When it’s too early to plant, you can still ungarden

Vine-bound trees and invasive shrubs destroy trees and the native habitat.
Dee Salomon
Vine-bound trees and invasive shrubs destroy trees and the native habitat.
These recent cool, sunny days are such a gift.
I have been outside with loppers and a Buckthorn Blaster (from NAISMA.org) tackling bittersweet and barberry. The woods in the winter can seem foreboding, but a sunny, windless day is perfect for a walk and there is a lot you can do while enjoying the company of trees. Be sure to look up to avoid dangling branches. You will likely find that a few trees have fallen, as have some branches. When a small tree or branch falls on a young tree, I pry or cut it out from under, taking care that none of its small branches will whip me in the face on the way to being righted. I then prune any torn branches from the rescued tree. Usually the tree will recover, but sometimes will retain a newly acquired bent shape.
As we lose entire tree species and watch others struggle against disease and pests (sassafras, hemlock, beech, sugar maple and oak are victims), it is up to us to step up our work to restore areas of our beautiful countryside. And what if we don’t? Already you can see examples in the Northwest Corner where lack of action has resulted in monocultures of invasive plants such as phragmites, barberry and garlic mustard. Native trees and plants simply cannot grow in soil altered by these invasives. Also easily spotted in winter is bittersweet vine and, as seen on Route 112 in Lime Rock, hardy kiwi vine, draping over the dead or compromised tree branches it covers. When these trees fall, and they will, the vine, still alive, moves to take hold of the next row of trees that are newly exposed to the sunlight.
This light also encourages growth of other invasives, which, in turn, inhibits native tree growth. It is a vicious cycle that requires human intervention to stop. If you have property that has been impacted by dead and dying trees, now is still a good time to remove invasives. The plants are easy to see in the winter, and easy to cut and poison while the plant is still dormant. As I put the finishing touches on this article, I must now note that some plants may already be out of dormancy; you can tell if cutting a branch or stem produces liquid oozing out of the cut. If this is the case, hold off for the time being.
I use Pathfinder II in the Buckthorn Blaster as recommended on the UConn Connecticut Invasive Plant Working Group website, which offers comprehensive and authoritative advice on identifying and eradicating invasive plants.
Remember gloves, protective eyewear and loppers.
February used to be deep winter but that seems to have changed, as our region’s USDA zone has moved up a notch from 5b to 6a. It is hard not to allow one’s mind to wander into spring — an optimistic place to be. The temptation to preorder of plants is strong; may I suggest instead that you consider a class or a lecture to bring you up to speed on the evolving realities and trends in gardening? Hearing from others, experts and practitioners alike, invigorates creativity and can enhance both your garden aesthetics and its well-being for creatures great and small. It may even allow you to rethink the kind of plants and planting arrangements you want this spring. Here are a few upcoming learning opportunities:
— “Misunderstood Native Plants,” hosted by Mt. Cuba Center. This is an online class that takes place Wednesday, Feb. 21, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. and costs $19 to participate.
— “In the Weeds: A Discussion of the Role of the Human Hand in Natural Landscapes” with Leslie Needham, Dee Salomon and Matt Sheehan, hosted by Silva et Pratum. This is an in-person event, at the White Hart Inn in Salisbury, Connecticut, on Thursday, Feb. 29, at 5:30 p.m. It costs $25, which goes to fund the pollinator pathway project at the Hunt Library.
— “How the Pros Select Plants,” hosted by the Native Plant Center at Westchester Community College. This is an in-person event in Valhalla, New York, that features Edwina von Gal and other experts Monday, March 11, from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and costs $85 for members and $125 for nonmembers.
Dee Salomon ungardens in Litchfield County.
On Saturday, Sept. 6, from 12 to 5 p.m., Rock Steady Farm in Millerton opens its fields once again for the third annual Farm Fall Block Party, a vibrant, heart-forward gathering of queer and BIPOC farmers, neighbors, families, artists, and allies from across the Hudson Valley and beyond.
Co-hosted with Catalyst Collaborative Farm, The Watershed Center, WILDSEED Community Farm & Healing Village, and Seasoned Delicious Foods, this year’s party promises its biggest celebration yet. Part harvest festival, part community reunion, the gathering is a reflection of the region’s rich agricultural and cultural ecosystem.
Rooted in justice and joy, the event will feature over 25 local vendors and organizations, live performances, healing workshops, family-friendly activities (yes, there’s a bouncy castle), and abundant local food. And while the festivities are certainly reason enough to show up, organizers remind us the purpose runs deeper.
“This isn’t just a party. It’s a place to build the kind of relationships that keep our food system alive,” said Maggie Cheney, Rock Steady’s co-founder and worker-owner. “We’re creating space where farmers, growers, families, and community organizers can connect, celebrate, and support one another.”
Proceeds from the event support Rock Steady’s POLLINATE program for queer and trans BIPOC beginning farmers, as well as Catalyst Collaborative Farm’s food justice initiatives. With sliding-scale tickets from $5 to $250, the organizers aim to make the event accessible to all, including free entry for children under 12 and volunteer options for those who want to pitch in.
For those who’ve attended before, it’s a welcome return. For newcomers, it may just feel like coming home.
More info and tickets: rocksteadyfarm.com/farm-block-party
Waterlily (8”x12”) made by Marilyn Hock
It takes a lot of courage to share your art for the first time and Marilyn Hock is taking that leap with her debut exhibition at Sharon Town Hall on Sept. 12. A realist painter with a deep love for wildlife, florals, and landscapes, Hock has spent the past few years immersed in watercolor, teaching herself, failing forward, and returning again and again to the page. This 18-piece collection is a testament to courage, practice and a genuine love for the craft.
“I always start with the eyes,” said Hock of her animal portraits. “That’s where the soul lives.” This attentiveness runs through her work, each piece rendered with care, clarity, and a respect for the subtle variations of color and light in the natural world.
After painting in oils earlier in life, Hock returned to art when she retired from working as a paralegal with a goal: to learn watercolor. It wasn’t easy.
“Oils and watercolor are opposites,” she explained. “With oils, you build your darks first. In watercolor, if you do that, you’re in trouble.” She studied online, finding instructors whose approach clicked, and adapted to the delicacy of the medium.
“When I’m working, everything else falls away,” she said. “It doesn’t matter what’s going on in life. While I’m painting, time disappears.”
Her studio, formerly a home office, is now her sanctuary and the pieces in this exhibition are the result of three years of that devoted studio work. While this is her first full public show, Hock previously tested the waters at a small fundraiser at Noble Horizons, where one of her pieces sold. That experience — and the consistent encouragement from her family, especially her husband — pushed her to pursue a full exhibition. With gentle encouragement from her husband and family, Hock reached out to the Town Hall’s curator, Zelina Blagden. “My husband kept saying, ‘You’re as good as all those other people out there, why not show your work?’” And so, here it is.
All paintings in the show are for sale, though Hock admits a few are priced high — not because of their size or complexity — but because she’s not quite ready to let them go. “There are a couple I’ve priced high because I’m not sure I want to part with them. But we’ll see,” she laughed. “It would be nice to support the habit a little bit.”
As for aspiring artists or anyone hesitating to begin something creative, Hock’s advice is simple: “Go for it. If it fails, toss it in the basket and start over.”
The exhibit will be on view at Sharon Town Hall through Oct. 31 with an opening reception on Sept. 12 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Light refreshments will be served.
Carissa Unite, general manager of Oblong Books in Millerton.
Carissa Unite of Millerton, began working at Oblong Books 16 years ago as a high schooler. She recently celebrated her eight-year anniversary as the general manager.
Unite’s journey at Oblong began even before she applied for her first position.An avid reader from a young age, she was a frequent customer at the store. During those years, Unite bonded with a former employee who encouraged her to apply for a position after connecting over their shared love of reading.
As a teenager, Unite enjoyed reading Ellen Hopkins, John Green and Ann Brashares. With the busyness of adulthood, she now favors the convenience of audio books. In the past year, however, she has made it a point to read more physical books.
With a preference for contemporary fiction, she raved about “Atmosphere” by Taylor Jenkins Reid. The story, set in the 1980s, follows two women who become astronauts at a time when women were not widely accepted in the field. A beautiful love story emerges between the two characters. Unite described the writing as sensational and commended Reid’s ability to tackle complex themes without them being muddied.
Unite has developed a deep appreciated for classic literature. Her two favorites are “Giovanni’s Room” by James Baldwin and “The Picture of Dorian Gray” by Oscar Wilde. She was amazed by the philosophical nature of both words and the way their dialogue challenged her perspective.
In an effort to read beyond her preferred genre, she recommends the following:
“Some Desperate Glory,” by Emily Tesh, “Midnight Rooms,” by Donyae Coles and “Clear” by Carys Davies.
For Unite, the beauty of reading lies in its power to develop perspective, empathy, and compassion. Through books, readers learn that everyone is fighting different battles and no two stories are the same. She encourages people to choose kindness because you never know what someone else is facing.
Above all, reading brings Unite peace. If offers transcendence to another world, a pause from outside noise, and for Unite, it is where she feels most at home.
For anyone hesitant to being reading, Unite suggests: just do it! Read 10 pages a day and find the book that speaks to you. Any Oblong staff member would be happy to offer recommendations.
Oblong is located at 26 Main St., in Millerton and 6422 Montgomery St. in Rhinebeck.