Long Island Horticultural Society
June News & Notes
President's Message...
As I write this it is still Spring, but by the time we meet again it will be the beginning of Summer! How does this happen so fast?
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I don’t know about you, but I found this to be a very peculiar spring, with lots of rain and very cool temperatures, punctuated by the occasional brief tease of sunshine and warmth. The result was a very confused gardener and a lot of very confused seedlings. I had started quite a few veggie seeds, as well as seeds of violas (for pressing) and my beloved Rudbeckias. I had to deal with the questions of when to start seeds indoors, when to pot them up, harden off outdoors, and finally plant in their designated containers. I did my best, but made a few bad calls. So far the violas are fine, the rudbeckias are a little slow but healthy, zucchini and cukes are unstoppable, but tomatoes and eggplants don’t look happy. I’d sing to them,
but that would kill them for sure. I’ll just hope.
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Apart from the poor seedlings, there were some very striking bonuses to this slow, cool, damp spring. All the flowering shrubs were beautiful, and while most are done blooming, my deutzia is still covered with lovely white blossoms. Other spring-flowering bulbs and perennials put on a colorful show which was (or still is) not only beautiful but seemed to be more long-lasting than usual. The daffodils and tulips had an unusually long period of bloom, and right now the early clematis and alliums appear to be hanging in there for a surprisingly long time. Quite a delightful show! Even the peonies aren’t fading quite as fast as I expected!
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I’ve also noted a few garden surprises which I guess I’d call Serendipitous, in the form of unplanned but lovely plant combinations. I was admiring how the reddish-purple clematis on my picket fence was blooming so generously, and was struck by how well it worked with the blue-purple globes of allium and a hanging basket of verbena and sciavolas in related hues. - all grouped together.
I then realized that two pots that I had planted with geraniums, lobelias, and alyssum just for the color combinations, were actually perfect pressed-flower mini-gardens, since all three are staples of my card designs! Unplanned but nice.
Now I’m waiting to see if the native perennials that I planted last year will put on the colorful summer show that I am hoping for. That’s what we gardeners do best - HOPE!
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Finally - a great big THANK YOU to all the gardeners who worked so hard and participated so enthusiastically in our Mega Mini Plant Sale at our May meeting! We had a glorious display of annuals, perennials, tubers, etc., mostly from member gardens but some from the gardens of LIHS Friends or donated by a plant wholesaler. Whether you dug, potted, and transported; or helped set up, organize and run the Sale; or SHOPPED til you dropped, your participation was priceless! I’m delighted to report that the sale brought in more than $1000 for our Operating Funds!
Looking forward to seeing you all on June 22nd.
Happy Gardening!
-Ronnie Branczio
June 22 Meeting
Doors open at 12:30pm
Place Horticultural Competition entries by 1pm.
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1:30 - 2pm LIHS Business, Announcements​
​​Speaker starts at 2pm​​
Please consider donating
refreshments to the hospitality table.
May Horticultural Competition
Horticultural
1st Place Barbara Hanft C9a Clematis
1st Place Barbara Levine C9b Yellow Peony
1st Place David Papayanopulos H22 Anacampseros sp.
1st Place Marty Nyear P43b Philodendron birkin
Botanical Arts
Best In Show Ronnie Brancazio Watercolor Pepper, Tomato, Eggplant
1st Place Mary Wagner Q45 Tulips Painted Box
Click on gallery to view slideshow
LIHS 2025 PICNIC
On Saturday July 19, at 11:00 am we are having a Picnic at Marjorie Post Park in Massapequa Park. Same location as last year. Rain or Shine. Please note RAIN DOESN’T CANCEL since we have a large Gazebo.
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There will be hamburgers, hotdogs, chicken tenders, corn on the cob, water, coffee and tea. Please bring, sides dishes such pasta, potato, macaroni, coleslaw, salads, snacks and/or desserts to share.
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There will be a 50/50 raffle.
Fee for members $10. Guests are welcome for $15 fee. Please bring checks or cash to the June meeting to reserve you spot.
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We will have an exhibition table to show off your plants or creations but no official competition.
Address & Directions: 451 Unqua Road, Massapequa, NY. After entering the park, follow the road into the second south parking lot. We will be on the south side of the park at the Gazebo (you continue left when entering the parking lot instead of bearing right into the north parking lot). Just look for the large Gazebo. There is only one in the park.
If you have difficulty walking from the lot, you can park along the sides of the road next to the Gazebo. Just make sure you don’t block traffic or emergency vehicles. There are also park attendants that go around with golf carts to transport you if necessary.
From the editor....
Back in April we traveled to a flower show in the Lyndhurst mansion in Tarrrytown, NY. It was a flower show done by floral designers; each got a room or rooms to decorate and their ideas were truly evocative and innovative. One designer used stamps to decorate the waxy spathe of anthuriums. Another used old books as garland to decorate the library and most elaborate of all; one designer deconstructed orchid flowers and reconstruced them into irises that adorned manquins dressed in clothes that were found in the attic. All this was set in the beautifully mantained Gothic Revival county house of Jay Gould that sits on a 67 acre park beside the Hudson river.
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The flower show was divided into 2 sections the marketplace and the floral designs in the mansion's rooms. The marketplace featured all things horticultural as well as some libations for the gardener. In front of the mansion an adorable bower was created for folks to sit and get their picture taken. A very nice passerby took our photo and we returned the favor of taking their family as well.
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Inside the mansion rooms were designed by different floral designers. One particular favorite of mine was made by a floral designer; Kendra Norman, we had met in the floral marketplace. We had a lovely chat about all things plants but she forgot to mention she had designed a series of rooms in the mansion. It was an adorable spring woodland gardnen design with minature daffodils, Ranunculus, and columbine. In a corner a massive wasp nest was paired with picthcher plants and cherry blossom.
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The Lyndhurst mansion itself is beautifully mantained. There are elaborate paintings on the ceilings, all original artwork hanging as well as beautiful furniture and even a bowling alley. Well worth the 2.5 hr trip north at anytime of the year. The Westchester Historical Society offers tours packages of several of the mansions in the area. They have a Halloween and a Christmas tour.
-Ann Wetzel
Please click on the slideshow to open up larger photos.
The gothic revival Jay Gould estate in Tarrytown, NY
Also Check out the Gardener Calendar​ June is a busy time for gardeners! ​
NEW VEGATABLES 2025
2025 is being celebrated as the "Year of the Radish". Watermelon Radish Green-white skin masks a sweet red interior. Watermelon is your best shot at eating a local watermelon in January. Planted in late summer, these large radishes ripen in mid- to late fall, storing up the season's remaining light and vibrant colors before they fade. Harvested around first frost and stored somewhere cool, these roots add bright colors and flavors to the winter kitchen. Hudson Valley Seeds
Thank you to Courtney Quinn
for the Hospitality Table Centerpiece.
Donations to the Hospitality Table: Patty Jarett & Leonard Aberman, Suzan & Dale Goldstein, Rosemarie Papayanopulos, Toni & Stuart Germain, Sharon Rubin, JoAnn Semeraro, Courtney Quinn, Andrea Gibson, Karen Mueller, Christine Buchicchio, Judy Basse, Laura Weill, Rich Edwards, Barbara Hanft, Judith Dunn​
Membership Form
Dues for membership are:
Single $35, Household: $45, Student $5
Please fill out the Membership Form here on the website, when renewing or joining. Just type your information into the form and print it out. Bring it with your dues to a meeting or mail it to the address on the bottom of the form.
Eco-Friendly Roses for Long Island
Roses are classic garden plants with vast emotional appeal. They’re familiar, nostalgic and symbolic. In recent decades they’ve shed their reputation of being fussy and prone to disease, thanks to ground-breaking cultivars like Knock Out (‘RADraz’), which turned 20 in the year 2020. The breeding of disease-resistant roses has given them entry to spray-free pollinator-friendly gardens. That said, a gardener looking to add a rose to her garden faces dizzying choices and, often, a lingering wariness that the plant will require chemical sprays. There are tens of thousands of rose cultivars circulating today, with new introductions entering the market each year. How to choose one? The non-profit American Rose Trials for Sustainability (ARTS) is working to simplify this decision by identifying the best cultivars for different regions. Continue reading here
Welcome New Members
Fred Doulton
Marie Failey
Art Papayanopulos
Ronnie's Recap
MONICA RANDALL
“GOLD COAST GARDENS”
By Ronnie Brancazio
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At our May 22nd meeting, we were treated to a delightful, unique, and fascinating talk by Monica Randall, on the gardens connected to the fabulous Gold Coast Mansions. Most of these magnificent homes and grounds have been demolished, but fortunately for us Monica has a treasure trove of slides preserving their memory.
She accompanied her slide show with a lively and humorous account of the sites, their inhabitants, and the flamboyant events they hosted! She also recounted how she and her sister - two beautiful, bold and curious young women - managed to enter these premises, “rescue” some of the elegant gowns, and then have themselves photographed on the grounds - wearing those gowns!
Among the gardens we learned about were those of Pembroke, where the gardens were modeled on those of Marie Antoinette; Harbor Hill in Roslyn, where the Prince of Wales was invited to an event but left in disgust due to the ostentatiousness of the lavish spending; and the Morgan Mansion where cows and sheep were “hired” to mow the grass! She considers Easter Castle on Lloyd Neck (the Woolworth Estate) to have had the most beautiful of all the gardens.
The stories Monica shared with us are only the “tip of the iceberg” of her expertise and experiences. At our next meeting, some of Monica’s books will be available for perusing. LIHS is also working on plans for day trips to existing sites on the North Shore of Long Island, coordinating nicely with our memories of Monica’s presentation inspiring us!
