Posted on

The Women Gardeners Of Ridgewood will Celebrate Gardeners Day on Wednesday, April 10th, 2019

Tovah surrounded by Terrariums

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, The Women Gardeners Of Ridgewood will celebrate Gardeners Day on Wednesday, April 10th, 2019. The event features guest speaker, Tovah Martin Wed, April 10, 2019 Time: 11:00 AM Location: The Old Paramus Reformed Church, 660 East Glen Avenue, Ridgewood, NJ 07450

The Women Gardeners of Ridgewood is proud to present Gardeners Day.
Wednesday, April 10, 2019 at The Old Paramus Reformed Church, 660 East Glen Avenue, Ridgewood, NJ

Continue reading The Women Gardeners Of Ridgewood will Celebrate Gardeners Day on Wednesday, April 10th, 2019
Posted on

Microirrigation the Next Big Thing

Sprinkler watering the lawn

July 20,2018

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, July is #SmartIrrigationMonth. If you have you been thinking about installing a dripline system? Check out the article below to start saving money and water. #WaterConservation #Sustainability

Microirrigation is a low-pressure, low-flow-rate type of irrigation that can reduce the likelihood of overwatering a landscape. This form of irrigation delivers water directly to where it is needed most-the root zone of plants. It also delivers the water slowly and over a longer period of time, preventing runoff and reducing evaporation. Microirrigation systems use 20 to 50 percent less water than conventional sprinkler systems and can reduce residential or commercial landscape irrigation water use.
WaterSense has developed two guides to help irrigation professionals and homeowners understand the benefits of microirrigation. The guides also provide design, installation, and maintenance tips, which are the keys to an efficient irrigation system.

Adding Microirrigation to Your Services: A Mini-Guide for Irrigation Professionals(16 pp, 8 MB, About PDF) explains how designing, installing, or retrofitting an existing system with microirrigation can help your customers save water and enhance plant health.

Saving Water With Microirrigation: A Homeowner’s Guide(8 pp, 9 MB, About PDF) describes the types of landscapes where microirrigation works best and suggests how to work with an irrigation professional to design and install a system.

Posted on

The Women Gardeners of Ridgewood Proudly Presents the 2018 Secret Gardens Tour

James Rose

May 13,2018

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, The Secret Gardens Tour has become a tradition for garden lovers from near and far. Plan to spend a delightful day with family and friends on a self-guided tour. Each garden is unique and reflects the individual style of
the owner.

The beautiful gardens will delight and enchant ticket holders. Their splendor is the result of careful planning and lots of experimentation. Whether you are a novice gardener or have years of experience, you’ll enjoy these unique public and private gardens in Ridgewood and the historic Cheelcroft section of Ho-Ho-Kus. Not to be missed – the historic James Rose House and Garden. Constructed in 1953 on an area half the size of a tennis court, Rose described his home as a “tiny village;” a composite of three buildings for himself, his mother and his sister. Here Rose created a unique work of art fusing modern sculpture, architecture and landscape into a single unified place for living. Before his death in 1991, Rose planned the establishment of The James Rose Center for Landscape Architectural Research and Design – a living demonstration of his approach to design as a never-ending process of change and development. The Center now serves as the headquarters of a non-profit educational foundation. The entry fee is being generously waived by the Center for our ticket holders.

Tickets are now on sale at Backyard Living, Bookends and Mango Jam in Ridgewood. Maps are included on the ticket. All tickets must be picked up at the Ridgewood Public Library on Saturday, June 2nd from 10am to 1pm OR Sunday, June 3rd from 9am to 3pm.
All pre-ordered box lunches must be picked up on Sunday, June 3rd between 11am and 2pm at Catch-y Cafe, 614 North Maple Avenue,
Ho-Ho-Kus, dine-in or take-out.
For more information or questions, visit our website
www.womengardenersofridgewood.com
or our Facebook page

the women gardeners of ridgewood proudly presents the 2018 secret gardens tour
Sun, June 03, 2018
Time: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Location: Unique and private gardens in Ridgewood, The Stable in Ridgewood

Posted on

Invasive plant species threaten New Jersey landscape

Bamboo

James M. O’Neill , Staff Writer, @JamesMONeill15:54 p.m. ET June 14, 2017

As peak gardening season lures North Jersey homeowners to landscape supply centers, they buy and cart home many shrubs and trees that — just over the state line in New York — are prohibited in suburban yards.

Many Northeast states have cracked down on the sale of non-native plant species because they out-compete and suffocate native plant species that birds, butterflies and other insects rely on for food. Some environmentalists describe these invasive non-natives as if they were thugs marauding through area forests.

https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/2017/06/14/invasive-plant-species-threaten-new-jersey-landscape/397929001/

Posted on

Women Gardeners Celebrate at HealthBarn

Garden theridgewoodblog.net

October 21,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, The Women Gardeners of Ridgewood recently celebrated our opening Fall luncheon at the HealthBarn at Habernickel Park on Hillcrest Road in Ridgewood. Healthbarn founder Stacey Antine has done wonders with the facility and has installed an amazing vegetable garden which supports the beneficial healthy lifestyle programs she offers to the community. Check it out at www.healthbarnusa.com or stop by and see for yourself.

The Women Gardeners of Ridgewood maintain several gardens in town including those in Habernickel Park, Van Neste Square, the Library and the Stable, as well as co-sponsor the Green Kids educational program with Ridgewood Parks and Rec. Look for our signature colorful gift boxes in Van Neste Square this holiday season and a public lecture in April by garden historian and author Martha McDowell entitled “All the Presidents’ Gardens”.

Posted on

Composting Could Help Reduce Yard Waste in Ridgewood

Yardwasteticket1 theridgewoodblog.net

file photo by Boyd Loving

October 15,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, this is the second article in a series from the staff of the Ridgewood on reducing yard waste . Composting is simple and easy . According to the College of Agriculture , Consumer and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois, a compost pile is a teeming microbial farm. The microbes in a compost pile go to work for you, breaking down leaves, grass clippings, fruit and vegetable waste, and other organic matter.

Mixing compost material into your yard or garden loosens heavy clay soils, allowing better root penetration and improving plant growth. It also improves the infiltration and percolation of water through the soil, improves a sandy soil’s capacity to hold water and nutrients, and may help add essential nutrients to any soil.

Plus, it improves the health of your plants by improving the soil; provides a natural, healthy way to dispose of organic-matter wastes; creates a healthy environment for earthworms; reduces the need to buy trash bags and soil conditioners; and reduces disposal costs in towns that charge for hauling yard waste.

To set up a compost pile, begin by removing the grass and sod cover from the area where you plan to put it. Place a layer of chopped brush or other coarse material on top of the soil surface to allow air circulation around the base of the heap.

Next, mix together moistened leaves, grass clippings or sawdust, and manure or fertilizer. Adding soil is optional, but it can speed up the composting process. Anything that grows in your yard will make good composting material. You can even add bread, coffee grounds, egg shells, fruit, shredded paper, tea leaves, vegetables, and wood chips to the pile.

Materials that should not be put in a compost pile include: bones, cat and dog manure, cheese, chicken, fat, fish scraps, milk, meat, noxious weeds, and oils.

The compost pile should be between 3 and 5 feet high. On top of the compost pile, scoop out a “basin” to catch rain water.

A properly made compost heap will reach a temperature of 140 degrees to 160 degrees F in one to two weeks. At this time, you will notice the pile settling–a good sign that the heap is working properly.

Five to six weeks later, transfer the materials into a new pile. When doing this, turn the outside of the old heap into the center of the new pile. Add water if necessary. You shouldn’t need to turn your heap a second time, unless additional aeration is needed to reduce odor.

The compost material should be ready to use in your yard or garden within three to four months after you first constructed the pile. A heap started in late spring can be ready for use in the autumn. Then you can start another heap in autumn for use in the spring.

Compost is ready to use when it is dark, brown, and crumbly, with an earthy odor. Let it stabilize a few extra days, and screen it through a ½-inch screen if you want the finest product. To use the compost, turn your soil, apply a 1- to 3-inch layer of compost, and work it in well.

Posted on

Doctors should prescribe gardening for patients more often, says report

Gardening Ridgewood

Those suffering from cancer, dementia and mental health problems can benefit from gardening, according to health thinktank

Doctors should prescribe gardening far more often for patients with cancer, dementia and mental health problems, the NHS has been urged in a new report.

Outdoor spaces including gardens can reduce social isolation among older people as well as help patients recover and manage conditions such as dementia, according to the influential King’s Fund health thinktank.

Jane Ellison, the public health minister, backed the plan, which could see GPs in particular advising patients to spend more time outside as a way of alleviating their symptoms. “[Gardening] is profoundly good for you … [it] is a great way of keeping people active, of keeping them outside and keeping their sense of wellbeing very high,” she said. “There are things we can do around physical activity in particular that bring immediate payback … I’m trying to put this right across the agenda of dementia and cancer.”

Parts of the country are already investing in this more social approach to health at primary care level and in some places, such as the Bromley by Bow Centre in London, GPs are already prescribing gardening. Such schemes have been proven to reduce patients’ need to see a GP or attend A&E, enhance wellbeing and even promote better sleep.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/may/17/doctors-should-prescribe-gardening-for-patients-more-often-says-report?CMP=share_btn_fb

Posted on

Ridgewood Daffodil Festival October 18th

spring_time_Daffodil theridgewoodblog

Daffodil Festival 25,000 Residents = 25,000 Daffodils

Sun, October 18, 2015 from 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM

The Stable Community Center, 259 N. Maple Ave. Ridgewood, NJ 07450

Ridgewood NJ, The Conservancy for Ridgewood Public Lands has, with our community, planted 14,000 daffodil bulbs throughout our Village. The goal is 25,000.

Please join the Conservancy at the Stable, Sunday October 18, 11am-2pm, to help plant 5,000 daffodils. Then come to Van Neste Park on Sunday April 17, 2016 to celebrate our annual Daffodil Festival.

You’re invited to be a part of this new Ridgewood legacy. Please support the planting of 5 daffodils with a donation of $25. visit the website www.cfrpl.org.

Posted on

Landscaping projects used to create privacy

Garden theridgewoodblog.net

JUNE 21, 2015    LAST UPDATED: SUNDAY, JUNE 21, 2015, 1:20 AM
BY JENNIFER V. HUGHES
SPECIAL TO THE RECORD |
THE RECORD

Given that New Jersey is the most densely populated state in the nation, it’s easy to understand why a bit of privacy from your neighbors may be hard to come by.

But the right plantings, trees, fencing and other elements can give your yard a little bit of seclusion. A big key is knowing what your town does — and does not — allow.

Leesa Povinelli hired John Freitag, co-owner of Yellow Wagon Landscaping in Ridgefield, to landscape her Ridgefield home to provide a little more privacy. Several years ago he planted a row of arborvitae along the rear, and later this year he’ll put in a line of burning bushes, a deciduous shrub.

“Burning bushes are great,” Freitag said. “They grow aggressively, like 8-10 inches a year and they have super dense leaves so you can’t see through them at all and then they get a nice fire engine red in the fall.”

Povinelli has a 5-foot-tall chain link fence around her property, and her neighbors have different styles of fences, so she was looking to also make her yard look more cohesive. She loved the quick-growing nature of the arborvitae, the skinny evergreen often used to create a soft line of vegetation.

https://www.northjersey.com/towns/landscaping-with-privacy-in-mind-1.1360066

Posted on

Wyckoff resident encourages cultivating edible gardens

032615-sn-cucuzza

Greg Carbone

Wyckoff resident encourages cultivating edible gardens

MARCH 26, 2015    LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, MARCH 26, 2015, 12:32 AM
BY LYNN BRUGGEMANN
CORRESPONDENT |
WYCKOFF SUBURBAN NEWS

WYCKOFF — Winter-weary gardeners can pass the time waiting for the ground to thaw with “DIY Backyard Farm Edible Garden Planning Guide,” second edition written by township author Greg Carbone.

“The reason people claim to have a brown thumb is they fail to plan,” said Carbone. “Planning is crucial for a successful garden and anyone who likes to eat should be able to have a successful, edible garden.”

His book offers experienced and novice gardeners charts to prepare for the growing season, tips to achieve success, a glossary of horticulture terms and a diary to record the garden’s successes and failures.

“I like to keep notes on what plants thrived and where I planted them,” said Carbone. “I have an example of what I planted last year in the book.”

Carbone said the idea to create the guide was “planted” by friends and neighbors who asked him to help them create gardens that resembled his own 20-foot by 30-foot fenced garden.

“I can grow an edible garden, but those pesky chipmunks still get in a nibble on the tomatoes,” laughs Carbone.

https://www.northjersey.com/arts-and-entertainment/books/how-to-sow-a-garden-good-enough-to-eat-1.1295762

Posted on

Events at the Ridgewood Library Next Week

welcome_to_Ridgewood_theridgewoodblog
welcome_to_Ridgewood_theridgewoodblog.net_-300x194
Ridgewood Library Offers Organic Farming & Backyard Gardening Class
Mon, March 09, 2015
Time: 7:00 PM
Ridgewood Public Library, 125 N. Maple Ave., Ridgewood, NJ 07450
Organic Farming & Backyard Gardening,
Monday, March 9, 7pm.
Natural and sustainable growing methods, safe seed/fertilizer sources, how to compost, natural pesticide control and more.Ridgewood Library Valley Hospital Wellness Partnership
Tue, March 10, 2015
Time: 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM
Ridgewood Village Hall, 131 N. Maple Ave., Ridgewood, NJ 07450
Brain Food and Brain Health
Tuesday, March 10, 7-8:30pm.
Did you know some foods can promote alertness while others keep us calm? Learn to make food choices for your body’s needs. All welcome, registration required.
Please call 1-800-825-5391 or visit www.valleyhealth.com/events. Please note location: Annie Zusy Youth Lounge at the Community Center.

Ridgewood Library 26th Annual Author Luncheon
Wed, March 11, 2015
Time: 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Seasons, Washington Tsp, NJ 07676
26th Annual Author Luncheon
Wednesday, March 11, 11am-3pm.
Featuring Christina Baker Kline, author of Orphan Train,
Seasons, Washington Township, NJ.
Reservation forms available at Ridgewood Library service desks

show?id=mjvuF8ceKoQ&bids=355335
Warm Up Winter with a Smile! Save up to 40% on Flowers & Gifts at 1800flowers.com.show?id=mjvuF8ceKoQ&bids=216823
Coffee.clubshow?id=mjvuF8ceKoQ&bids=363195
Microsoft Store
Hotwire US

Posted on

Village Searches for Garden Maintenance

rosemary-thyme-logo

Village Searches for Garden Maintenance

NOTICE: RFP for Garden Maintenance – Due 1/28/15

Request for Proposals

Request for proposals will be received by the Village of Ridgewood’s Department of Parks and Recreation, up to 3:00 p.m. prevailing time on Wednesday, January 28, 2015, at The Stable, 259 North Maple Avenue, Ridgewood, NJ 07450, for the following:

GARDEN MAINTENANCE – PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT

Proposal instructions may be obtained from the Department of Parks and Recreation, 259 North Maple Avenue, Ridgewood, NJ 07450, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. through 4:30 p.m., telephone 201-670-5560, by

Email request to parks.shadetree@ridgewoodnj.net. Prospective professional responders requesting proposal documents be mailed to them shall be responsible for providing their own postage/delivery service remuneration.

Prices quoted must be net and exclusive of all Federal, State and Local Sales and Excise Taxes. Proposals may be submitted prior to the due date in person or by mail, addressed to the Department of Parks and Recreation. The Village assumes no responsibility for loss or non-delivery of any proposal sent to it prior to the proposal opening.

Each proposal must be enclosed in a sealed envelope with the name of the responder thereon and endorsed, “Garden Maintenance – Parks and Recreation Department”.

All professional service responders are required to comply with the requirements of N.J.S.A. 52:32-44 (Business Registration of Public Contractors), N.J.S.A. 10:5-31 et seq. and N.J.A.C. 17:27 et seq. (Contract Compliance and Equal Employment Opportunities in Public Contracts).

The Village of Ridgewood reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, to waive any informalities or to accept a proposal which, in its judgment best serves the interest of the Village. No proposal may be withdrawn for a period of sixty-days (60) after the date and time set for the opening of bids.

“Professional Responders are required to comply with the requirements of P.L.1975, C. 127. (NJAC 17:27) regarding Affirmative Action, and Executive Order No. 11246 regarding equal employment opportunity, as amended”.

Hotwire US

Posted on

A different approach to traditional fall gardening

unnamed-4

A different approach to traditional fall gardening

OCTOBER 10, 2014    LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2014, 12:31 AM
BY BETTY WIEST
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

Fall is a fabulous time for plantings in your perennial garden. But are you tired of the mums, asters, cabbage and kale that seem to flood the landscape? OK, there are many instances that these plants are rightfully engaging whether used singly for or massed. They are reliable and last fairly long into the fall season. Depending on the weather, kale/cabbage can last well into January.

There are several other outstanding plants noted for their performance in the waning months of the year. Here are some of my favorites:

Montauk daisies are at the top of my list for fall color. I rank them as a superb plant with its pure white petals, yellow center and shiny thick waxy leaves. Montauk daisies are herbaceous perennials and confirm to the “classic” daisy look similar to Shasta daisies. Taxonomists have decided (after the third try) to currently classify it Nipponanthemum nipponicum. You can find it in Montauk, Long Island but it is indigenous to Japan and a plant of China. It is happiest when grown in full sun. It can grow to a height of 3 feet, but I discovered that if you pinch it back around July 1 (or remember by the 4th of July), the stems will not get so leggy. This past growing season I managed to pinch back a large mass of them on my front walkway; another smaller section by my driveway was not pinched back (I just forgot). The plants by the walkway are looking real good with strong stems and plenty of blooms; the ones by the driveway are long and leggy, spilling out onto the drive and making for fine footwork trying to avoid them when I get out of the car. Montauk daisies can withstand frost; freezing temperatures will brown the leaves and ruin the flowers.

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/community-news/recreation/a-different-approach-to-traditional-fall-gardening-1.1106617#sthash.HVp8ZShK.dpuf