Sustainable Garden Tour 2024

Saturday, June 15, 2024
9:00 a.m.

Thank you to everyone who helped make our 2024 Sustainable Garden Tour the biggest one yet! With over 140 people touring some of our neighborhood’s most beautiful native gardens, the annual PWWD and ReWild Long Island saw its greatest attendance so far. It was incredible to see such enthusiasm for promoting the health and sustainability of our environment. Thank you to our hosts and to ReWild Long Island for partnering with us once again and we look forward to seeing you all next year!

Garden Tour Stops and Descriptions:

GARDEN: Peggy Maslow
FEATURE: How to Attract Birds to Your Garden

  • Sun and shade flowering plants for all seasons
  • Predominantly native plants
  • Habitat and food for birds and pollinators
  • Low water garden with water reuse
  • No pesticides
  • Composting and Bokashi

Quote from the host:
“As a long-time member of North Shore Audubon, I try to look at my garden with the eyes of a bird. Birds can’t resist a pretty yard with plenty of delicious native seeds and caterpillars, as well as places to hide and forage.”

 

GARDEN: Francine Furtado
FEATURE: Replacing Lawn with Trees, Shrubs and Wildflowers

  • No mow grass (tall fescue, red fescue)
  • Native species of grass, trees, shrubs and perennials
  • Pollinator- and bird-friendly
  • Rainwater harvesting
  • Food and garden composting
  • Smart irrigation

Quote from the host:
“In 2018, two years after moving into our new home, my family and I joined ReWild Long Island and began working with Rusty Schmidt of Nelson Pope to restore our yard to its natural habitat. Upon learning that 95% of our property was non-native and invasive, we decided to focus mainly on the front yard to begin this massive renovation.” 

 

GARDEN: Margaret (Meg) & Charlie Desiervo
FEATURE: Creating an Elegant Landscape that is Sustainable and Attractive

  • Thyme lawn and lots of colors, berries, bees, and birds
  • Small property that delights pollinators, homeowners, and their dog
  • Composting with small barrel system
  • Rain barrel and drip water system

Quote from the host:
“You can do a lot with a small space, and yet make it look good. We have attracted a lot of attention on our street with curious neighbors, who are now starting to rewild their yards!”

 

GARDEN: Joanne Strongin
FEATURE: Landscaping that Barely Needs Water

  • Native plants in the front, side and back yards
  • A goal of “two thirds for the birds”
  • Small but mighty garden beds, filled with pollinator champions
  • Thyme and Phlox path instead of grass and hardscape
  • Two rain barrels for rainwater harvesting, one compost pile
  • In the process of creating native garden space in the hellstrip

Quote from the host:
“Since we’ve become ReWilders we’re much more connected to our outdoor space. As soon as the first sprouts appear in April we are out in the yard, planting, weeding, mulching, rearranging…all while watching the birds, bees and butterflies visit our tiny homegrown national park!”

GARDEN: Jillian Dresser
FEATURE: A Budding Food Forest to Benefit Insects, Wildlife, and Ourselves

  • Native plants, trees and edible plantings such as wild strawberries and high bush blueberries
  • Raised beds for vegetables and herbs
  • Pollinator-friendly, sustainable and productive
  • Composting
  • Pesticide-free

 

Quote from the host:
“Since we’ve been planting over 4-5 years — and much of it from seed — our garden is in various stages of growth. Some of our natives are well established, and others are younger. It’s a transitional space that used to be mostly conventional landscaping and invasive plants that we’re trying to turn into a pollinator-friendly, sustainable, and productive ecosystem.”

GARDEN: Kathy Coley
FEATURE: Garden Transitioning from Traditional and Exotic Plantings to Native Plants

  • Low-maintenance without outside help
  • Left the leaves to serve as over-winter mulch
  • Pollinator garden
  • Herb garden
  • Vegetable container garden

Quote from the host:
“Visitors to my garden will learn how to transition from a traditional to a sustainable garden requiring less watering and maintenance while using no fertilizers or pesticides. I found the pollinator garden design for my front yard on the ReWild Long Island website. Each year, I add a few more plants to attract birds, bees, and butterflies.”

GARDEN: Pat Higgins
FEATURE: A Thriving Garden with Minimal Grass

  • Use of trees as natural posts for climbing plants
  • Pollinator- and bird-friendly
  • Organic vegetable garden in place of grass
  • Native plantings
  • Leaving the Leaves
  • Composting

Quote from the host:
“I began adding perennial native plants to my flower beds about four years ago, when I joined Rewild Long Island. Since then, I’ve replaced large sections of my lawn with native wildflowers, herbs, and organic vegetable crops. My yard has become wonderfully alive with butterflies, bumblebees, and honeybees, and more species of birds than had ever visited before! It’s truly magical. And I feel great about the small but vital contribution I am making to help restore our environment.”

 

GARDEN: Kim and John Keiserman
FEATURE: Integrating Natives into an Existing Formal Garden

  • Integrating more native plants and moving away from non-native ornamentals and turf
  • Native grass, plantings and shrubs
  • Smart use of plantings to fill in empty space
  • Smart irrigation
  • Organic fruits and vegetables
  • Composting

Quote from the host:
“Our property was already landscaped in a traditional, ornamental manner when we moved in. We didn’t want to remove all of that to start from scratch, but instead have had real success integrating natives into this garden.  We’ve made good progress so far and, over time, we are hoping to ‘upgrade’ to more and more natives.” 

 

GARDEN: Kim and John Keiserman as Co-Presidents of Baxter’s Pond Foundation
FEATURE: Native Plantings in a Public Space

  • Results of multiyear process to remove non-native plants and replace with natives
  • Meadow in place of lawn
  • Incorporating plantings with natural water features
  • Pollinator- and bird-friendly

Quote from the host:
“For years, the Baxter’s Pond Foundation has worked with Nassau County to bring more native plants into the Barbara Johnson Park surrounding Baxter’s Pond.  This year, BPF has undertaken its biggest native planting project to date, removing a variety of invasives, refreshing our ornamental gardens with flowering natives, and installing a native grass meadow along Central Drive.”

 

GARDEN: Mindy Germain, David Brackett and Peter Meyer – Port Washington Water District Commissioners
FEATURE: Water District Sets an Example of Water-Wise Landscaping

  • Brand new shade garden planned in consultation with ReWild Long Island
  • Rainwater irrigation system
  • Viewable from street and sidewalk
  • Pollinator- and bird-friendly

Quote from the host:
“We at the Port Washington Water District are passionate about water conservation, and there is no better way to conserve while making our headquarters look beautiful than by planting a native garden. The garden is in its infancy and we are greatly looking forward to watching it thrive and serve as an inspiration to residents who want to make the switch to native plantings in their own homes.”