Suffolk County Legislator Rob Trotta was the guest speaker at the Smithtown Senior Center’s Garden Club in May. After speaking about his vegetable garden and blackberry and raspberry plants, he was invited to come back this month.
Legislator Trotta invited Bonnie and Andrew Steinmuller, owners of ARS Landscape & Design and Podcat Farms located at 527 West Jericho Turnpike in Smithtown to join him. Bonnie was able to attend, but Andrew had a previous commitment. The young couple are raising their family in Smithtown while fulfilling their dream of having a farm, nursery, and local landscape/design business.
Bonnie gave a brief overview of her background and how she and her husband started their business. Then, gardening tips where shared by all. Such as, if you grow strawberries as they do at the Senior Center, they paint little rocks red with black dots to deter the birds from pecking at the real strawberries. Did you know that a mixture of water, coffee grounds, eggshells and a banana peel – simmered and strained – makes a healthy solution for watering plants and vegetables? Some people recommended shaving Irish Spring soap to keep the bugs and deer away from plants and others recommended tying some human hair on a plant to discourage the deer. Bonnie noted from her experience that if deer are hungry, they will eat anything, but they do tend to dislike plants with a strong odor. According to Patty Bornhoft, Senior Citizen Assistant at the Senior Center, if your fence is solid, the deer won’t jump over it as they cannot see what is beyond it and don’t want to take the chance of being injured.
Both Legislator Trotta and Bonnie shared some of their vegetable plants with the seniors and, in addition, Bonnie gave them a summer plant for all to enjoy at the Smithtown Senior Center.
