Long Island Horticultural Society
March News & Notes
President's Message...
Hi Fellow Gardeners,
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Well, we’ve made it through January and February, and March will bring us at least the promise of spring!
I really hate the cold, and am not a fan of snow, especially when it makes us cancel a meeting. I missed seeing everyone in February, just when we all could have used a little “gardening cheer”! I kept my spirits up with a few plant-related activities:
One day, after a dentist’s appointment and a few other less-than-wonderful activities, I went to Hicks Nursery and binged on buying houseplants! About 15 low-light foliage plants with beautiful patterns which I then distributed around the house to cheer things up. It’s working!
I also ordered some seeds and jiffy-7s and I will be starting them under lights this week. They include Rudbeckia (my favorite), some violas (for pressing), and several varieties of miniature veggies (tomatoes, cukes, eggplants, green beans) suitable for growing in containers. These will be my experimental project for the summer and I’m excited about it!
Finally, I treated myself to a visit to the Connecticut Flower and Garden Show, which was just so beautiful and inspiring - and as usual gave me tons of SHOPPING ideas. They were featuring hellebores and I just have to get a few more!
I’m looking forward to seeing everyone on March 9th, when we will have an outstanding speaker. What could be a better preview of spring than learning all about Monarch Butterflies!
See you then!
-Ronnie Branczio
March 9 Meeting
Speaker: Ellen Federico
Topic: From Milkweed to Monarch
For more information please visit the Meetings page
Doors open at 12:30pm
Place Horticultural Competition entries by 1pm.
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1:30 - 2pm LIHS Business, Announcements
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2024 Horticultural Competition Awards presentation
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90th Anniversary T-Shirts orders are in.
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Speaker starts at 2pm
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After speaker presentation concludes we will present The 2024 LIHS Scholarship award to Marlaina Molinari (learn more about our scholarship winner below)
Raffles & Refreshments to follow
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Please consider donating
refreshments to the hospitality table.
Camellia House at Planting Fields
By Toni Cabat
Photos by Stuart Germain
Planting Fields had a Camellias Festival February 8th which we attended with LIHORT member Chris Douglas. It was our hope to bring some color and warmth into these dark and cold days. It certainly did. While the weather has been frightening, we find that the greenhouses of Planting Fields provide much needed coziness and joy. Continue reading here
From the editor....
Once again we traveled north to take in one of the best; not the biggest, flower show in Hartford, Connecticut. It is a small, intimate space, you can get up close and see the exhibits and talk to the designers.
This year what stood out to me was a wide variety of evergreens in all sorts of colors to brighten the dullest of winter days. From Burke’s variegated Japanese Red Pine to the sunny Golden Duchess Eastern Hemlock and a Golden Spreading Yew, were all eye catching specimens.
Another special specimen was a 200 year old Japanese White pine. Amazingly it’s only had 2 owners.
The most creative display was by the Connecticut Future Farmers of America, an organization dedicated to teaching agricultural practices to youth. Their display was the most fantastic display of headpieces all created from leaves and flowers.
They created a sword with Sansevieria leaves! The exhibit also featured a lot of very creative ideas for table-scapes and décor that could easily be replicated at home. It was one of the most clever and memorable displays.
One display was maybe a little too clever and appeared very unassuming to walk past it, but on closer inspection there were a lot of hidden treasures; a little gnome hiding under an arborvitae, an owl perched on a tree, a turtle crossing bridge. It pays to look closely and take your time at these flower shows...continue reading click here
-Ann Wetzel
Please click on the slideshow to open up larger photos.
Also Check out the Gardener Calendar​ Time to Prepare for Spring!
Check out Seed Starting Basics on the Resource Page
More Photos of the CT Flower show below
Cook's Corner
This month's recipe comes
from Toni Cabat No Bake Cream Cheese Pie
The 2025 Hosta of the Year: Skywriter
'Skywriter' is a special Hosta that shows off its blue leaves and red stems with its upright growth habit. Show off this beauty in a spot that receives bright morning sun with filtered afternoon shade, don’t hide it in a dark corner. Continue reading here
Breathe Easy with Houseplants!
Plants have this amazing ability to absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen through photosynthesis, making them natural air purifiers. By having them in our living spaces, we can enhance the air quality and create a healthier environment for ourselves, our families, and our pets. All plants produce oxygen but some are truly over-achievers and can really enhance your living environment. Continue reading here
GARDENERS & THEIR BOOKS
By Ronnie Brancazio and Jenny Holmes
One of us has a refrigerator magnet that says: “If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.” It’s attributed to Cicero, but could have been written by us, especially if the library contains lots of Garden Books!
We were talking together about our love of books - especially of gardening books - and began sharing our favorite titles, past and present. We thought we would share these favorites with you, our fellow gardeners, in the hope that you would recognize some and learn about others.
LIHS International Garden Trip to Portugal
September 3 - 11, 2025
Deadline Extended!
Spots Still Available *Deposits must be paid by April 1, 2025
Portugal Gardens Slideshow
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7 nights accommodations in Cascais, Portugal
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Hotel taxes, fees & service charges
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Hotel porterage
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All transfers included only with airfare purchase on package arrival & departure dates†
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14 Meals: 7 Buffet Breakfast & 7 Buffet hotel Dinners
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Services of English-speaking Gate 1 tour manager from arrival until departure
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Local Guides for in-depth sightseeing tours at sites or onsite guides
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Sightseeing per itinerary in modern air-conditioned motor coach as outlined in the daily itinerary
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Entrance fees of gardens per itinerary
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Headphones for enhanced touring
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Bottle Water on the coach
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Package price $2899 double Occupancy w/o airfare, Including airfare: $4079, $550 single supplement. For more Information Click here
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At our March 9th meeting, we would like to invite the members to glance at a board the History Committee will be displaying highlighting the 18 days at the beginning of 1934 in which our society was founded and our first official publication showcasing the newly elected Board.
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The display board will also have some trivia about the weather and our first large donor (Jennie Melvlle 10K in 1934 = 250K in today's dollars).
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Check out Our History page
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.
More from the CT flower show
2024 Long Island Horticultural Society Scholarship Winner
The Scholarship Committee has selected the winning applicant for this year’s scholarship and we hope everyone will join us in celebrating this year’s winter, Marlaina Molinari! Selected from a pool of other very qualified, talented and passionate applicants, Marlaina Molinari truly stood out. Ms. Molinari mentioned in her application that she has always enjoyed a connection to nature and growing her own food, but has also shared that her decision to study Horticulture has given her a “clear direction for a career” and to positively impact her community. She is very
interested in public green spaces and garden management, and among other goals hopes to become an ISA-certified arborist and earn her Tree Risk Assessment Qualification, noting that trees are the “cornerstone of green spaces, providing shade, clean air, and habitat for wildlife”.
Ms. Molinari’s recommenders speak to her strong work ethic, curiosity and dedication to the world around her as well as her academics and work-study program, all while still finding time to take on both extra credit and volunteer tasks. Ms. Molinari comes to us as a stellar applicant and we can’t wait to celebrate her accomplishments at the March 9th meeting.
The Scholarship Committee for this year was Kimberly Williams (outgoing chair), Carlos Taborda (incoming chair), Kathryn Taborda, and Toni Cabot. Please contact one of them if you are interested in serving on next year’s Scholarship Committee.
