Happenings in the Heart of Wine Country

On May 2, 2010 we experienced a fire in our workshop in the back of the building which damaged our living quarters. We will be closing for repairs and hope to reopen by the end of June. Liz is making arrangements for guests with reservations to stay at area B&Bs that are in our group, the North Fork Bed & Breakfast association. If you have a reservation and want to discuss your options, please call Liz at 631-734-6052. Sorry for the delayed post, but we have only recently gotten back on line. We would like to thank everyone for their well wishes and concern.

I didn’t post last week and I didn’t want to let another week go by without posting. I also didn’t want to turn this into a garden blog, but we have been very busy here getting the gardens ready for the season, and today was a nice (but brisk) day for gardening. So here are a few pictures that were taken in the garden today. Hope you enjoy them.

This is the time of year when those of us with a proclivity to grow start to venture out to the garden centers and begin plant collecting. Many of our “up-Island” friends and guests of the B&B plan garden weekends, because the North Fork has so many varied and unique garden centers. Although I like to go through the whole growing cycle from seed to harvest, I am still tempted by the many unusual plants whose seed is either too difficult to grow or is unavailable. Jamesport has many garden centers, nurseries and greenhouses, a few of which I was able to get to this weekend. One of the biggest is the Glass Greenhouse. Although they offer standard fair, their selection can still be overwhelming. Right across the street is Gabrielson’s who’s offerings are similar, but they also include some livestock that can be feed, and a cornmaze in the fall. I didn’t get to Colorful Gardens, just east of town, but I like their selection of herbs, unusual annuals and smaller pots of perennials. If you have the patience, this is a more affordable way to get perennials since most nurseries only offer them in the pricier one gallon + pots. A garden center that just opened it’s retail site, also just east of town is The Gardens at Beds & Borders. Torie Cande was very helpful. In addition to some unusual and healthy looking plants they also offer many pots and hanging baskets with a variety of different, complimentary plants arranged attractively into “Mini-gardens.” My last stop this weekend was Trimbles of Corchaug, located just west of Cutchogue village. This is one of my favorite places. First, proprietors Anne Trimble and Nancy Leskody are very knowledgeable and helpful. Their stock is vigerous and combines the unusual and whimsical with  the old standards. They see plants from the point of view of a horticulturist and an artist, including vast arrays of leaf color combinations and textures as well plant flowers and forms. Found objects are artfully arranged all over the garden center showing outstanding creativity and cleverness. And if you go, you must allow yourself extra time to take a walk in their idea garden. You will relax in it’s peaceful and serene setting and see the plants growing in the ground, displaying their actual habit, and of course get ideas for plant combinations and garden art. Unfortunately that’s all I had time for this week, but within the next few weeks I hope to get to another of my favorite places, The Peconic River Herb Farm.Violas and Pansies bloom in front of the Glass Greenhouse in Jamesport.A large display of Easter flowers at the Glass GreenhouseThe Glass Greenhouse in Jamesport.Gabrienson’s across the street form the Glass Greenhouse.An arrangement of succulents at Beds and Borders.Torie Cande of Beds & BordersHellebores or Lentin Roses at Beds & Borders.Subtle coloring of violas at Beds and BordersNancy Leskody of Trimbles of Corchaug.The entrance to the Idea Garden at Trimbles.A shot of the idea garden at Trimbles. Bursting with great ideas, even this early in the season.One of the many little whimsical still lifes created from found objects that make the visit to Trimbles even that much more interesting.Vinca blooms in the shade area of Trimbles.This is an example of the incredible variety of leaf colors and textures that can be found at Trimbles. Believe it or not, these are all Geraniums!

 Saturday we went to hear George Barry perform at Jason’s Vineyards, a relatively new winery owned by Jason Damianos, son of Dr. Herodotus Damianos of Pindar Vineyards fame. The winery was spacious and had a greek mythology theme, specifically that of Jason and the Argonauts, complete with a bar shaped like the Argonaut’s ship, the argo. George was very entertaining, singing many of his own songs and taking requests showing a versatility that included everything from old standards to new popular hits. Sitting back and enjoying a glass of wine, a talented musician and a great bunch of people was a terrific way to spend the first weekend of spring. George will be performing next weekend on Sat. April 3 at Laurel Lake Vineyards
.
From a distance it’s hard to see spring’s first growth on the vines planted alongside Jason’s Vineyard winery.

The new winery boasts large porch areas and ample parking.

Guests saddle up to the boat shaped bar.

One of the lovely servers behind the bar that afternoon.

Guests enjoy the afternoon’s entertainment.

George Barry belts a few out on Saturday afternoon.

All winter the chickens bring egg production to a minimum. Chickens are very sensitive to available light and when the days grow short, egg production diminishes. But as soon as the days become noticeably longer, egg production begins to ramp up. Before March I was getting one or two eggs a day from the 24 Silver leghorn hens. (We have 24 hens and one rooster of the same breed. Silver leghorns are a rare old breed that are known for their heavy egg production. I get the chicks through the mail from Murray McMurray Hatchery in the midwest. This batch is going into their second laying year.) I could use artificial light on a timer to induce laying through the winter, but egg laying takes a lot out of hens and I think they need their resources to get through the cold winter. In the beginning of March I noticed they were drinking a lot more water, and I started getting an additional egg a day. We’re between 12 and 18 eggs a day now and there were plenty of eggs to serve the guests this weekend. These were eggs that were all laid a few hours before breakfast, now that’s fresh!

Hard to believe this was the chicken coop just a few weeks ago.

And then they all started to drink a lot more water…

And I started to collect a lot more eggs. (I call this one “Hard Day at the Office.”)

Busy hen laying her daily egg.

Yes, the Chicken coop has stained glass windows from London, England (thanks to Ebay).

“Hollywood Squares”

Hey, where do you think  you’re going with them?

Elvis, the henpecked husband waits in the run for the girls to finish laying their eggs.

What a great subject for our first Blog post- Spring.  And what a great week of weather we have been having to usher in the first day of spring. Our guests this weekend really took advantage of the weather by walking to all the local wineries from our B&B. While I was out running errands I stopped to take a picture of the crocuses coming up in front of the Presbyterian Church in Cutchogue and could not resist the garden across the way at the Cutchogue Library. When you enter the town of Cutchogue you see these two white churches, the Presbyterian Church and the Library, which was once a Congregational Church, but has been operating as a library since the early 1900s.  If you can’t make it out here, hope these pictures bring a little spring into your life.

Crocuses under the Presbyterian Church sign in Cutchogue 

Often mistaken for an early flowering forsythia, this is Witch Hazel in the garden at the Cutchogue Library. 

Sometimes called the “Lentin rose” because it blooms during the Lent season, the early flowering woodland plant is Hellebore, an old garden plant that is regaining popularity with gardeners.

Heather blooming in the library garden. 

A different type of crocus

A very early daffodil.

Another shot of the crocus under the Presbyterian Church sign in Cutchogue