By Dagmar Fors Karppi
The Locust Valley Garden Club at its Sept. 10 meeting welcomed Susan Dittman who spoke on the importance of seed saving.
When major seed-producing companies drop varieties from production, they can be lost for future use. Saving seeds can keep their unique properties available for future challenges. When you save seeds from your own garden, they are already adapted to grow in the special climate and soil conditions you have.
Native plants are acclimated to local growing conditions and use less water.
Dittman said Locust Valley Garden Club is her favorite; that members are well educated in gardening and ask great questions.
The idea of seed saving was especially meaningful to the members since the club is working under the guidance of Dr. Richard Iversen in creating an 18th- and 19th-centuries historical garden at Raynham Hall Museum. Club president Dean Yoder said Iversen plans to save seeds of the historic varieties of plants he has used, for next year’s garden.
Interestingly they are often taller than the same plants we see today. The marigolds we see today were bred much smaller than the originals. Horticultural chair Sallie McNeill Rynd had very tall golden rod branches from her garden, a demonstration of the size of the original blooms.
Helene Henken, ecology chair spoke on the water crisis on Long Island. In 1940 there were 600,000 people living on Long Island, today there are three million. We sit over our aquifers and continue to drain them resulting in salt water intrusion in Great Neck and Long Beach (FYI: East Norwich gets its water from Jericho!).
Irrigation for lawns is a major user of water. Yoder said planting Tall Fescue is best for our lawns as they need less water. Using native plants and xeriscape gardening, as well as planting trees and shrubs are all ways to use less water, said Helene.
The meeting had several high notes. Irene Duque brought a fountain-centerpiece she designed for the buffet table, using her copper sculpture as a base. Marcy Meyer won the 50/50 which raises money for the club scholarships.
On Oct. 3, nine members worked in Barbara’s Garden at the Locust Valley Library to create a fresh landscape design under the direction of Dean Yoder and Jonathan Grimm. Kassie Roth, Irene Duque, Lucy DeVito, Sallie McNeill Rynd, Nancy Capobianco, Allyn Adams and Helene Henken, worked hand in hand with them.
On Oct. 10, Sallie McNeill Rynd is leading a group of members for a tour of the Humes Japanese Stroll Garden, a new feature for the club.
Vincent Simeone will be the speaker at the Wednesday, Oct. 16 meeting of the Locust Valley Garden Club. His topic is Low Maintenance Gardening, which is a boon for older gardeners. Simeone, Superintendent of Planting Fields Arboretum State Park is also a writer and gifted speaker. The club welcomes new members interested in learning more about the science of gardening.
The LVGC meets the third Wednesday of the month, at 10 a.m. in the Community Room of the Locust Valley Library. There is a program and buffet lunch, for a donation of $15. For more information call President Yoder at 516-850-4694.
Dagmar Fors Karpi is a member of the Locust Valley Garden Club
