In May, ReWild Long Island celebrated “Mindful May,” a month in which gardeners reconnect with their gardens and with the rest of the natural world. We asked gardeners to send us their observations, reflections, and photos and to tell us about what they were doing to be mindful in their yards. The responses were beyond our expectations, not only in the number of submissions we received, but also in the joy, love, and beauty that these writers expressed. Some folks stopped mowing for the month, while others changed when or where they mowed. Some folks planted native plants or ripped out invasives. Others took time to observe the beauty of their gardens and experience the joy of seeing the insects, birds, and mammals who visited their gardens. These gardeners not only reconnected to the beauty of their yards but also enhanced and benefited the natural world in which we all live. Here are some excerpts from the submissions.
Perry’s backyard garden has room for vegetables, ornamental plants and now a variety of native plants that Perry selected in a site that he designed. He enjoys seeing the changes and learning what works, what doesn’t and how the garden provides ecological service to local pollinators. It’s a working progress.
![Easy No-Till Vegetable Gardens with Horticulturist & Landscaper Brian Zimmerman [Video]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d26169d479c6d0001c989aa/1686602940352-OFA04CIFXORLLMIK4924/230607_picture+from+BrianZimmerman.jpg)
This is a recording of a presentation by horticultural veteran and no-till expert Brian Zimmerman. Brian eloquently describes his own evolution and realization around the very many no-till techniques that add fertility and reduce weed pressure in gardens. This talk also features discussion of different cover crops, and provides a detailed list of downloadable resources on cover-cropping for Long Island.
The zoom presentation was hosted by ReWild Long Island on June 7th.
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