A gardening guide for the Westchester County area of NY state, providing sustainable gardening tips and guidance for native plant species that thrive in this region. Local landscapers, nurseries and organizations that promote sustainable gardening are listed.

A sale price for the Fromson-Strassler property has been agreed upon by the Town of Weston and the Aspetuck Land Trust. Other terms of the deal are expected to be resolved in the next few weeks.

Every spring we go ga-ga when the magnificent raptors return. The Aspetuck Land Trust owns 2 significant parcels in Sherwood Mill pond. It’s an exceptional habitat for osprey and many other bird species.

Most of the fresh herbs we need to accent the soups and stews, casseroles and comfort food we have planned for the cold months ahead can be successfully grown indoors. For advice on how to do just that we turned to Sal Gilbertie, third-generation grower at Gilbertie’s Farm in Easton and one of the country’s leading experts on herbs.

With fall yard cleanups at hand, Aspetuck Land Trust advises landowners to leave their leaves.

Honeybees have been facing massive global die-offs for decades. Now, some local organizations are working together to help protect them. David Blocher says he worked with Aspetuck Land Trust to find the perfect home for his queens.

Tucked behind a bucolic knoll, Gilbertie’s Organic Farm, at 65 Adams Road in Easton, Conn., comprises 27 greenhouses, a farm stand, a farmhouse and several barns and outbuilding on 34 rolling acres. This has been a particularly trying year for everyone in the world because of the coronavirus pandemic. But his business has never been better.

Randall’s Farm Preserve in Easton is ideal for those needing a nature fix. The former dairy farm offers 34 acres of open meadows, stone walls, groomed trails and forests. The meadows are filled with wildflowers, so be sure to keep an eye out for butterflies. There’s also small ponds and snapping turtles.

This time of year, a massive migration of all species of hawks occurs throughout New England. Hawk species can be seen almost anywhere this time of year. Try hiking trails and lands managed by the Aspetuck Land Trust.

While most Easton residents are getting ready for bed on sultry summer evenings, the barred owl (Strix varia) is just beginning to open its eyes and prepare for a long night of hunting prey and feeding its young. To find barred owls, explore some of Easton’s hiking wooded areas through the Aspetuck Land Trust.

In the middle of Greens Farms, on Prospect Road, Melissa and John Ceriale spent 20 years creating an 8-acre oasis. Gardens, trees, bushes and walking paths fill their property. Yesterday the couple invited all their neighbors over; David Brant of the Aspetuck Land Trust spoke with Greens Farms residents about their Green Corridor project.

“This place is honeybee heaven,” David Blocher of Redding said of the 34-acre preserve owned by the Aspetuck Land Trust. Blocher is using the 15 colonies he has on Randall’s Farm to teach newbies to keep bees. But he’s also raising queen bees with a natural resistance to honeybees’ great enemy.

On June 6th and 7th, the Aspetuck Land Trust hosted their first native plant sale pickup at Gilbertie’s Organic Farm in Easton, Connecticut. This plant sale directly supported the efforts of the Green Corridor Initiative of the Aspetuck Land Trust.

It’s hard to forget March 12th when we were all told to stay home. At Aspetuck Land Trust, we stuck to our mission and kept all our 44 hiking preserves open so everyone could be outside safely. Even when all the National Parks closed.