Chapters in New York

We are delighted to invite you to a Garden Tour featuring a popular Wild Ones Mohawk Valley native garden. The homeowner is a long-time gardener who started transitioning her lovely and traditional cottage gardens to include predominantly native plants in 2021. The gardens are extensive, featuring a large variety of native plants, shrubs, and trees. Big changes have taken place each year, and this year is no different. The removal of non-natives has made room for the planting of many new natives, including transforming one area into  a small forest of trees and bushes underplanted with a living mulch of  hundreds of plugs of multiple ground covers. Come and see how the native plants have matured in the last five years, while viewing the newest garden area and gardens still in transition!

This landscape still has hints of cottage gardens, along with “formalish” native front gardens, a woodland garden, and winding paths and hardscape that define "rooms," all of which foster a sense of peace and tranquility and an immersion in nature. Come visit and enjoy resting in one of the many sitting areas to view the functional and ecologically beneficial native gardens of this typical suburban lot, now transformed into a restorative sanctuary. RSVP to [email protected] for exact address.

Join us as we come together during National Moth Week (July 18-25) to celebrate the beauty, diversity, and ecological importance of moths.

Take a peek into the dazzling world of nature’s tiniest and mightiest superheroes during a one-time showing of the powerful documentary The Extraordinary Caterpillar.  Great for all audiences!  Join Wild Ones and Thacher Nature Center for this family-friendly event with a free showing of the movie along with kid-friendly crafts.  Following the movie, join a nature educator for a short walk outdoors to hunt for these tiny superheroes (caterpillars!) that drive biodiversity in the most surprising places.   

Learn how our native gardens are supporting the food web!   

It is noted that Thacher State Park charges a $6 vehicle entrance fee, typically collected daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. between May 1 and October 31. Payment is required at automated kiosks (cash or card) or via attendants at the booths. The fee applies to the Visitor Center lot and other main parking areas. 

When it comes to nurseries, Catskill Native Nursery stands out among the crowd. They offer-

1) A truly unusual number of native plant species and plant types;

2) Beautiful on-site native plant gardens to wander through; and

3) Knowledgeable staff able to discuss the plants along with ecological landscaping principles.

Please join us on this field trip for a talk by the nursery manager. We’ll discuss planting natives along with other ecological landscaping topics followed by a Q&A. The discussion incorporates a stroll through the gardens (border, cottage, and woodland) where an extensive variety of native plants have found a home. Whatever your native-gardening level—beginner to advanced—this field trip will further your understanding and leave you inspired to learn more – plant more.

Catskill Native Nursery has been inspiring gardeners since 1999 to create biodiverse and remarkably ornamental gardens using plants that are native to eastern North America.

Registration is required.

Subscribe to our monthly newsletter to receive program announcements.

If you have any questions, please contact [email protected].

Join Habitat Gardening in Central New York (HGCNY) for a “Show Me, Help Me” garden tour at Sue Boettger’s property in Fayetteville.

In Sue's own words:

When we moved to Fayetteville in 1994, the yard consisted of a half-acre of lawn,
shrubs and a few native trees. The yard now contains more than 15 perennial beds, two annual beds, a vegetable garden and a small arboretum. I’ve planted more than 250 species of native plants and I’ve been delighted to see them self-seed and enrich my more challenging perennial beds. I’m especially fond of asters, goldenrods, mountain mints and ferns. This year begins my transformation of the annual beds into native perennial gardens.

This tour offers a wonderful chance to see a mature native plant garden in action, get inspiration for your own yard, and ask questions about what works (and what doesn’t!) in a Central New York landscape.

Registration is required and space is limited to 15 people.  Separate sign up required for each individual interested in attending.

A waiting list will be started once the maximum sign-ups are reached. If this happens, we will request secondary confirmation of attendance via email — otherwise your spot may be given to someone on the waiting list. Full details, exact address, parking instructions, and what to bring will be provided when attendance is confirmed.

On this lovely evening we will be weeding our demonstration garden and spreading woodchips around the playground.  Feel free to bring work gloves, shovels, trowels, wheelbarrels, buckets, and kneeling pads.  We can show you what to look for when weeding.  Please register for this evening so we can plan accordingly.  Hope to see you all there!