Guiding principles for spring gardening

Caution in early spring to minimize footfall will preserve the early emergence of plants.Here,the flowers of the skunk cabbage dot the marsh.
Dee Salomon
Caution in early spring to minimize footfall will preserve the early emergence of plants.Here,the flowers of the skunk cabbage dot the marsh.
It’s safe to say we deserve a dose of optimism now and spring delivers it to us in the form of nature’s gifts.I have been away for two weeks and am excited to be back among the wildness of the Northwest Corner, to watch life begin to stir above ground and to sense it stirring beneath.This installment of The Ungardener, written on a plane returning from London where spring has gloriously sprung, delivers a short set of guiding principles to keep in mind as you make your gardening choices this spring.Admittedly, they might induce some guilt if they were not followed in the past but, if heeded, I promise they will lead to outcomes of profound optimism.
1. Select plants for their ecosystem purposes, not only for their aesthetic merit
Many, if not most, native insects — such as caterpillars/butterflies — are only able to eat one or a few kinds of plants; they are not able to quickly adapt their diet to other plants and will die if they don’t have them available in quantity. Similarly, newborn and fledgling birds require being fed a diet of caterpillars to survive, and, as just relayed, many caterpillars can only feed on very particular native plants. When we don’t cultivate these native plants in our gardens, we are effectively depriving baby birds of their nutritional requirements for survival. If you remove the food sources for critical species they cannot survive, and the animals that depend on them cannot survive.You end up breaking a link that can have dire circumstances further up the food chain; biodiversity is reduced, creating vulnerabilities for other animals including humans. The Xerces Society has a list of Northeastern native plants that are key for this purpose: https://xerces.org/sites/default/files/publications/22-026_01_NPPBI%E2%80%94Northeast_web.pdfHighlights include:Butterfly milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa), Lanceleaf coreopsis (Coreopsis lancelota), Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum), Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa), Virginia mountain mint (Pycnanthemum virginianum).
2. Don’t spray for ticks
When you have your yard professionally sprayed for ticks, it’s the yard perimeter that is sprayed. This is where leaf litter houses overwintering caterpillars and other beneficial insects. The spray used is a synthetic and concentrated form of permethrin, a nerve agent, that will kill fireflies, butterflies, many species of bees, beetles and insects including ticks that overwinter in the leaves.That’s a lot of collateral damage, especially as ticks mostly stay away from cut lawns anyway.If you want to minimize tick populations on your property, the safest, most effective and scientifically proven way is to cut back barberry on your property as ticks proliferate on mice that use the spiny barberry shrubs as safe houses from predators.
3. Remove invasive plants
The invasive plants growing in your gardens and in backyards are decimating native ecosystems.Now is a good time to make a plan to get rid of them, but not necessarily to do the work.Larger, woody invasives such as bittersweet, burning bush, honeysuckle, barberry and multiflora rose should wait until about June for removal.Also wait for late summer to tackle Japanese knotweed.Early spring, however, is an excellent time to pull out young, woody invasives and invasive weeds such as narrowleaf bittercress (Cardamine impatiens), and garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolate),as well as creeping plants such vinca major and ground ivy (Glechoma hederacea), as their roots are loosened from the soil just after the thaw.Consider substituting the native species of pachysandra, heuchera, tiarella, violet and/or strawberry.
4. Don’t ignore your soil
While you work outdoors, be careful where you tread.You don’t want to compact the soft and wet soil by walking on it heavily.This is not an easy thing to do if, for example, you are removing vinca, as you really must get into the soil to get the roots.But keep it in mind.Step gingerly to pluck out the offending weeds and then stay off while tender spring plants start to poke through.Now is a good time to get a soil test, especially around areas where you have seen unusual leaf yellowing.At home, our native hollies seem to be struggling and I have a feeling the heavy rains have washed out some critical minerals.As with a blood test for humans, supplementation of the soil starts by testing to finding out what is needed for healthy nutrition.If you have beech trees, you will want to investigate adding phosphite (not phosphate) to the soil.Speak with an arborist who can assist you.Beech Leaf Disease is real and is leading to the death of these important native trees.
5. Soft Landings
Writing about soft landings seems appropriate given my current airborne state, although I am referring to the practice of planting native plants under trees, creating a soft landing area for caterpillars as they descend from the branches where they hatched and begin climbing up plants to feed and to pupate into moths and butterflies.
This will be the focus of my own spring planting efforts this year.I will be mixing ferns with the before mentioned tiarella, violet and strawberry, to plant around the apples, linden, yellow wood and redbud trees that dot our lawn.I expect the effort will reduce our lawn area by 10 percent, a small but not insignificant win for the environment.
Dee Salomon ‘ungardens’ in Litchfield County.
PINE PLAINS — The Pine Plains FFA Ag Fair brought a crowd to the high school on Church Street Saturday, Oct. 11.
Kicking off the day was the annual tractor pull, attracting a dedicated crowd that sat in bleachers and folding chairs for hours watching Allison-Chalmers, International Harvesters and John Deeres compete to pull the heaviest weights.
A large collection of food was on offer from the Pine Plains FFA and each one of the classes in the Pine Plains Central School District. The football team was selling pickles.
Stissing Mountain High School Principal Christopher Boyd enjoyed a dip in the dunk tank to raise money for the Pine Plains teachers’ union-sponsored scholarship.
Stissing Mountain High School Principal Christopher Boyd got dunked several times during his half-hour shift in the dunk tank. Proceeds from the throws benefitted the Photo by Nathan Miller
The Rev. AJ Stack, center right, blessing a chicken at the pet blessing event at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Amenia on Saturday, Oct. 4.
AMENIA — After serving more than five years as Priest-in-Charge of St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Amenia, the Rev. AJ Stack announced Tuesday, Oct. 7, that he will resign from the church and Food of Life/Comida de Vida pantry. His last day at his current post will be Sunday, Nov. 2, the conclusion of the Feast of All Saints.
The news was shared in two emails from Stack — one to Food of Life pantry subscribers and volunteers, and another to parish members.
“I write tonight with difficult news, and I wanted you to hear it from me as soon as the Vestry and I had a chance to meet,” he wrote. “After much prayer and careful discernment, I have submitted my resignation to the Vestry as Priest-in-Charge of St. Thomas, and therefore as Executive Director of Food of Life/Comida de Vida.”
Stack provided few details about his departure. At time of publication, he had not announced his next steps but said the decision was “not sudden,” and followed careful consideration over a period of months. He will not be leaving the area or the diocese.
An announcement about his path forward and the transition process is expected soon. In the meantime, Stack said he remains “fully present” at the church, and the food pantry services will continue without interruption.
Stack expressed gratitude for the community and the growth of St. Thomas’ mission during his tenure. “Together we have welcomed new neighbors and strengthened our outreach in meaningful ways,” he said. “I trust that good work will continue.”
He joined St. Thomas in March 2020 and guided the church and community through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. In a recent interview with The News about the food pantry, Stack estimated that it serves 653 individuals from 156 households each week, highlighting a significant contribution to the community.
The announcement was met with messages of reassurance from pantry volunteers. Jolly Stewart, a Vestry member and volunteer, wrote to the community with words of reassurance following the announcement. “I have complete faith in the strength of the parish of St. Thomas,” she wrote. “Our history shows how we have done this time and again, each time becoming more than what we were before. We can, without a doubt, do this now.”
MILLERTON — Ten candidates for office in the Nov. 4 election will answer questions from Dutchess County voters at a candidate forum on Friday, Oct. 24, at the Annex at the NorthEast-Millerton Library located at 28 Century Blvd.
The forum, which is sponsored by the library, will be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m.
Candidates for local and county offices will answer questions from residents in attendance or from residents who have submitted questions in advance.
“We’re excited to keep the tradition of the candidate forum going,” said Rhiannon Leo-Jameson, director of the library. “Some years we can’t always get candidates together.”
This year’s forum will include:
Rachele Grieco Cole, a Democrat, and Chris Mayville, a Republican, who both are running uncontested for the North East Town Council;
Casey McCabe, a Democrat, also running uncontested for North East Justice.
Among Dutchess County races:
Tracy MacKenzie, who is endorsed by Republicans and Democrats, is running uncontested for Dutchess County Family Court Judge;
Kara Gerry, a Democrat, and Ned McLoughlin, a Republican, are in a contest for a Dutchess County Court judgeship currently held by McLoughlin.
Chris Drago, D-19, and Tonya Pulver, a Republican, are competing to represent Dutchess County’s19th District seat currently held by Drago.
Democratic incumbent Dan Aymar-Blair and Will Truitt, the Republican chair of the county legislature, are competing for the Dutchess County Comptroller position currently held by Aymar-Blair.
Leo-Jameson is encouraging questions for the candidates to be submitted in advance, which will not be revealed to candidates beforehand. Dutchess County residents may pose questions during the forum. To submit a question on the library’s website, go to the calendar at nemillertonlibrary.org and find the link in the Oct. 24calendar entries.
The format calls for opening statements from the candidates, followed by questions from residents, and candidates will be able to stay after the forum to answer questions personally.
The residence at 35 Amenia Union Road in Sharon was damaged after being struck by the Jeep Grand Cherokee around 3 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 11.
SHARON, Conn. — Emergency crews were called Saturday, Oct. 11, to Amenia Union Road in Sharon for a report of a vehicle into a building with entrapment.
Connecticut State Police reported Charles Teti, 62, was driving his Jeep Grand Cherokee northbound on Amenia Union Road when, for an unknown reason, the vehicle veered across the southbound land and exited the roadway where it struck a tree and home. Airbags deployed.
Teti and front seat passenger Aidan Cassidy, 63, sustained serious injuries. Teti was airlifted to Hartford Hospital and Cassidy was transported by ambulance to Sharon Hospital for treatment.
Back seat passenger Shea Cassidy-Teti, 17, sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced dead on scene. Cassidy-Teti was a senior at Kent School. He played on the football and tennis teams.
The residence that was struck is located at 35 Amenia Union Road.
The case remains under open investigation. Witnesses are asked to contact Trooper Lukas Gryniuk at Troop B 860-626-1821.