Our next meeting is scheduled for Friday, April 20, 2012 at 6:00 P.M. at Brookside. The 2011 gardening season proved to be successful for the Brookside Butterfly Garden Club. This past year, through the sharing of ideas, creativity and good old physical labor, garden club participants pulled together and produced a beautiful display of flowering plants, herbs and bushes. GSBAS members were rewarded twofold with not only the floral presentation but the added excitement of hummingbirds and butterflies visiting the garden! This year we’re looking forward to continuing our efforts and building on the successes of last year. In addition, we plan to expand our tasks to include plantings on the main grounds and care of the large flower pots. If you find joy in producing living things from soil, seeds, water and a bit of tender loving care, then please join us at Brookside on Friday, April 20, 2012 at 6:00 P.M. for our Spring planning meeting.  If you would like to participate in the Brookside Butterfly Garden Club, please leave a message at 631-563-7716. We look forward to hearing from you!

Thursday, July 21,2011

The Brookside Butterfly Garden Club members spent their evening attending to the needs of the garden.

• Annuals donated by Sharon Kienzle were planted along the garden path.
• A Butterfly Bush donated by GSB Young Birder, Vanessa Roe, certainly enhanced the gardens' beauty.
• Brightly colored Nasturtiums hung from Shepard's Hooks in pots supplied by Mary Plant add a new dimension to the garden.
• Jody Banasak created a lovely hanging basket filled with annuals to rival the soon-to-bloom Cypress Vine and Cardinal Vine contributed by Helga Merryman.
• Perennials given to the garden club by Edith Wilson and Janet Gremli were in full display with vivid colored blossoms from flowers such as brilliant red Bergamot, hot pink Phlox, deep lavender Liatris, chromic Coreopsis, and the dusty rose of Joe Pye Weed.
• The vibrant orange blooms of the trumpet vine cascading from the archway are a spectacular welcome for all who enter. Such an exhibit would not be possible if not for the vigilant watering by Kathy Kozakiewicz.

Thank-you to all those members who have volunteered their time from the inception of the garden club by President Judy Davis; to the initial planning concepts of Mary Engelbert, Gen Lee, Barbara Mc Brien and Megan Mc Brien; to the rigors of soil preparation with Carol Jansch and the cuisine of Bob Wilson.

Our goal to create a garden that would attract both butterflies and hummingbirds has been met. As of this writing, both visitors have been spotted enjoying the fruits of our labor!

Monday, June 6, 2011

The Brookside Butterfly Garden Club has completed the planting of flowers in the garden. We were pleased with the variety of plants that were contributed by the members of the Great South Bay Audubon Society . Thank you to all members for the efforts made since the inception of the Butterfly Garden Club to move this project forward. At this time, we are looking ahead to the strengthening of the plants and to the near future when we will be able to sit back and observe the butterflies and hummers that come to visit!

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

On Tuesday, May 24, 2011 the Brookside Butterfly Garden Club met to discuss the placement of the plants that have been chosen for the garden. Discussion included how the plants should be placed and where they should be placed, the number of plants to be purchased and how soon the plants should be placed in the garden. After much discussion, ideas were tentatively placed on a schematic and we were all quite pleased with our progress. Luckily, we had a lovely evening and were able to venture into the garden several times to better visualize how to put our ideas in motion.

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

On May 11, 2011, the Butterfly Garden Club had the first of two lay-out and design meetings. Those in attendance discussed which plants would best suit the goals of attracting both butterflies and hummingbirds to the garden. The following plants were chosen to be represented in the garden:

Special thanks to Bob and Edith Wilson for their donation of Phlox to the Butterfly Garden. Thanks to Jody Banaszak, Helga Merryman, Kathy K. , Judy Davis, and Gen Lee for their contributions during our previous planning meeting. Together we’re making Brookside a more beautiful place!

*** Members are welcome to donate any of the above-listed plants to the Butterfly Garden. Donations may be brought to Brookside on Wednesdays or Sundays from 1:00 P.M. to 3:00 P.M. no later than June 30, 2011. ***

Sunday, May 1, 2011

On Sunday, May 1, 2011, Helga, Jody and Janet along with Brookside Director Kathy K. collaborated on the final preparation of the Butterfly Garden prior to planting. The garden has had both compost and lime tilled into the soil. All obvious weeds have been pulled and unwanted perennial plants have been transplanted to border gardens on the property.

October 2010

The Brookside Butterfly Garden Club held its first planning meeting on October 15, 2010.  Enthusiasm was so high that we began work in the garden on October 24, 2010.  We started by weeding and removing most of the plants from one side of the garden.  The plants removed were either planted elsewhere on the property or planted in pots.  Lime and dehydrated manure were added to the soil to prepare for spring planting.

After several hours of hard work, the club members were treated to a cookout.  Bob Wilson was the master chef, who expertly cooked our burgers and hot dogs.  It was the perfect ending to a productive day.

It’s not too late to join the Brookside Butterfly Garden Club.  You don’t need a green thumb and you don’t need a large time commitment.  To learn more and to sign up for meeting notification, please contact Janet Gremli at 631-588-1857 or Janet.Gremli@suffolkcountyny.gov.