PLT’s Bridge Gardens: Open Year Round, 10 AM to 4 PM / 2020 at Bridge Gardens by Rick Bogusch

Bridge Gardens is open year round!

10:00 am to 4:00 pm

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Bridge Gardens is open for your visit!

If the garden gates are open, please stop in —

but we need your help.

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Spending time in nature provides you with comfort and joy during these challenging times. However, when visiting, please honor all safety guidelines issued by public health authorities including physical (aka social) distancing of at least 6 feet from one another and wearing a mask or face covering during your visit. Also, for the health and safety of all, the garden house is not open to the public at this time.

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If the garden appears crowded when you arrive, please let us know and then return at another time for everyone’s health and welfare. Thank You!

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Looking Ahead | A Note from Rick

December 16, 2020

Remembering Jim Kilpatric

In 2008, Bridge Gardens founders Jim Kilpatric and Harry Neyens made a decision that has since impacted more people than can be estimated. They donated their beloved Bridge Gardens Trust to the Peconic Land Trust, to ensure that this public garden could be enjoyed and appreciated by the community for perpetuity.

We are deeply saddened to know that Jim Kilpatric recently passed away but want to share the impact their generous gift has made to the community.

Because of Jim and Harry, the Peconic Land Trust has a place to demonstrate sustainable living practices that showcase a sensitivity to the environment. Since receiving their gift over 12 years ago, the Trust has worked to create a place where people come together to explore, learn, and relax. Offering everything from organic landscape practices and how-to workshops on vegetable gardening, native plants and organic rose care, to children’s activities, live music in the garden and art classes, Bridge Gardens has become a community gathering place.

“When I look out upon Bridge Gardens, especially when highlighted by the East End’s buttery light, I’m struck by the beauty created by Jim – and Harry – and am thankful we all get to enjoy it,” shared Rick.

We couldn’t have done this without Jim and Harry’s commitment to the Bridgehampton community and beyond. Jim, and his partner Harry, have created a lasting legacy, one that will be enjoyed and experienced by countless visitors and for that we are sincerely thankful.

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Friends in the Herb Garden

Community Gardeners

2019 Garden Tour with

Rick Bogusch

that we are sincerely thankful.

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2020 – An Unusual Year

While many things changed in 2020 due to the pandemic, access to Bridge Gardens remained the same. And this year has made us realize how important a place like Bridge Gardens is when people need a place to be outside. We stayed open 7 days a week and saw more visitors than ever before. I was amazed to see people of all ages, families with small children, residents and visitors alike, returning again and again to walk, relax, sit in the shade, read, work in a quiet place or have a conversation with a friend. Bridge Gardens became the community resource it was meant to be.

And with increased food insecurity, the vegetables harvested weekly from our demonstration vegetable beds were more important than ever. More than 1,000 pounds of food was delivered over the course of the growing season to the Sag Harbor Food Pantry, much to the delight of their clients. In addition, our 24 Community Garden beds were sold out and people learned how to grow their own food. I hope you enjoyed some of our virtual workshops and videos this year, sharing tips on everything from growing lettuce and beets, to creating great soil from compost, to implementing organic practices for the lawn and landscape.

Looking ahead to 2021, there will be many opportunities for us to connect, both virtually and eventually, in person.Programs will include starting seeds indoors and planning your garden, our popular Long Island Grown lecture series – which will remain virtual for now – and an outdoor sculpture exhibition installation planned for early summer. And, we’re excited to launch our new TravelStory audio tour, coming very soon! Led by Kathy Kennedy, our Senior Outreach Manager and me, this GPS-based tour can be experienced on your phone while visiting Bridge Gardens, or you can explore the Gardens from your home computer. Stay tuned for an official tour launch announcement!

I’m looking forward to installing enhanced signage in the coming months, both directional and interpretative, that will provide a better visitor experience. We’re also planning a greater focus on the beauty and importance of native plants. In fact, our native plant collection grew by planting hundreds of grasses, perennials, shrubs and trees, many homegrown from seed. Using native plants, we made great strides turning our entrance parking lot into a garden feature and demonstration area. Plantings will be completed this spring – I hope you’ll come and explore!

2020 was a great year for blackberries and raspberries. This year we planted more native elderberries as well as beach plums and goji berry. Look for more blackberries, native hazelnuts, and native persimmons in 2021. Also a highlight of 2020 was the newly planted orchard of 22 apple and pear trees, all of which flourished. Starting as 3-foot saplings, they became small trees, and show great promise as a source of programming and delicious harvest. We’ll begin a pruning and organic maintenance program for the orchard, developed by Paul Wagner of Greener Pastures Organics, beginning in spring of 2021.

Orchard saplings in early spring

Apple and pear trees flourished by end of summer

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December is a quiet time here at Bridge Gardens. I’m still digging out paths in the vegetable garden, mulching, and waiting for a couple of hard freezes so I can finish cutting back the herb garden. Even though leaves are gone and the gardens have been cut back, people are still visiting Bridge Gardens most every day.

It has a different kind of interest and appeal at this time of year. It’s a great place to soak up the sun and enjoy the beauty of the East End light, to be thankful for evergreens, but also appreciate the beauty of a branching pattern and the texture of bark.

We’re still open every day, come visit soon! And I wish you peace and happiness this holiday season.

~~Rick

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Rick’s Savory Cranberry Onion Jam

Ingredients

¼ cup (1/2 stick) butter

1 large yellow onion, chopped (about 1 ½ cups)

1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries

½ cup 100% cranberry juice (unsweetened)

¼ cup packed light brown sugar

¼ cup red wine vinegar

¼ cup red wine

1 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary leaves

½ tsp. salt

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook until golden and tender, about 15-18 minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients and increase heat to high. Bring jam to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20-30 minutes or until cranberries burst and mixture thickens. Set aside to cool. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Makes about 1 cup of jam

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The holidays are here!

It’s the perfect time to create special homemade gifts for family and friends. This savory cranberry onion jam recipe is one of my favorites and goes well in a gift basket with homemade crackers or French bread. Its perfect on pork, ham and chicken. Enjoy!

Getting started

Coming along

Finished!

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For more recipes from our Rolled Cookies and Crackers workshop held last holiday season, download this pdf!

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Help Bridge Gardens Continue to Grow!

Renew for 2021 or Buy Your Membership Today!

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As the holidays approach, consider giving a 2021 membership to someone special. It makes a nice gift for a gardening friend — or for someone who needs help and inspiration for their landscape.

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2021 Bridge Gardens Memberships are on sale today!

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Membership starts at only $75 for the year — a great value!

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As a member, you receive free or reduced price admission to Bridge Gardens’ educational programs and workshops, plus enjoy free admission and discounts at over 300 participating gardens nationwide through the American Horticultural Society’s Reciprocal Admission Program.

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For more information, to purchase a membership, or for details on how to become a 2021 sponsor of Bridge Gardens, visit our website or contact Amanda Abraham.

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We are very grateful to all our 2020 members

and wish to extend a big thank you

to those who have made an extra commitment

to support the Gardens this year:

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Now is the Perfect Time to … Force Spring Blooming Bulbs

Watch Rick’s video now!

There are many kinds of spring blooming bulbs that one can coax into flower to bring cheerful color to grey winter days in February and March. Trying your hand at forcing bulbs is a fun project to do with your children or grandchildren too.

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Paperwhites (narcissus), amaryllis, tulips, daffodils and glory-of-the-snow are all suitable for this activity.

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Just follow along in this video, led by Rick, and get your indoor garden started this weekend!

Use a variety of vessels

Layer different bulbs for effect

Large pots offer space for variety

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Fermentation Workshops with

Community Gardener Justin Ruaysamran

In case you missed them, we’ve been sharing how-to videos featuring community gardener Justin Ruaysamran showing you the easy techniques to create fermented food. You can still find these on our website blog — sauerkraut, fermented pepper paste and miso — all using (or used with) vegetables grown at Bridge Gardens!

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Take time to enjoy them all on our website blog, and be sure to visit Justin’s Instagram, @Justinmakeshisown

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While our 2021 program planning continues,

check out these videos and Zoom presentations from 2020,

The Importance of Growing Native Plants

Missed our October 24 talk explaining why you should add more native plants to your landscape? The presentation included our own Rick Bogusch, Director of Bridge Gardens, Brian Smith, V.P. of LI Native Plant Initiative, John Witzenbocker, Owner/beekeeper of Sag Harbor Honey and moderator Jessica Damiano, contributing garden writer for Newsday.

You can watch it now!

And when you click on the link, you’ll also find a list of resources provided by our panelists, from a list of native trees and shrubs, what to plant for year round color, and a link to Jessica’s newly published 2021 gardening calendar!

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Tick Smart on Long Island

Missed our September 14 talk on managing your exposure to ticks while out in nature? The presentation featured panelists Moses Cucura, Entomologist with Suffolk County Vector Control, Daniel Gilrein, Entomologist with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County, and Tamson Yeh, Pest Management and Turf Specialist with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County. Our moderator is Melissa Parrott, Director of Environmental Education and Outreach with the Central Pine Barrens Commission.

You can watch it now!

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And visit our website blog to view several videos from the 2020 season with Rick sharing tips on everything from seeding and caring for vegetables in the garden to soil workshops and a walk through the four quadrant herb garden. Stay tuned for more virtual workshops and garden walks in 2021!

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About Bridge Gardens

Bridge Gardens is a unique demonstration garden with a focus on teaching low-impact horticultural practices, located in the heart of Bridgehampton. It features an expansive herb garden, perennial and vegetable beds, an array of specimen trees and shrubs,

native grasses, community garden plots, and much more!

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Managed by Rick Bogusch, Bridge Gardens is a stewardship project of the Peconic Land Trust, which conserves Long Island’s working farms, natural lands and heritage. Bridge Gardens supports the Trust’s mission by serving as a multi-purpose, multi-disciplinary outdoor classroom, demonstration garden and community resource.

For more information, visit our website:

www.PeconicLandTrust.org or call 631.283.3195.

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Please help us further reduce our carbon footprint: If you change your address,

or would like to receive all (or some) of your communications from the

Peconic Land Trust by email, let us know!

Contact Janet Schutt, Donor Services Manager:

JSchutt@PeconicLandTrust.org

631.283.3195 ext. 24

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Peconic Land Trust conserves Long Island’s working farms, natural lands

and heritage for our communities now and in the future.

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Please note: The Peconic Land Trust does NOT collect or distribute the funds from the 2% real estate transfer tax. The Peconic Land Trust raises its operating budget through charitable gifts and payment for professional services. The 2% real estate transfer fee paid by buyers for the Peconic Bay Region Community Preservation Fund goes directly to the Town in which the property purchased is located. Learn more >>>

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