Ungardening in January: Seeds

Straw mulch over seeds protects a meadow planting. New growth will be augmented with plugs in Spring.
Jacque Schiller
Straw mulch over seeds protects a meadow planting. New growth will be augmented with plugs in Spring.
It is time to think about seeds for spring planting and time to plant seeds that require overwintering to break their dormancy and germinate in the spring. That is my January project, planting the native seeds collected mostly from my garden, the meadow and the woods. I will use the tried-and-true method, re-using plastic gallon jugs which I have saved for this purpose. I cut around the jug, four inches from the bottom, leaving about an inch of the plastic attached so that it hinges open. The bottom is filled with soil and dotted with seed, then I tape the top to the bottom to create a kind of greenhouse. These can be left outside until it starts to warm up, and the tops can then be removed. Be sure to label the jugs in a way that will not succumb to the elements – even Sharpie ink can fade over the winter. I use a wood plant label stake inside the container before I seal it up as well as a tag sealed with clear tape attached to the outside.
I’m also planting seeds directly into the ground in the meadow. The meadow was not mowed last year so there is an excess of grass and thatch covering the soil. I decided to use the propane weed torch to selectively burn the grass where I want to plant the seed. I waited for a morning after a big rain to start this experiment. Holding the torch steady in one spot for a few seconds created an approximately 5-inch patch of char and bare soil. I then used my boot to push back a bit of the newly uncovered topsoil. Onto this moist exposed soil I pressed a few seeds and then covered it lightly with the soil I had pushed back. My foot tamped it down gently and then I loosely covered the patch with some dry grass. With help, I was able to create about forty of these bare patches into which I planted seeds from six different native plants suited to the sandy riparian soil.
We ‘started’ the meadow three years ago on about an acre of land across the stream from our house simply by not mowing it anymore. We had no idea what would grow. And when it did, it was not impressive; mostly non-native weedy plants took over: sheep sorrel, hawkweed and several non-native grasses. But also some promising signs – a few yarrow, horsetail, evening primrose and wild strawberry. The following year, after a June mow, we planted little bluestem seeds, mostly as they did not need the overwintering that perennials typically require to germinate; they grew in well. Last spring I spent way too long pulling out the sheep sorrel and planting partridge pea seeds. Over the season I added a few more flowering perennials: Rattlesnake master, Eryngium yuccifolium, Culver’s root Veronicastrum, Bienial Gaura, Gaura Oenothera. From these and a few more species I had enough seed to spare for this planting experiment.
On New Years Day I was chatting with Jacque Schiller -about seeds- at a mellow afternoon party in North Cornwall. Jacque had planted a small meadow in the area where the septic system of their house which had been replaced. She relayed how she spread seeds- a wildflower seed mix specifically for Connecticut from Urban Farmer - last August after the septic work was complete and planned to augment with native plugs this spring. When I got home, I went on the Urban Farmer website to look at the details of the seed mix she used. I was sad and not surprised to see that about 70% of seeds in this particular mix is from non-native species. The company does offer a native mix for the Northeast which is found alongside the other seeds on offer but does not make a distinction between native and non-native seed for the state-specific mixes.
I asked Jacque if she thought her meadow was comprised of native plants; yes, she had. Her error is a common one; I too have bought plants thinking that they were native when they were not. Not all wildflowers are native, of course, but the nomenclature and the way they are sometimes marketed can be confusing to people whose intentions are to plant native. So why is it done? I suspect the wildflower species included in the CT mix are showier than the native alternatives. And perhaps even hardier, as there are fewer animals that eat them or their pollen or reproduce on them. Consumers want aesthetic success, and non-natives can do that but they do not deliver on preserving the native habitat and food chain for native insects, birds and even mammals. Moral here: Buy seeds from reliable sources such as native plant specialists. Exchange seeds with people you trust. Read labels well.
If you are looking for native seeds, there will be a native seed exchange Jan. 25 from noon to 3 p.m in the Munger Barn at The Dudley Farm North Guilford, Conn. Organized by national organization The Wild Ones, the event is a bit far away; but will be a worthwhile trip. For more information, go to mountainlaurel.wildones.org/news/
Dee Salomon ‘ungardens’ in Litchfield County.
SALISBURY — Joseph Robert Meehan the 2nd,photographer, college professor and nearly 50 year resident of Salisbury, passed away peacefully at Noble Horizon on June 17, 2025. He was 83.
He was the son of Joseph Meehan the 1st and his mother, Anna Burawa of Levittown, New York, and sister Joanne, of Montgomery, New York.
He is predeceased by his wife, Elsie Lynn Meehan who passed away in November of 2023.
He leaves behind a son, Joseph Cortese, of Upton Massachusetts, his wife Mary and grandchildren, Michaela (Cortese)Donabedian, her husband Sevag and his great grandson, Ari, of Hopkinton, Massachusetts.
His grandson, Joseph Cortese, of Barrington, Rhode Island, and his granddaughter, Jaclyn Cortese of Tamworth, New Hampshire.
He also leaves behind his daughter, Kathleen Cortese Zito and husband Dominic, their three children, Michael, Alessandra, and Mathew Zito of Broomall, Pennsylvania.
After teachingpsychology at Dutchess Community College in Poughkeepsie, starting in 1968, his40-year career in photography started in the mid to late 70’s and has included assignment work for a wide variety of commercial and editorial publications. Over a thousand of his photographs have appeared in newspapers, books, magazines and on web sites for clients such as Nikon, and Hasselblad cameras, SanDisk memory cards, Tiffen Filters, Fujifilm, Eastman Kodak, the U.S. Army, National Geographic, the Smithsonian Museum and the U.S. Department of the Interior.
His work ranged from the beauty of the Salisbury areato an expedition photographer for arctic animal studies in the high Canadian Arctic, photographing Inuit hunters in Northern Greenland to landscape work in other extreme locals such as Death Valley, California.
Portfolios of his work have featured in such magazines as Outdoor Photographer, Shutterbug, Rangefinder and Popular Photography and his style has been characterized by the New York Times as “…alive with color and sparkling with light.”
He also served as the technical editor of Photo District News for over a decade, writing about new technologies and products and was the former editor of the Photography Yearbook. He has authored over 20 books on photographic technique many of which have received “best book” awards and have been translated into several languages.
Born in New York City, he was a 1959 graduate of Levittown High School, Levittown, New York.
He received his baccalaureate degree with honors from Columbia and a Master of Arts degree from Manhattan College. He has taught photography on the college level in the U.S., England and at the National Academy of Arts in Taiwan and gave workshops at the Palm Beach Photographic Centre in West Palm Beach, Florida.
His eye always saw the beauty of the Salisbury area through alens and he captured those images in an area that he and his wife Lynn loved.
When they were not on/in and around the lake, he and Lynn didn’t miss any of their grandchildren’s big events.Joe took great pride in photographing all these memorable events.
His beautiful images will always be here for all to appreciate.
Funeral services are under the direction of Newkirk-Palmer funeral home and a graveside service will be held this Friday, June 27, 2025, at 11 a.m. at St. Mary’s Cemetery, 18 Cobble Road, Salisbury, Connecticut.
STANFORDVILLE, New York — It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Florence Olive Zutter Murphy, who went home to be with the Lord on June 16, 2025, at the age of 99.
She was born in Sharon, Connecticut on Nov. 20, 1925, and was a long time resident of the Dutchess County area.
She was a devoted mother, loving wife to James Francis Murphy, who passed on Oct. 11, 1971, and a dear friend to many.
Florence, who was also known as Flo, managed a dairy farm for many years on Carpenter Hill Road in Pine Plains, New York. She is remembered for her delicious home cooked meals.
After raising her children she became an avid square dancer, racketball and tennis player. She then discovered her love for bike riding. She enjoyed embarking on bike tours well into her mid 80’s. When Flo wasn’t out riding her bike she could be found taking care of her property. She loved gardening, clearing the woods and building rock walls one stone at a time.
Florence was an amazing woman of great integrity, strength and tenacity. She was adored, respected and greatly loved by her family and those who knew her.
Florence is survived by her seven children — Bonnie June Chase, James Albert Murphy, Donna Sue Strauss, Jackie Lynn Merwin Disher, Glenn William Murphy, Lori Lee Mora and Clint Evan Murphy as well as 16 grand children and 20 great grand children.
She will always be remembered and greatly missed.
The Kenny Funeral Home has care of arrangements.
Chore Service hosted 250 supporters at it’s annual Garden Party fundraiser.
On Saturday, June 21, Mort Klaus, longtime Sharon resident, hosted 250 enthusiastic supporters of Northwest Corner’s beloved nonprofit, Chore Service at his stunning 175-acre property. Chore Service provides essential non-medical support to help older adults and those with disabilities maintain their independence and quality of life in their own homes.
Jane MacLaren, Executive Director, and Dolores Perotti, Board President, personally welcomed arriving attendees. The well-stocked bar and enticing hors d’oeuvres table were popular destinations as the crowd waited for the afternoon’s presentations.
Jane MacLaren, Executive Director of Chore Service, and Mort Klaus, host of the Garden Party eventBob Ellwood
The Garden Party is Chore Service’s only major fundraising event of the year, so it was not only a wonderful social activity, but a vital support mechanism to keep our most vulnerable residents in their homes.
First to present was MacLaren, who underlined the organization’s mission, thanked all caregivers for their important work, and said, with gratitude, to all donors, “Our accomplishments are your accomplishments.”
Ellen Ebbs, a Litchfield resident and Chore client, delivered a powerful and deeply personal testimony, sharing how the organization’s services transformed her life after a serious fall left her “disabled, dependent, and depressed.” Her story resonated with the audience and highlighted the vital impact of Chore’s work.
Priscilla McCord, outgoing Board Chair of Chore Service and Patrick Roy, incoming Chair.Bob Ellwood
Patrick Roy, high-energy incoming Chair of the Board, as well as First Selectman of Roxbury and Chief of its police force, told the crowd of his “Fragile List” — those in the community a step away from losing their independence, and how he ensured that this group was adequately taken care of. Priscillia McCord, outgoing Board Chair after twelve years of unstinting service, asked for donations for Fund the Cause, urgently needed to support the recently-expanded transportation services before funding runs out in September. As Patrick Roy said, “In rural towns like ours, our clients depend on us for basic services — to get to their medical appointments, go grocery shopping, as well as life-enhancing activities like going to the library and getting a weekly lift to visit family and friends.” Both Roy and McCord emphasized the area of greatest current concern — that of an upcoming decrease in federal funding, something we will learn more about in August.
Chore Service supports the towns of Cornwall, Falls Village, Goshen, Kent, Litchfield, Morris, Norfolk, North Canaan, Roxbury, Salisbury/Lakeville, Sharon, Warren, and Washington.
For those interested in accessing services or providing them, please contact Chore Service at (860) 435-9177. To learn more about the organization or to donate, go to www.choreservice.org.
Sally Haver has lived in the Berkshires, on and off, since the mid-’70’s and her horse lives in Amenia.
The mission statement of the Berkshire Bach Society (BBS) reads: “Our mission is to preserve the cultural legacy of Baroque music for current and future audiences — local, national, and international — by presenting the music of J.S. Bach, his Baroque predecessors, contemporaries, and followers performed by world-class musicians.”
Its mission will once again be fulfilled by presenting a concert featuring Dane Johansen on June 28 at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church at 29 Main Street, in Stockbridge, Massachusetts.
Terrill McDade, Executive Director of BBS, said, “Dane is a supremely talented musician and a musical poet. Audiences will hear his cello speak in three different musical dialects: those of Bach, Gaspar Cassadó, and Benjamin Britten. They will experience and be able to find the idiom that means the most to them. The music is classical, contemporary, and modern. It is contemplative, energetic, lyrical, rhythmic, and, in the end, philosophical. The audience is in for that rare musical treat of an intimate recital of profound music interpreted by a solo player who gives them something to think about —whether consciously or sub-consciously.”
McDade added, “Berkshire Bach believes it is very important to present live performances of a variety of Baroque music throughout the season, especially in this time in our society. Music has restorative power, and when played by fine musicians, can provide moments of respite and reflection that do us good.”
Johansen’s recital on June 28 is a case in point. The sound of the cello — so close to that of the human voice —makes us feel better somehow — refreshed in our spirit, hopeful, better able to carry on in difficult times,” said McDade.
Johansen grew up in Fairbanks, Alaska. He graduated from Juilliard and is a member of the Cleveland Orchestra, which he joined in 2016. He has performed all over the world as a soloist, chamber, and orchestral musician. He was a member of the Escher String Quartet and a BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artist.
The concert will conclude Berkshire Bach’s thirty-fifth season, which opened with the film “Strangers on the Earth,” also featuring Johansen as he walked the Camino de Santiago — the ancient 600-mile pilgrimage route extending through France and Spain — with his cello strapped to his back in 2014. He stopped in towns along the way and played the six Bach Cello Suites in local churches.
The concert will begin at 5pm. Tickets are available at: www.bershirebach.org/events.