit: Cyndi Zaweski)
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Venture off the beaten path, past quiet woodlands on a back road in Ridge and you’ll discover a garden oasis straight out of a storybook. As the garden center’s name suggests, Hidden Ridge Plants is a secret garden that has virtually flown under the radar for more than 20 years.
“Even people who have lived around here for their whole lives are surprised to find it some times,” said owner and grower Bill Erdmann. “I like being tucked away…It is not like buying a plant out of a parking lot at Lowes.”
The home of the Blair family in Cutchogue has an amazing garden that will give you so much inspiration for your own home. (Credit: David Benthal)
The most magnificent gardens on the North Fork are extensions of the green-thumbed homeowners who curate them. The precise plantings are a result of constant editing and weeding — taking years, not months, to perfect.
Saturday, Aug. 11, 10 a.m.: Preserving your organic harvest at Southold Recreation Center, 970 Peconic Lane, Peconic. Local expert, Renato Stafford, talks about canning, storing root vegetables, fermenting, freezing and dehydrating. Demonstration on canning tomatoes and making dill pickles. 631-765-2077.
Friday, Aug. 10, 10-11:30 a.m.: Edible flowers for your garden and table sponsored by Peconic Land Trust at North Fork Flower Farm, 1110 Terry Lane, Orient. Jeri Woodhouse of Taste of the North Fork will discuss growing edible flowers and adding them to favorite recipes. Tastings and light refreshments provided. Fee: $10. Reservations required: 631-283-3195, events@peconiclandtrust.org. Rain date Aug. 11, 2 p.m.
Friday, July 27, 6 p.m.: North Fork Environmental Council sponsors a tour of a native plant garden, 132 Promenade Dr., Aquebogue. Visit Mark Haubner’s garden and learn why native plants are best for the environment, why maintenance is much easier and more about the good you do when you choose these plants for your garden. RSVP: 631-298-8880, nfec1.org.
Lavender is one of many low-maintenance options for your backyard garden. (Credit: Kendall Stark. file photo)
When decorating a home, plants and shrubbery are an important part in bringing life and color to your property. For second homeowners who don’t have the time to offer constant care, or those without a green thumb, low maintenance flora can be the perfect option.
Below are some plant suggestions from local nursery owners. (more…)
Rhododendrons at reporter Monique Singh-Roy’s East Quogue home. (Credit: Monique Singh-Roy)
Editor’s note: This post was published on January 12, 2016. The post originally appeared on the writer’s blog, YourPotLuck.com.
What’s the temperature outside? That’s a question all of us have asked our friends or family members at some point these past frigid weeks. It’s the first thing we want to know when we wake up and probably the last thing we want to know before heading to bed.
With so many outlets to access current temperatures at our fingertips, I had to do a double take the other day when my husband wanted to know the outdoor temperature and asked me to check the rhododendrons.
I was gazing out the window one particularly frigid morning when he asked me, “What are the rhododendrons doing?” (more…)
