Tags Posts tagged with "Sunflowers"

Sunflowers

'Sunflowers' by the Night Heron Artists

Who doesn’t love sunflowers? The Night Heron Artists are offering their large group painting “Sunflowers” for sale. Currently on view on the second floor of the Port Jefferson Village Center, the  beautiful unframed watercolor  painting was created by over 22 artists and measures 22″ by 30.” Fifty percent of the proceeds on the sale of the painting will be donated toward the Ukranian cause. All offers will be considered. For more information, call Leslie at 631-744-3794.

 

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By Herb Mones

As the Ukrainian humanitarian crisis continues to unfold, it is important for Three Village residents to reflect on our area’s historical ties to the peoples of Eastern Europe. 

In the late 1800s, many Eastern Europeans fled persecution to seek a better life in the United States. A number of these immigrants came to Setauket to find work at a local manufacturing plant that would eventually employ as many as five hundred men, women and children. Small “Factory Houses” were built by the company’s owners for the arriving workforce. Three of these historic Factory Houses are at 148 Main St. in Setauket, where they are undergoing restoration by the Three Village Community Trust. 

Most know the sunflower is the national flower of Ukraine. Today, as the Ukrainian crisis deepens, it symbolizes hope, determination and solidarity for a free and independent people. 

The Three Village Community Trust, in support of the Ukrainian people and to raise awareness of the crisis, has installed sunflower art at its different properties throughout the area. 

Now, the Trust is heading up a relief effort for the people of Ukraine by asking residents to donate. 

All proceeds will go to Ukrainian aid organizations vetted through Charity Navigator. People can donate at the Trust’s website: threevillagecommunitytrust.org, or by mailing a check payable to TVCT-Ukrainian Relief, c/o Three Village Community Trust, PO Box 2596, Setauket, NY 11733. 

Ukrainians helped build our community, now it’s time to consider helping Ukraine.

Give some thought to sunflowering your front yard or business. Help spread sunflowers to the entire community and the world.

Herb Mones is the president of the Three Village Community Trust. 

Pixabay photo

To show solidarity with the citizens of Ukraine, the Town of Brookhaven will present the “Sunflowers for Ukraine” art exhibit at Brookhaven Town Hall starting on Monday, March 21. The exhibit is presented by the Town of Brookhaven’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Sports, and Cultural Resources and will be curated by Maureen Pouder, who runs art classes for the Town.

Ms. Pouder reached out to Councilwoman Jane Bonner with the idea to hold an art exhibit in response to the plight of the Ukrainian people. The Councilwoman embraced the idea and got the ball rolling.

“Maureen’s idea to have an art exhibit struck me as something that we needed to do. The resolve of the Ukrainians in the face of such a relentless attack from Russia is an inspiration to freedom-loving people all over the world. I encourage everyone to stop by to see the exhibit at Town Hall and show your support for the people of Ukraine,” said Councilwoman Bonner.

All the artwork on display is created by Brookhaven artists and features sunflowers, the national flower of Ukraine and a symbol of solidarity and peace amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Many of the artists are from the Town’s art classes, which are held at the Town’s recreation centers. As part of the “Sunflowers for Ukraine” project, the participating artists will combine their talents to create a 50” X 40” watercolor painting featuring sunflowers by “Sunflowers for Ukraine” participating artists.

The exhibit will be located on the second-floor mezzanine at Brookhaven Town Hall, One Independence Hill in Farmingville. Exhibit hours are Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 pm. For more information about the exhibit or the Town of Brookhaven’s art classes program, call 631-451-8696.

Sunflower seeds are popular with birds. Photo by Ellen Barcel

By Ellen Barcel

Once our beautiful flowering plants have bloomed, the question then becomes, what do you do next, if anything. Deadheading is frequently recommended for plants with many or large flowers such as rhodies. But, the question is, should you deadhead your flowering plants? The answer is yes and no.

Deadheading helps the energy of the plant go into growing the plant rather than producing seeds. Some plants will bloom again or continue blooming if deadheaded. Coreopis, daylilies, roses and marigolds are all plants that will produce more blooms if deadheaded. So will cosmos and geraniums (Pelargonium). After all, the botanical purpose of flowers is to produce seeds. If you remove the remains of the flowers before they go to seed, the plant will generally send up more flowers so it can produce seeds.

In addition, deadheading makes plants look tidier by removing the brown/curled remains of old flowers. Some people don’t like the look of the flowers that form on hostas, planting them instead for their unique leaves. If you feel that way, remove the flower as soon as you see it.

However, don’t deadhead if:

• You plan to save the seeds of heirloom plants, particularly tomatoes, for next year. Take one of the best tomatoes, cut it open and remove the seeds and dry them. There are even seed exchanges where you can trade some of your heirloom seeds for others.

• The plant is a self-seeder (volunteer) like lunaria or columbine. Then you want the plant to go to seed, spreading the seeds throughout the garden for next year.

• Some plants bloom only once (like Hydrangea macrophylla), but the blooms stay on the plant all season. In that case, don’t even think about deadheading.

• You want the local birds to have a food source. Sunflowers are particularly popular with birds, as are tickseeds (from coreopsis) but so are most flower seeds.

• You like the appearance of the seed pods (for example, lunaria) or the remains of clematis.

• You plan to eat the seed pods (green beans, snap peas, melons, squash, apples, etc.) that form from or around the flowers. Or, in the case of roses, plan to use the rose hips to make jelly.

• You can’t comfortably reach the flowers. Don’t damage your plants by bending branches down just to reach and remove spent flowers, or climb on a ladder if it’s not safe to do so.

• You’ll damage the plant’s growing sections. For example, rhododendron’s new leaves come out from the end of the branch, where the flower has bloomed. When pulling off the remains of the flower, it’s easy to accidentally knock off the new leaves coming in. As a result, I never deadhead rhodies. I let the flower remains fall off naturally.

Remember that deadheading means just removing the spent flower, cutting as little of the stem as possible. It is not pruning where you cut back a plant drastically. However, if you are deadheading a plant that has a single flower at the end of a long stem, like a daylily, cut that stem back to the ground.

Ellen Barcel is a freelance writer and master gardener. To reach Cornell Cooperative Extension and its Master Gardener program, call 631-727-7850.

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By Wendy Mercier

As summer fades into fall, many plants and flowers will continue to bloom until the first frost of winter. Annuals, such as geraniums, marigolds and begonias, can have an extended growing season with proper watering and pruning. Plants such as Montauk daisies, Black-Eyed Susans and hardy mums are just beginning to come into season, and are a sign that autumn is upon us.